Remediation Mat With Plate Subsystem For Sediment Penetration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Waterways contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other pollutants settle in pore water and sediment, requiring effective remediation methods to extract these contaminants.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a flexible liner with pore water and sediment-penetrating chambers anchored to the liner, utilizing a plate subsystem to apply impact forces for chamber penetration and solvent absorption to extract contaminants from pore water and sediment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional remediation methods are used to extract contaminants from pore water and sediment, then the extraction process is simple, but the extraction efficiency and decontamination level are insufficient to meet regulatory standards
Solution Approach 1:
The remediation system is divided into multiple functional modules: a delivery system for deployment, a plate subsystem for force application, and multiple independently anchored chambers for contaminant extraction. Each chamber can operate independently while contributing to the overall decontamination effort, allowing the system to achieve high extraction efficiency through modular segmentation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from surface-level contamination treatment to subsurface pore water and sediment treatment by penetrating below the liner into the sediment layer. This dimensional deepening enables the system to access and treat contaminants that traditional surface methods cannot reach, significantly improving decontamination levels.
2Ease of operation
If the mat assembly is designed to be easily installed and removed, then the ease of operation is improved, but the ability to penetrate and extract contaminants from deep sediment is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The chambers are pre-configured with lids and containers before deployment. The plate subsystem is pre-designed with plate holes aligned to receive impact forces and translate them into driving forces. This preliminary configuration allows for easy installation while ensuring sufficient penetration force is automatically applied during the deployment process.
Solution Approach 2:
The plate subsystem acts as an intermediary between the delivery system and the chambers. It receives impact forces from the delivery system and translates them into controlled driving forces applied to the chamber lids, enabling easy installation without requiring direct manual penetration force application.
3Productivity
If the system uses multiple anchored chambers to increase extraction capacity, then the productivity is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses multiple identical or similar chambers anchored to the liner, each capable of independent operation. This segmentation allows the system to scale extraction capacity by simply adding more standardized units rather than designing complex integrated systems, thereby improving productivity while controlling complexity through modularity.
Solution Approach 2:
Each chamber is designed as a universal unit that can extract contaminants from pore water and sediment, and all chambers share common attachment points on the liner and common interaction with the plate subsystem. This universality allows multiple chambers to be deployed without proportionally increasing overall system complexity, as each unit performs the same function.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively extracts polychlorinated biphenyls and other contaminants from pore water and sediment, achieving decontamination levels compliant with regulatory standards, such as the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements.
Implementation Method 1
The plate subsystem is configured to have the mat assembly removable attached thereunder, receive impact forces from a delivery system, translate the received impact forces into a driving force applied simultaneously to tops of the lids of all the pore water and sediment-penetrating chambers under the plate subsystem to cause penetration of the containers into underlying the pore water and the sediment
Implementation Method 2
The method includes extracting contaminants solubilized with at least one solvent from the pore water and the sediment using the environmental remediation system embedded in the pore water and the sediment during a treatment period
Data Source
AI summary
An environmental remediation system includes a contaminate treatment mat assembly to extract contaminates in pore water and sediment. The mat assembly includes a flexible liner and pore water and sediment-penetrating chambers individually anchored to the flexible liner. The anchored chambers include lids that are positioned above the liner and containers below the liner. The system includes a plate subsystem including plate holes. The plate subsystem is configured to have the mat assembly removable attached thereunder, absorb impact forces from a delivery system, translate the impact forces into a driving force applied simultaneously to tops of the lids of all the pore water and sediment-penetrating chambers under the plate subsystem to cause penetration of the containers into underlying pore water and sediment, and simultaneously displace fluid through liner holes of the liner and the plate holes. A method for environmental remediating using the system is also provided.