Biogas from municipal solid waste landfills: a simplified mathematical model

Municipal solid waste sanitary landfills represent nowadays one of the most important issues related to the waste management cycle. Knowledge about biogas production is a key aspect for a proper exploitation of this energy source, even in the after-care phase. In the present study, a simple mathematical model was proposed for the simulation of biogas production. The model is based on 1st order biodegradation kinetic and takes also into account the temperature variation in time and depth as well as landfill settlement. The model was applied to an operating landfill located in Sicily (ITALY) and the first achieved results are promising. Indeed, the obtained results showed a good fitting between measured and simulated data. Based on the promising results, the model can be considered a useful tool for landfill operators also for a reliable estimate of the after-care phase duration.