A Computational Fluid Dynamics Approach for Dissolved Oxygen Modelling with Application to Wind-powered Aeration Systems

Dissolved oxygen is one of the most critical parameters of water quality in aquaculture. Aeration systems are generally used to improve oxygen levels and yields. However, these systems have high capital and operating cost, require electricity and, thus, are out of reach for farmers in developing countries. There is a need for affordable and sustainable aeration technologies. This thesis presents the development of a computational dissolved oxygen model which evaluates the spatial and temporal distribution of dissolved oxygen to enable evaluation and optimization of new aeration approaches. The three-dimensional model was developed based on Finite Volume Method and validated by bench-scale and field experiments. Results showed that the model was capable of predicting the dissolved oxygen concentration with an average prediction error of 7.2%.M.A.S