Heating of solid earthen material, measuring moisture and resistivity

Patent · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:869389

Heath, William O ^[1]; Richardson, Richard L ^[2]; Goheen, Steven C ^[1]

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1. Richland, WA
2. West Richland, WA

The present invention includes a method of treating solid earthen material having volatile, semi-volatile, and non-volatile contaminants. Six electrodes are inserted into a region of earthen material to be treated in a substantially equilateral hexagonal arrangement. Six phases of voltages are applied to corresponding electrodes. The voltages are adjusted within a first range of voltages to create multiple current paths between pairs of the electrodes. The current paths are evenly distributed throughout the region defined by the electrodes and therefore uniformly heat the region. The region of earthen material is heated to a temperature sufficient to substantially remove volatile and semi-volatile contaminants by promoting microbial action. This temperature is less than a melting temperature of the earthen material.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute (Richland, WA)
• Patent Number(s): US 5330291
• OSTI ID: 869389
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

heating
solid
earthen
material
measuring
moisture
resistivity
method
treating
volatile
semi-volatile
non-volatile
contaminants
six
electrodes
inserted
region
treated
substantially
equilateral
hexagonal
arrangement
phases
voltages
applied
corresponding
adjusted
range
create
multiple
current
paths
pairs
distributed
throughout
defined
uniformly
heat
heated
temperature
sufficient
remove
promoting
microbial
action
melting
solid earthen
current paths
substantially remove
remove volatile
region defined
melting temperature
temperature sufficient
earthen material
non-volatile contaminants
distributed throughout
treating solid
measuring moisture
hexagonal arrangement
current path
six electrodes
corresponding electrodes
volatile contaminants
uniformly heat
-volatile contaminants
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