Evaluation of the intrusion generated by a submerged contact chamber of hypolimnetic oxygenator in a reservoir

Abstract

Physical characteristics of a hypolimnetic oxygenator known as a Water Environmental Preservation System (WEP), were investigated through field tests carried out in Sanbe Reservoir, Japan. Field data showed that the oxygen‐rich intrusion traveled at nearly the same height as the outflow opening of the device. The thickness of the intrusion, travel time and other important values were derived from the field data. The results showed the flow to be similar to that of an intrusion emanating from a bubble plume after the plunging point and was controlled by an inertia‐buoyancy force balance. The intrusion from the oxygenator was successfully simulated with a three‐dimensional hydrodynamic and water quality simulation model (ELCOM‐CAEYDM) including a simple integral model for the oxygenator.

Keywords:

• Reservoirs
• hypolimnetic oxygenator
• intrusion
• dissolved oxygen
• field tests
• simulation