2nd Conference for PhD students in Civil Engineering

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Considerations on the use of Airlift Pumps in the Sewage Treatment

Plants
Mircea-Vlad Murean*1, Elena Maria Pic1, Marius-Daniel Roman2,
Raluca-Andreea Felseghi2
1

Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Department of Engineering Materials and the Environment. 103-105
Muncii Str., 400641, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
2
Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Department of Building Services Engineering. 128-130 21
Decembriei Str., 400020, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Abstract
Airlift pump technology is sustainable due to its very simple structure. The main advantage of the
air lift pump is that there are no mechanical below-ground components, so it is essentially simple,
reliable and can easily handle sandy or gritty water.
However, it has some disadvantages, like weak suction, unstable flow rate or low lift. Also, it is
inefficient as a pump, probably no better, at best, than 20-30% in terms of compressed air energy to
hydraulic output energy, and this is compounded by the fact that air compressors are also generally
inefficient. Therefore the running costs of an air lift pump will be very high in energy terms.
This paper aims to study the performance of using the airlift pump as a pumping and aeration
system in the wastewater treatment plants, determine whether these pumps are reliable to be used
and under what conditions.
Keywords: airlift pump, wastewater, sewage treatment plant, air flow, efficiency.

1. Introduction
An airlift pump, Fig. 1, is a gas lift pump which is powered by compressed air. The only energy
required is provided by compressed air. This air is usually compressed by a blower. The air is
injected in the lower part of a pipe that transports a liquid. It usually bubbles into another larger
diameter pipe. Because the air has a lower density than the liquid, it rises quickly. By fluid pressure,
the liquid is taken in the ascendant air flow and moves in the same direction as the air. The
calculation of the volume flow of the liquid is possible thanks to the physics of two-phase flow.
There are no rotating parts in the pump itself, only a riser pipe in which fluid and air are combined.
Airlift pumps have features that make them more desirable than mechanical pumps in a few specific
applications. Since there are no moving parts in an airlift pump, there is minimal wear, reducing the
need for maintenance. The lack of rotational impeller blades allows airlift pumps to be used for
sewage applications, such as removing sediment or water from a biological reactor [1].
The drawback to using an airlift pump is that airlift pumps operate at significantly lower
efficiencies than mechanical pumps. The efficiency in the case of an airlift pump is defined as the
ratio of the output pumping power to the required input power. Airlift pumps will typically operate
at efficiencies ranging from 35% to 55% while mechanical pumps operate at much higher
*

Corresponding author: Tel. +40 731 70 70 39

E-mail address: vladmmuresan@yahoo.com

2nd Conference for PhD students in Civil Engineering

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efficiencies, often above 70%. Low efficiencies associated with airlift pumps result from the high
slip ratio between the air and the water, resulting in a poor transfer of momentum from the gas to
the liquid [2].

Figure 1. Exemple of airlift pump and dimensioning components [3]

The aim of these paper is to prove that even if the efficiency of the airlift pumps is far below the
efficiency of mechanical pumps, there are cases when the use of airlift pumps is reliable and less
expensive.

2. The use of oxygen in wastewater treatment

A sewage treatment plant represents all technological procedures provided for the removal or
restraint of polluting materials from the wastewater - by physical, chemical, biological, biochemical
and microbiological processes, in order to reach the necessary purification level, and consists of
mechanical purification stage, biological purification stage and tertiary purification stage [4].
The most important stage is a sewage treatment plant is the biological one, where the main
wastewater pollutants, like BOD5, COD and N2 are eliminated. Biological treatment is the
degradation of organic chemicals under the action of microorganisms in the presence of dissolved
oxygen and converting these products in unharmful substances. Assimilable substances, expressed
in BOD5, are absorbed from the biomass concentrated at the surface and then the decomposed
substances are absorbed by cellular enzymes, which come in small units entering the cell
metabolism and new cells are formed. The substances resulted from these process (CO2, NOx etc.)
are released into the environment [5].
Nitrification is the biological oxidation of ammonia or ammonium to nitrite followed by the
oxidation of the nitrite to nitrate. This happens in an aerobic environment mainly due to autotrophic
aerobic bacterias, like Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter.

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The oxidation of ammonium to nitrate ions using microorganisms occurs with high oxygen
consumption and is done in two stages [6]:
Nitrosomonas:
Nitrobacter:

2NH4+ + 3O2 4H+ +2H2O + 2NO22NO2- + O2 2NO3-

(1)
(2)

Total:

NH4+ + 2O2 2H+ + H2O + NO3-

(3)

The nitrification is necessary because ammonia consumes oxygen from the environment. For
example the nitrification of one mg of ammonium nitrogen (N - NH4+) requires about 4.3 to 4.6 mg
O2 [6].

3. The calculation of the oxygen demand for wastewater treatment plants

The oxygen uptake is made up of the consumption for carbon removal (including the endogenous
respiration) and, if necessary, the requirement for nitrification as well as the saving of oxygen from
denitrification.
The oxygen consumption for carbon removal OUd,C is determinated using the following approach,
with Hartwig coefficients [7]:

where

0.56 +

(4)

is daily BOD5 load [kg/day];

is sludge age referred to volume of the biological reactor [days];
is temperature factor for endogenous respiration.

With Eq. 4 the values for oxygen uptake for carbon removal OUC,BOD, referred to BOD5, were also
calculated depending on sludge age and temperature, Table 1 [7]:
Sludge age [days]

T [C]

4
8
10
15
20
25
0.85
0.99
1.04
1.13
1.18
1.22
10
0.87
1.02
107
1.15
1.21
1.24
12
0.92
1.07
0.12
1.19
1.24
1.27
15
0.96
1.11
1.16
1.23
1.27
1.3
18
0.99
1.14
1.18
1.25
1.29
1.32
20
Table 1. Specific oxygen consumption OUC,BOD [kg O2/kg BOD5]

For nitrification the oxygen consumption is assumed to be 4.3 kg O2 per kg oxidised nitrogen taking
into account the metabolism of the nitrificants. With denitrification one reckons for carbon removal
with 2.9 kg O2 per kg denitrified nitrate nitrogen [7]:
,

4.3 (
,
2.9
, =

+
/1000
,

)/1000 [
/
]

where: OUd,N is daily oxygen uptake for nitrification [kg/day];

] (5)
(6)

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OUd,D is daily oxygen uptake for carbon removal which is covered by

denitrification [kg/day];
Qd is daily wastewater inflow [m3/day];
SNO3,D is concentration of nitrate nitrogen to be denitrified [mg/l];
SNO3,IAT is concentration of nitrate nitrogen to be denitrified from the influent to the
biological reactor [mg/l];
SNO3,EST is concentration of nitrate nitrogen to be denitrified from the effluent of the
secondary settling tank [mg/l];
The oxygen demand transfer for continuously aerated tanks results as:
=

(7)

where: OUh is oxygen uptake rate (hourly) [kg/h];

O is oxygen transfer of an aeration facility in activated sludge with Cx=0, T=20C
and air pressure p=1013 hPa [kg/h];
CS is dissolved oxygen saturation concentration dependent on the temperature and
partial pressure [mg/l];
CX is dissolved oxygen concentration in aeration tanks [mg/l].

4. Choosing blowers for aeration system of biological tank

For aeration blower system and membrane aeration assembled at the bottom of the biological tank,
the oxygen demand suffers a correction, by applying the factor ranking between 0.6 and 0.8. The
oxygen requirements for biological aeration are determined by the relationship:
=
[
/]
(8)
Considering the depth of the biological aeration basin Ls[m] and specific oxygen consumption f O2
[g/m3*m], the necessary flow of the blower for biological aeration can be calculated by the
following equation:
[ /]
(9)

Regarding the linear specific pressure drop through the system distribution of air, the pressure
requirements for the blower can be determinate:
=
[
]
(10)
,
The blower is chosen from a manufacturer catalogue, by selecting the nearest blower that satisfies
the designed parameters. Usually the chosen blower has Qblw,max greater than Qblw,nec, resulting an
excessive air flow supplied by the blower:
Qblw,exs = Qblw,max Qblw,nec [mc/h]
(11)
This excess air flow supplied by the blower can be used to power the air-lift pumps. Airlift pumps
have a low efficiency, but using the excess air flow supplied by the blower for operating the airlift
pumps, the entire power consumed by the blower is used, resulting a decrease in operating costs.
Also, because the airlift pumps contain no mechanical parts, the maintenance costs are significantly
reduced. The investments costs are also by using airlift pumps to the detrimental of mechanical
pumps.
,

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5. Calculation of water flow supplied by the airlift pumps knowing the excess air
flow
An empirical calculation attributed to the Ingersoll Rand Co. correlates the flow of air with the flow
of water [3]:
= 3.47

[ /]
(12)
+ 34

34
where VA is volume of free air needed per one mc/h of water [m3/h];
L is the length of the lift section [m];
Ls is length of the submerged section [m];
C is a constant that depends on L (for depths between 3 and 18m C=245);
Knowing the volume of free air needed per m3/h of water VA and the excess of air flow from the
blower Qblw,exs , the water flow that can be pumped using airlift pumps can be calculated:
=

/ ]

(13)

6. Example of determining the pumped water flow generated due to excess air
flow
Using relations (1)-(4) for determination of oxygen request for a conventional treatment plant type
with a capacity of 750 PE (people equivalent), result a necessary of oxygen for aeration OC of
9.44 kgO2/ hour.
With Eq. (5), oxygen requirements for the aeration of wastewater treatment plants with a capacity
of 750 PE is:
9.44
=
=
/ = 13.48
0.7

Considering the depth of the biological aeration basin Ls[m] and specific oxygen consumption f O2
[g/m3*m], the necessary flow of the blower for biological aeration can be calculated by the
following equation:
13.48
=
=
= 427
/
,

9 3.5
Regarding the linear specific pressure drop of 150 mbar, through the system distribution of air, the
pressure requirements for the blower can be determinate:
= 150
= 150
3.5 = 501
,
The parameters of the blower for the aeration system related to a biological treatment plant of
750PE are Qblw,nec = 427 m3/h and Hblw,nec = 501 mbar.
From a manufacturer catalogue, the nearest blower that satisfies the designed parameters is chosen.
Using the diagram from Fig. 2, the INW920 blower is chosen, which can provide maximum air
flow Qblw,max = 750 m3/h at the needed pressure Hsufnec = 501 mbar.

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Fig. 2. Air Flow Pressure diagram of the blowers [8]

Thus, from the choice of the nearest blower that can meet the designed parameters, it results an
excess of air flow that can be provided by the blower:
Qblw,exs = Qblw,max Qblw,nec = 750 m3/h 427 m3/h = 323 m3/h.
This excess air flow supplied by the blower can be used to power the airlift pumps.
The volume of free air needed per one m3/h of water is:
2
= 3.47
= 3.47
= 0.15 [ /]
+ 34
3.5 + 34

245
34
34
3
Knowing the volume of free air needed per m /h of water VA and the excess of air flow from the
blower Qblw,exs , the water flow that can be pumped using airlift pumps can be calculated:
323
,
=
=
= 2104 [ / ]
0.15

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7. Conclusions

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Airlift pump technology is sustainable due to its very simple structure. The main advantage of the
air lift pump is that there are no mechanical below-ground components, so it is essentially simple
and reliable and can easily handle sandy or gritty water.
However, it has it has some disadvantages, like weak suction, unstable flow rate or low lift. Also, it
is inefficient as a pump, probably no better, at best, than 20-30% in terms of compressed air energy
to hydraulic output energy, and this is compounded by the fact that air compressors are also
generally inefficient.
The only way that airlift pumps are reliable is when they are powered by the excess flow of air
provided from the blower. The main condition for using airlift pumps is that the blower should be
able to provide enough air flow in excess to power the airlift pumps.

Acknowledgements
This paper is supported by the Sectorial Operational Programme Human Resources Development
POSDRU/159/1.5/S/137516 financed from the European Social Fund and by the Romanian
Government.

8. References
[1] Riglin J. Performance Characteristics of Airlift Pumps with Vortex Inducted by Tangential Fluid
Injection. Honors Theses. Bucknell University, pp. 2 7, 2011.
[2] Clark NN, Dabolt RJ. A General Design Equation for Air Lift Pumps Operating in Slug Flow, American
Institute of Chemical Engineers Journal, Vol. 32, No.1, pp. 1-2, 1986.
[3] * * * http://www.plantservices.com/articles/2002/12/
[4] Murean MV, Pic EM. Study regarding the determination of specific fl ows of wastewater in Romania.
Second International Conference on Natural and Anthropic Riscks. Vol.1, pp. 83, ISSN 2360-4018,
2014.
[5] Ionescu GC. Wastewater Treatment Systems, Publisher Matrix, pp.33-35, ISBN 978-973-755-651-6,
2010.
[6] * * *, Standard for the design and construction of urban wastewater treatment facilities - Part IV:
advanced treatment of wastewater, Index NP 107 04, Bucharest, 2004.
[7] * * *, German ATV-DVWK Rules and Standards. Dimensioning of Single-Stage Activated Sludge
Plants, ATV-DVWK- 131E, pp. 1-57, ISBN 3-935669-96-8, 2000.
[8] * * * http://www.in-eco.ro/docs/en/