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THE PERFORMANCE OF NEW AIRLIFT AERATORS AT DIFFERENT SALINITIES,

USING DIFFERENT BLOWER POWERS

Conference Paper · February 2017

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2 authors:

Hisham A. Abdelrahman Karen L. Veverica

Auburn University Auburn University
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 2/20/2017 Aquaculture America 2017 San Antonio, Texas, USA

Aquaculture America 2017 - Meeting Abstract

499

THE PERFORMANCE OF NEW AIRLIFT AERATORS AT

DIFFERENT SALINITIES, USING DIFFERENT BLOWER
POWERS
Hisham A. Abdelrahman* and Karen L. Veverica
The School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences
Auburn University, Alabama 36849-5419 USA
hisham@auburn.edu

In semi-intensive and intensive aquaculture, aerators are necessary to satisfy the oxygen requirements for
respiration of the cultured organisms. There are many kinds of mechanical aerators. One bubbler aerator is
the diffused-air aeration system, which releases air bubbles near pond or tank bottoms to rise through water
column. This study was conducted to determine the influence of different salinities and different blowers on
the performance of two new airlift aerators.

The tests were performed in indoor tanks located at the Auburn University E. W. Shell Fisheries Center,
Auburn, AL. The approximate tank volumes were 3.5 and 7 m 3, but actual water volume was estimated during
each test. The tanks were supplied with clean city water. The procedure for conducting the tests followed
protocol suggested by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The procedure involved deoxygenating water
in the tank with sodium sulfite and cobalt chloride, measuring dissolved oxygen concentration during
reaeration by using smarTROLL RDO handheld oxygen meter (In-Situ Inc.), and calculation of the oxygen
transfer coefficient (KLaT). The value for the KLaT was adjusted to 20°C. The adjusted value (KLa20) was then
used to calculate the standard oxygen transfer rate (SOTR). The wire power was computed and divided into
SOTR to provide the standard aeration efficiency (SAE) in kilograms of oxygen per kilowatt hour. The SOTR
and SAE of two airlift devices - Hydro Burst® and Hydro Stream®- (Aqua Hill Aeration Inc.) were tested at five
salinities (0.1, 10, 20, 30 and 40‰). Three different blower power (0.37, 0.75 and 1.5 kW) were tested at all
salinities. Three replicate trials were performed with each airlift device with each blower at each salinity.

The results clearly demonstrated a significant effect of salinity on airlift aerators oxygen transfer performance.
This is because air bubbles are more numerous and smaller in saline water than in freshwater. Our findings
also showed that, the bigger the blower, the higher the SOTR, the smaller the SAE. There is a trade-off
between SAE and SOTR. The SAE is an important but not the critical factor for tanks.
https://www.was.org/meetingabstracts/ShowAbstract.aspx?Id=46075
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