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Damage predictions of aluminum thin-walled structures subjected to explosive loads

Gruda, Jeffrey D.; Corona, Edmundo; Gwinn, Kenneth W.; Phelan, James M.; Saul, WVenner S.; Reu, P.L.; Stofleth, Jerome H.; Haulenbeek, Kimberly K.; Larsen, Marvin E.

Predicting failure of thin-walled structures from explosive loading is a very complex task. The problem can be divided into two parts; the detonation of the explosive to produce the loading on the structure, and secondly the structural response. First, the factors that affect the explosive loading include: size, shape, stand-off, confinement, and chemistry of the explosive. The goal of the first part of the analysis is predicting the pressure on the structure based on these factors. The hydrodynamic code CTH is used to conduct these calculations. Secondly, the response of a structure from the explosive loading is predicted using a detailed finite element model within the explicit analysis code Presto. Material response, to failure, must be established in the analysis to model the failure of this class of structures; validation of this behavior is also required to allow these analyses to be predictive for their intended use. The presentation will detail the validation tests used to support this program. Validation tests using explosively loaded aluminum thin flat plates were used to study all the aspects mentioned above. Experimental measurements of the pressures generated by the explosive and the resulting plate deformations provided data for comparison against analytical predictions. These included pressure-time histories and digital image correlation of the full field plate deflections. The issues studied in the structural analysis were mesh sensitivity, strain based failure metrics, and the coupling methodologies between the blast and structural models. These models have been successfully validated using these tests, thereby increasing confidence of the results obtained in the prediction of failure thresholds of complex structures, including aircraft.

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Training Protocols for the Detection of Explosive Vapors in Interior Spaces

Phelan, James M.; Webb, Stephen W.

Computational fluid dynamics simulations for dispersal of explosive vapors in interior spaces have been performed including details of typical ventilation systems. The interior spaces investigated include an office area, a single-family house, and a warehouse store. Explosive vapor sources are defined in the various interior spaces, and contours of the vapor concentration in the interior spaces relative to the source concentration are presented for relative concentrations down to 10-5. Training protocols for detection of explosive vapors in interior spaces should include an awareness of the time to equilibrium evident in these simulations as well as the significance of ventilation zones.3

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Critical infrastructure systems of systems assessment methodology

Depoy, Jennifer M.; Phelan, James M.; Sholander, Peter E.; Varnado, G.B.; Wyss, Gregory D.; Darby, John L.; Walter, Andrew

Assessing the risk of malevolent attacks against large-scale critical infrastructures requires modifications to existing methodologies that separately consider physical security and cyber security. This research has developed a risk assessment methodology that explicitly accounts for both physical and cyber security, while preserving the traditional security paradigm of detect, delay, and respond. This methodology also accounts for the condition that a facility may be able to recover from or mitigate the impact of a successful attack before serious consequences occur. The methodology uses evidence-based techniques (which are a generalization of probability theory) to evaluate the security posture of the cyber protection systems. Cyber threats are compared against cyber security posture using a category-based approach nested within a path-based analysis to determine the most vulnerable cyber attack path. The methodology summarizes the impact of a blended cyber/physical adversary attack in a conditional risk estimate where the consequence term is scaled by a ''willingness to pay'' avoidance approach.

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Measurement and modeling of energetic-material mass transfer to soil-pore water - Project CP-1227 final technical report

Webb, Stephen W.; Phelan, James M.; Hadgu, Teklu; Stein, Joshua; Sallaberry, Cedric J.

Military test and training ranges operate with live-fire engagements to provide realism important to the maintenance of key tactical skills. Ordnance detonations during these operations typically produce minute residues of parent explosive chemical compounds. Occasional low-order detonations also disperse solid-phase energetic material onto the surface soil. These detonation remnants are implicated in chemical contamination impacts to groundwater on a limited set of ranges where environmental characterization projects have occurred. Key questions arise regarding how these residues and the environmental conditions (e.g., weather and geostratigraphy) contribute to groundwater pollution. This final report documents the results of experimental and simulation model development for evaluating mass transfer processes from solid-phase energetics to soil-pore water.

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Risk assessment for physical and cyber attacks on critical infrastructures

Depoy, Jennifer M.; Phelan, James M.; Sholander, Peter E.; Smith, Bryan J.; Varnado, G.B.; Wyss, Gregory D.

Assessing the risk of malevolent attacks against large-scale critical infrastructures requires modifications to existing methodologies. Existing risk assessment methodologies consider physical security and cyber security separately. As such, they do not accurately model attacks that involve defeating both physical protection and cyber protection elements (e.g., hackers turning off alarm systems prior to forced entry). This paper presents a risk assessment methodology that accounts for both physical and cyber security. It also preserves the traditional security paradigm of detect, delay and respond, while accounting for the possibility that a facility may be able to recover from or mitigate the results of a successful attack before serious consequences occur. The methodology provides a means for ranking those assets most at risk from malevolent attacks. Because the methodology is automated the analyst can also play 'what if with mitigation measures to gain a better understanding of how to best expend resources towards securing the facilities. It is simple enough to be applied to large infrastructure facilities without developing highly complicated models. Finally, it is applicable to facilities with extensive security as well as those that are less well-protected.

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Sublimation rates of explosive materials : method development and initial results

Phelan, James M.

Vapor detection of explosives continues to be a technological basis for security applications. This study began experimental work to measure the chemical emanation rates of pure explosive materials as a basis for determining emanation rates of security threats containing explosives. Sublimation rates for TNT were determined with thermo gravimetric analysis using two different techniques. Data were compared with other literature values to provide sublimation rates from 25 to 70 C. The enthalpy of sublimation for the combined data was found to be 115 kJ/mol, which corresponds well with previously reported data from vapor pressure determinations. A simple Gaussian atmospheric dispersion model was used to estimate downrange concentrations based on continuous, steady-state conditions at 20, 45 and 62 C for a nominal exposed block of TNT under low wind conditions. Recommendations are made for extension of the experimental vapor emanation rate determinations and development of turbulent flow computational fluid dynamics based atmospheric dispersion estimates of standoff vapor concentrations.

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GICHD mine dog testing project : soil sample results #5

Blankenship, Brent A.; Phelan, James M.; Barnett, James; Bender, Susan F.; Donovan, Kelly L.

A mine dog evaluation project initiated by the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining is evaluating the capability and reliability of mine detection dogs. The performance of field-operational mine detection dogs will be measured in test minefields in Afghanistan containing actual, but unfused landmines. Repeated performance testing over two years through various seasonal weather conditions will provide data simulating near real world conditions. Soil samples will be obtained adjacent to the buried targets repeatedly over the course of the test. Chemical analysis results from these soil samples will be used to evaluate correlations between mine dog detection performance and seasonal weather conditions. This report documents the analytical chemical methods and results from the fifth batch of soils received. This batch contained samples from Kharga, Afghanistan collected in June 2003.

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Measurement and modeling of energetic material mass transfer to soil pore water :project CP-1227 FY03 annual technical report

Phelan, James M.; Barnett, James; Kerr, Dayle R.

Military test and training ranges operate with live fire engagements to provide realism important to the maintenance of key tactical skills. Ordnance detonations during these operations typically produce minute residues of parent explosive chemical compounds. Occasional low order detonations also disperse solid phase energetic material onto the surface soil. These detonation remnants are implicated in chemical contamination impacts to groundwater on a limited set of ranges where environmental characterization projects have occurred. Key questions arise regarding how these residues and the environmental conditions (e.g., weather and geostratigraphy) contribute to groundwater pollution impacts. This report documents interim results of experimental work evaluating mass transfer processes from solid phase energetics to soil pore water. The experimental work is used as a basis to formulate a mass transfer numerical model, which has been incorporated into the porous media simulation code T2TNT. This report documents the results of the Phase III experimental effort, which evaluated the impacts of surface deposits versus buried deposits, energetic material particle size, and low order detonation debris. Next year, the energetic material mass transfer model will be refined and a 2-d screening model will be developed for initial site-specific applications. A technology development roadmap was created to show how specific R&D efforts are linked to technology and products for key customers.

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Effect of Weather on Landmine Chemical Signatures for Different Climates

Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering

Webb, Stephen W.; Phelan, James M.

Buried landmines are often detected through their chemical signature in the thin air layer, or boundary layer, right above the soil surface by sensors or animals. Environmental processes play a significant role in the available chemical signature. Due to the shallow burial depth of landmines, the weather also influences the release of chemicals from the landmine, transport through the soil to the surface, and degradation processes in the soil. The effect of weather on the landmine chemical signature from a PMN landmine was evaluated with the T2TNT code for three different climates: Kabul, Afghanistan, Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, USA, and Napacala, Mozambique. Results for TNT gas-phase and solid-phase concentrations are presented as a function of time of the year.

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GICHD mine dog testing project - soil sample results #4

Bender, Susan F.; Phelan, James M.; Wood, Tyson B.; Barnett, James; Smallwood, Luisa M.; Donovan, Kelly L.

A mine dog evaluation project initiated by the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining is evaluating the capability and reliability of mine detection dogs. The performance of field-operational mine detection dogs will be measured in test minefields in Afghanistan and Bosnia containing actual, but unfused landmines. Repeated performance testing over two years through various seasonal weather conditions will provide data simulating near real world conditions. Soil samples will be obtained adjacent to the buried targets repeatedly over the course of the test. Chemical analysis results from these soil samples will be used to evaluate correlations between mine dog detection performance and seasonal weather conditions. This report documents the analytical chemical methods and results from the fourth batch of soils received. This batch contained samples from Kharga, Afghanistan collected in April 2003 and Sarajevo, Bosnia collected in May 2003.

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GICHD Mine Dog Testing Project - Soil Sample Results No.3

Bender, Susan F.; Phelan, James M.; Barnett, James; Smallwood, Luisa M.

A mine dog evaluation project initiated by the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining is evaluating the capability and reliability of mine detection dogs. The performance of field-operational mine detection dogs will be measured in test minefields in Afghanistan and Bosnia containing actual, but unfused landmines. Repeated performance testing over two years through various seasonal weather conditions will provide data simulating near real world conditions. Soil samples will be obtained adjacent to the buried targets repeatedly over the course of the test. Chemical analysis results from these soil samples will be used to evaluate correlations between mine dog detection performance and seasonal weather conditions. This report documents the analytical chemical methods and results from the third batch of soils received. This batch contained samples from Kharga, Afghanistan collected in October 2002.

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Measurement and Modeling of Energetic Material Mass Transfer to Soil Pore Water - Project CP-1227 Annual Technical Report

Phelan, James M.; Webb, Stephen W.; Romero, Joseph V.; Barnett, James; Bohlken, Fawn A.

Military test and training ranges operate with live fire engagements to provide realism important to the maintenance of key tactical skills. Ordnance detonations during these operations typically produce minute residues of parent explosive chemical compounds. Occasional low order detonations also disperse solid phase energetic material onto the surface soil. These detonation remnants are implicated in chemical contamination impacts to groundwater on a limited set of ranges where environmental characterization projects have occurred. Key questions arise regarding how these residues and the environmental conditions (e.g. weather and geostratigraphy) contribute to groundwater pollution impacts. This report documents interim results of experimental work evaluating mass transfer processes from solid phase energetics to soil pore water. The experimental work is used as a basis to formulate a mass transfer numerical model, which has been incorporated into the porous media simulation code T2TNT. Experimental work to date with Composition B explosive has shown that column tests typically produce effluents near the temperature dependent solubility limits for RDX and TNT. The influence of water flow rate, temperature, porous media saturation and mass loading is documented. The mass transfer model formulation uses a mass transfer coefficient and surface area function and shows good agreement with the experimental data. Continued experimental work is necessary to evaluate solid phase particle size and 2-dimensional effects, and actual low order detonation debris. Simulation model improvements will continue leading to a capability to complete screening assessments of the impacts of military range operations on groundwater quality.

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Effect of Weather on the Predicted PMN Landmine Chemical Signature for Kabul, Afghanistan

Webb, Stephen W.; Phelan, James M.

Buried landmines are often detected through the chemical signature in the air above the soil surface by mine detection dogs. Environmental processes play a significant role in the chemical signature available for detection. Due to the shallow burial depth of landmines, the weather influences the release of chemicals from the landmine, transport through the soil to the surface, and degradation processes in the soil. The effect of weather on the landmine chemical signature from a PMN landmine was evaluated with the T2TNT code for Kabul, Afghanistan. Results for TNT and DNT gas-phase and soil solid-phase concentrations are presented as a function of time of the day and time of the year.

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Chemical Sensing for Buried Landmines - Fundamental Processes Influencing Trace Chemical Detection

Phelan, James M.

Mine detection dogs have a demonstrated capability to locate hidden objects by trace chemical detection. Because of this capability, demining activities frequently employ mine detection dogs to locate individual buried landmines or for area reduction. The conditions appropriate for use of mine detection dogs are only beginning to emerge through diligent research that combines dog selection/training, the environmental conditions that impact landmine signature chemical vapors, and vapor sensing performance capability and reliability. This report seeks to address the fundamental soil-chemical interactions, driven by local weather history, that influence the availability of chemical for trace chemical detection. The processes evaluated include: landmine chemical emissions to the soil, chemical distribution in soils, chemical degradation in soils, and weather and chemical transport in soils. Simulation modeling is presented as a method to evaluate the complex interdependencies among these various processes and to establish conditions appropriate for trace chemical detection. Results from chemical analyses on soil samples obtained adjacent to landmines are presented and demonstrate the ultra-trace nature of these residues. Lastly, initial measurements of the vapor sensing performance of mine detection dogs demonstrates the extreme sensitivity of dogs in sensing landmine signature chemicals; however, reliability at these ultra-trace vapor concentrations still needs to be determined. Through this compilation, additional work is suggested that will fill in data gaps to improve the utility of trace chemical detection.

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Characterization of Scrap Materials for Mass Detonating Energetic Materials - Final Report, Project CU1194

Phelan, James M.; Barnett, James

Military test and training ranges generate scrap materials from targets and ordnance debris. These materials are routinely removed from the range for recycling; however, energetic material residues in this range scrap has presented a significant safety hazard to operations personnel and damaged recycling equipment. The Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) sought proof of concept evaluations for monitoring technologies to identify energetic residues among range scrap. Sandia National Laboratories teamed with Nomadics, Inc. to evaluate the Nomadics FIDO vapor sensor for application to this problem. Laboratory tests were completed that determined the vapor-sensing threshold to be 10 to 20 ppt for TNT and 150 to 200 ppt for DNT. Field tests with the FIDO demonstrated the proof of concept that energetic material residues can be identified with vapor sensing in enclosed scrap bins. Items such as low order detonation debris, demolition block granules, and unused 81-mm mortars were detected quickly and with minimum effort. Conceptual designs for field-screening scrap for energetic material residues include handheld vapor sensing systems, batch scrap sensing systems, continuous conveyor sensing systems and a hot gas decontamination verification system.

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Chemical Soil Physics Phenomena for Chemical Sensing of Buried UXO

Phelan, James M.

Technology development efforts are under way to apply chemical sensors to discriminate inert ordnance and clutter from live munitions that remain a threat to reutilization of military ranges. However, the chemical signature is affected by multiple environmental phenomena that can enhance or reduce its presence and transport behavior, and can affect the distribution of the chemical signature in the environment. For example, the chemical can be present in the vapor, aqueous, and solid phases. The distribution of the chemical among these phases, including the spatial distribution, is key in designing appropriate detectors, e.g., gas, aqueous or solid phase sampling instruments. A fundamental understanding of the environmental conditions that affect the chemical signature is needed to describe the favorable and unfavorable conditions of a chemical detector based survey to minimize the consequences of a false negative. UXO source emission measurements are being made to estimate the chemical flux from a limited set of ordnance items. Phase partitioning analysis has been completed to show what the expected concentrations of chemical analytes would be fi-om total concentrations measured in the soil. The soil moisture content in the dry region has been shown to be critical in the attenuation of soil gas concentrations by increased sorption to soil particles. Numerical simulation tools have been adapted to include surface boundary conditions such as solar radiation, surface boundary layer (which is a function of wind speed), precipitation and evaporation, and plant cover/root density to allow transport modeling and evaluate long term processes. Results of this work will provide performance targets for sensor developers and support operational decisions regarding field deployments.

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Air sparging/high vacuum extraction to remove chlorinated solvents in groundwater and soil

Phelan, James M.

An air sparging and high vacuum extraction was installed as an alternative to a containment pump and treat system to reduce the long-term remediation schedule. The site is located at the DOE Mound facility in Miamisburg, Ohio, just south of Dayton. The air sparging system consists of 23 wells interspersed between 17 soil vapor extraction wells. The SVE system has extracted about 1,500 lbs of VOCs in five months. The air sparging system operated for about 6 weeks before shutdown due to suspected biochemical fouling. Technical data are presented on the operating characteristics of the system.

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Chemical detection of buried landmines

Phelan, James M.

Of all the buried landmine identification technologies currently available, sensing the chemical signature from the explosive components found in landmines is the only technique that can classify non-explosive objects from the real threat. In the last two decades, advances in chemical detection methods has brought chemical sensing technology to the foreground as an emerging technological solution. In addition, advances have been made in the understanding of the fundamental transport processes that allow the chemical signature to migrate from the buried source to the ground surface. A systematic evaluation of the transport of the chemical signature from inside the mine into the soil environment, and through the soil to the ground surface is being explored to determine the constraints on the use of chemical sensing technology. This effort reports on the results of simulation modeling using a one-dimensional screening model to evaluate the impacts on the transport of the chemical signature by variation of some of the principal soil transport parameters.

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Simulation of the environmental fate and transport of chemical signatures from buried landmines

Phelan, James M.

The fate and transport of chemical signature molecules that emanate from buried landmines is strongly influenced by physical chemical properties and by environmental conditions of the specific chemical compounds. Published data have been evaluated as the input parameters that are used in the simulation of the fate and transport processes. A one-dimensional model developed for screening agricultural pesticides was modified and used to simulate the appearance of a surface flux above a buried landmine and estimate the subsurface total concentration. The physical chemical properties of TNT cause a majority of the mass released to the soil system to be bound to the solid phase soil particles. The majority of the transport occurs in the liquid phase with diffusion and evaporation driven advection of soil water as the primary mechanisms for the flux to the ground surface. The simulations provided herein should only be used for initial conceptual designs of chemical pre-concentration subsystems or complete detection systems. The physical processes modeled required necessary simplifying assumptions to allow for analytical solutions. Emerging numerical simulation tools will soon be available that should provide more realistic estimates that can be used to predict the success of landmine chemical detection surveys based on knowledge of the chemical and soil properties, and environmental conditions where the mines are buried. Additional measurements of the chemical properties in soils are also needed before a fully predictive approach can be confidently applied.

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Design, demonstration and evaluation of a thermal enhanced vapor extraction system

Phelan, James M.

The Thermal Enhanced Vapor Extraction System (TEVES), which combines powerline frequency heating (PLF) and radio frequency (RF) heating with vacuum soil vapor extraction, was used to effectively remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) from a pit in the chemical waste landfill (CWL) at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) within a two month heating period. Volume average temperatures of 83{degrees}C and 112{degrees}C were reached for the PLF and RF heating periods, respectively, within the 15 ft x 45 ft x 18.5 ft deep treated volume. This resulted in the removal of 243 lb of measured toxic organic compounds (VOCs and SVOCs), 55 gallons of oil, and 11,000 gallons of water from the site. Reductions of up to 99% in total chromatographic organics (TCO) was achieved in the heated zone. Energy balance calculations for the PLF heating period showed that 36.4% of the heat added went to heating the soil, 38.5% went to evaporating water and organics, 4.2% went to sensible heat in the water, 7.1% went to heating the extracted air, and 6.6% was lost. For the RF heating period went to heating the soil, 23.5% went to evaporating water and organics, 2.4% went to sensible heat in the water, 7.5% went to heating extracted air, and 9.7% went to losses. Energy balance closure was 92.8% for the PLF heating and 98% for the RF heating. The energy input requirement per unit soil volume heated per unit temperature increase was 1.63 kWH/yd{sup 3}-{degrees}C for PLF heating and 0.73 kWH/yd{sup 3}{degrees}C for RF heating.

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Environmental fate and transport of chemical signatures from buried landmines -- Screening model formulation and initial simulations

Phelan, James M.

The fate and transport of chemical signature molecules that emanate from buried landmines is strongly influenced by physical chemical properties and by environmental conditions of the specific chemical compounds. Published data have been evaluated as the input parameters that are used in the simulation of the fate and transport processes. A one-dimensional model developed for screening agricultural pesticides was modified and used to simulate the appearance of a surface flux above a buried landmine, estimate the subsurface total concentration, and show the phase specific concentrations at the ground surface. The physical chemical properties of TNT cause a majority of the mass released to the soil system to be bound to the solid phase soil particles. The majority of the transport occurs in the liquid phase with diffusion and evaporation driven advection of soil water as the primary mechanisms for the flux to the ground surface. The simulations provided herein should only be used for initial conceptual designs of chemical pre-concentration subsystems or complete detection systems. The physical processes modeled required necessary simplifying assumptions to allow for analytical solutions. Emerging numerical simulation tools will soon be available that should provide more realistic estimates that can be used to predict the success of landmine chemical detection surveys based on knowledge of the chemical and soil properties, and environmental conditions where the mines are buried. Additional measurements of the chemical properties in soils are also needed before a fully predictive approach can be confidently applied.

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Passive soil venting at the Chemical Waste Landfill Site at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Phelan, James M.

Passive Soil Vapor Extraction was tested at the Chemical Waste Landfill (CWL) site at Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (SNLIW). Data collected included ambient pressures, differential pressures between soil gas and ambient air, gas flow rates into and out of the soil and concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCS) in vented soil gas. From the differential pressure and flow rate data, estimates of permeability were arrived at and compared with estimates from other studies. Flow, differential pressure, and ambient pressure data were collected for nearly 30 days. VOC data were collected for two six-hour periods during this time. Total VOC emissions were calculated and found to be under the limit set by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Although a complete process evaluation is not possible with the data gathered, some of the necessary information for designing a passive venting process was determined and the important parameters for designing the process were indicated. More study is required to evaluate long-term VOC removal using passive venting and to establish total remediation costs when passive venting is used as a polishing process following active soil vapor extraction.

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Thermal enhanced vapor extraction systems: Design, application and performance prediction including contaminant behavior

Phelan, James M.

Soil heating technologies have been proposed as a method to accelerate contaminant removal from subsurface soils. These methods include the use of hot air, steam, conductive heaters, in-situ resistive heating and in-situ radiofrequency heating (Buettner et.al., EPA, Dev et.al., Heath et.al.). Criteria for selection of a particular soil heating technology is a complex function of contaminant and soil properties, and efficiency in energy delivery and contaminant removal technologies. The work presented here seeks to expand the understanding of the interactions of subsurface water, contaminant, heat and vacuum extraction through model predictions and field data collection. Field demonstration will involve the combination of two soil heating technologies (resistive and dielectric) with a vacuum vapor extraction system and will occur during the summer of 1994.

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Thermal enhanced vapor extraction system-cooperative ER/OTD technology development

Phelan, James M.

An improved technology to extract VOCs from the unsaturated zone has developed into a cooperative Environmental Restoration and Technology Development effort. This cooperation is important because the timing of an innovative technology demonstration is critical to the transfer of that technology into an ER remedial action decision. The Mixed-Waste Landfill Integrated Demonstration (MWLID) Program will be demonstrating a Thermal Enhanced Vapor Extraction System that will improve existing vacuum vapor extraction technology by applying in-situ soil heating. Combined demonstrations of vacuum vapor extraction and both powerline frequency and radiofrequency soil heating technologies began in FY92.

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44 Results
44 Results