Aerator upgrade for AJ Bush Bromelton Qld

AJ Bush & Sons operates one of the largest capacity rendering facilities in Australia at its processing facility in Bromelton, Qld, where it manufactures nutrient-rich protein meals and tallows/oils.

The factory effluent is rich in organic material, which is treated via anaerobic digestion and aerobic treatment processes, with treated water used to irrigate pasture surrounding their facility.

The options

When Plant Engineering Manager Byron Boyers wanted to upgrade his pond aeration system to a better and safer system, he spoke to Hydro Innovations about its Echo-Storm venturi aerators from Gorman-Rupp. These aerators use a self-priming pump to draw water from the source to be treated. It is then pumped at pressure through the Echo-Storm, which adds dissolved oxygen to the water and ‘conditions’ it as it accelerates at more than 16 m/s through the unit.

The benefits of Echo-Storm bank-mounted aerators

Boyers was keen to try a unit because of the easier and safer access to the Echo-Storm for maintenance, as all required equipment can be mounted on the pond bank. It also helped that he already had a self-priming Gorman-Rupp pump he could use for the project. His effluent pond is 200 x 40 x 4 m deep, with an inflow of 2 ML/day.

The solution and result

Byron purchased a 4″ VA4-550 Echo-Storm unit for the job, hooked the unit up to his Gorman-Rupp pump, designed a floating suction arrangement to keep the suction line off the bottom and fired it up. He took a photo of the unit as it started and was so impressed with the results that just 6 hours later, he took another photo to send to Darren Jones of Hydro Innovations. ‘Before and after’ photos shown above.

Echo-Storm units are available in four sizes (2, 3, 4 and 6″) and are designed to improve safety and reliability as well as reduce maintenance costs.

Updated 2 February 2024