Electroosmosis techniques for removing materials from soil
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsRonald F. Probstein, Patricia C. Renaud, Andrew P. Shapiro
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for removing contaminant material from a soil site in which one or more porous source electrodes and one or more porous sink electrodes are positioned within the soil site and voltage gradients are established among the electrodes. A purging liquid is supplied to the source electrodes so as to flow therefrom into the soil site, the voltage gradients causing the purging liquid to move by electroosmosis through the soil site toward the sink electrodes. The purging liquid displaces the contaminant material so as to cause the contaminant material to be moved from the soil site into the sink electrodes from which they can be removed, as by a pumping or siphoning action.
Claims14
A method for removing a material from a soil site comprising the steps of
- positioning one or more source electrodes at one or more first locations within said soil site;
- positioning one or more sink electrodes at one or more second locations within said soil site;
- establishing one or more voltage gradients among said source electrodes and said sink electrodes;
- supplying a purging liquid from a source thereof external to said soil site to said one or more source electrodes, said purging liquid containing substantially little or none of said material to be removed, said source electrodes being arranged to permit said purging liquid to flow from said source electrodes into said soil site, the one or more voltage gradients causing said purging liquid to move by electroosmosis through said soil site toward said one or more sink electrodes and to displace said material so as to cause the displaced material to be moved from said soil site into said one or more sink electrodes;
- and
- removing said material from said one or more sink electrodes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.