Pure Oxygen Injection

• BOD reduction
• COD reduction
• Chemical Oxidation
• Lagoon Restoration
• NH3 Oxidation
• Mixing & Equalization

ASPIRATING PURE OXYGEN THROUGH VENTURI AERATORS

Merchant Gas suppliers look for efficient technologies to transfer their industrial gases, especially Oxygen into wastewater to accelerate various organic reductions, viz. BOD reduction, COD reduction, Ammonia Oxidation, other oxidative reactions and recently the adding of DO for effluent polishing.  All these processes require large amounts of dissolved oxygen.  With escalating energy costs, aspirating pure Oxygen into wastewater may be an economically viable alternative to consuming energy in large horsepower motors on traditional aeration technologies.

One effective delivery method of aspirating pure Oxygen into wastewater is the use of Venturi Aerators.  Venturi aerators have the flexibility of operating in three modalities:

1. Aspirate ambient air through two air inlets with the natural vacuum of the venturi aerator,
2. Aspirate Pure Oxygen through a ¾ inch 14 thread fitting in the venturi aerator under O2 line pressure (40-50 psi) off the LOX vaporizer, or
3. Aspirate a blend of ambient air and pure Oxygen at lower O2 flows and pressures. Having this flexibility allows the wastewater treatment plant the option of either increasing or decreasing the flow of Oxygen from the LOX vaporizer unit based on process needs.

When a pure Oxygen feed is used in connection with venturi aerators in an activated sludge plant to support bacteria growth, high level of biomass concentrations can be supported through the increased dissolved oxygen (DO) levels resulting in a more viable treatment regimen with lower sludge production due to vigorous assimilation of organics by the biomass. The kinetic energy from the discharged liquids through the venturi aerator provides:

• Superior process mixing and equalization,
• Greater surface area of materials passing through the pumps and
• Inhibits settling of solids, which enhances digestion.
• Continuous resuspension of solids through recirculation through the venturi aerator if in a basin or lagoon.

 Lower levels of sludge production reduce sludge transportation and off-site disposal costs.

Venturi Aerators are very adaptable to the situation. To restore a lagoon at a paper mill Oxygen was aspirated into two venturi aerators.  The two (2) venturi units discharged into a wet well that flowed through a 300’ long pipe into the center of the lagoon. By discharging into a completely flooded pipe with a long contact time 100% Oxygen utilization was assured.

At another paper mill in Georgia, a lagoon required massive amounts of Dissolved Oxygen. A LOX tank was brought to the site and set up on an existing pad.  A single line from the LOX vaporizer was manifolded to feed two (2) venturi aerators each aspirating 0.5 tons of Oxygen per hour for a total of 24,000#s of Oxygen delivered per day. Using a newer Gorman Rupp V-6 series pump and venturi configuration two (2) venturi aerators units are aspirating 12 tons of Oxygen per day at a food processing facility in Iowa, this is 12,000's of O2 per venturi unit.