Andrew James Coleman

US Patent:

7393689, Jul 1, 2008

Filed:

Jan 27, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/766497

Inventors:

Horace Keith Moo-Young - Breinigsville PA, US
Derick Gerdts Brown - Bethlehem PA, US
Andrew J. Coleman - San Francisco CA, US

Assignee:

Lehigh University - Bethlehem PA

International Classification:

G01N 33/24

US Classification:

436 31, 7315218, 436 27, 436 28, 436 29, 436139, 436140

Abstract:

The present invention provides a method and apparatus or system for determining an amount of coal tar that can enter, and subsequently be displaced from, a given type of soil for a range of depths of the soil. The method and apparatus also provide verification of the pressure at which coal tar can be displaced from a given type of soil. In particular, the method and apparatus simulate the hydrostatic pressure that a soil sample encounters in the subsurface of the ground. Accordingly, the method and apparatus provide a relationship between the concentration of coal tar in the soil and the pressure required to displace the coal tar from the soil, which allows for an estimation of the amount of coal tar that may be displaced at a particular location or site. Further, the method and apparatus are adaptable for use in the laboratory or the field.