US 6,681,872 B2 · In situ reactor

Abstract

An in situ reactor for use in a geological strata, is described and which includes a liner defining a centrally disposed passageway and which is placed in a borehole formed in the geological strata; and a sampling conduit is received within the passageway defined by the liner and which receives a geological specimen which is derived from the geological strata, and wherein the sampling conduit is in fluid communication with the passageway defined by the liner.

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Drawings

Claims16

Dependent claims

An in situ reactor for use in a geological strata, comprising:

a liner defining a centrally disposed passageway and which is placed in a borehole formed in the geological strata;
and
a sampling conduit received within the passageway defined by the liner and which receives a geological specimen which is derived from the geological strata, and wherein the sampling conduit is in fluid communication with the passageway defined by the liner, and wherein the liner is defined by a substantially cylindrically shaped main body which has a proximal end and an opposite distal end, and wherein the sampling conduit has a main body with a proximal and an opposite distal end, and wherein the main body of the sampling conduit has a length dimension which is less than the length dimension of the liner, and wherein a plurality of apertures are formed in the main body of the sampling conduit near the distal end thereof and which facilitate fluid flowing communication between the sampling conduit and the passageway defined by the liner.

An in situ reactor for use in a geological strata, comprising:

a liner defining a centrally disposed passageway and which is placed in a borehole formed in the geological strata;
a sampling conduit received within the passageway defined by the liner and which receives a geological specimen which is derived from the geological strata, and wherein the sampling conduit is in fluid communication with the passageway defined by the liner;
and
a fluid coupler borne by the liner and which is disposed in fluid flowing communication with both the liner and the sampling conduit, and wherein the geological strata has a grade, and wherein a force is applied to the fluid coupler from a location above grade to cause the liner and the sampling conduit to move along the borehole, and wherein the liner and the sampling conduit are individually coupled in fluid flowing relation relative to a location above grade, and wherein the force applied from above grade can include both linear and/or rotational components, and wherein a fluid is introduced into the liner from the location above grade, and wherein a fluid is withdrawn from the sampling conduit from a position above grade.

1 more element

An in situ reactor for use in geological strata, comprising:

a liner having a main body and which defines a passageway, and which has a proximal end an opposite distal end, and wherein the liner is placed within a borehole which extends from a location at grade into the geological strata, and wherein the liner is moveable along the borehole;
a sampling conduit received within the passageway, and which has a main body with a proximal and a distal end, and wherein the sampling conduit defines a reactor space which is operable to receive a geological specimen which is derived from the geological strata, and wherein an aperture is formed in the main body of the sampling conduit and near the distal end thereof, and which facilitates the fluid communication between the passageway defined by the liner, and the reactor space;
a geological strata engaging member having a main body with a proximal end which mates with the distal end of the liner, and a distal end which has a tapered shape, and wherein the main body defines a passageway which communicates with the reactor space;
a fluid coupler borne by the liner, and which is disposed in fluid communication with the passageway defined by the liner, and the reactor space, and wherein the fluid coupler is releasably sealable coupled to the proximal end of the sampling conduit, and wherein the proximal end of the geological strata engaging member is juxtaposed relative to the distal end of the sampling conduit, and wherein a source of a first fluid is supplied from a location above grade to the fluid coupler for delivery to the passageway defined by the liner, and wherein a second fluid is withdrawn from the reactor space for delivery to a location above grade, and wherein a force applied from a location above grade is applied to the fluid coupler to simultaneously urge the liner and the sampling conduit along the borehole and into contact with the geological strata, and wherein continued force applied to the fluid coupler causes the geological specimen which is derived from the geological strata to move into the reactor space.

1 more element

An in situ reactor for use in geological strata, comprising:

a cylindrically shaped liner having a main body with opposite proximal and distal ends, an outside facing surface which defines an outside diametral dimension, and an inside facing surface which defines a substantially cylindrically shaped passageway having a diametral dimension, and which extends between the proximal and distal ends, and wherein the liner is placed within a borehole having a diametral dimension which is greater than the outside diametral dimension of the main body, and which is formed in the geological strata and which extends from a location substantially at grade, and into the geological strata, and wherein the liner is moveable along the borehole;
a geological strata engaging member borne on the distal end of the cylindrically shaped liner, and wherein the geological strata engaging member has a main body with a proximal end which nests within the passageway at the distal end of the liner, and a distal end which engages the geological strata;
a sampling conduit having a substantially cylindrically shaped main body with opposite proximal and distal ends, and an outside facing surface which defines an outside diametral dimension and which is less than diametral dimension of the passageway defined by the liner, and an inside facing surface which defines a reactor space which extends between the proximal and distal ends of the main body of the sampling conduit, and wherein an aperture is formed in the main body at a location near the distal end of the main body and which establishes fluid flowing communication between the passageway defined by the liner and the reactor space, and wherein the main body is substantially concentrically located within the passageway defined by liner, and wherein the distal end of the main body is juxtaposed relative to the proximal end of the geological strata engaging member;
a fluid coupler mounted on the proximal end of the liner and which sealably mates to the proximal end of the sampling conduit, and wherein the fluid coupler defines a first fluid passageway which is coupled in fluid flowing relation relative to the passageway defined by the liner, and a second fluid passageway which is coupled in fluid flowing relation relative to the reactor space, and wherein the first and second fluid passageways are individually coupled in fluid flowing relation relative to a location above grade;
and
a force application assembly mounted on the fluid coupler and which applies force to the fluid coupler to urge the liner and the sampling conduit to simultaneously move along the borehole and into contact with the geological strata, and wherein the continued application of force causes a geological specimen which is derived from the geological strata to move into the reactor space.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description4,975 words

Summary1,427 words

#The present invention relates to a In situ reactor for use in geological strata such as various subsurface soils, sediment, or other matrix, and more specifically to an In situ reactor which is useful to evaluate environmental conditions required to remediate potential hazardous conditions which may occur in the soil and groundwater.

#The costs associated with testing for various contaminants in soil and aquifers are well known. Currently, In situ assessment technology provides data on usually one treatment with respect to a contaminant. Further, replication of earlier testing is usually done at exorbitant monetary costs. Still further, the impact of current testing techniques to detect, for example, groundwater contamination has other environmental impacts on a given area and there is usually no guarantee regarding the accuracy of the resulting data. Routinely, investigators and engineers use rather costly laboratory tests to evaluate the efficacy of future and on-going remedial treatments.

#While laboratory tests are more extensively used, and are generally considered more accurate, these studies are also more expensive to perform and may produce ambiguous or inaccurate data because of the consequences associated with excessive soil disruption. Still further, these same laboratory tests provide no assurances that same process will be found applicable in actual field conditions. For example, experiments that are run in a traditional manner on soil specimens or water extracted from soil specimens are not run traditionally under real time. Therefore, the results are sometimes questionable. Still further, in investigating various soil contamination, it is sometimes advisable to test proposed remediation while the soil specimen remains in hydraulic contact with the underlying subsurface aquifer. Yet further, there is no convenient method presently available whereby the aquifer may be investigated and/or modeled and not merely the groundwater which is sampled from same.

Brief description of the drawings8 figures

#Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the following accompanying drawings.

#FIG. 1 is an exploded, perspective, longitudinal vertical sectional view of an In situ reactor of the present invention.

#FIG. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of a second form of the present invention with some underlying surfaces shown in phantom lines.

Detailed description3,365 words

#This disclosure of the invention is submitted in furtherance of the constitutional purposes of the U.S. Patent Laws “to promote the progress of science and useful arts” (Article 1, Section 8).

#An In situ reactor which incorporates the teachings of the present invention is best seen by reference to the numeral 10 in FIGS. 1, 2, and 8, respectively. As discussed above, the present invention finds usefulness when employed in geological strata 11 such as various subsurface soils, sediment or other matrix for use in various testing regimens to facilitate remediation of existing soil and groundwater contamination. As seen most clearly by reference to FIG. 8, the geological strata 11 has a grade 12. The apparatus 10 is deployed and operated from a position at or above grade 13 to a position below grade 14 by means of a borehole 15 which is formed by traditional means. The borehole is defined by a wall 16, and further has a bottom surface which is generally indicated by the numeral 17. As seen in FIG. 8 the In situ reactor 10 is operable to receive a geological specimen 18 which is derived from the geological strata 11 and received internally of the In situ reactor. This feature will be discussed in further detail hereinafter.

#The apparatus 10 includes a liner which is generally indicated by the numeral 20 as seen in FIGS. 1, 2, 7 and 8, respectively. As shown therein, the liner 20 has a substantially cylindrically shaped main body 21 having a proximal end 22 and an opposite distal end 23. Still further, the main body 21 is defined by outside facing surface 24 which has a diametral dimension which is less than the diametral dimension of the borehole 15, and further has an opposite inside facing surface 25 having a predetermined diametral dimension. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 7, for example, it will be seen that a first series of screw threads 26 are formed in the outside facing surface 24, at the proximal end 22 of the main body 21. Still further, a second series of screw threads 27 are formed in the inside facing surface 25 at the distal end 23. As seen, by comparing FIGS. 1 and 2, in the second form of the invention as shown in FIG. 2, a geological strata engaging thread 28 is provided. The geological strata engaging thread 28 is borne by, or otherwise made integral with the outside facing surface 24 of the liner 20. It should be understood in this form of the invention that this geological strata engaging thread 28 permits the liner 20 to be advanced along the borehole 15 by imparting rotation to the liner in a given direction as will be discussed in greater detail hereinafter. As seen by reference to FIGS. 1 and 7, the inside facing surface 25 defines a passageway which is generally designated by the numeral 29.

Facts

Application

10/163,670Filed 5 Jun 2002

Published

US 2003/0226690 A111 Dec 2003

Granted

27 Jan 2004

Term ended

5 Jun 2022

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification3 codes

E21B 25/00
Apparatus for obtaining or removing undisturbed cores
E21B 49/00
Testing the nature of borehole walls
E21B
Earth or rock drilling

Timeline

5 Jun 2002Application filedUS 10/163,670
5 Jun 2002Assigned to Bechtel Bwxt Idaho LLC.assignment of assignor's interest
16 Sep 2002Assigned to United States Department of Energyconfirmatory license
11 Dec 2003PublishedUS 2003/0226690 A1
27 Jan 2004GrantedUS 6,681,872 B2
7 Feb 2005Assigned to Battelle Energy Alliance, LLCassignment of assignor's interest
5 Jun 2022Term endedEstimated

In situ reactor

Life of this patent

In situ reactor

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims16

Description4,975 words

Drawings

Classification3 codes

Life of this patent

Description4,975 words