Coupled process modeling for energy generation from municipal solid waste degradation: Laboratory-scale and field-scale simulations

Abstract

Modern regulated landfills are designed to protect the environment by containing and isolating municipal solid waste (MSW) from the environment. Instead of treating MSW as a hazard to be contained, next generation landfills, here termed Sustainable Energy Reactor Facilities (SERFs) are envisioned to be designed and operated with a main focus on energy generation (through anaerobic biodegradation processes) and sustainability. Towards this vision, a coupled hydraulic-biochemical-mechanical model that is based on the HBM model, is implemented in large laboratory-scale and field-scale studies to simulate the degradation process of MSW. The model captures the consumption of biodegradable organic fraction in the waste by microorganisms, eventually leading to biogas generation and changing solid waste and leachate characteristics. The model was first tested against 0.04 m3 laboratory experiments to assess its ability to predict the observed behavior and derive values for the various model parameters. Subsequently, the model is implemented on a 37m3 field lysimeter at Deer Track Park Landfill. The presented data indicates that the model has the capacity to be implemented in field scale and generate geospatially variable estimates of methane (i.e., energy) yield.