Advanced containment system

• US 6,575,663 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2000
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance LLC (Battelle Memorial Institute)
• Original Assignee: Bechtel BWXT Idaho, LLC
• Inventors: Noda, Masaru, Kawamura, Hideki, Richardson, John G., Kostelnik, Kevin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shackelford, Heather
• Assistant Examiner(s): KRECK, JOHN J
• Application Number:
  US09/729,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20020022757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 405/129.45, 405/129.5, 405/129.55, 405/129.57, 405/129.6, 405/129.7, 405/129.8, 405/129.85, 588/16, 588/259, 588/260
• US Class Current: 405/129.57
• CPC Class Codes: B09B 1/00 Dumping solid waste
• CPC Class Codes: B09C 1/002 involving in-situ ground water treatment
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 19/185 Joints between sheets constituting the sealing aprons
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 31/006 Sealing of existing landfills, e.g. using mining techniques

Abstract

A containment system to isolate waste in the ground including parallel interlocking tubes.

Claims

1. A containment system for containing a zone of interest, said containment system comprising:

a plurality of substantially parallel tubes, each of said plurality of substantially parallel tubes adjoining at least one other substantially parallel tube so that said plurality of substantially parallel tubes collectively forms a continuous barrier of pre-determined configuration;

barrier filler substantially filling each of said plurality of substantially parallel tubes; and

a plurality of walls, said plurality of walls cooperating with said continuous barrier to substantially contain the zone of interest.

2. The containment system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of substantially parallel tubes comprise tunnels, each of said tunnels partly intersecting at least one other tunnel.

3. The containment system according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of substantially parallel tubes comprises a guide structure for guiding at least one adjacent substantially parallel tube into position.

4. The containment system according to claim 3, wherein said guide structure comprises complementary interlocking structure, the complementary interlocking structure of a first substantially parallel tube cooperating with corresponding complementary interlocking structure of a second substantially parallel tube so as to guide said second substantially parallel tube into position.

5. The containment system according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of substantially parallel tubes comprises a plurality of casing sections.

6. The containment system according to claim 5, wherein said plurality of casing sections comprise steel.

7. The containment system according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of substantially parallel tubes comprises complementary interlocking structure so that said substantially parallel tubes are interlocked with each other, said barrier filler substantially filling interlock spaces formed when said substantially parallel tubes are interlocked.

8. The containment system according to claim 1, wherein said pre-determined configuration comprises a substantially horizontal plane located underneath the zone of interest.

9. The containment system according to claim 8, wherein said plurality of walls comprises four walls, each wall being substantially perpendicular and adjacent to a corresponding edge of said continuous barrier so that said walls cooperate with said continuous barrier to substantially contain the zone of interest.

10. The containment system according to claim 1, wherein said pre-determined configuration substantially comprises an open-ended channel, and said plurality of walls comprises two walls, each wall being adjacent to an end of said open-ended channel so that said plurality of walls cooperate with said continuous barrier to substantially contain the zone of interest.

11. The containment system according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of sensors embedded in said plurality of substantially parallel tubes, wherein said plurality of sensors are in operative communication with a real-time data management system.

12. The containment system according to claim 1, wherein said barrier filler comprises at least one of:

grout;

cement;

concrete;

bentonite-based material;

modified cement;

polysiloxane; and

acrylic polymers.

13. The containment system according to claim 1, wherein said continuous barrier defines at least one opening, and a leachate flows from the zone of interest through said continuous barrier via said opening.

14. A waste management system for containing a zone of interest, comprising:

a plurality of parallel tubes connected to each other to collectively form a barrier of pre-determined configuration, said barrier defining at least one opening;

barrier filler substantially filling said barrier;

a plurality of walls, said plurality of walls cooperating with said barrier to substantially contain the zone of interest;

a leachate collection system for collecting leachate from the zone of interest, said leachate collection system in fluid communication with said at least one opening of said barrier; and

a monitoring system, said monitoring system configured for monitoring at least said barrier and the zone of interest.

15. The waste management system according to claim 14, wherein said monitoring system comprises at least a first set and second set of sensors in operative communication with a real-time data management system.

16. The waste management system according to claim 15, wherein said first set of sensors is configured to monitor the zone of interest and said second set of sensors is configured to monitor said barrier.

17. The waste management system according to claim 16, wherein said first set of sensors comprises a presence/concentration sensor, a radiation detection and measurement sensor, and a distribution sensor.

18. The waste management system according to claim 16, wherein said second set of sensors comprises a joint integrity sensor, a migration sensor, and a predictive sensor.

19. The waste management system according to claim 14, wherein said monitoring system additionally monitors said plurality of walls.

20. The waste management system according to claim 14, wherein said leachate collection system comprises an accumulation tank and associated piping.

21. The waste management system according to claim 20, further comprising a leachate processing system for evaluating and processing said leachate, said leachate processing system being in fluid communication with said accumulation tank.

22. A containment barrier to facilitate management of leachate flow from a zone of interest, comprising:

a plurality of substantially parallel tubes, each tube of the plurality being laterally interlocked to at least one other tube along their respective lengths to collectively form a barrier segment adjacent to the zone of interest;

a leachate flow system for managing flow of said leachate through said barrier segment, said leachate flow system disposed in said barrier segment; and

a barrier filler substantially filling said barrier segment.

23. The containment barrier according to claim 22, wherein said leachate flow system comprises at least one of said plurality of substantially parallel tubes defining at least one void, said at least one void being in fluid communication with the zone of interest, said leachate flowing from the zone of interest into said at least one void.

24. The containment barrier according to claim 23, further defining at least one outlet in fluid communication with said at least one void.

25. The containment barrier according to claim 24, wherein said outlet is configured to allow at least a portion of said leachate to selectively flow from said at least one void through said outlet.

26. The containment barrier according to claim 23, further comprising at least one filter interposed between the zone of interest and said at least one void.

27. The containment barrier according to claim 22, wherein said leachate flow system comprises at least one perforated portion of at least one of said plurality of substantially parallel tubes, said at least one perforated portion defining at least one void, and said leachate flowing from the zone of interest through said perforated portion into said at least one void.

28. The containment barrier according to claim 22, further comprising a monitoring system comprising at least one sensor carried by at least one tube of said substantially parallel plurality of tubes for monitoring at least one of the zone of interest and said leachate flow system.

29. The containment barrier according to claim 28, wherein said monitoring system comprises at least one sensor in operative communication with a real-time data management system.

30. The containment barrier according to claim 22, wherein each of said plurality of substantially parallel tubes comprises a plurality of casing sections.

31. The containment barrier according to claim 30, wherein said plurality of casing sections comprise steel.

32. The containment system according to claim 22, wherein said barrier filler comprises at least one of:

grout;

cement;

concrete;

bentonite-based material;

modified cement;

polysiloxane; and

acrylic polymers.

33. A containment system for containing a zone of interest, the containment system comprising:

a barrier for controlling migration of leachate from the zone of interest, said barrier comprising a plurality of substantially parallel tubes, each tube at least indirectly connected to at least one other tube of said plurality to form a continuous barrier; and

a plurality of walls, said plurality of walls being formed separately from said barrier and cooperating with said barrier to substantially contain the zone of interest.

34. The containment system according to claim 33, wherein each of said plurality of substantially parallel tubes is substantially filled with a barrier filler.

35. The containment system according to claim 34, wherein each of said plurality of connected substantially parallel tubes comprises a plurality of casing sections.

36. The containment system according to claim 35, wherein said plurality of casing sections comprise steel.

37. The containment system according to claim 34, further comprising a monitoring system comprising at least one sensor carried by at least one tube of said plurality of substantially parallel tubes for monitoring at least one of the zone of interest and said barrier.

38. The containment system according to claim 33, wherein said plurality of walls comprises a plurality of connected tubes, wherein said plurality of walls are continuously connected with said barrier.