New and Improved Implementation of the First Order Model for Landfill Gas Generation or Collection

The solid waste industry widely uses the US EPA LandGEM model for estimating landfill gas (LFG) generation and collection rates. This model is based on the typical first order decay equation where the rate of decay of a waste mass is dependent on the amount of waste mass.

• The new model is an advancement in LFG modeling where potential methane generation capacity and the methane generation rate could be varied during any period.
• It’s a new tool for estimating LFG emissions from sites considering advanced landfilling techniques such as leachate recirculation, bioreactors, organics diversion, i.e., situations that affect potential methane generation capacity and the methane generation rate. It could also be used at sites where the moisture content of the waste is affected by climate change and/or stormwater/infiltration management.
• The new model is a further simplification of the LandGEM model. For a single potential methane generation capacity and the methane generation rate, the results are effectively identical. As it is an exact representation of the first order decay equation, some of the inherent approximations in LandGEM are removed.
• It’s simple.

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