Air bubble screens as a tool for water quality control

Abstract

The flow field induced by the release of compressed air in a water body has been studied analytically and experimentally. The quantitative knowledge of the flow pattern in standing water and in a cross flow serves as a basis for the design of air bubble installations, which can be used advantageously for a number of purposes in water quality control, such as pneumatic oil barriers, barriers against density currents due to differences in salinity, silt or sediment concentration or temperature, installations for combating the formation of ice, artificial destratification devices or installations for oxygenation purposes.