Submerged combustion process and apparatus for removing volatile contaminants from groundwater or subsurface soil

摘要

Combustion is used as a source of heat to remove polluting volatiles from contaminated groundwater and subsurface soil. The combustor is placed in a well, either in or out of an aquifer, to produce steam and combustion product gases and/or hot water which drives off the volatile contaminants which are collected through separate wells or vents depending upon the site. Key elements are the addition of heat in-situ by causing the combustion to occur below the ground or water level, transfer of heat through the aquifer and/or ground through the flow of steam and combustion product gases and/or hot air and/or hot water to regions affected by the contaminants, and by drawing the flow to other well sites by which the contaminants are removed by pumping and subsequent treatment. Some of the contaminants are thermally destroyed. The design of the well casing can be tailored to proportion the quantities of water and steam and gas delivered, with steam and gas pressure driving the vapors at various levels below ground. The collected vapors from the pumped wells or vents are removed by a variety of techniques.