Commercial Protein Skimmers

The main theory behind creating a successful protein skimmer is to maximize the exposure of air to water. The most effective way to do this is to have as many bubbles, as small as can be produced, in exposure to as much water as feasible.

 

Organics have a very specific structure which makes them polar (meaning one end is very different from the other). As it turns out, one end is also very “hydrophobic,” meaning it is repelled by water, and attracted to air. Using this biochemical feature, we can apply air to the water and attract these objects. Using the same principle as lathery soap, the bubbles will attract, strip the organics, and when they rise to the collection cup, remove them. The water will continue to pass through, with the bubble attracted organics being lifted and stripped from the water.