The New Jersey Institute of Technology's
Electronic Theses & Dissertations Project

Title:	Integration of pneumatic fracturing and in situ vitrification in coarse grained soils
Author:	McGonigal, Sean Thomas
View Online:	njit-etd1995-001 (xii, 124 pages ~ 5.4 MB pdf)
Department:	Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Degree:	Master of Science
Program:	Environmental Engineering
Document Type:	Thesis
Advisory Committee:	Schuring, John R. (Committee member) Chan, Paul C. (Committee member) Ososkov, Victor (Committee member)
Date:	1995-05
Keywords:	Pneumatics--Environmental aspects Fracture mechanics--Environmental aspects Soil remediation Hazardous wastes--Decontamination
Availability:	Unrestricted
Abstract:	This thesis investigates conceptual integration of the Pneumatic Fracturing (PF) process with In Situ Vitrification (ISV) for remediation of contaminated soil. Integration will permit ISV melts to be initiated below the ground surface and extend the depth of the ISV process. Bench scale experiments were conducted in 4.9 ft3 (0.14 m3) Plexiglas tanks filled with a test soil that was specifically blended to simulate the Hanford Formation in Richland, WA. Discrete pneumatic fractures were successfully created and filled with the ISV starter path material. Conductivity measurements made across two graphite electrodes exhibited a pre-fracture soil resistance of 427 ohms, which was reduced to an average of 0.80 ohms after fracture injection. A model was developed to predict transport distance of the ISV starter path media in pneumatically induced fractures. The model estimates fracture propagation distance using a finitedifference approach, as well as the critical fluid velocity necessary to keep the starter path media suspended, Model calculations show the effective radius of the integrated process should range up to several meters in the Hanford Formation. The thesis concludes with operational recommendations for full scale application.