Effect of Fine-Pore Aeration Tube Layout on Dissolved Oxygen Distribution and Aeration Performance in Large-Scale Pond

Dissolved oxygen (DO) is a crucial water quality characteristic in the cultivation of vannamei shrimp. Increasing the DO concentration in shrimp ponds can be carried out using the aeration method with a tool called an aerator. In this study, types of fine-pore aeration tubes are chosen. This aerator offers multiple benefits, such as superior aeration efficiency, effortless installation, and minimal clogging. In practice, fine-pore aeration tubes can be arranged according to needs, so the layout used can influence the resulting aeration performance. This research uses the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method to analyze DO distribution, water circulation, and aeration performance (KLa20, SOTR, and SOTE) produced in various aerator layouts, namely straight-type, ring-type, and square-type, in a vannamei shrimp pond. The results show that the straight-type layout has the best DO distribution because it is spread throughout the pond area. The square-type layout has the best water circulation because it has the largest area with water velocities of less than 5 cm/s. The optimal aeration performance was achieved with the straight-type layout, which demonstrated a KLa20 value of 3.16 h−1, SOTR value of 19.20 kg/h, and SOTE of 29.30%.