Electrode wells for powerline-frequency electrical heating of soils

Patent · 31 December 1998

OSTI ID:872307

Buettner, Harley M ^[1]; Daily, William D ^[1]; Aines, Roger D ^[1]; Newmark, Robin L ^[1]; Ramirez, Abelardo L ^[2]; Siegel, William H ^[1]

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1. Livermore, CA
2. Pleasanton, CA

An electrode well for use in powerline-frequency heating of soils for decontamination of the soil. Heating of soils enables the removal of volatile organic compounds from soil when utilized in combination with vacuum extraction. A preferred embodiment of the electrode well utilizes a mild steel pipe as the current-carrying conductor to at least one stainless steel electrode surrounded by a conductive backfill material, preferably graphite or steel shot. A covering is also provided for electrically insulating the current-carrying pipe. One of the electrode wells is utilized with an extraction well which is under subatmospheric pressure to withdraw the volatile material, such as gasoline and trichioroethylene (TCE) as it is heated.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• Assignee: Regents of University of California (Oakland, CA)
• Patent Number(s): US 5907662
• OSTI ID: 872307
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/392/166/219/422/
atmospheric pressure
backfill
combination
compounds
conductive
conductor
covering
current-carrying
decontamination
electrical
electrical heat
electrical heating
electrically
electrically insulating
electrode
embodiment
enables
extraction
fill material
frequency electric
frequency electrical
gasoline
graphite
heated
heating
insulating
material
mild
organic
organic compound
organic compounds
pipe
powerline-frequency
powerline-frequency electrical
preferably
preferably graphite
preferred
preferred embodiment
pressure
provided
removal
shot
soil
soils
stainless
stainless steel
steel
subatmospheric
subatmospheric pressure
surrounded
tce
trichioroethylene
utilized
utilizes
vacuum
volatile
volatile material
volatile organic
withdraw