Comparison of Jet Aeration Systems vs. Diffused Aeration Systems

Technical Bulletin 176
Comparison of Jet Aeration

Systems vs. Diffused Aeration
Systems
Environmental Dynamics International

by:
Published: 06/2019
Environmental Dynamics International, headquartered in Columbia, Missouri, USA, presents these Technical Bulletins as a
service to our customers. For more information regarding this bulletin or your specific aeration application, contact
Environmental Dynamics International at +1 (573) 474-9456.
TECHNICAL BULLETIN 176 – COMPARISON OF JET AERATION
SYSTEMS VS. DIFFUSED AERATION SYSTEMS
Many types of aeration systems are currently available in the marketplace. Diffused aeration has demonstrated
a major benefit over other types of aeration for most applications because of its flexibility of operation and the
major energy savings available with properly engineered diffuser systems. The relative efficiency of various
aeration devices has been measured and reported in the industry. A typical comparison of the efficiency of
different devices is shown in EDI technical bulletin #127; showing a chart that has the relative energy use per
kg or per lb. of O2 delivered to the wastewater. Jet systems are shown in this analysis, and in an EPA
reference that is well accepted in the industry. The US EPA ran a detailed analysis of every diffused aeration
system available at the time of the study in about 1980. Jets were a big deal at that time, as were surface
aerators. Diffusers were primarily coarse bubble diffusers and ceramic, so the technology advances and
benefits of the modern fine bubble membrane diffusers and panel diffusers were not available at that time.
This testing was done in LA County Sanitation District, as a US EPA sponsored study and invited all the
different vendors to send their aeration equipment for testing. This comprehensive report points out the
benefits and liabilities of the O2 transfer performance of each system that has diffused aeration or compressed
air including jets. Mechanical or surface aerators were not part of the study.
Jet aeration systems have been around since the 1960s. Jets were touted as an extremely efficient device, and
only a close analysis of the total design of a jet system points out its limitations as well as its assets.
What is a jet diffuser system?
A. Jet diffuser system is a fine bubble diffuser unit. The system makes fine bubbles and the O2 transfer
efficiency of those fine bubbles follows the same behavior as fine bubble diffused aeration
equipment. If this is a fine bubble diffuser system what is the difference versus a diffuser? This is
where taking the system apart and evaluating each of its components is important. The jet diffuser
system manufactures fine air bubbles, but it uses a pump and a Venturi nozzle to achieve this fine
bubble effect. The pressurizing pump and the injection of air ahead of the nozzle causes air to be
broken into tiny bubbles for high efficiency utilization of the gas. The difference between the jet and
a conventional fine bubble membrane diffuser by EDI is how the bubble is generated:
Jets generate a bubble with a mechanical pump pushing the gas through a Venturi to create fine
bubbles. It is an indirect fine bubble creation device.
B. The EDI membrane or ceramic fine bubble diffuser systems use a direct formation of fine gas bubbles.
The air is pushed through a membrane or ceramic media and the gas bubble results at the surface of
the membrane or media upon its exit.
This fact that the jet is a fine bubble diffuser system but uses mechanical means to generate the
bubble is critical. The fine bubbles created by the Jets are just as efficient as the fine bubbles created
by the membrane or ceramic media; however, you must add in the additional energy input of the
pumps in order to create the gas bubble. The diffused air systems that have direct formation of the
Technical Bulletin 176– Comparison of Jet Aeration Systems vs Diffused Aeration Systems
Copyright © Environmental Dynamics International 2019 – All Rights Reserved
1
gas bubble eliminate that secondary pump and the energy efficiency of the diffused air system is
about 50% - 100% greater than the efficiency of a total jet diffuser system!
Benefits of the jet aeration system
The jet aeration system can be useful in an oxidation ditch application where a combination of
aeration withdirectional mixing is desired using the jet pointed in the proper direction.
The Jets can be useful in an application where there may be oxic conditions required and air supplied
with the mixing followed by periods where there is no O2 i.e. anoxic or anaerobic activity desired.
Being able to continue the mixing but turning the air on and off as necessary can be very helpful in
some oxidation ditches or SBR applications.
Limitations of the jet diffuser system
Typically, a jet diffuser system is going to be capital cost intensive because it involves a full blower
system; plus, it involves the jet components and it involves a circulation pump or pressurization pump
to generate the fine bubbles. These mechanical items in total generally involve a significant capital
cost compared to a properly designed diffused aeration system.
Jet systems are directional by design, and definition. For those cases where you are looking for
complete mix or regular plug flow through the basin, the directional characteristics can be harmful in
control of the biological process.
Energy consumption is a huge item for the comparison of diffused aeration with jet systems. Diffused
aeration makes the gas bubble directly therefore, it has no additional energy added for pumps. The
jets by comparison have both the blower and the pumps for the total energy consumption that is
about 50% to 100% greater than the total energy for a properly designed high-efficiency fine bubble
diffuser system. In general, when converting from a jet system to the fine bubble system you can put
in the fine bubble diffusers properly designed and use the same blower as was available for the jets.
While using the same blower you can turn off the circulating pumps which is a major part of the
overall energy, hence the energy savings of diffusers vs jets. The typical range of operating efficiency
of jets is in the range of 2.0 – 3.5 lbs. of O2 per horsepower hour (1.22 – 2.13) kg O2 per kwh. By
comparison fine bubble diffuser systems are available that will consistently deliver 4 to 10 lbs. O2 per
horsepower hour (2.43 - 6 kg O2 per kw hour).
Perhaps the greatest limitation of the jet system is the fact it only reaches peak efficiency at one
setpoint in the operating cycle. Because there is a combination of the pump system and the
compressed air system, the amount of air that can be effectively utilized by the Venturi and the pump
system is limited. An operating characteristic of the jets will show that if you put in very little air in
the system you can get O2 transfer efficiencies that are huge up to 50% to 70% utilization. This
2
would seem to be wonderful in the search for energy efficiency, but not so. You get very high
utilization rates because the airflow is quite low compared to the energy being generated by the jet
supply pumps. Net result is the percent of O2 transfer efficiency for a jet system may be extremely
high but the lbs. or kg of O2 delivered per hour per unit energy is low. Conversely high air supply
rates to jet systems flood the pump flow and coarse bubbles result i.e. low efficiency. The response
for the total energy consumption of a jet vs airflow is a parabola. There is an optimum air volume
that can be delivered to the jets and only at the peak of that parabola delivers the O2 transfer
efficiency outlined above. At other airflows either more or less than this narrow range of air volumes,
you rapidly decrease that efficiency of O2 transfer. Actual O2 transfer efficiencies per unit of energy
may be very low over a major portion of jets operating range. The operating range of a jet diffuser
system for optimum performance gives very little flexibility in operation or variation of energy to the
system. See O2 response curve attached.
How about alpha of jets vs. fine bubble? Initial claims of jet aerator were for much higher alpha
factors vs diffused aeration systems. Jet’s test results seemed to confirm much higher values for
alpha until standard test procedures were developed in the industry. The alpha results were claimed
as high as 1.2 or more for jet systems vs. diffusers at 0.5 to 0.7. Analysis for test procedure for the
jets shows using a huge pump in a very small tank plus the low air supply delivered, apparent or
false alpha results. When jets were taken in full scale tests with typical pump energy / basin, the
alpha fell to the values measured for diffused air fine bubble. Again, jets are fine bubble but use
mechanical pumps to generate the fine bubble. Alpha does not affect the relative performance
efficiencies outlined above.
Enclosed is a copy of clean water test results for jet aeration at 10 ft water depth conducted by the US EPA in
Los Angeles County. Multiple types of diffusers and the jet units have been tested in the same tank with all of
the vendors being asked to optimize the performance of their units. You can see that the Norton unit which is
the equivalent of ceramic diffuser system by Sanitaire, EDI, or Aquarius had the highest efficiency. You can see
that the Pentech jet system is in the cluster of the results from several other types of Jet systems. A close
inspection shows that under ideal operating conditions at this 10 ft water depth the jet has almost identical
O2 transfer capabilities as coarse bubble diffusers. The quick inspection of the curve from the US EPA study at
10 ft water depth shows the jet and coarse bubble diffusers at approximately 2.5 lbs. of O2 per horsepower
hour. By comparison, the high-efficiency ceramic, or latest technology membrane diffuser units at high density
of diffusers will give O2 transfer efficiencies in excesses of 6 - 7 lbs. O2 per horsepower hour. The economics
for energy savings with the diffusers is a huge benefit.
Unless there is a specialty aeration mixing requirement, it is probably wise to consider the use of fine
bubble diffusers properly engineered to meet the requirements of any project.
C. E. Tharp, P.E.
Chairman
3
Comparison EDI vs. JETS
EDI Advanced Technology JETS Mechanical and Compressor
Diffusers Systems
1. Low capital cost High capital cost
2. Better mixing Less mixing
• Full depth. • Full depth.
• Multiple locations @ 0.5 to 1.5 Hp ea. • Few locations @ high Hp ea to mix wide
• Side-to-side distribution. areas.
• Point source.
3. Blowers provide aeration & mixing - one Requires blower and pumps - two mechanical
mechanical system. Simple maintenance. systems. More maintenance.
4. No moving parts in tank to maintain. Pumps in tank or adjacent to tank, plus jets in
tank.
5. No piping to clog. Jets may clog with heavy solids.
6. Any basin geometry with almost constant Requires deep basins to help overcome limited
SAE at any depth. energy points, and low SAE at shallow points
7. Fine bubble diffuser created by direct Fine bubble formed by extra energy from
bubble formation through membrane. centrifugal pumps and jet nozzles.
8. EPA sponsored tests show efficiency Jets require more Hp or more kw by 30%-50%
highest of any system, i.e., lb O2/Hphr or SAME AS COARSE BUBBLE DIFFUSERS!
kg of O2/kwh. Note: SOTE fine bubble Approximately 1.3 to 1.5 times the energy of
diffusers and SOTE% of Jets similar since fine bubble at peak performance, i.e. high
both systems create fine bubble. Jets aeration energy cost.
require 30%-50% more Hp for circulation
pumps; therefore, EFFICIENCY
kg/kwh much lower for jets.
9. Economical tank construction. Deep tanks generally high cost.
10. Use in any process i.e., lagoons, high rate Economically limited to high rate systems
systems, low rate systems plus special because of limited mixing zones of influence.
processes.
11. Advanced Technology Fine Bubble Systems Primary technology in 1970 - 1980. Limitations
continue to capture greater share of entire identified and documented so less application
aeration market because of flexibility, today.
energy savings, lower maintenance, lower
systems cost on net present worth basis.
12. Typical alpha factors of 0.4 to 0.9 **Claims of alpha of 0.9 to 2.0 but measured in
depending on process for fine bubble non- representative scale models where high
diffusers. energy/unit volumes i.e. non-typical. Field tests
continuously show alpha for Jets SAME as fine
bubble with different method of bubble
generation. Note: Important to focus on alpha
values from real values of field measurements,
not from pilot programs or scale models.
4
EDI Advanced Technology JETS Mechanical and Compressor
Diffusers Systems
13. Maximum efficiency as airflow reduced. Single point efficiency as air to liquid volume
Wide range of high efficiency. Almost ratio is critical for Jet performance. At optimum
straight-line efficiency curve over full air/water mix, energy efficiency only 65% to
airflow operating range. See hand sketch. 75% of diffuser efficiency. At other air/water
mix percentage efficiency worse. Parabolic
efficiency curve with best comparison vs.
diffusers requiring 30% - 50% more energy.
14. Blowers equal to Jet blowers’ capacity. Same blower capacity.
15. Lowest system power with blower Hp only. Same blower Hp plus approximately 30-50%
pump Hp additional.
16. SAE power and % efficiency direct SAE power (# O2 /Hp hr) varies widely with
correlation. See EPA test data. operation and air/water mixture.
17. 100% turn down/turn up with direct Fixed pump Hp with pump energy increasing as
power response, i.e. 50% air = 50% air volume produced.
power.
18. Flexible basin depth and almost constant Limited to deep tank geometry for any
SAE at any basin depth. economics.
19. Can be fully retrievable. Typically fixed to floor.
** Claims by Mfg of alpha = 0.9 to over 2.0 are not valid. Created by high energy pumps and small reactor. Field
measurement by Redmon shows max ever measured at 0.55.
5
Diffusers
Jets
6
US EPA Study – LA County

Comparison of Jet Aeration Systems vs. Diffused Aeration Systems

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Comparison of Jet Aeration Systems vs. Diffused Aeration Systems

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Technical Bulletin 176

Comparison of Jet Aeration

Environmental Dynamics International

What is a jet diffuser system?

Benefits of the jet aeration system

Limitations of the jet diffuser system

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