Program
All Presentations (pdf)

Monday
8:15 Brent Means
10:10 James J. Gusek
12:40 Jonathan M. Dietz
2:15 Kimberly R. Weaver
4:00 Brent Means

Tuesday
8:45 Robert Kleinmann
9:15 Brent Means
9:30 James J. Gusek
10:00 Glenn C. Miller
10:30 Linda Ann Figueroa
12:40 Art Rose
1:10 Charles A. Cravotta III
1:40 Danielle M C Huminicki
2:50 Bernard Aube
3:20 Timothy K. Tsukamoto
3:50 Bradley R. Shultz
4:20 Kimberly R. Weaver

Wednesday
8:00 Linda Ann Figueroa
8:30 John Senko
9:00 Song Jin
10:10 Jonathan M. Dietz
10:40 Daryle H. Fish
12:40 John Chermak
1:10 Griff Wyatt
1:40 Dan Mueller
2:50 Sean C. Muller
3:20 Jack Adams
3:50 Roger Bason
3:50 Mark B. Carew

Thursday
8:00 Rep. John E. Peterson
8:30 Scott Sibley
9:00 Charles A. Cravotta III
9:30 Michael R. Silsbee
10:30 Lykourgos Iordanidis
11:00 Mark Conedera
11:30 Barry Scheetz
1:25 William Benusa
1:55 Mike Sawayda
2:25 Susan J. Tewalt
3:25 Robert S. Hedin
3:55 Chad J. Penn
4:25 Ron Neufeld

Acelerated Ferrous Oxidation with a Multiple Oriface Spray Reactor

Author(s)

Dr. Ronald D. Neufeld, P.E., DEE
University of Pittsburgh
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
412-624-9874
neufeld@engr.pitt.edu

Daniel Klein (graduate student)
University of Pittsburgh
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineernig
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
412-624-9874

John Citrone,
PPC Corporation
PO Box 1966
Cranberry Twp, PA 16066
412-901-7341
jec4mhb@aol.com

Abstract

This project focuses on an innovative active treatment technique for the management of acid mine drainage. Wet lands, lagoons and other passive systems are quite suitable for many abandoned mine applications or locations with large land space. However, numerous AMD discharges exist where active systems must be employed. Such sites include mine mouth applications, and underground mine pools from recently abandoned formerly active mine sites that are predicted to have “water blow outs” (and become new AMD discharges) in the next few years. In addition, some AMD sites are generators of potentially valuable quantities of relatively pure metals which can be reclaimed and marketed if managed suitably. A bench scale experiment using a multiple orifice spray reactor (MOSR) is investigated as a potential remediation technology for the rapid oxidation of ferrous iron from the St. Michaels (PA) acidic mine discharge. The MOSR makes use of flow through multiple orifices to enhance aqueous aeration and oxidation rates. The reactor consists of two concentric cylinders, the inner cylinder having a series of orifices which act in a manner similar to a venturi. In this fashion neutralization and aeration are combined into a single step due to the aspiration of air as a result of a pressure gradient across the reactor which allows for the introduction of an alkaline agent into a reaction chamber with detention time of seconds. Results show ferrous iron oxidation rates at pH values between 6 and 7 can be increased by four orders of magnitude as compared to theoretical oxidation rates. Under certain conditions the MOSR oxidizes more ferrous iron than can be simply attributed to the measured oxygen transfer capabilities of the system. It is suggested that the oxidation capability in excess of oxygen transfer is due to, or initiated by, the chemical effects of hydrodynamic cavitation. In addition, a relatively pure iron hydroxide product is rapidly generated from the St. Michaels AMD discharge which has reclamation potential. Field Applications of the MOSR: PPC Corporation has demonstrated the “Turbojett”, a field scale prototype version of the OSR at several abandoned AMD sites at the 200 gpm to 400 gpm scale. Knowledge gained at the bench scale is being used by PPC to enhance future applications of multiple orifice type aerator-oxidizers.

Presentation

Biography

Dr. Ronald D. Neufeld is Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh where he teaches and conducts research in the area of biological and physical/chemical processes for water and wastewater management. Dr. Neufeld holds a BE (Ch.E.) from Cooper Union; a MS (Ch.E.) from Northwestern University; and a Ph.D. in Civil/Environmental Engineering from Northwestern University. Dr. Neufeld is a registered engineer in Pennsylvania and holds Diplomate certification from the American Academy of Environmental Engineers. He has over 100 Journal publications and technical contributions to the environmental engineering literature.