Apparatus for treating fluids having improved aeration efficiency and operational durability

In combination, a blower-assisted aerator, an impeller, and a liquid reservoir containing a liquid, said blower-assisted aerator having:

• an eight-pole electric motor rotating said impeller fully submerged within said liquid at a blade tip speed less than 1,100 inches per second;
• an air-line having an air-line outlet submerged in said liquid and distal to said motor and an air-line inlet relatively more adjacent to said motor than said air-line outlet;
• and a blower having a blower air inlet and an air outlet, said blower forcing air from said blower inlet into said air-line inlet and through said air-line to said air-line outlet;
• said impeller having:
• a hub coupled to said electric motor and defining an axis of rotation;
• and two blades extending radially from said hub, each one of said two blades having a pressure equalized foil shape absent of rake, a leading edge extending from said hub tangentially, an impeller Expanded Area Ratio (EAR) between 0.47 and 0.55, a radius integrated pitch to diameter ratio (Pmean/D) between 0.59 and 0.87, a progressive pitch distribution based on radius where from 50% radius and out is constant and from 50% radius to the hub is reduced, and a skew of between 60 and 75 degrees with a linear distribution from about the 50% radius to a blade tip.