Abstract: An aerator apparatus for use in waste treatment plants and the like for imparting oxygen to the waste water forced through the apparatus by an axial flow impeller. The entire apparatus may be submerged, resting on the bottom of the body of water and has an intake area for directing water from the bottom of the body of water through the apparatus. The water is forced into a discharge chamber where it is aerated and agitated by a compressed oxidizing gas, such as air, through an array of ports surrounding the discharge chamber. From the discharge chamber the aerated water is directed out of the apparatus on a generally horizontal plane into the surrounding body of water. In one embodiment, the flow of water may be drawn from a certain direction and discharged in the same or opposite direction, as desired, to maintain a flow or current pattern in conjunction with a plurality of like aerators.

Abstract: A pressure nozzle produces a liquid-spray-chimney in the form of an inverted, substantially frusto-conical configuration from the surface of a parent body of liquid such as a pond, channel, and the like. A mechanically generated draft of gas is produced within the liquid-spray-chimney by power driven fan means having an exhaust outlet positioned within the frusto-conical spray trajectory configuration. The spray droplets in the liquid-spray-chimney are of a size sufficiently large to reduce entrainment of the droplets in the forced-draft of gas.

Abstract: A floating liquid aerator includes an axial flow impeller rotated by an electric motor and disposed within a tubular throat to pump water from a pond upwardly through the throat and against a rotatable diffuser which slings the water outwardly for interface contact with the surrounding atmosphere. Being rotatable, the diffuser slings the water into the atmosphere with considerable turbulence thereby exposing more of the water droplets to the atmosphere and resulting in a higher transfer of oxygen to the water. The impeller comprises a series of angularly spaced blades formed with a rectangular cross-section to reduce power losses caused by drag and to increase the volume of water capable of being displaced by the impeller. Each blade is twisted longitudinally with a progressively decreasing attack angle from its root to its tip and, in addition, all of the blades are twisted identically to provide a statically, dynamically and hydrodynamically balanced impeller. .Iadd.