In situ electrical heating for the decontamination of soil
- IIT Research Inst., Chicago, IL (United States)
- Sandia National Lab., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Clean up of soil contaminated with hazardous organic substances is a common challenge faced by the environmental engineering profession. Two broad categories of organic chemicals are found in soil: low boiling volatile chemicals many of which are chlorinated solvents; heavier boiling hydrocarbons of various types that include fuels, manufactured gas plant (MGP) site wastes comprising of creosote, phenols, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Traditional methods of clean up have involved excavation of the contaminated soil followed by reburial in an approved landfill or high temperature incineration. In recent years new technologies have been developed for the in situ treatment of the contaminated soil with minimal or no excavation. One process is called the in situ radio frequency (RF) heating process which utilizes electromagnetic energy in the 2 to 13 MHz frequency range to heat soil to a temperature of 100 to 300 C. A second process utilizes 60 Hz ac power to heat soil up to the boiling point of water. The low frequency process is called the in situ EM heating process. The RF process is aimed at the removal of high boiling chemicals in the unsaturated soil zone (the vadose zone), above the water table. The EM process is suitable when the soil contains VOCs in the vadose zone. Both processes can be used to increase the effective permeability of the soil to the flow of air. Thus, both can be used to enhance air flow rates through soils with low native permeability to air. The above processes were tested in a field experiment in which the Thermal Enhanced Vapor Extraction System (TEVES) was implemented at a chemical waste landfill located at Sandia National Laboratory, Albuquerque. The purpose of this test was to measure the enhancement of in situ soil vapor extraction as a result of heating arid sandy silt. In this paper the Thermal Enhanced vapor Extraction System is described along with the results of its field demonstration.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 376160
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960426-; TRN: IM9642%%248
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 58. annual meeting of the American power conference, Chicago, IL (United States), 9-11 Apr 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the American Power Conference. Volume 58-I; McBride, A.E. [ed.]; PB: 767 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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