BATTELLE DEVELOPING WATER MANAGEMENT UNIT TO CONTROL FLOODING POLLUTION

Battelle researchers are developing a portable, multi-purpose aerator with the capability of moving 20 million gallons of water a day with a five-horsepower natural-gas engine.

Henry Pate, manager of Battelle's Florida Materials Research Facility in Daytona Beach, where the aerator is being developed, said the device might someday restore waterway circulation patterns and reduce flooding near large bodies of water.

"This unit creates a new world for water managers," Pate said. "For example, for an investment of less than $2 million, you could buy enough of our equipment to manage the Halifax and the North Indian rivers in Daytona Beach.

"Conventional solutions for treating just the Halifax stormwater problems have been estimated at prices as high as $200 million, and it will take five-to-ten years to construct. Our system could start treating water tomorrow, and may provide flood control benefits as well."

Pate said several configurations of the aerator will be tested so it can be adapted for specific uses, such as controlling flood waters, treating and aerating water, and removing sediment.

"In addition to adding dissolved oxygen to the water, the aerator removes pollution by treating the water with ozone, a triatomic form of oxygen," Pate said. "The aerator could be used to treat drainage systems flowing untreated into our drinking water supplies, estuaries, and oceans. "The aerator is a relatively simple and inexpensive device compared to a municipal water treatment plant. Yet, working side-by-side, it could be a big asset to a municipality that wants to relieve some of the pressures on its treatment plant. It will increase the capacity and effluent quality of existing municipal and industrial treatment plants."

Pate said the projected retail cost of the aerator is $10,000.

The aerator is a self-contained unit, 8 feet wide, 10 feet long, and 6 feet high. It will be trailer-portable and powered by an engine developed by Battelle.

Pate believes that the aerator also will be useful for a variety of commercial applications that use large amounts of water, such as the water and chemical industries, farming, and aquaculture.

"This unit's portability and pumping rate will give authorities the capability to manage natural water bodies in-channel, which is beyond the scope of current technologies," Pate said.

Battelle is looking for investors to complete and commercialize the project, which Pate estimates is 50 percent complete.

For more information, contact Henry Pate, Battelle Florida Materials Research Facility, 4928 Sailfish Dr., Ponce Inlet, Daytona Beach, Fla., phone: 904.767.3330; fax: 904.761.3072.

Battelle serves industry and government by developing, commercializing, and managing technology. With a wide range of scientific and technical capabilities, Battelle puts technology to work for clients in 30 countries.

Battelle serves industry and government by developing, commercializing, and managing technology. With a wide range of scientific and technical capabilities, Battelle puts technology to work for clients in 30 countries.