Aeration performance of hydrodynamic flow regulators

Hydrodynamic flow regulators are used in environmental engineering as a replacement for traditional flow throttling devices. They are extremely efficient, reliable and free from the common disadvantages of traditional devices. Recent research by the authors indicated that the atomization of a liquid by hydrodynamic flow regulators accelerates oxygenation and may be used for improving the quality of wastewater and stormwater. To date, an evaluation of the aeration capacity of a hydrodynamic flow regulator at the pilot scale or in a practical situation has not been presented in the literature. This study presents the experimental results of oxygen absorption tests for conventional and modified cylindrical hydrodynamic flow regulators (patent pending). These devices were tested in a closed-circuit experimental setup at the semi-commercial scale. The aeration efficiency of hydrodynamic flow regulators was assessed by means of the overall standard oxygen transfer coefficient (KLa(20), h⁻¹) and standard oxygen transfer rate (SOTR, gO₂/h) for a wide range of tested configurations. The effect of flow rate and discharge mode on the aeration capacity of flow regulators was investigated. The values of KLa(20) for cylindrical hydrodynamic flow regulators obtained in the experiments were between 2.62 and 15.57 h⁻¹ while SOTR values ranged from 53 to 316 gO₂/h. The modified discharge mode with two active outlets allowed for an increase in aeration efficiency of up to 15% compared to conventional designs.