MXPA98004590A - Apparatus for treating soil in the proximity of enterra structures - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for treating the soil in the vicinity of buried structures comprising a plurality of probes (2,3,4,9,10) that are introduced into the subsoil and connected to a control unit provided with an air generating apparatus (6) to generate, within the soil, a flow of dry air, the probes being arranged (2,3,4) so that the generated air flow licks all the surfaces of the buried structures (

Description

APPARATUS TO TREAT THE SOIL IN THE PROXIMITIES OF STRUCTURE BURIED The present invention refers to an apparatus for treating the soil in the vicinity of buried structures. The accumulation of problems caused by the presence of structures in the subsoil, especially deposits and pipes, is already well known. In the case of deposits containing contaminants, there is also the risk of corrosion of the walls of said deposits with the subsequent leakage of said substances towards the nearby soil; Therefore, some measures have been proposed, for example, cathodic protection or the coating of walls with materials, such as a plastic reinforced with fiberglass. However, these measures involve high costs and tend to be also frequently dubiously wrong. The commitment to avoid maximum contamination of the subsoil also causes the need to install systems that detect any leakage of the tanks and pipes »for this purpose» the installations are made with probes, constituted in the prior art by slotted tubes that are introduced in the soil and by means of said tubes the gas contained in the subsoil is extracted to be able to analyze it »micrometric indicators can also be introduced in the deposits that detect any decrease in the level of the interior liquid.

There are also already several known systems »suitable for facilitating the degradation of pollutants» based mainly on the injection of air into the subsoil by means of probes and recovering contaminated soils. The present situation is manifestly characterized by different and independent approaches to the various problems that involve high costs and all without ideal functional effectiveness. It is the object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for treating the soil in the vicinity of buried structures »which allows a global action to solve all the problems raised and consequently reduce costs and improve the results obtained. Within the scope of this purpose, it is an object of the present invention to provide a probe which, once inserted into the ground, permits variations in its working characteristics. This purpose, this objective and others that will be apparent below are achieved by means of an apparatus for treating the ground in the vicinity of buried structures »according to the present invention» characterized in that it comprises a series of probes that are buried in the subsoil and are connected to a control unit provided with means to generate, in the soil »a flow of dry air. said probes having been arranged so that the flow they generate licks all the surfaces of said buried structures. Advantageously, means are provided for heating the dry air and the probes are further divided into injection and extraction sets "said extraction sets are connected to the control unit by at least one duct comprising» at least » means to detect flow characteristics. According to the present invention, a probe also comprises an outer tubular jacket, provided with through holes throughout its wall and a compact walled tubular core that is shorter than the outer jacket; said core is in contact with the inner surfaces of said jacket and is provided with means that allow it to be placed in any position. Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of one of its preferred but not exclusive embodiments, which is illustrated only by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view of an application of the apparatus for treating the soil in the vicinity of a buried deposit; Figure 2 is a partially sectioned view of a probe »Figures 3 and 4 are views of two different working conditions that can be performed with probes» according to the present invention. Referring to Figure 1, reference numeral 1 designates a deposit that has been intended to contain a pollutant such as gasoline for example., and reference numerals 2, 3 and 4 designate conventional probes that are introduced into the subsoil above said reservoir in order to inject air »which arrives via conduit 5 by the action of compressor 6. Said compressor» a in turn »takes the atmospheric air» sucked through the filter 7 and passes through the drying device 8 »which reduces the relative humidity of said air to an optimum value. The reference numerals 9 and 10 also designate two extractor probes "equally of known type" which are open only at their ends 9a. 10a located at a level below reservoir 1. and are protected in an ascending zone; said extractor probes are connected to the conduit 11 »that exits to the outside at 12 and has an exit orifice 13» that transports the extracted flow to the apparatuses to analyze the composition of the flow and to the apparatuses to detect the temperature and the relative humidity of said flow "which are contained in the box 14 placed inside the building 15. which is adapted to the multifunctional control unit described.

The control unit is completed with a conduit ÍS for mutually connecting the injector tubes and air extractors and with valves 17. 18 and 19 that allow to interrupt this conduit or to transport through said conduit the flow extracted by the probes 9 and 10 with the object to return it to the ground. It will be immediately recognized that the present invention can be carried out effectively from all points of view that may arise. The flow of dry air »indicated by the arrows in 1» collides with the walls of the tank and dehumidifies the soil in the vicinity of the tank »thus preserving it against corrosion» also keeps the soil sufficiently ventilated so that the activity of the biological processes that degrade any contaminant present due to leaks or spills. The suction of the flow by the probes 9 and 10 also makes it possible to analyze said flow and be able to continuously verify the condition of the treated soil: it will be observed »by way of example» that any record made by the instruments of the box 14 relative to the descent of the relative humidity "combined with an increase in the temperature of the air flow after a first period of operation" is certainly an indication of the correct development of said flow in the soil around the reservoir 1 and therefore of the good efficiency of the anticorrosive treatment of said deposit and of the recovery of said soil. Therefore »this record can be accompanied by a certificate about the suitability of such treatments. The verification of the condition of the floor achievable with the apparatus »according to the present invention, also allows» again by way of example »to record in real time the presence of a pollutant leak» detected by the analyzers in the box 14 »and control the development of the subsequent recovery treatment. All that has been described above with reference to a tank is also naturally applicable to any buried structure and especially in the case of the pipes that carry pollutants. The above description clearly illustrates the superior efficacy of the present invention, which combines the ability to perform a series of functions normally assigned to different apparatuses; the anticorrosive treatment of the buried structures, the verification of the soil and the recovery of said soil. The multifunctional nature of the apparatus does not negatively affect the effectiveness of any of the operations it performs; on the contrary »a synergetic effect between these operations is observed that completes its optimization. It will also be noted that certain substances, such as suitable indicators to be detected by extracted flow analyzers or appropriate nutritive elements to facilitate the biodegradation of contaminants, can be introduced into the injected air within the subsoil. Attention must be paid, in the framework of the high functional efficiency that has been described, to the low installation cost of the present invention, especially if this installation is carried out during the placement of the structures to be protected and at low cost in terms of hand work and energy consumption. Attention should also be paid to the probes introduced into the ground, which in the known embodiment adopted for example in probes 9 and 10, consisting simply of a slotted tube, have the unfavorable characteristic of not allowing any functional flexibility since their Configuration can not be changed at all. Figure 2 shows a probe »according to the present invention, which when introduced into the ground allows certain variations of its working characteristics. With reference to the previous figure, the reference number 20 designates the outer tubular jacket, provided in its entire wall with through holes such as 21"22 and is configured, at the end where it has to be coupled inside the manhole, as plug joint 23. which allows connection to a fluid transport conduit.

The element described now refers substantially to a conventional probe. An important feature of the present invention is the presence of the tubular core 24. with a compact wall without holes and shorter than the jacket 20. The core 24 is slidably fitted to the inner surface of the sleeve 20 »with an adjustment that allows a forced sliding adjustment as a consequence of the action applied by the operator to the coupling of means, such as an upward traction or a downward thrust applied by a rod in contact with a fixed bar 25 at the upper end of the core; and because of the friction that occurs between the mutually contacting surfaces of the sleeve and the core, said core remains locked in any position that is placed on it. Said core »at its lower end» has a threaded part 2S for fixing a closing plug »useful if it is convenient, for example, to insulate the upper part of the probe from the lower part» placed in a zone flooded with water. Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the functional flexibility of the present invention in the case of probes 27 and 28 located close to a buried tank 29 »for the purpose of injecting air into the ground and the vicinity of the tank» for the dual purpose of keep said floor ventilated and dehumidified »and in order to preserve the metal plates against corrosion and continuously check the condition of the soil. The use of probes according to the present invention allows the air flow in the soil to be changed very quickly and conveniently between the injector probe 27 and the extractor probe 28 from the situation shown in FIG. 3 to that shown in FIG. 4. In the case of figure 3 »the flow is determined by placing in the two probes, the corresponding cores in the highest position» so that the holes in the jacket located in the lower zone remain open »and to change to the circulation represented in Figure 4 will suffice to lower the core of the probe 27 »thus releasing the holes in the upper area of the sleeve» as long as the position of the core of the probe 28 remains unchanged. The combinations that can be obtained by placing the core of the probes in positions different "including intermediate, are naturally innumerable" allowing therefore certain specific choices depending on the morphology of the soil affected by the treatment; this fact may also be important in order to optimize the conditions for injecting substances into the soil such as water or nutritious liquids added to the air. The invention described is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of its inventive concept. Thus, for example, it is possible to heat the inlet air to increase the efficiency of the treatment and to reduce the thermal storage for storage in the case of fuel tanks; especially, this heating action can be controlled by means of a thermostat to obtain certainly air at a temperature higher than that of the floor. This additional condition makes the flow generation method described above especially effective. The tubular core of the probe, according to the present invention, can also be provided with means of any kind that allow it to be moved inside the sleeve and placed in a desired position. In the practical embodiment of the present invention, all the details can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements; the materials used as well as their forms and measures »can also be as required to meet the required requirements. When the technical features cited in any rei indication are followed by reference numbers "these reference numbers have included for the sole purpose of making the claims more intelligible and therefore, these reference numbers have no limiting effect on the interpretation of each of the elements identified by way of example, by said reference numbers.

Claims (12)

NOVELTY OF THE INVIVENTION REIVIN XCAGIQ ES

1. - An apparatus for treating the ground in the vicinity of buried structures »characterized in that it comprises a plurality of probes (2.3, 4.9» 10 »27.28) that are introduced into the subsoil and connected to a control unit provided wmeans ( 6 »7» 8 »14) to generate a flow of dry air inside the ground, said probes being placed so that the generated air flow licks all the surfaces of said buried structures (1).

2. An apparatus according to the re-indication 1 »characterized in that it comprises means for heating the dry air.

3. An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plurality of probes (2 »3» 4 »9» 10, 27.28) is divided into two sets; a set of probes (2.3,4.27) to inject air flow from above and a set (9,10,28) to extract air flow from below.

4. An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims »characterized in that the set of extractor probes (9» 10 »28) is connected to the control unit by at least one duct (11) comprising at least» ones means (14) for detecting the characteristics of the extracted flow.

5. An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims "characterized in that at least one conduit (11) for connecting the control unit to the extractor probes (9.10.28) comprises means for analyzing the composition of the flow.

6. An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one conduit (11) for connecting the control unit to the extractor probes (9, 10, 28) comprises means for detecting the temperature of the flow.

7. An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one conduit (11) for connecting the control unit to the extractor probes (9.10.28) comprises means for detecting the humidity of the flow.

8. An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the set of probes (2.3.4.27) for injecting the flow is connected to the control unit by means of "at least" a conduit (5) comprising means (6) for introducing different substances »such as indicators or nutritional liquids.

9. An apparatus according to one or more of the above indications "especially for treating the soil next to a buried deposit (1). characterized in that the injector probes (2,3,4) are introduced in the soil in a position on the tank and the extractor probes (9,10) suitable for removing the flow created by the injector probes (2 »3» 4) are introduced in a position located below said tank (1).

10. An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a probe (27, 28) comprises an outer tubular jacket (20), provided wthrough holes (22) throughout its wall »and a tubular core ( 24) wcompact wall and shorter than the outer jacket (20). said core (24) being slidably fitted wthe inner surface of said sleeve (20) and wcoupling means (25) allowing its placement in any desired position.

11. An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tubular core (24) of the probe (27.28) is related to the inner surface of the perforated sleeve (20) and wa fit that allows an adjustment forced sliding followed by an action applied to it, in the coupling means (25).

12. An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a plug for closing the lower end (26) of the tubular core (24) of the probe (27, 28).