Pilot-scale study of the solar detoxification of VOC-contaminated groundwater

Conference · Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1992

OSTI ID:7102976

Mehos, M; Turchi, C ^[1]; Pacheco, J ^[2]; Boegel, A J; Merrill, T; Stanley, R ^[3]

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1. National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)
2. Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
3. Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)

The Solar Detoxification Field Experiment was designed to investigate the photocatalytic decomposition of organic contaminants in groundwater at a Superfund site at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The process uses ultraviolet (UV) energy, available in sunlight, in conjunction with the photocatalyst, titanium dioxide, to decompose organic chemicals into nontoxic compounds. The field experiment was developed by three federal laboratories: the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Sandia National Laboratory (SNLA), and LLNL. The US Department of Energy funded the experiment. The objectives of the pilot-scale study included the advancement of the solar technology into a nonlaboratory waste-remediation environment the compilation of test data to help guide laboratory research and future demonstrations and the development of safe operational procedures. Results of the pilot study are discussed, emphasizing the effect of several process variables on the system performance. These variables include alkalinity, catalyst loading, flow velocity through the reactor, and incident solar UV radiation. The performance of the solar detoxification process are discussed as it relates to concentrating and nonconcentrating collectors.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-83CH10093
• OSTI ID: 7102976
• Report Number(s): NREL/TP-432-4981; CONF-920808--6; ON: DE92016405
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140505* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photochemical
Photobiological
& Thermochemical Conversion-- (1980-)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540220 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
CATALYSTS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
DETOXIFICATION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
GROUND WATER
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MATTER
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
RADIATIONS
SOLAR RADIATION
STELLAR RADIATION
TITANIUM COMPOUNDS
TITANIUM OXIDES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
VOLATILE MATTER
WATER