Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2015ND294B

Use of Mixers in Water Towers to Prevent Ice Formation and Improve Water Quality

Institute: North Dakota
Year Established: 2015 Start Date: 2015-03-01 End Date: 2016-02-29
Total Federal Funds: $4,800 Total Non-Federal Funds: $9,600

Principal Investigators: Wei Lin

Project Summary: Poor mixing conditions have been identified as one of the main reasons for ice formation in water towers located in cold climates. Also, poor mixing conditions have been identified as one of the main reasons for thermal stratification in water towers during summer. Objectives are: 1. to determine the impact of a mixer on the heat balance of a water tower and its effectiveness at preventing or reducing ice formation during winter. 2. to determine the impact of a mixing on the quality of water in the tower during summer, and 3. to determine proper operational procedures for water towers with mixers. Water distribution managers can gain information from this study to develop proper operational techniques for water towers with mixers.