Abstract
Gas generation within solid waste landfills occurs as a result of biodegradation of organic matter in the landfill. Biodegradation processes in a landfill are exothermic and highly dependent on microbial growth in that environment. The heat generated during exothermic reactions increases landfill temperatures. Temperature is an important factor controlling microbial growth because microorganisms possess no means of controlling their own internal temperature. Therefore, predicting and controlling the temperature variation within a landfill, are essential to ensure normal gas generation and recovery, and enhance stabilization processes. This paper presents a mathematical model to estimate the temperature distribution resulting from the heat release during organic waste decomposition in layered solid waste landfills. The heat source within the landfill is estimated based on the amount of heat generated during biodegradation processes. Temperature profiles are obtained by solving the heat flow equation within the landfill. The resulting model is coupled with a gas generation and transport component and was used to simulate data from a field scale test.
| Original language | British English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 78-86 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Journal of Solid Waste Technology and Management |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| State | Published - 1999 |
