Three-dimensional model of heat transport during In Situ Vitrification with melting and cool down

A potential technology for permanent remediation of buried wastes is the In Situ Vitrification (ISV) process. This process uses electrical resistance heating to melt waste and contaminated soil in place to produce a durable, glasslike material that encapsulates and immobilizes buried wastes. The magnitude of the resulting electrical resistance heating is sufficient to cause soil melting. As the molten region grows, surface heat losses cause the soil near the surface to re solidify. This paper presents numerical results obtained by considering heat transport and melting when solving the conservation of mass and energy equations using finite element methods. A local heat source is calculated by solving the electric field equation and calculating a Joule Heat source term. The model considered is a three-dimensional model of the electrodes and surrounding soil. Also included in the model is subsidence; where the surface of the melted soil subsides due to the change in density when the soil melts. A power vs. time profile is implemented for typical ISV experiments. The model agrees well with experimental data for melt volume and melt shape