METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REMEDIATION SYSTEM BENEFIT ANALYSIS

• US 20130006538A1
• Filed: 06/21/2012
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSP USA, Inc. (WSP Global, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Earth Consulting Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Ricker, Joe A., Goist, Timothy O.
• Granted Patent: US 9,299,038 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202

Abstract

A method for evaluating the benefit of a remediation system, the method comprising calculating plume stability characteristics, determining a mass indicator trend line; determining a contaminant removed trend line, graphically displaying the mass indicator trend line and the contaminant removed trend line, and determining a remediation system benefit trend based on a graphical relationship of the mass indicator trend line and the contaminant removed trend line shown on the graphical display. Also, a method for analyzing a remediation system, the method comprising determining a remediation system benefit trend, determining a relative cost trend, determining a cost/benefit indicator, and categorizing the remediation system according to the remediation system benefit trend, the relative cost trend, and the cost/benefit indicator.

Claims

1. A method for evaluating the benefit of a remediation system, the method comprising:

calculating plume stability characteristics for a plume;

determining a mass indicator trend line using the plume stability characteristics;

determining a contaminant removed trend line based on information about contaminant removal from the plume by the remediation system;

graphically displaying the mass indicator trend line and the contaminant removed trend line on a graphical display; and

determining a remediation system benefit trend for the remediation system based on a graphical relationship of the mass indicator trend line and the contaminant removed trend line shown on the graphical display.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

normalizing the mass indicator trend line and the contaminant removed trend line to equal mass units.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating plume stability characteristics comprises determining at least one selected from a group consisting of an area, an average concentration, a mass, and a center of mass.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a condition of the remediation system based on the determining remediation system benefit trend.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the condition comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of an effective system, an ineffective system, an overwhelmed system, and a beneficial system.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the condition is defined as the effective system when the mass indicator trend line is decreasing but the contaminant removed trend line is increasing at a rate greater than the mass indicator trend line is decreasing.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

modifying the remediation system to increase processing to account for the contributing source when the condition is the effective system.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the condition is defined as the ineffective system when the mass indicator trend line is decreasing at a rate greater than the contaminant removed trend line.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

removing the remediation system when the condition is the ineffective system.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the condition is defined as the overwhelmed system when the mass indicator trend line is increasing at a greater rate than the contaminant removed trend line is increasing.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

modifying the remediation system to increase processing when the condition is the overwhelmed system.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein the condition is defined as the beneficial system when the mass indicator trend line is positive and the contaminant removed trend line exceeds the mass indicator trend line.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying the remediation system based on the determined remediation system benefit trend.

14. A method for analyzing a remediation system, the method comprising:

determining a remediation system benefit trend;

determining a relative cost trend;

determining a cost/benefit indicator; and

categorizing the remediation system according to the remediation system benefit trend, the relative cost trend, and the cost/benefit indicator.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the remediation system benefit trend is one of ineffective, effective, overwhelmed, and beneficial.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the relative cost trend is one of increasing, decreasing, and stagnant.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the cost/benefit indicator is one of a high and low.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the cost/benefit indicator comprises a value between 0 and 90.

19. The method of claim 14, comprising modifying the remediation system based on the categorizing of the remediation system.

20. The method of claim 14, comprising graphically outputting the remediation system benefit trend, the relative cost trend, and the cost/benefit indicator onto a graphical display of a computer.