Flexible Liner Underground Technologies
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- FLUTe - Benefit of FLUTe Liners
Benefits of Using FLUTe Liners 1) Provide a continuous seal of a borehole or pipe, and prevent migration of formation fluids through the open hole. No sealing grouts or bentonite seals are needed. 2) Quickly map borehole transmissivity and vertical head distributions while displacing the borehole water. Equivalent to conducting packer testing on a 6" to 12" scale with higher resolution and no issues of leakage or packer bypass. 3) Map contaminant distribution in the pure phase (NAPL FLUTe ) and dissolved phase (FACT) . 4) Collect multiple discrete groundwater samples directly from the formation via a positive displacement gas driven sampling liner (Water FLUTe ) and a peristaltic pump driven liner (Shallow Water FLUTe ). 5) Reduce cost and field time for the client while delivering high resolution data. 6) Carry many useful devices such as tubing, instruments, absorbers, reactive covers, etc. into place in the borehole while maintaining a continuous seal of the borehole. 7) Support the borehole wall against slough and collapse. 8) Custom fabricated to meet demands of many different diameters and materials for many applications. 9) Propagate through tortuous passages of varying diameters inaccessible to rigid piping or push rods. 10) Warrantied and fully removable without the liner touching any other portion of the borehole wall.
- FLUTe - Frequently Asked Questions
FLUTe Frequently Asked Questions Blank Liner FACT NAPL FLUTe Transmissivity Profile Water FLUTe SPACER SPACER
- FLUTe - A Guide To FLUTe Products
A Guide to FLUTe Products Sealing Open Boreholes FLUTe Blank Liner The FLUTe blank liner is a fully removable solution for sealing fracture flows in open boreholes to prevent cross contamination. Mapping The NAPL Contaminants NAPL FLUTe The NAPL FLUTe is a NAPL reactive cover for the blank FLUTe liner that is deployed in open boreholes and through GeoProbe Rods. After 30 minutes, remove the liner from the borehole and measure to the stains to identify the location of free product. FACT (FLUTe Activated Carbon Technique) The FACT is a strip of activated carbon felt that is added to the NAPL FLUTe. The FACT adsorbs contaminants from fracture flows and pore space and after 2 weeks is removed from the well, cut into 6” to 3’ pieces and analyzed Characterizing Formation Flow Paths Transmissivity Profiling Locate flow paths and measure transmissivity with 6" to 12" resolution Reverse Head Profiling Measure the vertical head distribution (5' to 20') Multi-Level Groundwater and Vadose Sampling Systems Vadose FLUTe Shallow Water FLUTe Water FLUTe Vadose Gas Sampling System Groundwater Sampling with Peristaltic Pumping System Groundwater Sampling with Gas Driven Pumping System Cased Hole Sampler Groundwater Sampling with Peristaltic or Gas Driven Pumping System OTHER UNIQUE APPLICATIONS: Augmentation of Horizontal Drilling Development of Boreholes Landfill Monitoring Horizontal Packer Testing and Leak Detection Towing of Logging Tools Cure-In-Place Liners Karst Installations Grouting of Casing in Karst Artesian Well Installations Traversing Lakes and Ponds
- FLUTe - NAPL FLUTe
NAPL FLUTe The NAPL FLUTe system is a reactive cover for the blank FLUTe liner which addresses the problem of locating NAPL free product in the formation. NAPL FLUTes Can Be Installed in the Overburden and Bedrock Via the Following Methods Eversion in Bedrock Wells: The NAPL FLUTe is everted into the borehole on the outside of a blank FLUTe liner. For a detailed PDF on the NAPL FLUTe installation description, click here . Direct Push Installation (As seen in video above): The NAPL FLUTe is compression-wrapped and installed within Geoprobe rods once the terminal depth is reached. The NAPL FLUTe has a tube for water addition, and as water is added to the interior of the liner, the rods are removed in a stepwise fashion. A tether at the surface allows you to pull the liner out of the hole once the reaction time has finished. For a detailed PDF on the installation sequence, click here . How Does the NAPL FLUTe Work? As the liner everts down the borehole, the NAPL FLUTe is hydrophobic. It quickly wicks any NAPL contacted in the fractures or pore space into the cover. When the free product contacts the interior of the NAPL FLUTe, it quickly creates a stain on the cover and dissolved the multi-colored dye stripes. After a short period of time, the NAPL FLUTe and blank liner are removed from the well and the depth of the free product is located by measuring the stain depth with a tape measure. The inverted cover can be placed next to a tape measure to allow the stains to be photographed with the indicated depth in the borehole. The cover can be rolled for storage, but the stains may fade with long exposure. The dye stains are more durable. The oil-on-paper-like stains will disappear. Some of the common stains are shown in the photos on this page. NAPL FLUTe Reactions with Different Contaminants: Different contaminants react differently with the dye stripes located on the outside of the NAPL FLUTe. For a list of tested compounds, click here . Contact with NAPLs such as TCE and PCE dissolves the dye stripes and carries the dye to the interior surface of the cover. The cover material is white and the displacement of the dye to the interior surface. That stain is the indication that the cover has come in contact with a NAPL. The size and location of the stain are indicative of the amount of NAPL present and the nature of the source. Some NAPL materials such as coal tar and creosote are naturally dark colored. When those materials are wicked into the covering, the dark stain appears on both the inside and outside surface of the cover. Other NAPLs such as gasoline and similarly less aggressive solvents will also displace the dye stripes to the inside of the thin cover. Other NAPLs such as coal oil do not displace the dye stripes. However, when absorbed by the cover material, those NAPLs produce a translucent appearance of the cover much like an oil stain on paper. The cover does not absorb water. The cover only reacts to the pure product of the NAPL and does not provide a significant stain if exposed to the dissolved phase. However, the dissolved phase of chlorinated solvents, for long periods, will cause the dye stripes to bleed or produce a light pink cast due to the red stripes. Those stains are not as obvious as the contact with the NAPL. Mapping the Dissolved Phase : FLUTe has a technique called FACT (FLUTe Activated Carbon Technique) which does respond to the dissolved phase of many contaminants. A common practice is to combine the FACT with the NAPL FLUTe cover to map both the NAPL and the distribution of the dissolved phase.
- NAPL FLUTe Procedures | FLUTe
NAPL FLUTe Procedures NAPL FLUTe Installation in Open Boreholes NAPL FLUTe Installation Procedure in GeoProbe Rods Sonic Core NAPL FLUTe Procedure Contaminants that React with NAPL FLUTe
- FLUTe - About
About Our Company FLUTe was founded in 1996 by Carl Keller - Principal Scientist , to apply the unique attributes of inverting/everting flexible liners to underground measurements and other uses. The quality of construction, performance and cost effectiveness of our flexible liner systems are why our clients are highly satisfied with our work. Carl Keller is the recipient of the 1994 R&D 100 Award for his flexible liner patent. The FLUTe designs have gained recognition with the National Ground Water Association Technology Award in 2008 . FLUTe systems have continually evolved and are now used in 12 countries by large corporations, regulatory agencies, and research institutions. FLUTe's unique methods are covered by 30 domestic patents, 13 foreign patents with others pending . FLUTe's main plant and offices are in Velarde, NM with other facilities in Albuquerque, NM and Warminster, PA. FLUTe methods for high resolution underground measurements of many kinds have gained acceptance as superior, or complementary, to traditional methods. A company is only as good as it's staff and we have the best! Our senior staff average over 15 years in the flexible liner business: Lisa Keller Vice President Responsible for the Implementation of the original vision and goals of the company. Oversees the company operations in support of Fabrication Fielding and Office. Mark Sanchez Chief Of Operations/Fabrication Oversight of administrative staff and production staff and coordination of customer orders with production staff, plus maintenance of inventory, and oversight of the Velarde fabrication and test facility. Ian Sharp Chief Of Technology/Fielding Responsible for communicating on all phases of FLUTe technology, methods and best use. Interfaces with customers, regulators, fielding crews, and production staff. Defines schedules of FLUTe's excellent field crews, oversees fielding installations and construction of FLUTe's unique machines. Daniel Schramm East Coast Field Manager Field Trainer; East Coast Point of Contact; Schedules and organizes field mobilizations for the Warminster, PA location. Steve Martinez Production Manager Oversees all liner fabrication, and setting the fabrication schedule. Assures fabrication staff have design specifications and the proper training, maintains quality assurance procedures and records. Lydia Martinez Administrator/Account Manager Administers contracting, accounting services, and human resources. FLUTe International distributers: BRAZIL - Paulo Negrão , Clean Environment Brasil AUSTRALIA - Mike Mercuri , Matrix Drilling PTY LTD SWEDEN- Patrik Nilsson, PhD DIC EurGeol, Rosmarus Enviro "Contact Us" or Call our office at 1-505-852-0128 for more information
- Blank Liner Procedures | FLUTe
Blank Liner Procedures Blank liner installation procedures Whereas FLUTe personnel are most experienced in the installation of blank liners, it has become more common for our customers to install their own blank liners. This is especially convenient for installing sealing liners immediately after a borehole is completed and preferably after the borehole has been well developed, if the natural flow paths in the formation are important to the use of the borehole. Many drilling companies have now gained experience with FLUTe blank liner installations and removals. However, not everyone in each drilling company has the same amount of training and experience. It is important to assure that an experienced individual will be doing the installation or removal. Blank Liner Installation Information: Blank Liner Installation Procedure How Deeply Must a liner be Installed in a Borehole? Maximum Liner Tension and Pressure Limits FLUTe has developed a 55 minute video teaching the proper blank liner installation and removal procedures using FLUTe’s ancillary equipment. A blank liner can be installed directly from the shipping reel, but it requires special care and equipment to remove a blank liner. For a copy of the video, please contact us. If preferred, FLUTe can provide assistance with the installation and removal of blank liners. If there are any uncertainties about an installation or removal, FLUTe should be contacted for guidance. Blank liner use with other borehole measurements It is often convenient for all the boreholes to be completed and sealed with a liner before the geophysical, or other, measurements are performed. A common practice is to complete the drilling and sealing of all the boreholes and to then invite FLUTe to remove a liner for the geophysical measurements while FLUTe then removes a second liner. Then the geophysics crew moves to the second hole while FLUTe preforms the reinstallation of the first liner with a transmissivity profile measurement. FLUTe then removes the third liner, and then reinstalls the second liner, etc... In this manner, both the FLUTe transmissivity profiles and geophysical measurements are done in one mobilization with substantial cost savings. It has been found that the blank liner removal can be helpful to the better development of the borehole. Click here for a number of solutions to risky open borehole development. Another alternative is for the geophysics, and perhaps packer testing, to be done before the borehole is sealed with a liner, but in that case, the boreholes are open longer for cross connecting flow. The above procedures do not conveniently allow for packer testing. If a multi-level system is to be installed, packer testing for contaminant assessment may not be necessary and the time the borehole is open is minimized.
- FLUTe - Liner Mechanics
Liner Mechanics FLUTe liners are delivered to the site on a shipping reel with the liner wound inside out (see "Figure 1"). The open end of the liner is clamped to the wellhead and the liner is then pushed inside the casing a foot or so to create a small pocket. Water is then added to the pocket to a level above the water table of the formation, creating a driving pressure on the bottom end of the liner. The driving pressure (typically 5 to 10 feet of water pressure) allows the liner to propagate down the borehole (eversion), displacing the borehole water into open flow paths and seals the liner firmly to the borehole wall (see "Animation"). Figure 1. Liner on Shipping Reel Figure 2. Water Addition to the liner Animation: Liner Eversion The pressure exerted by the liner on the borehole wall is very strong and seals off all fracture flows in the borehole (see "Video"). The driving pressure needed to evert the liner down the borehole mainly depends on the head of the formation. For high head or artesian conditions, differential pressure can be achieved by the addition of higher density muds to the interior of the liner or by the use of stand pipes and elevated platforms during installation. Video: Liner Sealing Quality Video
- FLUTe - Contact
Contact Us Today To Learn More About FLUTe FLUTe Headquarters and Manufacturing Facility 1091 NM-68 Alcalde, NM 87511 Contact Number: (505) 852 0128 FLUTe East Coast Field Office 835 Nina Way Warminster, PA 18974 Contact Number: (215) 394-5760 FLUTe Albuquerque Field Office 2412 Princeton Drive NE Albuquerque, NM 87107 Contact Number: (505)-883-4032
- FLUTe - What Are FLUTe Liners?
What are FLUTe Liners? FLUTe liners are flexible sleeves of impermeable nylon fabric that are closed on one end. When installed in a well and pressurized with air, water, or mud, the liners seal to the interior of a borehole. Liners can be made of many different strength fabrics and diameters ranging from 2" to 30"+. Liners can be installed in the overburden through sonic casing and direct push and in bedrock by eversion in open boreholes. Applications Seal Open Boreholes Multi-Level Groundwater Sampling Map NAPL Free Product Map Dissolved Phase NAPL Transmissivity Profiling Head Distribution Profiling Unique Applications
- FLUTe - Blank Liner
Sealing a Borehole with Blank Liners How FLUTe Liners Seal a Borehole During the installation process (a process known as eversion), a small everted segment of the liner is placed within the well casing. Water is then added to the interior of the liner to create an annular pocket. The addition of water in the liner to a level above the head of the water in the formation created a driving pressure between the liner's internal pressure and the pressure beneath the liner. The pressure differential is maintained by the addition of water in the liner and thus, the liner continues to propagate down the borehole (Figure 1). The driving pressure needed to evert the liner down the borehole mainly depends on the head of the formation. For high head or artesian conditions, differential pressure can be achieved by the addition of higher density muds to the interior of the liner. As the liner everts, the liner displaces the borehole water into the formation and seals off fractures (Animation). Figure 1. Blank Liner Installation Animation 1. Blank liner eversion, displacing borehole water into the formation Figure 2. DNAPL Confined to an Isolated Fracture Figure 3. DNAPL spread to other fractures as a result of the newly drilled borehole acting as a flow path between otherwise unconnected fractures. Why seal a borehole with a FLUTe Liner? Sealing a borehole after drilling prevents cross contamination. With traditional practice, the borehole is either left open for extended periods of time or as with packer testing, large portions of the borehole are left unsealed. During this time, contamination from one fracture can mobilize vertically within the borehole, adhere to the borehole pore space and flow into other fractures. The following diagrams show how cross connection occurs: Additional Reasons to Install Blank Liners: 1. The liner seals the entire hole where it can be sealed as compared to multiple packers in boreholes. This is especially useful in karst formations. A packer must be placed in an aquitard to be fully effective. 2. The flow in the formation is not perturbed by flow in the open hole. Therefore, measurements of various kinds, such as temperature distribution due to flow in the formation, are more realistic of the natural hydrologic state. 3. Removal of the blank liner can enhance the borehole development as described in the paper Open Hole Well Development Problems . 4. Stabilizing boreholes. The borehole is not likely to collapse on geophysical sondes which can "see" through the thin liner such as sonic tele-viewer, radiation logs, induction coupled electric logs, radar, etc. can traverse the borehole without concern about collapse of the borehole on the instrument. 5. Liners are shipped on a small reel with no need of heavy equipment for the liner installation such as a drill rig or crane truck. The blank liner is easily installed by simply adding water to the interior of the liner. 6. Liners are now used to tow instruments through the protected interior of the liner as the liner is being emplaced. 7. Blank liners can be equipped with many special features for custom applications such as cure-in place liners, transparent liners, heaters on the tether, fiber optic sensors, insulation of various kinds as well as special fill materials like weighted mud, deionized water, sand, freezing fluids to stabilize the hole, etc. 8. Liners can prevent the loss of annular sealing grouts outside a casing emplaced in karst formations. - a common problem with oil and gas casings. 9. Liners can seal shallow portions of municipal wells preventing contaminants entering the well. An interior casing in place of the tether allows the pump emplacement to greater depths. A grout fill of the liner makes it a permanent seal. 10. Salt water intrusion in the formation can be sensed with a deionized water fill of the liner and can be done without the hole perturbing the salt water front.