Patent ID: 8096350
Filing Date: 2012-01-17
Classification: B09C

Abstract:
1. An adjustable depth air sparging system for removing volatile contaminants from a saturated zone within a soil subsurface comprising: (a) a vertically oriented well casing extending downward into the saturated zone within the soil subsurface, said well casing having a screened portion at a lower end thereof positioned within said saturated zone; (b) an air supply tube riser centrally located within an interior of said well casing, said air supply tube riser extending downward through said well casing into an upper end portion of the screened portion of said well casing; (c) a flexible air supply line supplying pressurized air to said air supply tube riser; (d) an annular air supply line supplying the pressurized air to a space between said air supply tube riser and said well casing, said flexible air supply line and annular air supply line injecting the pressurized air into different sections said well casing at the same time; (e) air supply means connected to said flexible air supply line for providing the pressurized air to said air supply tube riser; (f) a flow-through air sparge packer positioned within the screened portion of said well casing, said flow-through air sparge packer having an packer air supply tube centrally located therein, said packer air supply tube having an upper end connected to said air supply tube riser, a lower end and a plurality of openings; (g) said flow-through air sparge packer having an elastomeric material which extends from the upper end of said packer air supply tube to the lower end of said packer air supply tube and covers the openings within said packer air supply tube forming an air tight seal around said packer air supply tube; (h) adjustable depth injecting means affixed to the lower end of said packer air supply tube of said flow-through air sparge packer to receive said pressurized air, said adjustable depth injecting means injecting said pressurized air through the screened portion of said well casing below said air sparge packer into the saturated zone of said soil subsurface at a plurality of selected depths, forming air channels at each of said selected depths through which said pressurized air flows to remove said volatile contaminants from said saturated zone, wherein said flow-through air sparge packer having a length selected from a plurality of lengths which allows a user to select one of said plurality of lengths of said flow-through air sparge packer to use within said adjustable depth air sparging system for positioning said adjustable depth injecting means within said well screen at each of said selected depths; (i) locking means for locking said adjustable depth injecting means in a fixed position at each of said selected depths to prevent vertical movement of said adjustable depth injecting means when said air sparging system is operational; and (j) said upper end portion of the screen portion of said well casing receiving said pressurized air from said flexible air supply line and then injecting said pressurized air through the screened portion of said well casing above said air sparge packer into said saturated zone forming additional air channels through which said pressurized air flows to remove said volatile contaminants from said saturated zone.