Aeration

• Gas Transfer
• Water is brought in intimate contact with air. So as to absorb oxygen and to remove
carbon di oxide gas
• To create extensive, new and self-renewing interfaces between air and water
Objectives
1. Removes tastes and odours caused by gases due to organic
decomposition
2. Increases the dissolved oxygen content of the water
3. It removes hydrogen sulphide and hence odour due to this is also
removed
4. It decreases the carbon di oxide content of water and thereby
reduces its corrosiveness and raises its pH value
5. It converts iron and manganese from their soluble states to their
insoluble states, so that can be precipitated and removed
6. Due to agitation of water during aeration, bacteria may be killed to
some extent
7. It is also used for mixing chemicals with water, as in the Aeromix
process and in the use of diffused compressed Air
8. Protection against air pollution, freezing and algal growth
 Types of Aerators
I. Free fall Aerators or gravity aerators
(Stream passes over an artificial or naturally occurring
obstacle, a large contribution occurs to the self
purification of the river water due to increase in
dissolved Oxygen(DO) which accelerates the process of
decomposition of organic matter)
i. Cascade aerators
ii. Inclined apron aerators
iii. Slat tray aerators
iv. Gravel bed aerators( trickling beds)
2. Spray Aerators
3.Air diffuser basins
4.Mechanical
• Aeration removes or modifies the constituents of
water using two methods
1. Scrubbing Action- caused by turbulence during
mixing. It physically remove gases from them
and allowing it to escape into the surrounding
air. Taste and odour of organic gas is removed
2. Oxidation- some impurities (Iron and
managnese) getting oxidised. It removed from
solution as suspended matter and removed by
filtration
 i. Cascade Aerators- Free fall aerator
• Are the simplest of free fall aerator
• Weirs and waterfalls of any kind are cascade aerators
• A simple cascade consists of a series of three or four
steps of concrete or metal
• Water is allowed to fall through a height of 1 to 3m and
due to this it comes into close contact with air
• Cascades can be either in open air or may be in a room
which has plenty of louvred air inlet
• The reduction of Co2 is usually in the range of 50 to
60%
Inclined apron aerator with riffle plate
• In this water is allowed to fall along an
inclined plane/apron which is usually studded
with riffle plates in herring bone fashion
• The breaking up to the sheet of water will
cause agitation of water and consequent
aeration
 Trickling beds( Gravel bed) aerators
• Water allowed to trickle down the beds of
coke(gravel), supported over the perforated
bottomed trays and arranged vertically in series
• Generally three beds are used, the depth of each
being about 0.6m with a clear distance of about
0.45m in between
• The water is applied from the top through
perforated distribution pipes and allowed to trickle
down up to bottom bed
Slat Tray Aerators
• This is most commonly used
• Consists of a closed round or square structure a
series of closely stacked superimposed wood –slat
trays
• Water enters the top of aerator and is evenly
distributed over the topmost tray
• Slats in the trays are staggered so that films of
water raining over the edges of the slat in one tray
fall on the centres of the slats in the tray just below
• Air is supplied to the bottom of the aerator with
the help of blower which blows it upward
• A ventilator is provided at the top which
discharges air and gases to the atmosphere
• Water is collected in the collector pan at the
bottom, from where it flows to a catch basin or
a reservior
Iron and Manganese Removal
Iron and manganese in well waters occur as soluble ferrous and manganous
bicarbonates. In the aeration process, the water is saturated with oxygen to promote
the following reactions:

The oxidation products, ferric hydroxide and manganese dioxide, are insoluble. After
aeration, they are removed by clarification or filtration.
 2. By Using spray Nozzles
• Water is sprinkled through special nozzles which
breaks the water into droplets thus permitting the
escape of dissolved gases
• Reduces carbon di oxide 70 to 90 %
• Considerable head required- 10 to14m head of
water to give pressure 0.75 to 1.5 kg/cm2
 Air Diffusion
• Perforated pipe network is installed at the
bottom of the aeration tank and compressed
air is blown through these pipes
• Air bubbles travel upward through water, thus
causing aeration