What Is a Diffuser?
A diffuser is a device used to convert compressed air into bubbles.
Bubbles are used to feed air to organisms in the process of treating water through biological reactions, such as in aeration tanks at water treatment facilities. The mechanism for turning compressed air into bubbles involves microscopic holes or slits, which become bubbles and are discharged when the compressed air passes through the holes. It is often used together with aeration pumps and agitators.
Uses of Diffusers
Diffusers are used in sewage treatment plants and water treatment facilities. They are mainly used in biological processes that use aerobic microorganisms to purify sewage and other substances and to accelerate decomposition reactions by aerating the aerobic organisms. When selecting a diffuser, the oxygen dissolution rate of the bubbles, the corresponding compressed air pressure, the size and shape of the diffuser, and ease of maintenance should be considered. Various shapes are available on the market, including circular, bar-shaped, and plate-shaped products, so it is important to select a product that is compatible with the tank in which it will be used.
Principle of Diffusers
Diffusers consist of a mounting port for attachment to a pipe through which compressed air passes, a material with microscopic holes, or a rod-shaped or circular outlet with a hollow interior in which microscopic slits are drilled. The outlet is often made of corrosion-resistant ceramic. In operation, compressed air from an aeration pump or other source is drawn in through the mounting port, and the drawn-in compressed air is blown out through the hole or slit. This action continuously supplies oxygen to the liquid being treated. To supply air bubbles more efficiently over a wider area, diffusers can be installed in two ways: one to create a swirling flow, and the other to ensure that the liquid to be treated is treated without any leakage by installing the diffuser uniformly over the entire surface of the tank.
Since the location of use is a sewage treatment plant with high levels of impurities, the holes for discharging air bubbles may become clogged, and countermeasures against this clogging are necessary. Various countermeasures are devised by the companies that manufacture them, and some products work in such a way that the discharge surface expands during operation to remove material clogging the holes.