Desenvolvimento de software para projeto e simulação da operação de uma unidade de remediação de águas subterrâneas contaminadas por BTEX.

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2007

RESUMO

Groundwater contamination has become a serious environmental problem nowadays. Among the different sources of contamination, leaking from tanks of fuel storage, mainly from fuel stations, is one of the most hazardous, due to the presence of toxic compounds as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEXs). Among the 35.585 fuel stations in Brazil, 51% have old storage tanks, made of steel without protection against corrosion. 41,5% of the tanks have more than 10 years, 14,2% more than 20, and many more than 25 years. In this work, remediation units (RU) of groundwater polluted by BTEX are focused using process systems engineering techniques, typically applied in chemical plants design. A user-friendly software, in Microsoft Excel, is presented, which may be applied for the synthesis and analysis of those processes. This software may be of help for the project of the RU, as well as for its monitoring. As a case study, the remediation of contaminants from fuels tanks using the MPE system (Multi-Phase Extraction) is focused. Typical equipments in this RU are: stripping columns, liquid-gas separators, adsorption units (carbon activated beds and drying material) and water-oil separators. Short-cut mathematical models of the equipments were implemented. Nevertheless, the modular structure of the software facilitates its updating with more complex models. Simulations were run, using BTEX concentration data of a real-world case. The consistency of the simulations was assessed, and the calculations of the stripping column were validated using the commercial simulator Aspen Plus Technol.

ASSUNTO(S)

btex (benzeno, tolueno, etilbenzeno e xilenos totais) remediação in situ coluna - esgotamento engenharia quimica engenharia química

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

Documentos Relacionados