Segment V5.8: Water Plant Aerator

(Related to Textbook Section 5.3.3 - Comparison of the Energy Equation with the Bernoulli Equation)

The energy equation is often written in terms of energy per unit weight (head) and relates the velocity, elevation, pressure, and pump heads to the head loss.

A water aerator at a water treatment plant is governed by energy concepts. The pump driving the flow adds a head (pump head) to raise the water to the top of the aerator (elevation head). Too much pump head would either produce too big a flowrate or force the water up too high. Most of the head added by the pump is lost (head loss) as the water tumbles down the column, mixing with the air.