In situ soil remediation using vapor extraction wells, development and testing of a three-dimensional finite-difference model

Journal Article · · Ground Water; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6584.1993.tb01845.x· OSTI ID:6531556

Sepehr, M ^[1]; Samani, Z A ^[2]

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1. SOMA Environmental Engineering, Oakland, CA (United States)
2. New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces (United States)

Soil vapor extraction technology is becoming increasingly popular in soil remediation in removing volatile and semivolatile organic compounds from the vadose zone. The rate and extent of removal of volatile organic compounds from the vadose zone by active or passive vapor extraction systems are known to be affected by a number of factors, including soil permeability, soil moisture content, applied suction, air flow rate, temperature, vapor pressure, and external boundary conditions. Some techniques used to describe the dynamics of gas flow are based on simplifying assumptions which limit their application in real world situations. This paper describes the development and testing of a three-dimensional gas flow model GAS3D for the design of soil venting systems. The model takes into account the effect of partial penetration and partial screening of vapor extraction wells as well as the nonhomogeneity and anisotropy of the soil. The simulated pressure around a vapor extraction well by the developed GAS3D model was verified and validated by comparing the results of the finite-difference solution to the actual field measurements and the results of an analytical solution under homogeneous and isotropic conditions. The model was used in a case study to demonstrate the utility of the developed model under heterogeneous and anisotropic conditions for designing a vapor extraction system.

• OSTI ID: 6531556
• Journal Information: Ground Water; (United States), Journal Name: Ground Water; (United States) Vol. 31:3; ISSN GRWAAP; ISSN 0017-467X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540220* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AIR FLOW
CALCULATION METHODS
CLEANING
DECONTAMINATION
EXTRACTION
FINITE DIFFERENCE METHOD
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
GAS FLOW
GASES
ITERATIVE METHODS
LAND POLLUTION
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS RECOVERY
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MOISTURE
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POLLUTION
PROCESSING
REMEDIAL ACTION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOILS
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
VAPOR PRESSURE
VAPORS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING