How to Tackle Damaged Fixed-to-the-Floor Diffusers

Wastewater Treatment Plants use mechanical, chemical, and biological methods to process the wastewater. The wastewater can be used for irrigation, or be released back to a natural water source following sufficient treatment. In biological wastewater treatment, air is inserted into the wastewater with mechanical or diffused aerators, to enrich the wastewater with oxygen. In conventional aerobic reactors, dissolved oxygen creates favourable conditions for the microorganisms that break down organic matter to grow and multiply.

Fine Bubble diffusers are the most efficient way to aerate the wastewater. In Fine Bubble aeration tiny bubbles are released from the bottom of the reactor and travel upwards. Fine bubbles have a relatively large surface area in relation to the bubble volume. This contrasts with large bubbles that have a higher volume, but a smaller surface area. The larger surface area in fine bubbles provides higher exposure to the water, making them easier to dissolve.

Fixed-to-the-floor diffusers operate according to this principle; small bubbles with high surface area dissolve quickly in the wastewater. This makes them very efficient, and a common aeration method. However, the downside of fixed-to-the-floor diffusers is that they require emptying the reactor for installation and maintenance. In addition, it is impossible to conduct routine maintenance while the reactor is in operation. If the diffusers are not maintained or repaired, the advantage of Fine Bubble aeration is lost. The bubbles will become larger as time goes by.

Mapal Aeration Solutions provides fully retrievable fine bubble aeration units that can be installed and removed for maintenance using a mobile crane, without draining the reactor or interrupting the biological treatment process. Mapal also offers floating aeration units that can operate above malfunctioning fixed-to-the-floor diffusers, either to provide supplemental oxygen or as a complete aeration solution. Together, these features provide a fast, safe, and flexible approach to aeration system installation, maintenance, and upgrade.