Experimental investigation of water aeration efficiency in a pipe aerator filled with Białecki rings

In the era of the climate crisis, the availability of drinking water is becoming a growing concern. In Poland and in the world, rivers and water reservoirs used for drinking water abstraction and treatment are increasingly drying up. Drought is forcing greater reliance on groundwater, which often requires aeration during treatment to enable the removal of dissolved iron and manganese compounds. Therefore, this article presents the results of tests on the effectiveness of groundwater aeration in a PVC pipe aerator packed with steel Białecki rings. The tested pipe aerator was made according to patent PL 235924 B1. The article presents a critical literature review, the research methodology, an evaluation of measurement accuracy, an analysis of groundwater aeration performance, as well as an assessment of energy efficiency (eQ) of the investigated pipe aerator. A nomogram was developed for design purposes to determine the air flow rate (Qa) required in the pipe aerator depending on the desired oxygen content dissolved in the water aerated in the PVC pipe aerator. The investigations showed that the lowest oxygen dissolution occurred at Qa = 0.5 m3∙h−1, and the highest at Qa = 3.0 m3∙h−1, both for the rings with diameters of 12 mm and 25 mm.