Abstract
Aeration plays a crucial role in aquaculture to maintain adequate dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in water, which is essential for supporting aquatic life. However, traditional aeration systems such as paddlewheel aerators or diffused air aerators often come with high energy consumption, frequent maintenance, and greater operational costs. To address these challenges, this research paper presents the development and evaluation of a more sustainable and cost-effective aerator, named the perforated pooled circular stepped cascade aerator (PPCSC), for intensive aquaculture. Laboratory experiments were conducted in a masonry tank to assess the performance of the PPCSC aerator with different bottom radii (R(b)) and discharges (Q). The results showed that the highest standard aeration efficiency (SAE) of 4.564 ± 0.6662 kg O(2)/kWh was achieved with a bottom radii (R(b)) of 0.75 m and a discharge (Q) of 0.016 m(3)/s. A developed regression model was found to effectively evaluate the standard oxygen transfer rate (SOTR) and SAE for different R(b) and Q values used in the PPCSC system. Both R(b) and Q were found to significantly impact the SOTR and SAE of the PPCSC aerator. Overall, the PPCSC aerator is a promising option for small-scale tank-based intensive aquaculture due to its high performance and lower operational costs.