Groundwater and soil remediation with microporous diffusion apparatus

• US 6,306,296 B1
• Filed: 11/23/1998
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kerfoot Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: William B. Kerfoot
• Inventors: Kerfoot, William B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Simmons, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOEY, BETSEY MORRISON
• Application Number:
  US09/197,756
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 210/90, 210/170, 210/192, 210/198.1, 210/199, 210/205, 210/209, 210/218, 210/220, 261/20, 261/22, 261/122.1, 405/128
• US Class Current: 210/170.07
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/305 Treatment of water, waste water or sewage
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/23123 consisting of rigid porous or perforated material
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/231265 being tubes, tubular elements, cylindrical elements or set of tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/2373 for obtaining fine bubbles, i.e. bubbles with a size below 100 µm
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/237613 Ozone
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B09C 1/10 microbiologically, biologically or by using enzymes
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/226 "Deep shaft" processes
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/00 Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells applicable only to water E03B
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/10 Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage

Abstract

An apparatus for injection of a gas into aquifer is described. The apparatus includes a gas generator that generates gas such as ozone for injection into the aquifer. The apparatus includes a casing and a packer disposed through the casing. An air injection passageway disposed through the packer and coupled to the gas generator. A pump is disposed within the casing and have an inlet above the packer and an outlet below the packer. The casing has an outlet screen that has a pore size less than about 200 microns. The apparatus has a microporous diffuser coupled to the gas generator, said microporous diffuser including a body having a porous portion with a pore size less than about 200 microns.

Claims

1. Apparatus for injection of a gas into aquifer regions, comprises:

a gas generator that generates gas for injection into the aquifer;

a casing;

a packer disposed through the casing;

an air injection passageway disposed through the packer and coupled to the gas generator;

a pump disposed within the casing and having an inlet above the packer and an outlet below the packer;

an outlet screen coupled to the casing; and

a microporous diffuser coupled to the gas generator, said microporous diffuser including a body having a porous portion with a pore size less than about 200 microns.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the outlet screen has a pore size in a range less than about 200 microns.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the outlet screen has a pore size in a range between about 20-50 microns.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the outlet screen has a pore size in a range between about 5-20 microns.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the microporous diffuser has a pore size in a range between about 5-200 microns.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the microporous diffuser has a pore size in a range between about 20-50 microns.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the microporous diffuser has a pore size in a range between about 5-20 microns.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the outlet screen is coupled to the casing at a lower portion thereof and with the apparatus further comprising:

an inlet screen coupled to the casing at an upper portion of the casing.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the casing and apparatus are disposed within a well, the well provided on a site having an aquifer, and with the outlet screen disposed in the aquifer and the inlet screen disposed to circulate water back into the well towards the outlet screen.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

a pump control unit to pulse water out of the outlet screen after formation of bubbles to reduce channeling effects.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the well is a vertical well.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the well is disposed at a non-normal angle with respect to a ground level of the site.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a compressor coupled to the gas generator to provide the gas to the outlet screen and the microporous diffuser at an elevated pressure.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the microporous diffuser is coupled to the gas supply and disposed outside of the casing.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the microporous diffuser is coupled to the gas supply and disposed within the casing.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the microporous diffuser is a first microporous diffuser disposed within the casing and wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a second microporous diffuser coupled to the gas supply and disposed outside of the casing.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a material pack of porous materials disposed about the second microporous diffuser.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising an impervious packing of grout or bentonite disposed between the casing and the second microporous diffuser.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising an impervious packing of grout or bentonite disposed between the casing and the second microporous diffuser;

and

a material pack of porous materials disposed about the second microporous diffuser.

20. A well casing, comprising:

a well-screen diffuser disposed to form part of the casing, said well-screen diffuser having a porosity in the range of about 5 microns to 200 microns.

21. The well screen of claim 20 wherein the casing is cylindrical.

22. The well screen of claim 20 wherein the porosity range is between about 50-200 microns.

23. The well screen of claim 20 wherein the porosity range is between about 20-50.

24. The well screen of claim 20 wherein the range is between about 5-20 microns.

25. Apparatus for injection of an air/ozone mixture into aquifer regions, comprises:

a gas generator that generates ozone gas for injection of the air/ozone gas into an aquifer;

a microporous diffuser coupled to the gas generator, said microporous diffuser comprising;

a tubular body having a pore size that is matched to pore size of surrounding material that the microporous diffuser is introduced into.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 further comprising:

a well casing;

an air injection chamber provided in the well casing and coupled to the gas generator comprising;

a packer disposed in the casing;

a pump disposed in the casing and having an inlet through the casino above the packer and an outlet through the casing below the packer;

an outlet screen coupled to the casing and disposed to produce fine bubbles of air/ozone, said outlet screen having a pore size in a range of about 5 microns to 200 microns.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 further comprising a material pack of porous materials disposed about the microporous diffuser.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the tubular body of the microporous diffuser has a pore size in the range of 5 to 200 microns.

29. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the tubular body of the microporous diffuser has a pore size in the range of 20 to 50 microns.

30. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the tubular body of the microporous diffuser has a pore size in the range of 5-20 microns.

31. The apparatus of claim 26 further comprising:

a casing within which is disposed the pump and the packer, with the casing having the outlet screen at a lower portion thereof, and with the apparatus further comprising;

an inlet screen at an upper portion of the casing.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the casing and apparatus is disposed within a well, the well provided on a site having an aquifer, and with the outlet screen of the bubble chamber being disposed in the aquifer and the inlet screen disposed to circulate water back into the bubble chamber.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 further comprising:

a pump control unit to pulse water out of the outlet screen after formation of bubbles to reduce channeling effects.

34. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the well is a vertical well.

35. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the well is disposed at a non-normal angle with respect to a ground level of the site.

36. The apparatus of claim 26 further comprising:

a compressor coupled between the gas generator and the bubble chamber and the microporous diffuser to provide the gas thereto under pressure.

37. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the microporous diffuser is coupled to the gas supply and disposed outside of the casing.

38. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the microporous diffuser is coupled to the gas supply and disposed within the casing.

39. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the microporous diffuser is a first microporous diffuser disposed within the casing and wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a second microporous diffuser coupled to the gas supply and disposed outside of the casing.

40. The apparatus of claim 39 further comprising an impervious packing of grout or bentonite disposed between the casing and the second microporous diffuser.

41. The apparatus of claim 39 further comprising an impervious packing of grout or bentonite disposed between the casing and the second microporous diffuser;

and

a material pack of porous materials disposed about the second microporous diffuser.