ASSESSMENT OF THE SOLAR-POWERED AERATOR OPERATION IN THE FISH PONDS OF TIMIRYAZEV ACADEMY

Purpose: to evaluate changes in the concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO) in water of the experimental pond during operation of a device for aeration of the water bottom layers with the studied design parameters under natural climatic conditions and solar radiation intensity. Materials and methods. The studies were conducted in fish ponds of Timiryazev Academy using two sites: a nursery pond with a system of constant water exchange and a reserve pond without water exchange. Two designs of devices for aeration of the water bottom layers, protected by patents for a utility model, were accepted for the studies. The DO concentration during operation of the experimental device was produced using the “MARK-302T” analyzer at the water depth in the area of the bubbles exit from the air pipe. Results. Research of designs of devices for aeration of water bottom layers (the first in the form of a storage tank with inlet and outlet valves and an air pipe, and the second, equipped with a cap in the form of an inverted truncated cone with an inner surface made of reflective material) showed that the use of a cap in the device according to the second version allows to increase the temperature of exposure to solar insolation by 15–20 %. It was determined that during the device operation, the concentration of DO in the pond water increases. Conclusions. Field studies of a solar-powered aerator in the ponds of the pond fish farming laboratory of Timiryazev Academy showed that the device with a reflective cap allows to increase the temperature of solar insolation exposure and the intensity of operation as a whole, and an increase in the DO concentration by more than three times as a result of the operation of experimental devices should be considered as a promising opportunity for aeration of water bodies using devices based on the use of solar energy.