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US 5,389,267 AGranted
In-situ vapor stripping for removing volatile organic compounds from groundwater
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
InventorsSteven M. Gorelick, Haim Gvirtzman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An in-situ system for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from groundwater. The technique includes gas-lift pumping and in-situ vapor stripping.
Claims38
A system for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from groundwater, comprising:
- means for injecting a gas into a well to cause groundwater to flow towards and up the well, and to cause VOCs to be transferred from the groundwater to rising gas bubbles in the well;
- means in the well for separating VOC vapor from the rising gas bubbles and water mixture in the well;
- means for treating the VOC vapor after separation;
- and
- means for directing the groundwater from the well towards a saturated zone to establish a circulation path extending through the well and the saturated zone for the removal of VOCs.
2 more elements
A system for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from groundwater, comprising:
- means for injecting a gas into a well to cause groundwater to flow towards and up the well, and to cause VOCs to be transferred from the groundwater to rising gas bubbles in the well;
- means in the well for separating VOC vapor from the rising gas bubbles and water mixture in the well;
- extraction means at the top of the well for collecting the VOC vapor after separation;
- and
- means for directing the groundwater from the well towards a saturated zone to establish a circulation path extending through the well and the saturated zone for the removal of VOCs.
2 more elements
A system for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from groundwater, comprising:
- a first well means extending from the ground surface into a saturated zone;
- a second well means extending from the ground surface into a vadose zone, said second well means coaxially spaced from said first well means along a length thereof to define an annular space between walls of said first and second wells means;
- means for injecting a gas into said first well means to cause groundwater to flow towards and up the first well means but not to the ground surface, and to cause VOCs to be transferred from the groundwater to a vapor within rising gas bubbles in said first well means;
- separation means for separating the VOC vapor from the gas bubbles, for allowing the VOC vapor to enter said second well means, and for directing the flow of groundwater from said first well means towards the saturated zone to establish a circulation path extending through the well, the vadose zone and the saturated zone for the removal of VOCs;
- and
- means for collecting the VOC vapor from said second well means.
3 more elements
A system for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from contaminated groundwater, comprising:
- a well having a substantially vertical portion extending through an unsaturated zone into a saturated zone;
- a substantially horizontal extraction member extending from the vertical portion of the well in the saturated zone toward an area of contaminated groundwater for the introduction of contaminated groundwater into the well;
- means for injecting a gas into the well to cause groundwater to flow into said extraction member and up the well, and to cause VOCs to be transferred from the groundwater to rising gas bubbles in the well;
- means for directing groundwater flow from the well into the unsaturated zone to infiltrate groundwater therethrough and for releasing VOC vapor from the well into the unsaturated zone, and to establish a circulation path extending through the well, the unsaturated zone and the saturated zone for the removal of VOCs;
- and
- means for collecting VOC vapor released into the unsaturated zone.
3 more elements
A system for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from groundwater, comprising:
- a first well means extending from the ground surface into a saturated zone;
- a second well means extending from the ground surface into a vadose zone, said second well means coaxially spaced from said first well means along a length thereof to define an annular space between walls of said first and second wells means in the vadose zone;
- a substantially horizontal extraction member extending from said first well means in the saturated zone toward an area of contaminated groundwater for the introduction of contaminated groundwater into said first well means;
- means for injecting a gas into said first well means to cause groundwater to flow towards and up the first well means, and to cause VOCs to be transferred from the groundwater to a vapor within rising gas bubbles in said first well means;
- separation means for separating the VOC vapor from the gas bubbles, for allowing the VOC vapor to enter said second well means, and for directing the flow of groundwater from said first well means towards the saturated zone to establish a circulation path extending through the well, the vadose zone and the saturated zone for the removal of VOCs;
- and
- means for collecting the VOC vapor from said second well means.
4 more elements
A method for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from groundwater, comprising:
- injecting a gas into a well extending into a saturated zone to force groundwater flow towards and up the well, and to cause VOCs to be transferred from the groundwater to rising gas bubbles inside the well;
- separating the VOC vapor from the rising gas bubbles and water mixture;
- treating the VOC vapor;
- and
- directing groundwater flow in the well towards the saturated zone to return the groundwater thereto to establish a circulation path extending through the well and the saturated zone for the removal of VOCs.
2 more elements
A method of removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the groundwater, comprising:
- (a) injecting gas into a well to cause groundwater to flow towards the well and to cause VOCs to be transferred from the groundwater to rising gas bubbles in the well;
- (b) separating the gas bubbles including VOC vapor from the groundwater rising in the well;
- (c) after separation from the groundwater, treating, exhausting or destroying the VOC vapor;
- and
- (d) directing the groundwater into an unsaturated zone to infiltrate the groundwater therethrough to establish a circulation path extending through the well and the unsaturated zone for the removal of VOCs.
2 more elements
A method for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from groundwater, comprising:
- injecting a gas into a well extending into a saturated zone to force groundwater flow towards and up the well, and to cause VOCs to be transferred from the groundwater to rising gas bubbles inside the well;
- separating the VOC vapor from the rising gas bubbles and water mixture;
- collecting VOC vapor;
- and
- directing groundwater flow in the well towards the saturated zone to return the groundwater thereto and to establish a circulation path extending through the well and the saturated zone for the removal of VOCs.
2 more elements
A method of removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from groundwater, comprising:
- (a) injecting gas into a well to cause groundwater to flow towards the well and to cause VOCs to be transferred from the groundwater to rising gas bubbles in the well;
- (b) separating VOC vapor from the groundwater rising in the well;
- (c) after the step of separating, collecting and extracting from the well VOC vapor;
- and
- (d) directing the groundwater rising in the well into a vadose zone to infiltrate the groundwater therethrough and to establish a circulation path extending through the well and the vadose zone for the removal of VOCs.
2 more elements
A method of removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from groundwater, comprising:
- (a) injecting gas into a well to cause groundwater to flow towards the well and to cause VOCs to be transferred from the groundwater to rising gas bubbles in the well;
- (b) separating the gas bubbles including VOC vapor from the groundwater rising in the well;
- (c) after separation from the groundwater, collecting the VOC vapor;
- (d) directing the groundwater into a vadose zone to establish a circulation path extending through the well and the vadose zone for the removal of VOCs;
- and
- (e) treating, exhausting or destroying the VOC vapor.
3 more elements
A method for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from groundwater wherein a well extends through an unsaturated zone into a saturated zone, comprising:
- extending a substantially horizontal extraction member from the well in the saturated zone toward an area of contaminated groundwater for the introduction of contaminated groundwater into the well;
- injecting a gas into the well to cause groundwater to flow into said extraction member and up the well, and to cause VOCs to be transferred from the groundwater to gas bubbles inside the well;
- and
- directing groundwater flow in the well into the unsaturated zone to return the groundwater thereto to establish a circulation path extending through the well, the unsaturated zone and the saturated zone for the removal of VOCs, and to transfer VOC vapor from the well to the unsaturated zone.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.