Hydraulic and earth engineering – Soil remediation – In situ contaminant removal or stabilization
Patent
1995-01-30
1997-03-25
Taylor, Dennis L.
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Soil remediation
In situ contaminant removal or stabilization
210170, 210747, 405258, 588249, B09B 300
Patent
active
056138059
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION
The invention concerns a cleaning apparatus for contaminated topsoil with a suction element installable in or on the topsoil having at least one downstream negative-pressure generator.
Cleaning apparatus, particularly soil-air aspirating equipment are generally well-known. This aspirating equipment is particularly used to aspirate readily-volatile materials from contaminated soil. For this purpose, the apparatus includes a side-channel compressor which can generate a negative pressure from 250 to 300 mbar, however with a maximal negative pressure of 500 mbar. In this regard, it has indeed proven that readily-volatile gases, particularly aromatic compositions can be aspirated fairly well. However, a volume flow decreases sharply with increasing negative-pressure so that an effective aspiration after a certain negative-pressure is no longer possible. Because of these circumstances, non-readily-volatile fluids, fluid mixtures and saturated vapors, cannot be aspirated. Further, in order to have an effective aspiration, the surface of the soil at an area about an aspiration point must be completely sealed, otherwise air sucked in above the soil surface detracts from aspirating gases from the soil interior.
It has proven to be a further disadvantage that with such soil aspirators explosive gases cannot be aspirated because such devices do not offer an explosion-protection guarantee. If, for example, quartz particles are also aspirated from the soil via the aspirating element the danger arises that these quartz particles can effect spark production in the side-channel compressor which can ignite an explosive gas or gas mixture. An explosion of the entire installation would be unavoidable. An enlargement of an impeller gap in the side-channel compressor, whereby spark generation can be reduced, is not possible because then a reduced negative pressure would be attainable. Employment of such a soil air aspirator in a danger zone would only be possible with employment of expensive measures, such as explosion valves (and the like) or comprehensive fragment-proof protection.
It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus of the type described in the above introduction that allows attainment of higher negative-pressures, while at the same time preventing the danger of spark generation and achieving effective cleaning of aspirated gases.
According to principles of this invention this object is achieved by forming the negative-pressure generator as a liquid seal ring pump to which is coupled, downstream thereof, a polluting-material removing activated-charcoal filter for air, with, at least one fluid trap being coupled intermediate the liquid seal ring pump and the polluting-material removing activated-charcoal filter for air.
By employing a liquid-, or water seal ring pump, spaces between individual ring cells can be effectively sealed whereby extreme negative pressures are attainable. The spaces in the liquid ring have the further benefit that no spark generation can be effected by quartz particles aspirated from the soil because this process would take place in a water ring and therefore separate from explosive gases. Thus, explosive and/or ignitable gas-air mixtures can be conveyed from tanks, buildings or top soil so that the soil can be stored in silos or containers. Absolute pressures to 33 mbar can be achieved with a liquid seal ring pump. In an activated-charcoal filter for air downstream of the liquid seal ring pump the polluting-material will be removed and either collected or converted into non-damaging-material.
With the aspiration equipment of this invention, which can be beneficially employed as a soil-air aspirating installation, because of its extreme high negative-pressure, not only readily-volatile, but also medium-and non-readily-volatile compositions, such as aromatic and/or chlorinated hydrocarbons can be aspirated such as Benzene, Toluene, Xylene, Trichlorethylene, Perchlorethylene, and the like. Further, the apparatus can also be put in operation for strongly cohesive soil a
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Filter-und Wassertechnik GmbH
Taylor Dennis L.
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