Critical Evaluation of State-of-the-Art In Situ Thermal Treatment Technologies for DNAPL Source Zone Treatment. State-of-the-Practice Overview

Abstract

In situ thermal technologies have undergone rapid development and application in recent years as they promise the potential of quicker and more thorough treatment of nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) source zones. These technologies include electrical resistance heating (ERH), conductive heating/in situ thermal desorption (ISTD), steam-enhanced extraction (SEE), radio frequency heating (RFH), and large-diameter auger (LDA) soil mixing combined with steam/hot air injection. Each involves raising the subsurface temperature to achieve contaminant removal by some combination of the following: a) viscosity reduction to enhance mobility and liquid removal by pumping, b) vapor pressure increase (and in some cases in situ steam generation) to enhance removal by vapor extraction, and c) increased reaction rate (i.e., biodegradation or in situ oxidation) to destroy contaminants in situ. Because of the growing interest and application of in situ thermal remediation technologies, Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) funded the study Critical Evaluation of State-of-the-Art In Situ Thermal Treatment Technologies for DNAPL Source Zone Treatment (ER-0314). This document is one product of that work. It is intended to be a useful tool and primer for program managers considering the use of thermal technologies at their sites. This document is divided into three main sections: * Brief introductions to the most common in situ thermal technologies * Summaries of key information from review of 182 thermal applications conducted from 1988 to 2007, focused on groundwater quality improvement * An appendix containing more in-depth discussion of the state-of-the-practice for ERH, ISTD, steam/hot air injection, and in situ soil mixing combined with steam/hot air injection, authored by technology vendors. References are also included at the end of the main body of the report for those seeking additional knowledge and perspectives on these technologies.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 2009
Accession Number
ADA520637

Entities

People

  • Eric Foote
  • Jennifer T. Kingston
  • Paul Dahlen
  • Paul Johnson
  • Shane Williams

Organizations

  • Arizona State University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Alkenes
  • Aromatic Hydrocarbons
  • Chemical Synthesis
  • Chemistry
  • Conduction (Heat Transfer)
  • Ecology
  • Energy Transfer
  • Environmental Protection
  • Environmental Restoration And Remediation
  • Groundwater
  • Hydrocarbon Fuels
  • Materials Science
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Organic Compounds
  • Three Dimensional
  • Volatile Organic Compounds

Readers

  • Groundwater Contamination Remediation.
  • Systems Analysis and Design
  • Thermal Physics or Thermal Science.