Electrode design for soil decontamination with radio-frequency heating

Radio-frequency heating to enhance soil decontamination requires adjusted solutions for the electrode design depending on scale and remediation technique. Parallel plate electrodes provide widely homogeneous field and temperature distributions and are, therefore, most suitable for supporting biodegradation processes. For thermally enhanced soil vapor extraction, certain temperature gradients can be accepted and, therefore, the less-demanding geometry of rod-shaped electrodes is usually applied. For electrode lengths of some meters, a design with an air gap has to be used in order to focus heating to the desired depth. Perforated rod electrodes may be simultaneously employed as extraction wells. Placing an oxidation catalyst in situ within the electrodes is an option for handling of highly loaded air flows. Coaxial antenna may be utilized to selectively heat soil compartments far from the surface of the soil.