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IN-SITU THERMAL REMEDIATION: MECHANISMS, PRINCIPLES, AND CASE STUDIES
Citation:
Davis*, E L. IN-SITU THERMAL REMEDIATION: MECHANISMS, PRINCIPLES, AND CASE STUDIES. 2003 AFCEE Technology Transfer Workshop, San Antonio, TX, 02/25-27/2003.
Description:
Since the early 1990's, thermal methods of enhanced oil recovery have been adapted for the remediation of soils and groundwater. Steam injection and electrical resistance heating have proven to be robust and aggressive techniques for the enhanced recovery of volatile and semivolatile organic compounds from a variety of geologic settings. The reason for the wide applicability of these technologies to various contaminants and geologies is the large number mechanisms that increase the mobility of contaminants as the temperature is increased. In order to understand the applications of these technologies and their effectiveness, the mechanisms for enhanced recovery that are important in a given situation must be understood. This presentation first covers the important mechanisms in thermal remediation, then gives an overview of the application of steam injection and electrical resistance heating technologies. Also, brief summaries of a steam injection demonstration into fractured bedrock at Loring Air Force Base and an ERH pilot study at the Silresim Superfund Site are presented. Other thermal remediation technologies, such as hot water injection and conductive heating, have also been successful in certain applications. This presentation will focus on the steam injection and electrical heating as they are the most widely applicable.