Design of high efficiency surface aerators: Part 1. Development of new rotors for surface aerators

Abstract The main objective of this work was the design of a high efficiency centrifugal surface aerator for fishponds. The proposed system has been designed to be used with photovoltaic panels as an energy supply. The work is presented in three papers, of which this is the first part. The objective was reached through a theoretical design of the rotor using the traditional mass transfer equations and the mechanical approach using the superficial similarities of aerators to axial flow pumps. A total of 23 different rotor configurations were tested. The configurations were defined by the type of propeller, the inlet and exit angles of the blades and the rotor’s immersion percentage. Dimensional analyses was used to find the equations that describes the aerator’s behavior.