More Than Blowing Bubbles: Selecting The Right Blower Technology

Selecting the right blower technology for optimum performance of a wastewater treatment system can be a challenging task. Aeration systems are among the biggest energy consumers in a wastewater treatment facility and they can be a maintenance challenge too. To keep costs under control, plant operators have a choice of designs to upgrade to blowers that run efficiently and reliably under all expected operating conditions.

Modern diffused aeration systems have transformed the design of wastewater treatment facilities. Capable of operating in deep tanks, these systems allow operators to process more water in less space. They can run for multiple years with minimal maintenance and, with the right control systems, they can manage the highly variable demand experienced by many municipal and larger industrial sites.

To deliver these benefits, every system requires a reliable, efficient supply of air. The blower systems used to supply the air occupy a niche place in the spectrum of industrial and commercial air handling equipment. They operate at higher pressures than the fans used in HVAC applications, but must deliver larger volumes of air than typical industrial compressors. At the same time, in order not to risk breaching regulations and permit requirements they need to offer high levels of availability. They need to work efficiently while also being quiet and easy to control.