Location
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Start Date
14-5-2024 1:30 PM
End Date
14-5-2024 2:00 PM
Description
A newly patented method for removing total dissolved solids (TDS) from groundwater has been developed at HDR. This method, called ‘wicking wells’, uses capillary media positioned to be just touching the water table in a purpose-designed well. The well taps the most contaminated groundwater, focusing on the highest TDS. The capillary media wicks the water to above the water table where heated dry air is passed across the media to evaporate the water. The newly-moistened air is exhausted to the atmosphere and any dissolved solids will precipitate and be captured on the capillary media. In this way, the most onerous water is removed from the groundwater reducing the constituent load downgradient. Once the media’s capacity to hold solids is expended, it is retrieved and disposed of as a solid (not a brine or sludge). Some of the constituents that are captured could be valuable resources, such as lithium or rare earth elements. Because different solutes have different solubilities, these constituents may differentially precipitate on the media allowing further isolation of specific constituents increasing recovery efficiency. This WOCA presentation and proceedings paper discuss going from idea to prototype, bench-scale testing using prototype, and the acquisition of a patent for the process.
Document Type
Presentation
Paper_Wicking wells, a new novel method to remediate dissolved solids in groundwater
Grand Rapids, Michigan
A newly patented method for removing total dissolved solids (TDS) from groundwater has been developed at HDR. This method, called ‘wicking wells’, uses capillary media positioned to be just touching the water table in a purpose-designed well. The well taps the most contaminated groundwater, focusing on the highest TDS. The capillary media wicks the water to above the water table where heated dry air is passed across the media to evaporate the water. The newly-moistened air is exhausted to the atmosphere and any dissolved solids will precipitate and be captured on the capillary media. In this way, the most onerous water is removed from the groundwater reducing the constituent load downgradient. Once the media’s capacity to hold solids is expended, it is retrieved and disposed of as a solid (not a brine or sludge). Some of the constituents that are captured could be valuable resources, such as lithium or rare earth elements. Because different solutes have different solubilities, these constituents may differentially precipitate on the media allowing further isolation of specific constituents increasing recovery efficiency. This WOCA presentation and proceedings paper discuss going from idea to prototype, bench-scale testing using prototype, and the acquisition of a patent for the process.
