The Nold DeAerator™—1000 and Counting…

Since they were first invented by Walter Nold in 1980*, over 1000 Nold DeAerators™ have been sold for degassing water, antifreeze, oils and other liquids. The DeAerator uses mechanical agitation in a vacuum to produce cavitation and nucleation, which rapidly remove gasses from solution without the expensive and time consuming need for boiling and cooling—the old method of de-gassification. Using the Nold DeAerator, six liters of water can be de-aired to 0.1% air in only 4 minutes and to 0.01% air in 15 minutes.

For many years Walter manufactured the DeAerators out of the basement of his house in Natick, Massachusetts. Since Walter’s death in 2002 the DeAerators have been built at Geokon and are used primarily in soils laboratories to produce de-aired water for saturating soil specimens. Other uses include the production of de-aired water and oil for use in hydraulic settlement sensors, to prevent air bubble formation, and in hydraulic earth pressure cells and concrete stress cells to improve cell stiffness and response to outside forces.

Walter Nold was a beloved character, often seen at Conventions and Symposia where exhibits were being displayed. His enthusiasm and excitability, coupled with the fascination of watching the foaming and ‘bumping’ of the DeAerator in action, was guaranteed to draw the largest crowds. We at Geokon are proud, pleased and privileged to continue bringing the Nold DeAerators to the marketplace, and, to keep alive the memory of such a creative and talented man.

*At the instigation of John Dunnicliff who implored him to find an efficient way of removing air bubbles from a liquid level type settlement profiler.