公开(公告)号：US11406947B2

公开(公告)日：2022-08-09

申请号：US15379905

申请日：2016-12-15

Applicant: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Inventor： Christopher Ruybal ,  Dominic DiGiulio

IPC: B01F25/312 ,  C02F1/44 ,  B01F23/23 ,  B01F23/237

Abstract: A rapid and continuous separator or equilibrator to separate a gas from a liquid includes a venturi and injector, a mixer and a free overfall stream to separate a gas from a liquid. The injector introduces a carrier medium into the liquid which provides a reservoir for the gas to diffuse into as the liquid and carrier make a single transit through the apparatus. The separator was developed to enable real-time estimation of methane concentrations in ground water during purging. Real-time monitoring allows evaluation of trends during water well purging, spatial trends between water wells, and temporal comparisons between sampling events. These trends may be a result of removal of stored casing water, pre-purge ambient borehole flow, formation physical and chemical heterogeneity, or vertical flow outside of well casing due to poor bentonite or cement seals. Real-time information in the field can help focus an investigation, aid in determining when to collect a sample, save money by limiting costs (e.g. analytical, sample transport and storage), and provide an immediate assessment of local methane concentrations, Four domestic water wells, one municipal water well, and one agricultural water well were sampled for traditional laboratory analysis and compared to the field separator or equilibrator results. Applying a paired t-test comparing the new separator or equilibrator method and traditional laboratory analysis yielded a p-value 0.383, suggesting no significant difference between the two methods for the current study. Additional field and laboratory-based experimentation and potential modification of this device are necessary to justify use beyond screening at this time. However, early separator or equilibrator use suggests promising results and applications.

公开(公告)号：US20200094201A1

公开(公告)日：2020-03-26

申请号：US15379905

申请日：2016-12-15

Applicant: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Inventor： Christopher Ruybal ,  Dominic DiGiulio

IPC: B01F5/04 ,  B01F3/04 ,  C02F1/44

Abstract: A rapid and continuous separator or equilibrator to separate a gas from a liquid includes a venturi and injector, a mixer and a free overfall stream to separate a gas from a liquid. The injector introduces a carrier medium into the liquid which provides a reservoir for the gas to diffuse into as the liquid and carrier make a single transit through the apparatus. The separator was developed to enable real-time estimation of methane concentrations in ground water during purging. Real-time monitoring allows evaluation of trends during water well purging, spatial trends between water wells, and temporal comparisons between sampling events. These trends may be a result of removal of stored casing water, pre-purge ambient borehole flow, formation physical and chemical heterogeneity, or vertical flow outside of well casing due to poor bentonite or cement seals. Real-time information in the field can help focus an investigation, aid in determining when to collect a sample, save money by limiting costs (e.g. analytical, sample transport and storage), and provide an immediate assessment of local methane concentrations, Four domestic water wells, one municipal water well, and one agricultural water well were sampled for traditional laboratory analysis and compared to the field separator or equilibrator results. Applying a paired t-test comparing the new separator or equilibrator method and traditional laboratory analysis yielded a p-value 0.383, suggesting no significant difference between the two methods for the current study. Additional field and laboratory-based experimentation and potential modification of this device are necessary to justify use beyond screening at this time. However, early separator or equilibrator use suggests promising results and applications.