McMillan-McGee Corp.

Published purpose

Develop a high performance heater for in situ remediation of volatile and semi-volatile organic chemicals. The heater consists of a steel pipe fitted on the inside with an electrically conducting helix that extends from ground surface to the bottom of contamination. The purpose of the pipe is to transfer heat to the soil. The pipe is heated by converting electrical energy to heat. This is accomplished by inducing eddy currents in a thin section of the pipe's inner surface by passing high frequency alternating current through the conductive helix. Initial prototypes indicate performance of 3-4 times currently available heaters, resulting in faster, cheaper, and more sustainable remediation.