Observations from using models to fit the gas production of varying volume test cells and landfills

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Title: Observations from using models to fit the gas production of varying volume test cells and landfills
Author(s): Lamborn, Julia
Abstract: Landfill operators are looking for more accurate models to predict waste degradation and landfill gas production. The simple microbial growth and decay models, whilst being easy to use, have been shown to be inaccurate. Many of the newer and more complex (component) models are highly parameter hungry and many of the required parameters have not been collected or measured at full-scale landfills. This paper compares the results of using different models (LANDGEM, HBM, and two Monod models developed by the author) to fit the gas production of laboratory scale, field test cell and full-scale landfills and discusses some observations that can be made regarding the scalability of gas generation rates. The comparison of these results show that the fast degradation rate that occurs at laboratory scale is not replicated at field-test cell and full-scale landfills. At small scale, all the models predict a slower rate of gas generation than actually occurs. At field test cell and full-scale a number of models predict a faster gas generation than actually occurs. Areas for future work have been identified, which include investigations into the capture efficiency of gas extraction systems and into the parameter sensitivity and identification of the critical parameters for field-test cell and full-scale landfill predication.
Publication type: Journal article
Research centre: Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences
Source: Waste Management, Vol. 32, no. 12 (Dec 2012), pp. 2353-2363
Publication year: 2012
FOR Code(s): 0907 Environmental Engineering
Keyword(s): Data sets; Full-scale landfills; Landfill modelling; Model calibration; Model comparison
Publisher: Elsevier
ISSN: 0956-053X
Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2012.06.013
Peer reviewed