Investigation and Discussion of Techniques for Hypolimnion Aeration/Oxygenation.

Abstract : This report examines elements of the design and operation of hypolimnetic aeration systems. Three basic types of hypolimnetic aerators are identified, and pertinent literature for each is reviewed. Hypolimnetic aeration with pure oxygen (i.e. hypolimnetic oxygenation) at Clarks Hill Reservoir, Georgia-South Carolina, is overviewed. Included are results of hypolimnetic aeration field test conducted by contractors and the US Army Corps of Engineers at Clarks Hill. Results from these test showed that, for hypolimnetic oxygenation to most effectively enhance downstream release, most of the input oxygen should be placed (1) within the hypolimnetic withdrawal zone and (2) by a linear diffuser. A number of hypolimnetic aerator designs are considered. The use of numerical simulation techniques to predict idealized values for aerator design is also discussed. A combination of such results from the Clarks Hill field tests and numerical simulation efforts has produced the initial design for a hypolimnetic oxygenation system at Richard B. Russell Reservoir, South Carolina-Georgia, which is presented herein.