Maximizing methane gas extraction

在世界大多数地区，家庭和商业无害废物由市政当局收集并送往卫生垃圾填埋场。在被放入垃圾填埋场后不久，垃圾中的有机物质开始进行厌氧生物降解，产生垃圾填埋气，其中40%到60%是甲烷。甲烷是爆炸性的，是一种强有力的温室气体。此前，垃圾填埋场运营商允许垃圾填埋场气体自然消散到大气中或通过土壤迁移。近年来，由于环境意识到垃圾填埋场气体造成的破坏和发生的严重爆炸，作业惯例发生了变化。此外，甲烷作为一种可持续的燃料来源也有价值。因此，垃圾填埋场运营商已经采取了各种措施，以最大限度地减少异地迁移和最大限度地收集甲烷气体。因此，为了帮助最大限度地提取垃圾填埋气，需要一个适当的数值模型。拟议的三维模型将考虑到废物的不同成分和不同地点不断变化的环境条件。这两个方面都很难最大限度地提高瓦斯收集效率。为协助开发场地变异性的模型，将把探地雷达数据纳入模型中。此外，该模型将通过使用几个运行中的和关闭的垃圾填埋场的数据进行测试。最后，将就如何处理/清洁提取的垃圾填埋气进行研究，以便将其用作有效的能源。研究的一个重要组成部分是获得安大略省、艾伯塔省和不列颠哥伦比亚省的垃圾填埋场。拟议的研究满足补充战略竞争的两个领域。对垃圾填埋气提取的更好理解满足了健康环境和生态系统目标领域，而甲烷作为能源的使用满足了可持续能源系统的需求。

In most parts of the world, household and commercial non hazardous wastes are collected by the municipality and sent to a sanitary landfill. Shortly after being placed in the landfill, the organic material in the waste starts to biodegrade anaerobically, producing landfill gas, which is 40 to 60% methane. Methane is explosive and a potent greenhouse gas. Previously, landfill operators allowed the landfill gas to naturally dissipate into the atmosphere or migrate through the soil. In recent years, operation practises have changed because of the environmental awareness of the damage caused by the landfill gas and the serious explosions that have taken place. In addition, there is the value of methane as a sustainable fuel source. Accordingly, landfill operators have taken a variety of steps to minimize offsite migration and maximize methane gas collection.  To help maximize landfill gas extraction, a proper numerical model is needed. The proposed three dimensional model will account for the diverse composition of the waste and the changing environmental conditions from site to site. Both aspects make it difficult to maximize gas collection efficiency. To assist with model development on site variability, ground penetrating radar data will be incorporated into the model. In addition the model will be tested by using data from several operating and closed landfills. Finally, research will be conducted on how to treat/clean the extracted landfill gas so that it can be used as an effective energy source.  An important component of the research is access to landfills in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.The proposed research satisfies two areas of the Supplemental Strategic competition. The improved understanding of landfill gas extraction satisfies the Healthy Environment and Ecoystems target area, while the use of methane as an energy source addresses the need of Sustainable Energy Systems.