OTR Fine bubbles Replacement Installation Electricity costs DO control Clogging Accumulated sludge

to air diffuser selection

detailed guide
8 point
Why are “air diffusers” necessary for wastewater treatment.

OTR
When you keep a fish in an aquarium, you will use an air diffuser
for air bubbling. C o nt ent s
For fish to breath, you need air bubbles that the water dissolves

Air
oxygen from.
1 . S e le ct i on

Fine bubbles
Air blower
1) What is your true Oxygen Transfer Rate ? ...................................................................................... P. 4, 5
Aquarium Air diffuser
2) Amount of generated 100μm-sized fine bubbles. ..................................................................... P. 6, 7

For wastewater treatment, the same thing applies as above. 3) Replacement or no replacement cost. ........................................................................................... P. 8, 9
The most common wastewater treatment methods in the world
use aerobic microorganisms. Wastewater is discharged from a
A large number

Replacement
factory and put into a tank (called a aeration tank) which has of various types 2 . Inst allat i on and Re plac e me nt
various aerobic microorganisms living in it treating the wastewater. Using microscope... of microorganisms.

Installation, replacement and labor costs. ........................................................................................ P. 10, 11

Microorganisms keep breathing to stay alive like fish and ourselves.
Microorganisms need to be able to breath oxygen to effectively
treat pollution.
3 . Ope rat i on
If the air diffuser is not effective the microorganisms won’t be

Installation
active and the wastewater treatment system will fail. 1) Air blower electricity costs. ................................................................................................................. P. 12, 13

Air
2) DO control. ................................................................................................................................................. P. 14, 15
※The reason why the color of water in the aeration tank is brown Air blower
is because there are various microorganisms in the tank. 3) Clogging problem. .................................................................................................................................. P. 16, 17

Aeration tank Air diffuser 4) Anaerobic sludge on the tank bottom. ........................................................................................... P. 18, 19

Electricity costs
Making the wrong air diffuser choice will be very expensive.
An air diffuser is used to dissolve oxygen into wastewater and supply oxygen to microorganisms so it’s a very important
● Porous and OHR air diffusers compared.
item. When an air diffuser does not work properly because of clogging and damage, microorganism’s effectiveness when
(Dimensions, air blowing amount, structure and material)
cleaning wastewater is also reduced. Therefore wastewater treatment will get worse affecting factory operations.
P o r o u s a i r d i ff u s e r OHR AERATOR [AE-130N model]
Air diffusers are used in very harsh conditions “consistently operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for many years
in hundreds of tons of activated sludge containing pollution and microorganisms while withstanding high water
Dimensions and appearance Dimensions and appearance

DO control
pressure at the bottom of an aeration tank at depths of 4 to 5 meters or more”.

There are large numbers of air diffusers which are not up to the task and have been distributed around the market. Approx. 200~300mm
Approx. 300~700mm
Users of these air diffusers have suffered and incurred clean up, replacement, air blower power upgrade, loss of income
Air blowing amount
and many other damages.
MIN: 500ℓ/min (=0.5m 3/min)
It can be said the first step in factory management is to select the correct air diffuser that lowers the break-even point Disc type porous air diffuser Tube type porous ari diffuser

642mm
S T D : 1,000ℓ/min (=1.0m 3/min)
and generates a profit. MAX: 1,400ℓ/min (=1.4m 3/min)
Air blowing amount
[Equivalent to 5 to 14 porous air diffusers]

Clogging
Approx. 100~200ℓ/min (=0.1~0.2m 3 /min)
Air diffusers total cost comparison.
Material
Material
Even if an air diffuser’s purchase price is low, you will lose Total cost of an air diffuser EPDM (rubber) Silicone rubber
Polypropylene
Plus shock , heat and weather
money on the high cost of installation and maintenance. 1) Unit purchase price Ceramic Polyurethane 350mm resistant , enhancing materials
used.
Sintered plastic beads and pellets PVC
In order to avoid this, it is important to select an air diffuser 2) Installation cost

Accumulated sludge
based on “total cost” including the cost of installation and Structure of air discharge opening Structure of air discharge opening
3) Maintenance and Replacement cost
maintenance and not just based on comparison of unit
The perforated sizes are several hundred microns. Only one large (φ30mm) hole.
purchase price. 4) Air blower electricity cost
5) Wastewater treatment failure cost
or ineffectiveness cost
-2- -3-
 OTR
t! ● Oxygen Transfer Rate (OTR) means the percentage of oxygen from the air that is dissolved into
1. Selection P o in water. An OTR of 20% means the remaining 80% of the oxygen leaves the water without dissolving.

1) What is your true Oxygen Transfer Rate ? ● Be careful of deceptively high OTR values claimed by other companies. These values are taken
from clean water and not wastewater.

Porous Publicized OTR value is high, OHR

Air the actual value is low.
Actual rate is the same as the catalog value.
AERATOR
Diffuser

The air dissolving method makes milli-sized bubbles in order to increase the contact area of After coarse bubbles are discharged, air and activated sludge are powerfully mixed
the water and the air bubbles. This method is passive and doesn’t have a mixing function. continuously by two kinds of unique structures to forcibly dissolve oxygen in water.
So the OTR in actual wastewater markedly decreases. Therefore, the OTR does not decrease even in actual wastewater.
The OHR AERATOR can maintain a consistent treatment condition even in wastewater in which it is hard to dissolve oxygen
Data of OTR value is taken from clean water. (containing oil and fat content, surfactant, or high concentrated MLSS, etc.), and has demonstrated in real cases an efficiency
rate of two times more than a rubber made porous air diffuser. For details, see the “What is the Alpha Value” leaflet.
Since there are few impurities in clean water, oxygen in the air easily dissolves in clean water.
So, air diffuser manufacture’s publicized OTR value is very high. (e.g. 25%, 30%, or more)

Ve r y s t r o n g d o
Air diffusers are actually used in wastewater. 5

Blown air
Environmental researchers worldwide regularly report that the publicized OTR value of porous air diffusers
markedly decreases in actual wastewater because a wide variety of impurities in wastewater prevent oxygen
dissolving (= most oxygen leaves the water without dissolving).

w nw a
Data of OTR value is taken from clean water. Air diffusers are actually used in wastewater.

rd cu
O2 O2 O2 O2 O2 O2 O2 O2 Undissolved oxygen
Microparticle

rren
separator

t
Second mixing 4
O2 O2 O2 O2 Surfac- Air and activated sludge are broken into
SS tant microparticle clusters by mushroom-shaped
separators also named “microparticle separator”
Air pipe

to forcibly dissolve oxygen in water.

O2 O2 n-Hex BOD Guide vane

3
COD
AIR

AIR

O2 O2 O2 O2 O2 O2 O2 O2 O2 O2 O2 O2
First mixing
１
Powerful spiral flows are generated by

B B Activated
sludge 2 2
crossing plates also named ”guide vane” to
powerfully mix air and activated sludge.
Air blower Air blower
Porous air diffuser

Don’
t make the mistake of choosing an air diffuser according to the manufacturer’
s publicized OTR only. 2 Flange

-4- -5-
 in t! ● The truth of the matter is that porous air diffusers can’ t generate as many micro-sized fine bubbles
1. Selection P o as expected.
● OHR AERATOR generates simultaneously 100μm-sized fine bubbles and centi-sized coarse bubbles
2) Amount of generated 100μm-sized fine bubbles. that are excellent at strongly churning up the whole tank.

Fine bubbles
Porous OHR
Most generated air bubbles are Generates a lot of very fine air bubbles
Air AERATOR
Millimeter-sized bubbles. that are approx.100μm-size.
Diffuser

Porous air diffusers have only one function which is to make milli-sized air bubbles Air and wastewater are powerfully mixed by two kinds of original structures.
that increase the surface area oxygen can be dissolved into the water. Therefore many 100μm-sized fine bubbles are generated that contribute to
This is only effective in clean water where oxygen is easily dissolvable naturally but increasing DO levels.
not effective in wastewater because porous air diffusers don’ t have a mixing function.
For details, see the P.4, 5.
- Just after air blower stops after 60sec. running - - Just after air blower stops after 60sec. running -

Number of fine bubbles in this photo: Number of fine bubbles in this photo:
9,180 bubbles 30,175 bubbles

Air blower starts Air blower starts

Milli-sized bubbles Coarse bubbles

Looks good at first but A rush of coarse bubbles

can not churn up the in a very strong upward
whole tank evenly and current at speeds of
effectively because 1.8m/sec are necessary
these bubbles move to powerfully churn up
upwards slowly. the tank.
For details, For details, see the P.18, 19.
see the P.18, 19.

-6- -7-
 t !
1. Selection P oin ● Porous air diffusers must be replaced within a few years.
It is accepted by industrial wastewater engineers that porous air diffusers clog up.

3) Replacement or no replacement cost. ● The required number of OHR AERATORs is one-tenth of the required number of porous air diffusers.

Porous Costs are high because of the necessity The required number is very small. OHR
Air to install a large number of units No need to replace. AERATOR
Diffuser and replace them periodically.

Replacement
Product life of porous air diffusers is from 6 months Never clogs. The product life is over 15 years.
Air blowing to 3 years. A lot of time and money must be A lot lower total installation and purchasing costs because the required number
amount : provided to replace the units periodically. is one-tenth of the number of porous air diffusers.
approx. 0.1m3/min
per 1 unit
This amount is
over 10 times more
... than the porous air diffusers.
ears Re
y
ew pl Air blowing
amount :
af

ac
in

em

Max 1.4m3/min
th

en
Wi

per 1 unit
t

New
Clogging

Clogging

Replacement
Cycle

New

Installation Real photo taken after 16 years.

s ...
Re

ar
pl

ye

In most cases the number of OHR installation Inside of the OHR AERATOR is clean as new
ac

ew
af
em

en units are very small so purchase costs are less. because of the constant self-cleaning function
t in
th coming from the powerful spiral flow mechanism.
Wi
This will remain the same throughout the material
life of the OHR AERATOR.

-8- -9-
 2. Installation and replacement t !
P oin ● Installation costs and time vary a lot depending on whether draining from aeration tank is needed or not.
● You will make a big mistake if you choose air diffusers according to unit purchase price only and not
Installation, replacement and labor costs. installation costs as well.

Porous OHR
Air Requires too much money and time. No need to drain the tank to install.
AERATOR
Diffuser

It’s necessary to enter the tanks and so wastewater flowing to the aeration tanks No need to enter inside the aeration tank.
must be stopped and activated sludge removed. Assemble air pipes and OHR AERATOR on the ground Work

Installation
This means factory operations must be halted. on
and lower into the tank filled with activated sludge using outsi the grou
de th n
crane, and connect the air pipes to the header pipes. e tan d
STOP k.
!

Stop outflow of factory wastewater to aeration

tanks which curtails factory operations. Assemble air pipes to the OHR AERATOR on the ground.

Why the OHR AERATOR doesn’t need anchoring

Lift the OHR AERATOR and connected air pipes to the tank bottom?
Drain the large amount of activated sludge from
by a crane or chain block and lower into the
the aeration tank to a tanker or other tank. Air is blown out powerfully from OHR AERATOR pressing the
aeration tank filled with water. OHR AERATOR to the tank bottom strongly which has the same
effect as anchoring.
When the OHR AERATOR is attached to the tank
This is known as action-reaction force. This action-reaction force
bottom, connect the pipes to the header air is the same as a rocket flying as a result of jet flows injection.
pipes and start aeration.
Discharge hydrogen sulfide gas and remove = Strong upward
= Jet Force
Action current Action
accumulated sludge for the safety of workers.
Workers replace or clean the units and pipes.

CAUTION Rocket
BEFORE ENTERING TANK,
MUST BE SUPPLIED FRESH AIR
INTO THE TANK
Tank bottom
AND TOXIC GAS REMOVED.

Reaction Reaction
= Pressed by force to = Force enabling
the tank bottom flight

Return the activated sludge into the aeration tank.

Restart normal aeration operations.

- 10 - - 11 -
 t !
3. Operation P oin
● Air blower’ s electricity cost and product life is largely dependent on the high / low airflow resistance
1) Air blower electricity costs. and clogging or not clogging of air diffuser.

Porous Airflow resistance is large. Airflow resistance is low. OHR

Air = Air blower electricity costs are high. = Air blower electricity costs are low. AERATOR
Diffuser

The air discharge opening of rubber porous air diffusers consist of perforated Air discharge opening is only one with a large diameter (φ30mm).
fine pores which are several hundred microns in size. So the airflow resistance is the lowest on the market and so air blower’s
These pores have a high airflow resistance and a large amount of air blower power electricity cost is lower.
is needed. In addition, airflow resistance increases day by day because of clogging. In addition, the electricity costs are kept low because no clogging occurs.

Airflow resistance Air blowing

Airflow resistance
is high, so air blowing amount decreases
is low, so the air blower Lowest airflow resistance

Electricity costs
pressure becomes higher because air blowing
works to full
increasing air blower pressure is high. = Air blower electricity
potential.
electricity costs. costs are low.
Flow meter
Flow meter
Pressure gauge Pressure gauge
Rubber porous air diffuser’s air discharge openings. OHR AERATOR AE-130N model’s air discharge opening.

Pores are several

hundred microns 30mm
in size.
Actual size

Only one
air discharge
opening with a large
Perforated fine porous have a high airflow resistance. diameter (φ30mm). Photo of the AE-130N model’s base

Air bl
o
of the wer will L ce is ♪♬
AIR a
high a high-load bour beca fl o w r esistan the air AIR
Air g .
irflow ca us o longin l product life
resist used by e r
Disk type porous air diffuser p
lo w fu
Tube type porous air diffuser ance. r’s use
blowe
Air blower Air blower
- 12 - - 13 -
 t !
3. Operation oin
● Porous air diffuser’s DO adjustment range is limited causing the air blowing amount and Oxygen
P Transfer Rate (OTR) to inversely relate.
● OHR AERATOR DO adjustment range is wide making it easy to control the aeration intensity as
2) DO control. a result the air blowing amount and OTR is proportional.

Porous OHR
Air Increase air blowing amount, decrease efficiency. Increase air blowing amount, increase efficiency.
AERATOR
Diffuser

Increase air blowing amount in order to achieve a higher DO level. Increase air blowing amount in order to achieve a higher DO level.
But the OTR is decreased. DO level doesn’t go up smoothly. The OTR is increased. (Because OHR’s mixing function becomes stronger.) DO level goes up smoothly.
Decrease air blowing amount in order to achieve a lower DO level. Decrease air blowing amount in order to achieve lower DO level.
But the OTR is increased. DO level doesn’t go down smoothly. The OTR is decreased. (Because OHR’s mixing function becomes weaker.) DO level goes down smoothly.

Increase Increase
air blowing amount, air blowing amount,
efficiency efficiency
decreases. increases.
Oxygen Transfer Rate

Oxygen Transfer Rate

*Rubber porous air diffuser *AE-130N model
*Air blowing amount range: 50~150ℓ/min *Air blowing amount range: 500~1,400ℓ/min
(=0.5~1.4m3/min)

DO control
50 ℓ/min 75 ℓ/min 100 ℓ/min 125 ℓ/min 150 ℓ/min 500 ℓ/min 1,000 ℓ/min 1,400 ℓ/min
Air blowing amount Air blowing amount

No.1 No.2 No.3

Why does the air blowing amount and OTR efficiency inversely relate? aeration tank aeration tank aeration tank
You can control aeration 100％
In the case of decreasing air blowing amount. In the case of increasing air blowing amount. intensity accurately and 80％
Air and water contact area will become larger Air and water contact area will become smaller as a result follow the It’ s important to control
60％
BOD removal curve.

BOD
because the bubbles size will be smaller. OTR is because the bubbles size will be bigger. OTR is the aeration intensity
according to the BOD Appropriate
Air and water contact time will become longer increased Air and water contact time will become shorter decreased 40％ removal curve. aeration
because the bubbles upward speed will be slower. because the bubbles upward speed will be faster.
20％ intensity control
You can choose intermittent aeration produces good
Elapsed time sedimentation.
Bubble Bubble Bubble without fear of clogging. 0％
Bubble Bubble Bubble
Intermittent aeration is an aeration
Bubble Bubble Bubble Bubble Bubble Bubble operation technique that intermittently
enables the running and stopping of High Standard Low
the air blower saving power and intensity intensity intensity
enabling more DO control.
No.1 No.2 No.3 Sedimentation tank
aeration tank aeration tank aeration tank
- 14 - - 15 -
 t! ● When air is discharged into activated sludge, activated sludge counterflows into the air discharge
3. Operation P o i n opening of air diffusers simultaneously. This phenomenon is the same in any air diffuser.
● Counterflowed activated sludge in porous air diffusers gets stuck in and around the fine pores.
3) Clogging problem. On the other hand counterflowed activated sludge in the OHR AERATOR does not get stuck and
comes out smoothly. This is the difference between clogging or not.

Porous OHR
Air Inevitably clogs. Never clogs.
AERATOR
Diffuser

Air is discharged intermittently due to Even though activated sludge counterflows into the OHR’s air discharge opening during
airflow resistance and water pressure. operation like other air diffusers, it never clogs because the air discharge opening is only
That’s why ‘’spherical’’ air bubbles one and is a large diameter size so the activated sludge is pushed out easily by the blown air.
are produced.
This is different to porous air diffusers and other types of air diffusers which have narrow
openings that easily clog. Therefore, OHR AERATOR never clogs.

Activated sludge counter flows into porous air diffusers due to instantaneous negative pressure after

Blown air
air is discharged. The air discharge openings are too small to remove counter flow activated sludge.

Counter flow activated sludge dries up because of high-temperature air from air blower, and it Two special structures
accumulates inside of porous air diffuser. Therefore, porous air diffusers must get clogged. stay activated sludge-free
and have self-cleaning
functions.

approx.
Microparticle
350kg Bubble
separator

Bubble Bubble Bubble Bubble Bubble 4

Water depth:
5.0m Water pressure Air pipe
Activated Activated Activated Activated Activated
Activated Activated sludge sludge sludge sludge sludge Guide vane
sludge sludge There is no space for

Clogging
Only one large air activated sludge to accumulate.
Disc type 3
porous air diffuser discharge opening.
Negative pressure High-temperature air from air blower
So no dry sludge gets stuck
High-temperature air when high temperature air
Dried and accumulated activated sludge in the air diffuser. is blown by air blower.
30cm from air blower Activated
sludge
When disc type porous air diffuser Activated sludge counter flows into Counter flow activated sludge dries because of
with a diameter of 30cm is installed porous air diffuser due to high-temperature air from air blower, and Never clogs.
to aeration tank bottom (water instantaneous negative pressure accumulates inside of porous air diffuser.
depth: 5.0m), approx. 350kg water after air is discharged. In summer, the temperature of the air
pressure is applied to the air diffuser. blower’s air reaches over 80°C (=176°F). Single large diameter
- 16 - sized air pipe. - 17 -
 t !
3. Operation P oin ● Even though the amount of air that is blown is the same if the type of air diffuser is different there
can be a big difference in the churn up effectiveness in the tank.

4) Anaerobic sludge on the tank bottom. ● Large-sized bubbles are absolutely imperative for strongly churning up the whole tank continuously.

Activated sludge is more likely to accumulate

Porous on the tank bottom. OHR
Air Doesn’ t accumulate on the tank bottom at all.
Accumulated sludge causes oxygen deficiency AERATOR
Diffuser and worsening wastewater treatment conditions.

Discharged air bubbles are several milli-sized that have small buoyancy and move upward slowly. Large-sized bubbles that are blown from OHR AERATOR moves upward faster at 1.8m/sec.
So porous air diffusers can’t generate a sufficiently strong enough water flow at the tank bottom needed This faster upward flow generates strong upward water flow that is necessary to create
to sweep away and prevent accumulating sludge. So sludge (anaerobic sludge) must accumulate. a strong circulating flow in the tank, and it is converted to strong sideward water flow ,
strong downward water flow and strong water flow that continuously cleans the tank bottom .
This weakness is worldwide assessment. Therefore, no sludge accumulation on the tank bottom.

In the case of using “Microorganism

Weak sideward immobilizing carrier for fluidized bed”
water flow
in the aeration tank, it accumulates on
the tank bottom and the tank ❶
❶ condition will be anaerobic very often.
❷
But strong aeration flow generated by ❷
OHR AERATOR churns up
“Microorganism immobilizing carrier Strong sideward
for fluidized bed” perfectly. water flow

Weak downward
water flow Strong upward
Weak upward water flow
(approx. 180cm/sec)
water flow Strong downward
❸ (approx. 30cm/sec) water flow
(approx. 30cm/sec)

Anaerobic sludge Strong water

accumulates on the tank
AIR AIR flow that ❸
bottom due to weak
B B continuously cleans

Accumulated sludge
downward flow the tank bottom

Air blower Air blower ❹

- 18 - - 19 -
 OHR AERATOR Reference Material List

We will provide you with the following materials.

Please feel free to inquire by E-mail.

■ Evidence and data about what changes happen between before and after installation
of an OHR AERATOR
□ “User’s evidence” (1 page)
□ “Before and after installation data” (4 pages)
□ “Delivery performances for chemical reaction” (3 pages)
□ “Digest version / Delivery record” (3 pages)
□ “Full Version / Industry-classified delivery records” (14 pages)

■ Publicly released reports by users

□ “Tobu Plant, Mitsui Sugar Co., Ltd. (Sugar factory)
[No clogging occurred even at 50,000 ~ 60,000 mg/ℓ of MLSS]

□ “Integrated Basic Plant, Megmilk Snow Brand Co., Ltd.” (Dairy industry)
[Air blower electricity costs reduced by 26.9% per year]

□ “Osaka Plant, Sonton Food Industry Co., Ltd.” (Food factory)

[DO value and ORP value were achieved with marked improvements]

□ “Yashio Plant, Rengo Co., Ltd.” (Paper mill)

[Air blower electricity costs reduced by 21%]

□ “Osaka Plant, Oji Materia Co., Ltd.” (Paper mill)

[Air volume reduced by 24%]

□ Other [ ]

■ Performance data
□ “Alpha Value of OHR AERATOR / Evaluation report by S company” (5 pages)
□ “Experiment report on OHR AERATOR Oxygen Transfer Rate” (22 pages)

■ Brochures
□ “OHR AERATOR general brochure” (8 pages)
□ “Comparison photos of generated fine bubbles by Porous air diffuser and OHR AERATOR” (1 page)
□ “What is the Alpha Value?” (1 page)
□ “The reason why the OHR AERATOR never clogs” (1 page)

▶ Please feel free to inquire by E-mail.

Developed, Manufactured, and Sold by

Original Hydrodynamic Reaction Technology

536-1 Noda, Irumashi, Saitama 358-0054 JAPAN

TEL. +814-2932-5466 FAX. +814-2932-5605
Demo room: 6-1 Minamishincho, Hachioujishi, Tokyo 192-0075 JAPAN
Website: http://www.ohr-labo.com/en E-mail: info@ohr-labo.com