Devices and Methods for Measuring Subsurface Thermal Flux and Estimating Subsurface Reactive Material Flux

Abstract

Devices and methods for measuring subsurface thermal fluxes and for estimating a rate of change in the amount of a reactive material within a subsurface formation using the measured thermal fluxes are described herein. The methods of measuring subsurface thermal fluxes may use at least one array of temperature sensors distributed along a vertical transect projecting from the surface and into the subsurface of a region of interest. Methods of estimating a rate of change in the amount of a reactive material within a portion of the region of interest based on perturbations of the thermal profile within the subsurface due to an endothermic or exothermic degradation of the reactive material within the portion of the region of interest are also described herein.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A subsurface thermal monitoring system for detecting a rate of change of an amount of a subject organic material within a subsurface formation, wherein the subject organic material undergoes an endothermic reaction or an exothermic reaction within the subsurface formation, the system comprising:
 a. at least one thermal monitoring device comprising at least one of a temperature sensor or a thermal gradient sensor to measure at least one thermal parameter from at least one position within the subsurface formation;   b. a data storage device configured to receive and record the at least one thermal parameter, wherein the data logger is operatively connected to each of the at least one thermal monitoring device;   c. a processor that receives data from the data storage device and that calculates at least one corrected thermal parameter based on the stored data by subtracting the effects of non-subject material-related energy sources or sinks either from a one thermal parameter rule or with an acquisition of sufficient data or modeling of sufficient data to negate the effects of non-subject material-related energy sources or sinks; and   d. a power supply operatively connected to the at least one thermal monitoring device and to the data logger.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising a cellular digital modem and/or radio configured to transmit the at least one thermal parameter to a remote computing device and to transmit one or more control signals used to operate the data logger, the power supply, and the at least one thermal monitoring device, wherein the cellular digital modem and/or radio is operatively connected to the power supply, to the at least one thermal monitoring device, and to the data logger. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one thermal monitoring device comprises a plurality of temperature sensors configured to measure a plurality of site temperatures within vertical positions along a vertical transect passing through the subsurface formation. 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the processor calculates a net rate of energy change produced by an endothermic reaction or an exothermic reaction of the organic material within the subsurface formation by combining the one or more energy fluxes. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the processor calculates the net rate of energy change into a rate of change of an amount of the organic material according to a reaction rule representing the endothermic reaction or the exothermic reaction of the organic material within the subsurface formation. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising wherein the non-subject material-related energy sources or sinks includes an energy source or sink that reflects a background temperature and calculates one or more energy fluxes using the at least one corrected thermal parameter according to a plurality of energy transfer rules. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising reaction rate estimation that calculates the rate of change of an amount of the subject organic material by establishing temperature gradients from the subsurface formation, and time integrated thermal heat flux of the subsurface formation over a temporal cycle. 
     
     
         29 . A subsurface thermal monitoring system for detecting a rate of change of an amount of a subject organic material within a subsurface formation, wherein the subject organic material undergoes an unknown endothermic reaction or an exothermic reaction within the subsurface formation, the system comprising:
 a. at least one thermal monitoring device comprising at least one temperature sensor or a thermal gradient sensor to measure at least one thermal parameter from at least one position within the subsurface formation;   b. a data logger configured to receive and record the at least one thermal parameter, wherein the data logger is operatively connected to each of the at least one thermal monitoring device and a processor; and   c. the processor that calculates at least one corrected thermal parameter based on the logged data by negating the effects of non-subject material-related energy sources or sinks from the one thermal parameter using the at least one corrected thermal parameter according to a plurality of energy transfer rules by modeling, or by acquisition of sufficient long-term data that negate the effects of non-subject material-related energy sources or sink.   
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29  further comprising a representation of the rate of change of an amount of the subject organic material based on one or more reaction rules representing the endothermic or exothermic reaction of the organic material within the subsurface formation. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the representation is a display of a site remedy for remediation of the subsurface formation based on the rate of change of the amount of the organic material determined by the thermal measurements. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 29 , further comprising wherein the non-subject material-related energy sources or sinks includes an energy source or sink that reflects a background temperature and calculates one or more energy fluxes using the at least one corrected thermal parameter according to a plurality of energy transfer rules or long period of data acquisition. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 29 , further comprising subtracting the temperature effects of non-subject material-related energy sources or sinks from the one thermal parameter. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 29 , further comprising a model for estimating biodegradation of the subject organic material in the subsurface formation. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 29 , further comprising calculation of corrected thermal parameter without performing a background correction using sensed temperatures or with the acquisition of sufficient data to negate the effects of non-subject material-related energy sources or sinks. 
     
     
         36 . A subsurface thermal monitoring system for detecting a rate of change of an amount of a subject organic material within a subsurface formation, wherein the subject organic material undergoes an unknown endothermic reaction or an exothermic reaction within the subsurface formation, the system comprising:
 a. at least one thermal monitoring device comprising at least one of a temperature sensor or a thermal gradient sensor to measure one or more thermal parameters from one or more positions within the subsurface formation;   b. a data storage device configured to receive and record the one or more thermal parameters, wherein the data storage device is operatively connected to each of the at least one thermal monitoring device and a processor; and   c. where the processor calculates at least one corrected thermal parameter based on the stored data by calculating a thermal gradient from the stored data or modeling and establishes a time integrated heat flux in the subsurface formation using heat flux over time and determining the unknown endothermic or the exothermic rate of reaction of the subject organic material.   
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 35 , further comprising one corrected thermal parameter based on the stored data by subtracting the effects of non-subject material-related energy sources or sinks from the one thermal parameter. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 36 , further comprising wherein the non-subject material-related energy sources or sinks includes an energy source or sink that reflects a background temperature and calculates one or more energy fluxes using the at least one corrected thermal parameter according to a plurality of energy transfer rules. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the processor calculates a net rate of energy change produced by an endothermic reaction or an exothermic reaction of the organic material within the subsurface formation by combining one or more energy fluxes. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 35 , further comprising a cellular digital modem and/or radio configured to transmit the at least one thermal parameter to a remote computing device and to transmit one or more control signals used to operate the data storage device. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 35 , further comprising display of a site remediation plan based on the time integrated heat flux.