Benchmark

1- What shapes of fine bubble membrane diffuser designs are available in today’s WWT marketplace?

- Flattened, domed, narrow & elongated shaped membranes – Strip Diffusers
- Flattened, circular & domed shaped membranes – Disc Diffusers
- Tubular & elongated shaped membranes – Tubular Diffusers

2- Which Fine Bubble Membrane Diffusers does JAEGER AERATION offer?

- Strip diffusers – OxyStrip TM line
- Disc Diffusers – OxyDisc TM line
- Tubular Diffusers – OxyTube TM line

3- Which diffuser type yields the highest SOTE % performance, energy efficiency, & lowest O&M cost?

- Where OxyStrip has the highest SOTE% performance over 8:1 turn down range; 3-36 Nm3/h [2-22.0 SCFM]
- Where disc diffusers represent only a single point SOTE % design and a limited 2:1 turn down range
- Where tube diffusers show a higher rate of coalescence at medium to high airflows, and a limited 3:1 turn down range

4- Why is the turn down range of disc diffusers limited? Why are they representing a narrow – single point design?

- Disc diffuser systems require aeration grid balancing which is achieved by limiting and restricting the air flow to each diffuser with a pin hole fixed orifice.

5- What are the system design limitations and shortcomings of conventional 9” disc diffuser fixed grid systems?

- System turn down limited by pin hole balancing orifice design - no system turndown – see question # 4 above
- Not capable or only limited capability of nutrient loading driven process design
- Represents a single point of design reg. SOTE to projected nutrient loading optimization on a yr. 1 to yr. 20+ planning time scale
- Reduced expected product life due to operating below min. allowable system airflow of typically underloaded plants (40% to 60% of max. plant capacity) – clogging of diffuser membranes
- High number of diffusers needed, high number of connecting points, high number of linear ft [m] of lateral air piping
- Convoluted lateral air pipe system with a multitude of rigid couplings and connection points subject to material fatigue especially under oscillating / changing loading condition / temperature change caused expansion & contractions.
- Cumbersome and non-reliable disc diffuser membrane in field replacement

6- What are the advantages of OxyStrip diffuser systems vs. conventional 9” disc diffuser systems?

- Nutrient loading driven process design
- Yr. 1 to yr. 20+ Aeration System Design
- 8:1 system turndown
- ON / OFF aeration; Aerobic & Anoxic Cycles – Fatigue Free Design
- Reduction of no of diffusers needed, number of connecting points, linear ft [m] of lateral air piping by factor 9
- 1/3 of installation time compared to conventional 9” disc diffusers.
- > 10 yr. expected diffuser membrane life
- Membrane materials, EPDM, Silicone, & Polyurethane (PU)
- Enhanced and reliable diffuser membrane in field replacement

7- What are the system design limitations and shortcomings of conventional tubular diffuser fixed grid systems?

- Only limited nutrient loading driven process design
- Limited system turndown
- Not suitable for ON / OFF aeration; Aerobic & Anoxic Cycles
- High rate of coalescence at medium to high airflow rates = lower SOTE
- Bigger diameter tube diffuser designs only yield limited SOTE enhancement
- Diminishing rate of return of larger tube diameters to increase of effective aera

8- What are the advantages of OxyStrip diffuser systems vs. conventional tube diffuser systems?

- Nutrient loading driven process design
- Yr. 1 to yr. 20+ optimized Aeration System Design
- 8:1 system turndown; 16:1 Dual-Air-Control
- > 10 yr. expected diffuser membrane life
- Enhanced and reliable diffuser membrane in field replacement
- ON / OFF aeration; Aerobic & Anoxic Cycles – Fatigue Free Design
- Reduction of number of diffusers needed, number of connecting points, linear ft [m] of lateral air piping by factor 3
- 1/2 of installation time compared to conventional tubular diffusers.

9- What are the advantages of OxyTube diffuser systems vs. conventional tube diffuser systems?

- ON / OFF aeration; Aerobic & Anoxic Cycles – Fatigue Free Design
- > 10 yr. expected diffuser membrane life
- Enhanced and reliable diffuser membrane in field replacement
- Membrane materials, EPDM, Silicone, & Polyurethane (PU)

10- What are the advantages of OxyDisc / ECO-10 diffuser systems vs. conventional 9” disc diffuser systems?

- 20% Reduction of number no of diffusers needed, number of connecting points, linear ft [m] of lateral air piping
- > 10 yr. expected diffuser membrane life
- Membrane materials, EPDM, & Silicone
- No solvent bonding of diffuser assembly to lateral air piping required.
- UV saddle connection attached to any lateral air piping material, i.e. Stainless Steel, PVC, PP, and/or ABS
- Continual & automated purging of condensation water of air lateral system through the ECO-10 diffuser.
- Enhanced and reliable diffuser membrane in field replacement of factory certified diffuser assemblies

11- What are the advantages of OxyDisc / ECO-10 diffuser systems vs. conventional 12” disc diffuser systems?

- Runs stable both at high SOTE% at low flux rate SCFM/ft2 [Nm3/h m2] & – only moderate increasingly coalesces at higher flux rate resulting – moderately declining SOTE% performance
- > 10 yr. expected diffuser membrane life
- Membrane materials, EPDM, & Silicone
- UV saddle connection attached to any lateral air piping material, i.e. Stainless Steel, PVC, PP, and/or ABS
- Continual & automated purging of condensation water of air lateral system through the ECO-10 diffuser.
- Enhanced and reliable diffuser membrane in field replacement of factory certified diffuser assemblies
- A medium to high flux rate diffuser for medium SOTE % performance & mixing applications
- Runs unstable – inconsistent air release over membrane area at low flux rates SCFM/ft 2 [Nm 3 /h m 2 ]
- Only moderate increasingly coalesce at higher flux rates resulting – moderately declining SOTE% performance

12- TRADITIONAL 9” Disc condensation moisture purge system – Limitations of EDUCTOR PURGE LINE SYSTEMS?

- Functions only at maximum water depth: traditional purge lines operate on differential, similar to a manometer. when the waterlevel drops, there is not enough differential pressure inside the air header piping to lift the condensate high above the water level
- Manual operation - eductor purge lines require frequent manual opening of systems eductor valve
- Entire piping grid may not be purged – eductor purge lines have a single sump to accumulate condensate. air velocity may trap condensate away from sump. airflow to grid may have to be temporarily shut off to allow condensate to collect in the sump

13- Byers Guide – How to compare the effective diffuser membrane area, diffuser air flow range, membrane materials, & SOTE performance OxyStrip vs. Tube vs. Disc diffusers?

- The min. total installed effective diffuser membrane area should be specified for each fine bubble diffuser system / bid
- Specification. This provides an effective tool assessing design and bid proposals
- Nominal Diameter / Diffuser Type

15- SOTE Benchmark Testing disc, tub, & strip diffusers – 1996 - 2018 Optimizing SOTE performance of fine bubble membrane diffuser system since the 1980s

- Single column testing is an objective tool comparing the relative SOTE performance of diffuser model and manufacturers
- Single column testing results are not suitable as basis for mass transfer modeling programs and diffuser system design
- The need for diffuser grid balancing and the limitations in turndown range of some diffuser models need to be considered in yr. 1 to 20+ planning diffuser model and manufacturer benchmarks
- Only single column & full-scale testing by 3rd party, independent & accredited testing institutions / laboratories shall be permissible for diffuser model & manufacturers SOTE performance testing evaluations
- Test should be performed in compliance with the latest ASCE clean water / ATV M 209 SOTE testing standards
- Full scale independent, & accredited3rd party ASCE clean water / ATV M 209 compliant SOTE testing is needed for diffuser model & manufacture benchmark, mass transfer modeling programs and diffuser system design

16- What are the system design limitations and shortcomings of conventional PU sheet diffuser fixed grid systems?

- PU membranes only
- Glued / bonded sheet PU sheet membrane to hard plastic or stainless-steel plate – failure prone bonding of dissimilar materials.
- Known for premature failure of PU membrane splitting and/or PU membrane ballooning / stretching out
- Not suitable for ON / OFF aeration applications; Aerobic & Anoxic Cycles; like BNR, SBR, etc.

17- OxyStrip vs PU Sheet Membrane Aerators Rev - April 2020?

- Oval shaped tubular membrane technology - based on 35 yrs. plus WWT application, & manufacturing experience of tubular diffusers
- Retrievable and fixed grid applications
- Available membrane materials: Silicone, EPDM, & Polyurethane (PU)
- Suitable for aeration basin depths > 15’ [4.5m] & high temperature application municipal & industrial
- > 10 yr. expected diffuser membrane life
- Enhanced and reliable diffuser membrane only in field replacement
- ON / OFF aeration; Aerobic & Anoxic Cycles – Fatigue Free Design

17- SOTE Full Scale 2014 Strip Diffuser Benchmark Testing Rev - April 2020?

- Accredited 3 rd party independent, & ASCE clean water / ATV M 209 compliant SOTE results:
- At 2 different diffuser insertion depth 15’ [4.6m], & 25’ [7.6m]
- At 3 different diffuser densities – effective diffuser membrane area to tank bottom area; AD/AR: 7%, 14%, & 28%
- Tests should only be performed in compliance with the latest ASCE clean water / ATV M 209 SOTE testing standards
- Only full scale STOE testing by independent, & accredited 3rd parties, laboratories, or Institutions shall be permissible
- Full scale SOTE testing is needed for diffuser model & manufacture benchmark, mass transfer modeling programs and

18- Replacing & retrofitting of Q T & SD type PU sheet type strip / plate diffusers Rev D

- Min. 1/3 Lower replacement cost per unit
- Equal to higher SOTE performance
- Connects to existing HDPE 1” Ø Pipe compression couplings & diffuser mounting system
- Available membrane materials: Silicone, EPDM, & Polyurethane (PU)
- Suitable for aeration basin depths > 15’ [4.5m] & high temperature application municipal & industrial
- > 10 yr. expected diffuser membrane life
- Enhanced and reliable diffuser membrane only in field replacement
- ON / OFF aeration; Aerobic & Anoxic Cycles – Fatigue Free Design

20- Tech Benchmark – PFTE – Teflon coated membranes vs. Silicone & EPDM membranes

- PFTE – Teflon coated membranes are a laminate of a PFTE – Polypropylene [PP] plastic blend bonded to a flexible EPDM membrane
- It is approx. 2+ x more expensive than pure EPDM membranes
- Laminating of coating after short period of time 6 to 24 month
- Not protecting diffuser’s air release point, slits / pores
- Addressing the symptom of clogging, but not the root cause of lag of system turn down range of disc and tubular diffuser system
- High cost
- The manufacturing process, its by-products, and industrial waste products of non-stick products using PFOA and PFOS, [two chemicals in a class known as PFAS] are known to be cancer causing and have been contaminating US ground and drinking water, food supplies since the 1970s.
- Since the early 2000s Companies like 3M and Dupont closed their US manufacturing sites, spun off their PFOA divisions, and/or off-shored them to China and Brazil due to the above concerns.
- PFTE coating lamination contributes to micro plastic / particle counts in rivers, lakes, & oceans
- Silicone
- EPDM
- Polyurethane PU

Product Benchmarks

1- What shapes of fine bubble membrane diffuser designs are available in today’s WWT marketplace?

2- Which Fine Bubble Membrane Diffusers does JAEGER AERATION offer?

3- Which diffuser type yields the highest SOTE % performance, energy efficiency, & lowest O&M cost?

4- Why is the turn down range of disc diffusers limited? Why are they representing a narrow – single point design?

5- What are the system design limitations and shortcomings of conventional 9” disc diffuser fixed grid systems?

6- What are the advantages of OxyStrip diffuser systems vs. conventional 9” disc diffuser systems?

7- What are the system design limitations and shortcomings of conventional tubular diffuser fixed grid systems?

8- What are the advantages of OxyStrip diffuser systems vs. conventional tube diffuser systems?

9- What are the advantages of OxyTube diffuser systems vs. conventional tube diffuser systems?

10- What are the advantages of OxyDisc / ECO-10 diffuser systems vs. conventional 9” disc diffuser systems?

11- What are the advantages of OxyDisc / ECO-10 diffuser systems vs. conventional 12” disc diffuser systems?

12- TRADITIONAL 9” Disc condensation moisture purge system – Limitations of EDUCTOR PURGE LINE SYSTEMS?

13- Byers Guide – How to compare the effective diffuser membrane area, diffuser air flow range, membrane materials, & SOTE performance OxyStrip vs. Tube vs. Disc diffusers?

15- SOTE Benchmark Testing disc, tub, & strip diffusers – 1996 - 2018 Optimizing SOTE performance of fine bubble membrane diffuser system since the 1980s

16- What are the system design limitations and shortcomings of conventional PU sheet diffuser fixed grid systems?

17- OxyStrip vs PU Sheet Membrane Aerators Rev - April 2020?

17- SOTE Full Scale 2014 Strip Diffuser Benchmark Testing Rev - April 2020?

18- Replacing & retrofitting of Q T & SD type PU sheet type strip / plate diffusers Rev D

20- Tech Benchmark – PFTE – Teflon coated membranes vs. Silicone & EPDM membranes

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