BaroBall™ Control Valve

easy, inexpensive soil vapor extraction

BaroBall™ Control Valve
Barometric pumping is a remediation technique that removes volatile contaminants from soil in the vadose zone. The BaroBall valve allows natural soil gas to flow out of an underground well, while restricting air flow from the surface into the well.

Market Assessment
This simple and elegant design can be
used at sites where volatile substances
such as chlorinated solvents and petroleum products have contaminated the vadose zone. In addition to removing contaminants, the BaroBall valve also can be configured to inject air and/or nutrients into the subsurface to enhance bioremediation, to control the movement of a subsurface gas-phase plume, or to passively transfer solar-heated, water-saturated air into the subsurface to enhance volatilization.

Patent Status
U.S. Patent Nos. 5,641,245 and 6,425,298 and Canadian Patent No. 2,221,770 have been issued on this invention.

Stage of Development
BaroBall valves are in use at more than 30 sites, including sites in the U.S., Canada and Denmark.

Contact
John H. Olschon, Licensing Associate
(803) 725-8125
john.olschon@srnl.doe.gov

For More Information
See tech brief.