Soil remediation system
AssigneeInnova Soil Technology PTY LTD
InventorsJohn Anthony Lucas, Louis James Wibberley
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Abstract
A process and apparatus for energy efficient remediation of soil contaminated with hydrocarbons, including desorbing the hydrocarbon contaminants from a bed of the soil by thermal desorption in a treated desorption chamber (20) and thereafter combusting the contaminants in a thermal oxidiser (30). The combustion air for the desorption chamber and the thermal oxidiser, and the desorbed contaminants prior to admission to said thermal oxidiser, are preheated by heat exchange (40) with offgases from the thermal oxidiser. The offgases are then rapidly quenched at below 200° C.
Claims45
A process for remediating soil contaminated with hydrocarbons, including:
- desorbing the hydrocarbon contaminants from a bed of the soil by thermal desorption in a desorption chamber and thereafter combusting the contaminants in a thermal oxidiser;
- wherein combustion air for said desorption chamber and said thermal oxidiser, and said desorbed contaminants prior to admission to said thermal oxidiser, are preheated by heat exchange with offgases from the thermal oxidiser;
- and wherein, after said heat exchange with said combustion air and said desorbed contaminants, said offgases from the thermal oxidiser are rapidly quenched to below 200° C.
Apparatus for remediating soil contaminated with hydrocarbons, including:
- a first furnace defining a desorption chamber in which a bed of said soil is treated to separate the hydrocarbon contaminants from the soil by thermal desorption;
- a second furnace for combusting said hydrocarbon contaminants by thermal oxidation;
- respective ducts for conveying combustion air to said desorption chamber and to said second furnace, and for conveying the desorbed contaminants from the desorption chamber to the second furnace;
- a heat exchange configuration for preheating said combustion air and said desorbed contaminants by heat exchange with offgases from the second furnace;
- and
- a quenching module for rapid quenching of said offgases to below 200° C. after said heat exchange with said combustion air and said desorbed contaminants.
A process for remediating soil contaminated with hydrocarbons, including:
- desorbing the hydrocarbon contaminants from a bed of the soil by thermal desorption in a desorption chamber and thereafter combusting the contaminants in a thermal oxidiser;
- wherein offgases from the thermal oxidiser are utilised to preheat process feed gases by heat exchange with the offgases and are thereafter rapidly quenched to below 200° C.
Apparatus for remediating soil contaminated with hydrocarbons, including:
- a first furnace defining a desorption chamber in which a bed of said soil is treated to separate the hydrocarbon contaminants from the soil by thermal desorption;
- a second furnace for combusting said hydrocarbon contaminants by thermal oxidation;
- a heat exchange configuration of preheating furnace feed gases by heat exchange with the offgases;
- and
- a quenching module for rapid quenching of said offgases to below 200° C. after said heat exchange with furnace feed gases.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.