The objective of this study was to develop a tool to predict the quantity of biogas produced by a municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill site to allow the energy it represents to be exploited.
The model proposed is based on a first-order kinetic equation which describes the production of methane during in-situ decomposition of MSW. This equation was applied to a landfill site considering the MSW mass as a series of layers of waste of differing ages. The equation includes three parameters: MPo, the methane potential of fresh waste which is specific to MSW, d, the in-situ life duration of the waste which depends on the landfilling conditions and Ti, the filling rate, i.e. the rate at which waste is placed in the landfill site. This simple model, usable for all types of landfill and, by virtue of the parameters it uses, closely represents the site operating conditions. The approach was applied to the Villeparisis site and predicted a methane production rate of between 270 and 410 m3h−1, quite close to the measured value of 300 m3.h−1. In addition, the possibility of simulating variable landfill rates and waste life durations can be used to guide site management techniques to optimize the valorisation of the biogas and provide a global approach to the problem by incorporating leachate collection into the biogas exploitation calculations.
