Water 2018, 10(10), 1288; https://doi.org/10.3390/w10101288
Coupled Thermally-Enhanced Bioremediation and Renewable Energy Storage System: Conceptual Framework and Modeling Investigation
1
Department of Environmental Resources Engineering, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA 95521, USA
2
Department of Civil Engineering, the University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
3
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 7 July 2018 / Revised: 4 September 2018 / Accepted: 16 September 2018 / Published: 20 September 2018
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Groundwater Contamination and Remediation)
Abstract
This paper presents a novel method to couple an environmental bioremediation system with a subsurface renewable energy storage system. This method involves treating unsaturated contaminated soil using in-situ thermally enhanced bioremediation; the thermal system is powered by renewable energy. After remediation goals are achieved, the thermal system can then be used to store renewable energy in the form of heat in the subsurface for later use. This method can be used for enhanced treatment of environmental pollutants for which temperature is considered a limiting factor. For instance, this system can be used at a wide variety of petroleum-related sites that are likely contaminated with hydrocarbons such as oil refineries and facilities with above- and underground storage tanks. In this paper, a case-study example was analyzed using a previously developed numerical model of heat transfer in unsaturated soil. Results demonstrate that coupling energy storage and thermally-enhanced bioremediation systems offer an efficient and sustainable way to achieve desired temperature–moisture distribution in soil that will ultimately enhance the microbial activity. View Full-TextKeywords:
thermally enhanced bioremediation; renewable energy storage; sustainability; heat and mass transfer in unsaturated soil
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MDPI and ACS Style
Moradi, A.; M. Smits, K.; O. Sharp, J. Coupled Thermally-Enhanced Bioremediation and Renewable Energy Storage System: Conceptual Framework and Modeling Investigation. Water 2018, 10, 1288.
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