A Practical Guide to Wastewater Aeration Optimization

Aeration is the most energy-intensive process in wastewater facilities, accounting for up to 60 70 percent of total plant energy usage. Even small improvements in efficiency can quickly multiply into significant energy and cost savings.

Many facilities use manual control or semi-automated control systems to measure dissolved oxygen (DO) levels and adjust blowers in response to demand. This reactive approach is inherently inefficient, and increases the likelihood of under- or over-aeration, leading to increased energy consumption and potentially compromised performance. 

Download this white paper to learn how dissolved oxygen (DO) sensors, thermal mass flow meters, and variable frequency drives (VFDs) can be used in combination to implement a closed-loop control architecture for aeration systems. This proposed measurement solution offers a considerable improvement in energy efficiency, with typical savings of 30-50 percent compared to traditional manually controlled systems. The technologies required are widely available and can be installed with relative ease in new or existing aerator applications, providing improved performance with lower energy costs.