The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 12, 1997
Filed:
Nov. 18, 1996
Eliott N Duffney, Rochester, NY (US);
Paul M Tornatore, Pittsford, NY (US);
Scott M Huber, Canandaigua, NY (US);
Ronald E Hess, Webster, NY (US);
Xerox Corporation, Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
Disclosed is a process and apparatus for removing contaminants from a contaminated area of the ground, the ground having a plurality of paths of preferential flow at different depths, which process comprises providing a borehole in the contaminated area to intersect at least a first path of preferential flow and a second path of preferential flow; placing in the borehole a first vacuum extraction pipe having a bottom opening situated within the first path of preferential flow and a second vacuum extraction pipe having a bottom opening situated within the second path of preferential flow; isolating the first path of preferential flow from the second path of preferential flow so that a vacuum applied to the first vacuum extraction pipe will extract gases and liquids from only the first path of preferential flow, and a vacuum applied to the second vacuum extraction pipe will extract gases and liquids from only the second path of preferential flow; applying a vacuum to at least one of the vacuum extraction pipes to draw gases and liquid from at least one of the paths of preferential flow into a vacuum extraction pipe and transport the gases and liquid to the surface as a common stream; forming from the common stream a stream which is liquid and a stream which is gaseous; and removing contaminants from the liquid and/or gaseous streams.