High vacuum extraction of soil contaminants along preferential flow paths

• Main Authors: DUFFNEY; ELIOTT N, HUBER; SCOTT M, TORNATORE; PAUL M, HESS; RONALD E
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 12.08.1997
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE; EARTH DRILLING; EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; MINING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR ASLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL; RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINED SOIL SOIL; SEPARATION; TRANSPORTING

Disclosed is a process and apparatus for removing contaminants from a contaminated area of the ground, the ground having a plurality of paths of preferential flow at different depths, which process comprises providing a borehole in the contaminated area to intersect at least a first path of preferential flow and a second path of preferential flow; placing in the borehole a first vacuum extraction pipe having a bottom opening situated within the first path of preferential flow and a second vacuum extraction pipe having a bottom opening situated within the second path of preferential flow; isolating the first path of preferential flow from the second path of preferential flow so that a vacuum applied to the first vacuum extraction pipe will extract gases and liquids from only the first path of preferential flow, and a vacuum applied to the second vacuum extraction pipe will extract gases and liquids from only the second path of preferential flow; applying a vacuum to at least one of the vacuum extraction pipes to draw gases and liquid from at least one of the paths of preferential flow into a vacuum extraction pipe and transport the gases and liquid to the surface as a common stream; forming from the common stream a stream which is liquid and a stream which is gaseous; and removing contaminants from the liquid and/or gaseous streams.