Methods for the formation and operation of an in situ process reactor
First Claim
1. A process for the conversion of a hazardous waste disposal site to an in situ process reactor and operating same to remediate the site comprising the steps of:
- a) establishing an essentially impervious contaminant containment wall around the site;
b) placing a liner forming material inside of said wall on the bottom of said site to form an essentially impervious bottom contaminant containment liner in said site which extends to said containment wall while simultaneously excavating and processing contaminated soil excavated from said site at a location above the surface of said site and returning the processed soil into said site above said bottom liner;
c) placing a network of perforated feed conduits and a network of perforated contaminant removal conduits in said reactor, said contaminant removal conduits leading to a contaminant removal location in said reactor;
d) forming an essentially impervious contaminant containment barrier on top of said site whereby said wall, bottom liner and top barrier completely enclose the contaminated soil in said site thereby converting said site to a self contained reactor;
e) operating said reactor to volatilize volatile contaminants therein;
f) moving a fluid stream containing volatiolized contaminants to said collection location in said reactor; and
g) removing said fluid stream of volatized contaminants from said collection location.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A hazardous waste site remediation process for decontamination of petrochemical and other toxic waste containing sites comprises in situ conversion of the site to a self contained process reactor which is then selectively operated by feeding a variety of treatment reagents thereto through a network of feed conduits and removing contaminants through removal conduits which collectively bring the contaminated materials to a collection area in the reactor where they can then be further treated or removed. A mobile trenching machine converts the site to a reactor by simultaneously placing contaminant impermeable walls while processing excavated materials such as by adding reactor reagents thereto and then immediately returning the processed materials to the location from which they were excavated in the site. Hydrocarbons or other useful by-products such as precious metals may be recovered from the soil.
47 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A process for the conversion of a hazardous waste disposal site to an in situ process reactor and operating same to remediate the site comprising the steps of:
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a) establishing an essentially impervious contaminant containment wall around the site; b) placing a liner forming material inside of said wall on the bottom of said site to form an essentially impervious bottom contaminant containment liner in said site which extends to said containment wall while simultaneously excavating and processing contaminated soil excavated from said site at a location above the surface of said site and returning the processed soil into said site above said bottom liner; c) placing a network of perforated feed conduits and a network of perforated contaminant removal conduits in said reactor, said contaminant removal conduits leading to a contaminant removal location in said reactor; d) forming an essentially impervious contaminant containment barrier on top of said site whereby said wall, bottom liner and top barrier completely enclose the contaminated soil in said site thereby converting said site to a self contained reactor; e) operating said reactor to volatilize volatile contaminants therein; f) moving a fluid stream containing volatiolized contaminants to said collection location in said reactor; and g) removing said fluid stream of volatized contaminants from said collection location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification