Aeration of Reservoirs and Releases TVA Porous Hose Line Diffuser

Mobley, Mark H.; Brock, W. Gary; ,

Aeration of Reservoirs and Releases TVA Porous Hose Line Diffuser

by Mark H. Mobley,
W. Gary Brock,

Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: North American Water and Environment Congress & Destructive Water

Abstract:

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has developed an efficient and economical aeration diffuser design that has been installed and operated successfully at five TVA hydropower projects, one Tuclear plant, and two non-power reservoirs. The line diffuser design transfers oxygen efficiently and minimizes temperature destratification and sediment disruption by providing a controllable flow rate and spreading the gas bubbles over a very large area in the reservoir. TVA test results have consistently indicaled oxygen transfer efficiencies of 90 to 95%. The line diffusers are installed from the surface and can be retrieved for any required maintenance without the use of divers. The diffusers can be supplied with air or oxygen, either from a bulk liquid oxygen storage tank, an onsite air separation plant, or air compressors. A forebay diffuser system can be designed to continuously aerate a large volume in the reservoir to handle peaking hydroturbine flows. Aeration in the reservoir has the potential to eliminate hydrogen sulfide, iron, and manganese in the hypolimnion.

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