Patent ID: 7520493

Claim:
A diffused-air aerator for inducing flow in a liquid waste treatment lagoon or pond, comprising: a variable speed blower to generate oxygen-containing gas; a plurality of diffuser modules located below the surface of the liquid being aerated which diffuser modules receive the oxygen containing gas from the blower and release the oxygen-containing gas into the liquid in bubble formation; an aeration manifold; an aeration chamber which houses the diffuser modules; wherein the aeration chamber has an adjustable extension below the diffuser modules; the aeration chamber is capped with a bubble dissipation and flow conditioning baffle; a flow manipulation rim at the nadir of the bubble dissipation and flow condition baffle forms an angle parallel with the surface of the body of liquid; a stainless steel frame member upon which the blower, the diffuser module, the manifold, the aeration chamber, and the baffle are affixed; at least one buoyancy apparatus secured to the frame member using at least one flow adjustment rod in a manner to submerge the aerator at a predetermined, fixed, selectable depth; wherein said frame member further comprises a blower mount platform located upon the frame member such that the aeration blower may be secured above the surface of the liquid.