When mixing requires solids to be suspended, as found in wastewater treatment plants, the effective mixing area created by a Large Bubble Mixing air injection element is a 1:1.2 ratio. This means for each foot of water depth the effective mixing zone is a 1.2’ radius from the from the center of a bubble plate. Thus, a Bubble Release Plate (BRP) in 10 feet of wastewater will have a radius of influence of 12’ (24’ in diameter). The practical placement of BRP is at a 1:1 ratio as shown below: This ZOI ratio was modeled by Zin Technologies (a Cleveland based NASA subcontractor) and verified in the field the past 20 years in many aeration tank, EQ tank, sludge tank, and oxidation ditch projects. During that time, the knowledge base acquired allows us to custom size mixing systems in applications within a wide range of TSS concentrations, tank shapes, and operational strategies.
For shallow SWD applications such as when a holding tank is being drawn-down, the horizontal shock wave that is produced when air is first injected through the BRP is able to adequately mix / agitate solids at liquid levels below the minimum level that other mixing systems can operate.
Energy usage depends upon the number of valves used (not BRPs) and is typically 0.5 to 0.75 HP per pulse per pulsing valve in operation at any one time. Only 2-3 pulses per valve per minute (PVPM) are requited to mix each zone in aeration basin applications (operation between 2,000 to 6,000 mg/l TSS concentrations). EQ basins usually require 2 PVPM. Sludge basins with 1-4% TSS usually require 3-4 PVPM and with 5-9% TSS require 4-6 PVPM.