Microporous diffusion apparatus

Abstract

Apparatuses for removal of volatile organic compounds in a soil formation include a microporous diffuser for injecting air and gaseous ozone as bubbles into water in the soil formation. The gaseous ozone is present at concentrations to effect removal of volatile organic compounds by the gaseous ozone reacting with the volatile organic compound(s). Injection of air and gaseous ozone is controlled by a timer to allow separation of bubbles by size. In various embodiments, a plurality of microporous diffusers may be controlled by a single timer or each of the plurality of microporous diffusers may be controlled by one of a plurality of timers.

1. An apparatus for removal of volatile organic compounds in a soil formation comprising:
 a diffuser for injecting air and gaseous ozone as bubbles into water in the soil formation, the gaseous ozone at concentrations to effect removal of volatile organic compounds by the gaseous ozone reacting with the volatile organic compounds, 
 wherein injection of air and gaseous ozone is controlled by a timer to allow separation of bubbles by size, 
 wherein the bubbles range in size from about 5 to 200 μm. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the air and gaseous ozone are mixed and injected into the water as bubbles with an initial bubble size in a range of about 5 to 200 μm. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the timer periodically pulses the injected air and gaseous ozone. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a bubble sizing chamber. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a pump for agitating water to disperse the bubbles through the soil formation. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the diffuser has a pore size selected to match a porosity of a surrounding soil formation. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a casing; 
 a packer disposed through the casing; and 
 an outlet screen coupled to the casing. 
 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the outlet screen is coupled to the casing at a lower portion of the casing and the apparatus further comprises an inlet screen coupled to the casing at an upper portion of the casing. 
     
     
       9. An apparatus for removal of volatile organic compounds in a soil formation comprising:
 a plurality of diffusers for injecting air and gaseous ozone as bubbles into water in the soil formation, the gaseous ozone at concentrations to effect removal of volatile organic compounds by the gaseous ozone reacting with the volatile organic compounds, 
 wherein injection of air and gaseous ozone is controlled by at least one timer to allow separation of bubbles by size, 
 wherein the bubbles range in size from about S 5 to 200 μm. 
 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the plurality of diffusers is arranged in series. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the plurality of diffusers is controlled by a single timer. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein each diffuser is coupled to one of a plurality of timers. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the air and gaseous ozone are mixed and injected into the water as bubbles with an initial bubble size in a range of about 5 to 200 μm. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the timer periodically pulses the injected air and gaseous ozone. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 9  further comprising a bubble sizing chamber. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 9  further comprising a pump for agitating water to disperse the bubbles through the soil formation. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein microporous material of the diffusers has a pore size selected to match a porosity of a surrounding soil formation. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 9  further comprising:
 a casing; 
 a packer disposed through the casing; and 
 an outlet screen coupled to the casing. 
 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the outlet screen is coupled to the casing at a lower portion of the casing and the apparatus further comprises an inlet screen coupled to the casing at an upper portion of the casing. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the packer is disposed through the casing between the inlet and outlet screens. 
     
     
       21. A method of treating a groundwater or soil formation in situ, comprising: injecting gaseous ozone and air through porous materials to produce bubbles in the groundwater or soil formation at concentrations sufficient to react with, and effect removal of, one or more contaminants in the groundwater or soil formation,
 wherein the step of producing bubbles comprises producing bubbles encapsulating ozone and air to convert the contaminants from a dissolved state to a gaseous state and encapsulating the contaminants as a vapor therein.   
     
     
       22. The method of claim 21, wherein the bubbles encapsulating air and ozone increase a transfer rate of the contaminants from a dissolved state to a gaseous state. 
     
     
       23. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of decomposing the contaminants with the encapsulated air and ozone. 
     
     
       24. The method of claim 23 wherein the step of decomposing the contaminants decomposes the contaminants at a rate that exceeds a rise time of bubble formation. 
     
     
       25. A method of treating a groundwater or soil formation in situ, comprising: injecting gaseous ozone and air through porous materials to produce bubbles in the groundwater or soil formation at concentrations sufficient to react with, and effect removal of, one or more contaminants in the groundwater or soil formation,
 wherein the step of producing ozone bubbles comprises increasing a half-life of the ozone.   
     
     
       26. A method for remediating contaminants in a groundwater or soil formation in situ, comprising: injecting a multi-gas oxidizing agent into the groundwater or soil formation through one or more tubes such that the multi-gas oxidizing agent produces bubbles in said groundwater or soil formation that react with the contaminants and encapsulate the contaminants as vapor inside the bubbles. 
     
     
       27. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of injecting further comprises the step of injecting the multi-gas oxidizing agent through a slotted well screen at said groundwater or soil formation. 
     
     
       28. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of injecting further comprises the step of injecting the multi-gas oxidizing agent through a diffuser at said groundwater or soil formation. 
     
     
       29. The method of claim 26, wherein the multi-gas oxidizing agent comprises air and ozone. 
     
     
       30. The method of claim 26, wherein the gaseous bubbles increase a half-life of the ozone. 
     
     
       31. The method of claim 26, wherein the bubbles have reduced bubble sizes to increase surface area to gas volume ratios. 
     
     
       32. The method of claim 26, wherein the bubbles have an initial bubble diameter in a range of about 5 to 200 μm. 
     
     
       33. The method of claim 26, wherein injecting produces the bubbles encapsulating ozone and air to convert the contaminants from a dissolved state to a gaseous state. 
     
     
       34. The method of claim 33, wherein the bubbles increase a transfer rate of the contaminants from a dissolved state to a gaseous state. 
     
     
       35. The method of claim 34, further comprising the step of decomposing the contaminants in the encapsulated air and ozone. 
     
     
       36. The method of claim 35, wherein the step of decomposing the contaminants comprises decomposing the contaminants at a rate that exceeds a rise time of bubble formation. 
     
     
       37. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of injecting produces bubbles with a diameter slightly smaller than a pore size of the soil formation. 
     
     
       38. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of injecting the multi-gas oxidizing agent further comprises injecting the multi-gas oxidizing agent through a slotted well screen surrounded with porous materials to produce bubbles. 
     
     
       39. The method of claim 26, further comprising decomposing the contaminants in said groundwater or soil formation by ozone interaction with double bonded carbon atoms of the contaminants. 
     
     
       40. The method of claim 26, said groundwater or soil formation containing chlorinated hydrocarbons. 
     
     
       41. The method of claim 26, said groundwater or soil formation containing organic and/or hydrocarbon material. 
     
     
       42. The method claim 26, wherein the step of injecting the multi-gas oxidizing agent comprises injecting aerated and ozonated water. 
     
     
       43. The method of claim 26, further comprising intermittently agitating water in said groundwater or soil formation. 
     
     
       44. The method of claim 26, further comprising periodically pulsing the injected multi-gas oxidizing agent. 
     
     
       45. The method of claim 26, wherein the porous material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of PVC, HDPE porous material, sand, and gravel.