Microporous diffusion apparatus

• US 6,284,143 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2000
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• 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): Smith, Duane
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOEY, BETSEY MORRISON
• Application Number:
  US09/606,952
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 210/747, 210/752, 210/758, 210/760, 210/908, 405/128.3, 405/128.45
• US Class Current: 210/747.8
• 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: B09C 2101/00 In situ
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/06 Contaminated groundwater or leachate
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 210/908 Organic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 210/909 Aromatic compound, e.g. pcb, phenol

Abstract

Apparatus for active in situ multi-element gas sparging for bioremediation or physico-chemical degration for removal of contaminants in a soil formation containing a subsurface groundwater aquifer or a substantially wet unsaturated zone, the multi-gas contained in, bubbles, wherein the apparatus includes a plurality of injection wells extending to a depth of a selected aquifer; introducing an oxidizing agent comprising ozone mixed with ambient air to provide a multi-element gas by means of microporous diffusers, without applying a vacuum for extraction of stripped products or biodegration by-products, wherein said diffusers form micro-fine bubbles containing said multi-element gas that oxidizes, by stripping and decomposition, chlorinated hydrocarbons from the aquifer and surrounding saturated soil formation into harmless by-products; also including a pump for agitating water in the well selecting microbubbles, injecting them into the aquifer and effective to alter the path of micro-fine bubbles through a porous solid formation whereby enhanced contact between the oxidizing agent contained in each said bubble by stripping pollutant from solution in ambient water into the mini-atmosphere of each bubble effective to increase the efficiency and speed of remediation of a site.

Claims

1. A method for removal of contaminants in a soil formation containing a subsurface groundwater aquifer comprises:

introducing ambient air including ozone at concentrations to effect removal of contaminants as fine bubbles into the soil formation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the fine bubbles are sized in accordance with a porosity characteristic of the soil formation.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein introducing further comprises:

providing a plurality of injection wells and introducing the ambient air and ozone as fine bubbles through the injection wells.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein introducing further comprises:

mixing the ambient air with the ozone.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein introducing further comprises:

mixing the ambient air with the ozone; and

delivering the ambient air and ozone through a plurality of micro-porous diffusers to produce the fine bubbles of ambient air and ozone.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the micro-porous diffusers have a pore size between about 5 to 200 microns to provide the fine bubbles.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the micro-porous diffusers have a pore size between about 50 to 200 microns to provide the fine bubbles.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the micro-porous diffusers have a pore size between about 20 to 50 microns to provide the fine bubbles.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the micro-porous diffusers have a pore size between about 5 to 20 microns to provide the fine bubbles.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein contaminants in the soil formation are decomposed by ozone interaction in the bubbles with double bonded carbon atoms of the contaminants.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the fine bubbles have an initial bubble size at least between about 5 to 200 microns.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the fine bubbles have an initial bubble size at least between 50 to 200 microns.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the fine bubbles have an initial bubble size at least between 20 to 50 microns.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the fine bubbles have an initial bubble size at least between 5 to 20 microns.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a plurality of injection wells and introducing the ambient air and ozone as fine bubbles through the injection wells by using a corresponding micro-porous diffuser for each one of the plurality of injection wells;

surrounding the micro-porous diffusers with a sand pack disposed between the micro-porous diffusers and the surrounding soil formation.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the fine bubbles increase the lifetime of ozone in the soil formation.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein removal of contaminants can occur without a vapor extraction.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising pulsing a water phase to provide steady upward migration of the micro-fine bubbles through the soil formation.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the soil formation contains chlorinated hydrocarbons.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the soil formation contains chlorinated ethenes.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the contaminants include chlorinated ethenes including dichloroethene, trichloroethene, and/or tetrachloroethene.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the micro-porous diffusers have a pore size selected to match a porosity characteristic of the surrounding soil formation.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the micro-porous diffusers have a pore size selected to match a porosity characteristic and a permeability characteristic of the surrounding soil formation.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein introducing uses micro-porous diffusers that have a pore size selected to match a permeability characteristic of the surrounding soil formation.