Optimal flow rates and well locations for soil vapor extraction design

A mixed-integer programming model to determine the optimum number of wells, their locations and pumping rates for soil vapor extraction (SVE) is developed by coupling an air flow simulation model (AIR3D) to the GAMS optimization software. The model was tested for sensitivity of the vertical discretization of the domain, the number of potential well locations, the number of constraints, and the screen length of the wells. It was shown that these variables affected the optimal solution. It was also shown that the installation costs of the wells in the model influenced the optimal design. This was demonstrated by comparing the results of the mixed-integer programming model to a linear programming model in which the installation costs of the wells were neglected. The mixed-integer programming model could be useful in the design process in cases of short remediation times when the installation costs of wells could be significant. Numerous test cases with results are presented to demonstrate the applicability and usefulness of the model.