Patent ID: 7661660

Claim:
An apparatus for providing flow and aeration of a body of water comprising: a rotationally driven pump positioned above the surface of said body of water that drives a generally vertically oriented pump turbine that is submerged within said body of water; a pump manifold that surrounds said pump turbine and provides upward propulsion of a stream of fluid from said body of water from a pump intake located below said pump turbine to an outlet manifold located above said pump turbine when said pump turbine is rotated about an axis; an air manifold attached proximate to said pump intake of said rotationally driven pump comprising: a gas supply in communication with said air manifold; a fluid intake for supplying fluid to said air manifold, said fluid intake opening that is smaller in cross sectional area and coaxial with said pump intake; and, a vortex chamber within said manifold that substantially surrounds said fluid intake and circumferentially draws gas into said fluid as a result of a pressure drop created by flow of said fluid through said air manifold; a discharge pipe that directs the output of said rotationally driven pump at an angle below the surface of said body of water to provide mixing of said body of water.