A hypolimnetic aeration system to meet the hypolimnetic oxygen demand by increasing the natural assimilation capacity of a reservoir

Abstract

Hypolimnetic aeration is a viable method to increase the assimilation capacity of lakes. In this study two lakes, one relatively small pond were chosen where aeration equipment was installed and one larger reservoir lake where the required aeration amount was found by calculation. A laboratory‐scale hypolimnetic aeration system (HAS) was designed. A hybrid system using wind and solar energy was implemented which was scaled up from the lab‐scale system. The pilot‐scale system was tested in the smaller volume Borabey Pond and the system’s efficiency was assessed. An aerial hypolimnetic oxygen demand (AHOD) decrease by 33% was observed in the pond due to the operation of the HAS. It was found that, although renewable wind and solar energy sources are applicable for small water bodies, conventional energy sources are needed for large water bodies.