Track: Energy

Abstract

Engineered landfills are becoming popular as waste management areas in developing countries and therefore it is import to recover value from landfills so that the cost of operation is reduced. In this study, the potential to harness methane from landfill waste was investigated. Landfill waste with organic waste composition ranging from 70-90% was investigated for varying moisture content between 15-60%, mesophilic temperatures of 30-40°, thermophilic temperatures of between 50-60 °C. Anaerobic digestion was conducted in 1L digesters over a digestion period of 70 days. Landfill waste from various cells with different ages from 5-10 years was used. Highest methane composition of around 70% was obtained under mesophilic conditions, for moisture content of 30-40% and aging waste which was compacted for more than 5 years.