Cost-effective aeration solutions for aquaculture: a study on paddle wheel and spiral aerators

The primary objective is to select an appropriate aerator that maximizes the benefits while minimizing the operational costs of the aeration system in aquaculture operations. The choice of suitable aerators significantly impacts the cost of aquaculture operations. Therefore, this study focuses on the economic analysis of the paddle wheel aerator (PWA) and its modified counterpart, the spiral aerator (SA). The efficiency of the PWA and SA was assessed with respect to rotational speed (N), based on the efficiency a comparative economic analysis was conducted. The economics of aerators depends on the various pond sizes, initial dissolved oxygen (DO), and aerators running hours. Therefore, the total aeration cost for the chosen aerators was determined at various pond volumes (100, 200, 300, 700, 1000, 5000, and 10,000 m³ with depth of water 1.0 m) and initial DO of pond water denoted as C_P = 1 to 4 mg/L. According to market rates, the primary cost for PWA was ₹32,000, while that for SA was ₹42,000. From the findings, pond sizes in the range of 100 to 10,000 m³ PWA are more economical than SA. Therefore, a new selection method of economically feasible aerators in aquaculture pond was developed in this study.