M.S. Thesis: Landfill Gas Study Performance on a IC Engine With Addition of Syngas
By Liubov Melnikova
Advisor: Prof. Marco J. Castaldi
Co Advisor: Prof. Nickolas J. Themelis
Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering
Fu Foundation School of Engineering & Applied Science
Columbia University
April 2015
In this research, Chapter 1 is dedicated to analytical evaluation of landfill gas recovery. The majority of the world’s municipal solid waste in is still going to the landfills, US being no exception. According to BioCycle and Earth Engineering Center, about 270 million tons of waste are landfilled annually in US. Anaerobic degradation, a naturally occurring process on the landfills, generates landfill gas which mainly consists of methane and carbon dioxide. Methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas that can be captured and used in a variety of applications. When methane from the landfill is collected and used it not only prevents the gas from escaping into the atmosphere, but also displaces the Carbon Dioxide emissions from the fossil fuels that would otherwise have been used. Methane can be used directly as gas or used to generate electricity and be sold to the grid.