Mathematical Formulation of Bioventing Optimal Design Strategies

Bioventing is a technology used to abate the presence of pollutants in the subsoil. Microorganisms biodegrade the pollutant but the biochemical reaction requires oxygen and so an airflow is induced in the subsoil by means of injection and/or extraction wells. Costs, final result and decontamination time are reliant on contaminant type, soil permeability and several other factors, but oxygen subsoil concentration plays a very important role. For this reason a rational choice of well locations and flow rates is required. The mathematical definition of the optimal design problem will be set-up starting from a simplified mathematical model describing the bioventing system. A formal definition of decontaminated subsoil will be given and the set of system control variables will be identified. Optimization strategies such as cost minimization and time optimization will be mathematically described.