Granted Patent B2

US 12,485,464 · App. 18/222,055 · Granted Dec 2, 2025

Inventor: Delaney Lewis (Downsville, LA)

Assignee: Watershed Geosynthetics LLC

B09B1/006

Abstract

Claims (33)

1 . A shallow gas well, such as for use at landfills and the like of the type having a gas-producing waste pile, the shallow gas well comprising:

a lower geocomposite positioned over the gas-producing waste pile;

a protective layer of soil positioned over the lower geocomposite;

an upper geocomposite positioned over the protective layer of soil such that the protective layer of soil is positioned between the lower and upper geocomposites;

an impermeable geomembrane positioned over the upper geocomposite; and

a shallow gas well collector positioned within the protective layer of soil and comprising:

a non-perforated outer pipe extending generally from the lower geocomposite toward the upper geocomposite;

a perforated inner pipe positioned within and extending within the non-perforated outer pipe and together with the non-perforated outer pipe defining a space between the two pipes;

a quantity of gravel-like material positioned within the space between the perforated inner pipe and the non-perforated outer pipe; and

a transport conduit extending beneath the geomembrane and not extending through the membrane for transporting gas produced by the waste pile and collected through the gravel-like material and into and through the perforated inner pipe of the shallow gas well collector.

2 . A shallow gas well as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a perforated gas collector positioned within the perforated inner pipe and connected in fluid communication with the transport conduit.

3 . A shallow gas well as claimed in claim 2 wherein the perforated gas collector is capped at a lower end thereof with a cap and wherein the cap includes a drain to allow condensate to drain out of the perforated gas collector.

4 . A shallow gas well as claimed in claim 1 wherein the gravel-like material comprises gravel.

5 . A shallow gas well as claimed in claim 1 wherein the gravel-like material comprises shredded rubber.

6 . A shallow gas well as claimed in claim 1 wherein the transport conduit comprises round pipe.

7 . A shallow gas well as claimed in claim 1 wherein the transport conduit comprises a low-profile, short, flat conduit which is much wider than it is tall.

8 . A collection grid of shallow gas wells for use at landfills and the like of the type having a gas-producing waste pile, the shallow gas wells being connected to one another in fluid communication and each comprising:

a lower geocomposite positioned over the gas-producing waste pile;

a protective layer of soil positioned over the lower geocomposite;

an upper geocomposite positioned over the protective layer of soil such that the protective layer of soil is positioned between the lower and upper geocomposites;

an impermeable geomembrane positioned over the upper geocomposite; and

a shallow gas well collector positioned within the protective layer of soil and comprising:

a non-perforated outer pipe extending generally from the lower geocomposite toward the upper geocomposite;

a perforated inner pipe positioned within and extending within the non-perforated outer pipe and together with the non-perforated outer pipe defining a space between the two pipes;

a quantity of gravel-like material positioned within the space between the perforated inner pipe and the non-perforated outer pipe; and

a transport conduit extending beneath the geomembrane and not extending through the membrane for transporting gas produced by the waste pile and collected through the gravel-like material and into and through the perforated inner pipe of the shallow gas well collector.

9 . A collection grid of shallow gas wells as claimed in claim 8 wherein the shallow gas wells each further comprises a perforated gas collector positioned within the perforated inner pipe and connected in fluid communication with the transport conduit.

10 . A collection grid of shallow gas wells as claimed in claim 8 wherein the shallow gas wells each is capped at a lower end of the perforated gas collector with a cap and wherein the cap includes a drain to allow condensate to drain out of the perforated gas collector.

11 . A collection grid of shallow gas wells as claimed in claim 8 wherein the gravel-like material in the shallow gas wells comprises gravel.

12 . A collection grid of shallow gas wells as claimed in claim 8 wherein the gravel-like material in the shallow gas wells comprises shredded rubber.

13 . A collection grid of shallow gas wells as claimed in claim 8 wherein the transport conduits comprise round pipe.

14 . A collection grid of shallow gas wells as claimed in claim 8 wherein the transport conduits comprise low-profile, short, flat conduits which are much wider than tall.

15 . A collection grid of shallow gas wells as claimed in claim 8 wherein the transport conduits comprise mixture of round pipes and low-profile, short, flat conduits which are much wider than they are tall.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (78)