Experimental and Simulation Investigation of Total Dissolved Gas Prediction in Supersaturated Water Treatment: Focusing on Source Calibration and Combining with Bubble Coalescence

Abstract

Supersaturation of total dissolved gas (TDG) is a common occurrence in high dams during the spill process, which can lead to fish bubble disease and threaten aquatic organisms. As a result, many scholars have taken a keen interest in this issue. Research into the gas-liquid mass transfer mechanism has improved the accuracy of TDG prediction models. This article investigates the factors affecting TDG dissipation through laboratory experiments. Especially, the mass transfer coefficient across the bubble interface based on the slip penetration model was calibrated, and the coaxial bubble coalescence added to the coefficient was studied. The results show that the aeration rate has the most significant impact, followed by water depth, and then the aeration aperture. The TDG dissipation rate increases with the parameter β, and the parameter of 0.35 shows the highest correlation with the experimental data. Furthermore, the concentration change rate after coalescence is lower than before, suggesting that aggregation negatively impacts mass transfer. This study improves TDG concentration prediction accuracy and proposes measures for mitigating supersaturation to avoid fish bubble disease.