Three separate volatile organic compound (VOC) traps are installed in a housing driven into the earth using cone penetometer testing (CPT) techniques. The traps are valved so that each trap is filled at a different depth. Operation of the unit is done by installing three fresh clean traps into a cone module. The unit is pushed to the desired depth using CPT techniques. One of the three traps is selected using an electronic switch in a truck located above the collection site to control a valving arrangement for direction of VOCs to a selected trap. Heaters are turned on to heat the surrounding soil to increase removal of volatiles from the soil or water at the sample collection point. The heaters are formed of nickel-chromium wires wrapped around an insulated section of the CPT push rod. The wire is protected during the penetration process by a stainless steel sleeve that threads over the wire wrapped section. Electricity through the wire will heat the wire to approximately 200° Celsius which will then heat the surrounding soil. The VOC trap collects the volatiles downhole thereby eliminating any possibility of volatilization during the recovery and testing process.

Downhole volatile organic compounds trap for improved sampling of volatile organic compounds using cone penetrometer testing techniques

A VOC (volatile organic compounds) adsorbent material such as an alumino-silicate gel desiccant is treated with a masking agent to reduce its affinity for VOC's to a level that the material can be regenerated at a predetermined low temperature which will not desorb the masking agent. The treated adsorbent material is used to adsorb VOC's and is periodically regenerated with heated air. The treated adsorbent material may be used to adsorb VOC's from recirculated spray booth air while spraying a coating on a workpiece. Subsequent to spraying, the spray booth air is heated to above the VOC regeneration temperature to regenerate the adsorbent material and optionally to cure the applied coating. As the heated spray booth air is circulated through the adsorbent material, the previously adsorbed VOC's are desorbed. The desorbed VOC's may be destroyed by oxidizing, for example, with a catalyst.

Method for VOC Abatement and Paint Spray Booth Incorporating Such Method

An improved system for remediating soil contaminated with short-chain hydrocarbons, long-chain hydrocarbons and PCB's. The system includes an rotary drum having first and second heat exchanging regions, each containing separated inner and outer regions. The drum in inclined such that soil fed into the system with a sealed auger for remediation is gravitationally urged through the inner regions whereat thermal energy provided by a burner means, including clamshell ducts, remediates the soil by vaporizing and oxidizing the hydrocarbons and PCB's in a stream of hot gases. After remediation, the soil and the stream of hot gases is transferred to the outer regions whereat the soil is auger-conveyed and fluid-flow urged therethrough, in counter-flow relation to the gravitationally urged soil in the inner regions, to transfer thermal energy from the remediated soil and stream of hot gases to the soil being remediated, to reduce the temperature of the remediated soil and the stream of hot gases prior to discharge, and to discharge the remediated soil and the stream of hot gases. An improved method is similarly provided.

Energy recuperative soil remediation system

A fume hood exhaust stack system ( 10 ) and method utilize a variable speed fan ( 24 ) and an exhaust stack ( 28 ) having an adjustable cross-sectional area. Toxic exhaust from one or more fume hoods ( 12 ) is conveyed through a header ( 16 ) to the fan. The fan forces the exhaust through the exhaust stack, and the exhaust is then discharged into the atmosphere at a sufficient velocity and momentum to ensure that the exhaust reaches an environmentally sound altitude. A variable speed drive ( 36 ), programmable controller ( 34 ), flow signals ( 26 ), and static pressure and total pressure signals ( 20 ) are utilized to modulate the speed of the fan and the area of the exhaust stack to maintain the desired fan inlet pressure and exhaust velocity.

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Fume hood exhaust stack system

A heat exchanger burn-out process for regenerative thermal oxidizers includes the steps of passing a super-heated gas through one of the heat exchangers and into the combustion chamber. The gas is preferably heated in a selectively opened injection line that includes a burner. The burner is designed to superheat the injection gas to a cleaning temperature. The cleaning temperature is selected to be high enough as to volatilize and/or combust the organic solids that are expected within the heat exchanger. The injection line is associated with one of the heat exchangers, and the other two of the normal three heat exchangers on the regenerative thermal oxidizer are switched between a supplemental injection mode, wherein cooling gas is injected through that heat exchanger, and an outlet mode wherein gas from the combustion chamber leads outwardly through the heat exchanger to an outlet manifold. The supplemental injection line reduces the overall temperature of the gas leaving the system through the outlet manifold. In one embodiment, the heated injection line is associated with the inlet manifold, and the supplemental injection line is associated with the purge manifold. In a second embodiment, the heated injection line is associated with the purge manifold and the supplemental injection line is associated with the inlet manifold.

Heat exchanger bake out process

A volatile organic compound (VOC) abatement system is provided which incorporates a carbon or zeolite type concentrating adsorption device, with VOCs collected upon the adsorption surfaces. A heat source is required heat gases flowing to the adsorption device in order to remove the concentrated VOCs. Also, heat is required to oxidize the VOCs into a safe form prior to their release into the atmosphere. The present invention employs a regenerative thermal oxidizer for efficiently combusting the VOCs prior their release into the atmosphere. The present system also employs a bypass valve for introducing a portion of the VOCs directly into a combustion chamber without regenerative preheating. The resulting lowering of thermal efficiency of the regenerative thermal oxidizer allows the exhaust from the regenerative thermal oxidizer to carry more thermal energy. The thermal energy from the exhaust is then transferred to a heat exchanger to heat gasses flowing into the adsorption device.

Frank M. Colagiovanni

Papers

Volatile organic compound abatement system