Electronics > Projects, Designs, and Technical Stuff
Pond aerator powered by solar is on the docket
Ra:
G'day,
So i have got 3 x 250W modules - need to aerate 2 ~50' diameter x ~8' deep ponds.
Looking around for a DC air compressor - any recommendations out there? I would certainly like to avoid an inverter - the more I look around the closer I am to considering that option. Batteries are not to be utilized - just running the pump when the sun is out.
I'm in Ontario fyi.
JimRemington:
There are a variety of submersible water pumps intended for use with solar panels (direct connection).
To aerate ponds, it works quite well to spray water into the air.
calzap:
Anyone interested in pond management should subscribe to Pond Boss magazine. They've had recent articles on using solar for powering pond aerators. BTW, spraying water into the air from the surface looks nice, but doesn't do the main job that the usual type of pond aeration should do ... namely stir the pond ... especially bring water from the bottom to the top. The reason is thermal stratification. In warm weather, the sun and warm air at the surface make the water less dense there. At the darker, cooler depths, the water will be denser. This difference leads to stratification, and the bottom soon becomes anaerobic. Only microbes will live there. Putting an aerator at the bottom lifts the bottom water to the top, which means top water goes to the bottom ... stirs the pond. This prevents stratification and the deadly anaerobic condition at the bottom.
There are aerators that directly oxygenate the bottom of the pond by diffusing oxygen into the water. They are very expensive.
Mike in California
JimRemington:
So, a pump that moves water from the bottom of a pond to the top doesn't "stir the pond"?
calzap:
--- Quote from: JimRemington on August 08, 2020, 02:46:49 pm ---So, a pump that moves water from the bottom of a pond to the top doesn't "stir the pond"?
--- End quote ---
Yes it does. But a lot of (probably most) aerators that spray water into the air have their intakes within three feet (1 m) of the surface. Look at some of some of the fountain-type aerators made by Kasco Marine, Easy Pro, Otterbine, or Aqua Master. These are impressive to watch, but they only aerate water that already has a high oxygen level. One of the problems of extending the intake of a centrifugal pump, piston pump, or air-lift pump to the bottom or near it is clogging ... lots of muck and debris down there ... which is why it's not usually done. OTOH, an air-stone or diffuser doesn't have this problem, which is why they are by far the preferred method of stirring a pond.
Above, I'm writing about real ponds, not little garden ponds that are basically large, sunken, outdoor aquariums.
Mike in California
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