Aeration consumed 70–80% of the power load found in three energy
audits of Australian aquaculture farms
generally
confirmed by a review of intensive shrimp culture practices overseas
Australian practices are typically intensive, with a reliance on mechanical aerators,
which are usually Taiwanese paddlewheels
The dissolved oxygen (DO) capacity of water is limited to a few mg/l, in contrast
to the 21% oxygen content of air. Natural re-aeration at the surface of a water body
is limited by molecular diffusion, unless turbulence and extended surface area are
provide by wind, waves, or currents. Mechanical aeration allows much higher
biomass concentrations than could be supported in a natural waterway
Aerators
serve as the ‘lungs’ of an intensive aquaculture pond: pumping oxygen into the
water column; and stripping carbon dioxide out