TORNADO® - How It Works

In wastewater treatment, air is introduced into the water in order to help in the microbial degradation of organic matter. Oxygen in the air is required for the metabolizing microorganisms.

Air may be introduced near the surface of the water, below the surface, or near the bottom of the aeration tank. A mixing action gets the oxygen throughout the water and brings the microorganisms into contact with the dissolved or suspended organic matter.

Our TORNADO® products introduce the air and perform the mixing below the surface of the water, hence they are referred to as Sub-Surface Aerators / Mixers.

TORNADO® Sub-Surface Aerators / Mixers deliver oxygen in one of three ways depending on the type or series:

1. The TORNADO® SA Series Self Aspirating Aerators/Mixers.
   The SA series comes in a variety of aeration and mixing capacities. Very simply, a TORNADO®Self Aspirating Aerator/Mixer consists of a motor, a draft tube, and a propeller. When the propeller rotates, it pushes the water forward, creating a low pressure zone at the propeller hub. This draws air through the air inlet hole, down through the draft tube, until it reaches the propeller. The rotating action of the propeller mixes the air stream with the water resulting in tiny bubbles. The air-water mixture is forced away from the propeller, traveling vertically and horizontally- downward then upward, to the right, to the left, and forward.
   
   The motor on the SA series typically operates at 1800 RPM for 60 Hz applications and at 1500 RPM for 50 Hz applications. The TORNADO® SA series is available in a variety of sizes from 2 to 100 HP (1.5 to 75 KW).
2. The TORNADO® BA Series Blower Assisted Aerators/Mixers
   For applications requiring higher level of oxygenation, a blower is added to the SA Series to force additional air down the inlet hole. The blower uses a small motor, typically from 2 to 10 HP [1.5 KW to 7.5 KW].
   
   The BA series is capable of delivering up to 38% more oxygen into the water and up to 10% more mixing action than the conventional SA series.