Low cost, self regulating heater for use in an in situ thermal desorption soil remediation system

Abstract

An in situ thermal desorption soil remediation system may be used to remove contamination from soil. Heat may be applied to the soil by metallic strip heaters that have large cross sectional areas as compared to conventional heater elements. The strip heaters may be made of stainless steel. Large cross sectional areas of the strip heaters allow for large areas of thermal contact between the strip heaters and the soil being treated. Casings may not be needed between the strip heaters and the soil. The operating temperature of the strip heaters is self-regulating. As the temperature of a strip heater increases, the electrical resistance of the strip heater also increases. The increase in resistance causes a decrease in the power dissipation of the strip heater. The decrease in power dissipation as temperature increases allows a steady state heater strip temperature to be attained during use.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.