Chute-assisted oxygen saturation of water

Saturation of water with oxygen is an important technological step in improving water, quality. In practice, this is achieved by forced aeration using special technical facilities - aerators. The conventional pneumatic, mechanical, and physicochemical methods of aeration require energy for their realization; many aerators are complex in design and need skilled servicing [1 - 3]. For oxygen saturation of water, the chute can be used as a component of specialized engineering systems for water treatment intended for improving water quality. In hydraulic engineering, the chute is commonly used as a spillway structure in which the aerators (if available) serve to supply air for protecting the cement concrete lining from cavitation erosion [4, 5]. Here we propose to use a chute equipped with aerators for the oxygen saturation of water under conditions that provide a sufficient water drop. In the spillway, the water stream is saturated with air either by self-aeration, or in the flow-separation region, upon the exit of the water stream from the aerator. From the air bubbles dispersed in water, oxygen is transported into the fluid. This technology for improving water quality requires but moderate energy expenditure. © 2002 Plenum Publishing Corporation.