OTT#1227
Applications
Wastewater treatment plants, aeration of ponds, lakes, aquariums, fish tanks, and for aesthetic bubble curtains.
Key Features
- Easy – Upgrade existing diffuser systems
- Interchangeable – with existing fine bubble rubber membranes
- Increases – oxygen transfer efficiency
Technology
The technology is a rubber membrane air diffuser for aerating water and wastewater. The membrane uses a sharp nub perforation in the rubber membrane to generate bubbles with smaller diameters and larger surface area compared to bubbles from conventional rubber membrane diffusers. Performance data indicates a 400% reduction in bubble diameter compared to bubbles from conventional systems. Aeration in wastewater treatment increases the amount of oxygen available to microorganisms, increasing their productivity in breaking down organic matter, and in turn increasing the rate at which wastewater is processed. The improved nub design from computational fluid dynamic models and testing indicates a potential for improvements in the Saturated Oxygen Transfer Efficiency (SOTE). Current tests compare SOTE of commercially available membranes which have over 1,000 perforations per membrane and improved nub prototypes with about 500 perforations per membrane.
Intellectual Property
US Patent 8,888,074 Membrane for air diffuser
Publications
Alkhalidi, et al., Factors affecting fine bubble creation and bubble size for activated sludge
For more information contact: Smruti Patil, Ph.D., IPMM | Licensing Associate | Tel: 414-906-4657