Windpowered Dugout or Pond Aeration Systems
Summation of Aeration System studies in the Canadian Prairies
The installation of aeration systems in farm ponds has tremendously improved pond water quality across the Canadian prairies. Until the late 1980's, electrically powered air compressors were used to aerate the ponds that were located close to power supplies. That is why you will see ponds so close to the farm houses. Those ponds that were too far away would simply not get any supplemental aeration. The difference in the water quality between those ponds that were aerated and those that were not was significant. So the creation of windmill aeration systems came about and has proven to be an extremely economical and reliable alternative for pond aeration.
In Saskatchewan our staff monitored the capacity of a turbo jet stream pond aerator located at a farm north of Regina. The windmill was used to aerate a large 6 million gallon pond on the farm which supplies water for both household use and livestock. The following are findings from the research.
The Turbo Jet Stream, is a dual diaphragm compressor mounted on a windmill frame with a 12-blades all 36 inches long. The spinning crankshaft drives the dual diaphragm pumps. The air hoses are connected to the compressor unit and delivers air below the pond water surface. There are check valves in the air diffusers to prevent water from coming back up the hose and freezing in the winter.
The windmill capacity was monitored from May to early December and the amount of air pumped during this period averaged 3.3 cubic feet per minute (cfm). Most ponds require about 1 cfm of air per million gallons of water to adequately maintain dissolved oxygen levels and water quality. This windmill system therefore had plenty of capacity to aerate even the largest farm pond or dugout. It may also have the potential for aerating small lakes up to 5 acres in size or fish ponds.
In conclusion, the Turbo Jet Stream is well designed and appears well suited for the Canadian prairie conditions, and most farm families that own them seem to be very happy with the improvement in their pond or dugout water quality.
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