Your Partner from Concept to Completion

Background/Objectives. An in situ thermal design may look good on paper, but how will it perform in the field? Thermal Conductive Heating (TCH), Electrical Resistance Heating (ERH) and Steam Enhanced Extraction (SEE) are widely used thermal technologies capable of effectively remediating a variety of chemicals in different geological settings, ranging from tight clays to permeable sands, but sometimes operations do not perform as planned. Due to the aggressive nature and high daily operational cost of a thermal remedy, operational issues must be addressed immediately, typically within days rather than weeks. Additionally, remedies implemented in populated settings and sensitive environments often draw a high degree of public focus and therefore, rapid reactions and responses are needed when problems are encountered.

Approach/Activities. Lessons learned from more than 80 full-scale TCH, ERH and SEE projects will be discussed, focusing on the common operational issues that arise during full-scale thermal projects, including:

  • Selecting appropriate construction materials for the aggressive environment developed when mixtures of chemicals are heated, and reactions are triggered;
  • Selecting appropriate treatment system components to handle contaminant mass loadings above 25,000 pounds per day and dealing with unanticipated chemicals during heating;
  • Addressing health and safety concerns in the vapor treatment system when vapor concentrations are well above the Lower Explosion Limit;
  • Addressing emulsions and biological-related issues in the liquid treatment system;
  • Handling unexpected deep or shallow groundwater flow cooling the thermal treatment zone;
  • Dealing with unanticipated subsidence, that may compromise the basic wellfield design features;
  • Adapting to the ever-changing conditions in the thermal treatment system as temperatures and chemical compositions change over time; and
  • Mitigating vapor intrusion and odor issues when thermal remedies are conducted near or under buildings or in populated settings.

Results/Lessons Learned. This presentation will focus on solutions implemented in response to real-time challenges, to keep the remedy on track and meet project goals. The presentation will cite and provide examples from numerous full scale case studies, including thermal remedies implemented at Superfund sites, chemical factories and waste sites to showcase the ever changing and dynamic world of thermal remediation, and how the thermal team is required to adapt “on-the-fly” to meet project goals.

Form Title

Enter your information to schedule a time to talk