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Design of Landfill Gas Collection Systems Whether for gas-to-energy or for regulatory compliance, landfill gas collection systems require careful engineering to ensure optimum capture for the design objectives. Under designed systems can fail to capture adequate amounts of landfill gas and lead to compliance problems, reduced LFG-to-energy revenues, and delays and costs of system modification. Over designed systems can increase construction and operational costs. Understanding of the pneumatic properties of the waste is critical to the design process. Although Federal regulations require that flow characterization be addressed in designing a gas collection system, many gas collection systems are designed using a one-size fits all approach based on assumed parameters and simplistic gas generation models. The result can be an unnecessary expense and a wide range of system problems. HGC’s approach to gas collection systems is to first measure the pneumatic properties of the landfill, estimate gas generation using the baro-pneumatic method, and model the pneumatic performance of a well field to optimize well size and spacing. Blowers, surface piping, and gas processing equipment are sized using proven engineering principles. Our designs typically result in fewer and smaller collection wells to optimize system performance in the design, resulting in lower capital as well as operation and maintenance costs. Until recently, accurate measurement of a landfill's LFG production has been impossible owing to the uncertainties in available methods, including those approved by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This problem now has been resolved by the development of Hydro Geo Chem's proprietary LFG measurement procedures. Our method, based on a quantitative pneumatic approach, is more accurate and less expensive than others currently available. Higher accuracy allows for design of a more effective LFG collection system, important in minimizing LFG migration to the atmosphere and adjacent soils and maximizing the collection of LFG for energy and to meet regulatory requirements.
HYDRO GEO CHEM, INC.
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