Effects of air-injection pressure on airflow pattern of air sparging

Air sparging is a remediation technology for treating soil/groundwater contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOC removal during air rendered less effective because of the random formation channels, creating preferential paths airflow, thus limiting to these referred as zone influence (ZOI). Pulsation popular method used improve effectiveness through cyclic operation, hope that channels would form elsewhere. makes more time-consuming. This paper studies effects one cycle pulsation and pressure on airflow pattern presents laboratory study investigated initial further increases in injected air’s within glass-bead medium analogous soil. Digital images patterns were collected; show larger radius (ROI) ZOI due air-pressure increase, particularly when higher overburden (i.e. stress partially saturated layer top soil-simulant layer) exists above water-saturated zone. Further seem have no measurable effect ROI shape ZOI.