Directional microporous diffuser and directional sparging

• US 20080011474A1
• Filed: 07/12/2006
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kerfoot Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Thinkvillage-Kerfoot LLC
• Inventors: Kerfoot, William, Jones, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,621,696 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/268
• CPC Class Codes: B09C 1/00 Reclamation of contaminated soil
• CPC Class Codes: B09C 1/002 involving in-situ ground water treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B09C 1/08 chemically

Abstract

A method for treating contaminates includes emitting plural streams of a fluid into a soil formation with the streams having different radii of influences in different directions. A direction microporous diffuser includes a holder member having plural compartments and plural hollow, elongated members having porous sidewalls, the plural hollow, elongated members supported in the plural compartments of the holder member with each hollow, elongated member including a first cap with an inlet port at a first end of the elongated member and an end cap to seal a second end of the elongated member.

Claims

1. A method comprises:

emitting plural streams of a fluid into a soil formation with the streams having different radii of influences in different directions.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein delivering of the plural streams occurs through a diffuser.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein emitting the streams of different radii further comprises:

selecting the amount of surface area of the diffuser through which the plural streams are emitted from the diffuser.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

sequencing fluids to the diffuser to provide the emitted plural streams into a well in different sequences, having the different radii of influences.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the diffuser is a microporous diffuser.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

operating a solenoid-controlled distribution valve in proximity to inlet ports of the diffuser to control sequencing of fluids into inlets of the diffuser.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising delivering a stream of a fluid to the solenoid-controlled valve;

and

delivering plural streams from the solenoid-controlled valve to inlets on the diffuser.

8. The method of claim 2 further comprising driving the diffuser into the ground.

9. The method of claim 2 further comprising disposing the diffuser in a well.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein the diffuser emits microbubbles having a diameter in a range of 1 to 200 microns.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the diffuser is comprised of 10 slot well-screen.

43. The method of claim 2 wherein the diffuser comprises an elongated holder member having plural recesses disposed along a length of the holder member and a borehole disposed through the length of the holder member;

plural, hollow cylindrical tubes having porous sidewalls, supported in the plural recesses with each hollow, cylindrical tube including;

an inlet port at a first end of the cylindrical tubes with a second end of the cylindrical tube being sealed; and

plural support pieces connected to the elongated holder member having pairs of sidewalls, which along with the plural recesses of the holder member, form plural compartments to hold the plural cylindrical tubes.

44. The method of claim 43 further comprising:

operating a solenoid-controlled distribution valve in proximity to inlet ports of the diffuser to control sequencing of the first fluid into inlets of the diffuser.

45. The method of claim 43 further comprising

delivering a stream of a second fluid to an inlet coupled to the borehole in the central holder member.

46. The method of claim 43 wherein the diffuser emits microbubbles having a size in a range of 1 to 200 microns.

47. The method of claim 43 wherein the diffuser is comprised of 10 slot well-screen.

12. Apparatus comprises:

an elongated holder member having plural compartments;

plural hollow, elongated members having porous sidewalls, the plural hollow, elongated members supported in the plural compartments of the holder member with each elongated member including;

an inlet port at a first end of the elongated member; and

a second end of the elongated member being sealed; and

plural elongated support pieces having a first surface that is connected to the holder member and a second surface that forms in part the plural compartments supporting the plural elongated members.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the holder member is elongated, with sidewalls of the plural hollow, elongated members having a porosity characteristic of 10 slot well-screen or less.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein sidewalls of the plural elongated members have a porosity characteristic of less than 200 microns.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the plural elongated members are cylinders.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the plural, elongated members are comprised of a metal or a plastic.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the plural, elongated members are comprised of a plastic that is a hydrophobic material.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein plural, elongated members are comprised of sintered, fused microscopic particles of plastic.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the compartments have walls that have a curvature that corresponds to a curvature of the plural, hollow elongated members.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the compartments are arranged in quadrants.

21. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein inner surfaces of the support pieces have a curvature that corresponds to a curvature of the plural elongated members.

22. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the elongated members have a cylindrical shape.

23. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein at least one of the outer surfaces of the support pieces has a width that is different than a width of at least one other outer surface one of the support pieces.

24. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the outer surfaces of the support pieces have an curved-shape, with at least one of the outer, curved surfaces of the support pieces having a width that is different than a width of at least one other outer surface one of the support pieces.

25. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the second surfaces of the plural elongated support pieces, which provide the plural compartments, provide the compartments having curved sidewalls that have a curvature corresponding to a curvature of the plural elongated members.

26. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein outer surfaces of the support pieces have holes to receive fasteners to secure the support pieces to the elongated holder member.

27. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the holder member has a borehole through a length of the holder member.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 further comprising:

an inlet attached to the holder member to feed fluid into the borehole in the holder member.

32. The microporous diffuser of claim 27 wherein the plural cylindrical tubes are comprised of a metal or a plastic.

29. A microporous diffuser comprises:

an elongated holder member having plural recesses, disposed along a length of the holder member, the plural recesses having partial, circular sidewalls;

plural, hollow cylindrical tubes having porous sidewalls, the plural, hollow cylindrical tubes supported in the plural recesses of the elongated holder member with each hollow, cylindrical tube including;

an inlet port at a first end of the cylindrical tubes with a second end of the cylindrical tube being sealed; and

plural support pieces connected to the elongated holder member, at a first surface, the plural support pieces having pairs of sidewalls along a length of the support pieces, which along with the plural recesses of the holder member, form plural compartments to hold the plural cylindrical tubes.

30. The microporous diffuser of claim 29 wherein sidewalls of the plural cylindrical tubes have a porosity characteristic of 10 slot well-screen or less.

31. The microporous diffuser of claim 29 wherein sidewalls of the plural cylindrical tubes have a porosity characteristic of less than 200 microns.

33. The microporous diffuser of claim 29 wherein the compartments are arranged in quadrants.

34. The microporous diffuser of claim 29 wherein outer surfaces of the support pieces have holes to receive fasteners to secure the support pieces to the elongated support.

35. The microporous diffuser of claim 29 wherein at least one of the outer surfaces of the support pieces has a width that is different than a width of at least one other outer surface one of the support pieces.

36. The microporous diffuser of claim 29 wherein the outer surfaces of the support pieces have a curvature, with at least one of the outer, curved surfaces of the support pieces having a width that is different than a width of at least one other outer surface one of the support pieces.

37. The microporous diffuser of claim 29 further comprising:

fasteners disposed in apertures in the plural elongated support pieces to secure the support pieces to the holder and hold the plural cylindrical tubes in the compartments.

38. The microporous diffuser of claim 29 wherein the holder member has a borehole through a length of the holder member.

39. The microporous diffuser of claim 38 further comprising:

an inlet attached to the holder member to feed fluid into the borehole in the holder member.

40. A method comprises:

emitting plural streams of a first fluid and a second fluid into a soil formation with the streams having different radii of influences in different directions.

41. The method of claim 40 further comprises:

selecting an amount of surface area of a diffuser through which the plural streams are emitted from the diffuser to emit the streams of different radii.

42. The method of claim 40 further comprising:

sequencing the first fluid to the diffuser and applying the second fluid to provide the emitted plural streams having the different radii of influences.