OPERATIONAL COSTS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF LANDFILL GAS CLEANING FOR VARIOUS PRIME MOVERS MATTHEW NOUROT, PE ENGINEERING/ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGER GAS RECOVERY SYSTEMS, LLC

摘要

Gas Recovery Systems, LLC (GRS) operates 29 landfill gas utilization plants in several different states. Some of these landfills have been closed for more than 10 years while others are still active. GRS uses a variety of equipment to combust the landfill gas at its electrical generation plants. This experience has given GRS a unique perspective on the advantages of landfill gas cleaning as well as the cost of operation of these different types of technology. GRS currently owns and operates 26 separate electrical generation facilities. Another 4 plants have been retired. The oldest plants have been in continuous operation for over 20 years. GRS' prime movers include naturally aspirated reciprocating engines, turbo-charged engines, a high-pressure steam boiler, simple cycle gas turbines and gas turbines with heat recovery steam generators. To supply the LFG to these prime movers GRS uses several different types of compression equipment and gas filtration systems. Gas delivery pressures vary between 2 pounds per square inch (psi) to over 270 psi. Downstream filtration may include gas refrigeration or just be simple filtration. This paper will explore these different LFG cleanup systems in relation to the type of prime mover that utilizes the gas. Included in this discussion will be preliminary results from a desiccant system designed to remove all LFG silica compounds. A cost-benefit analysis will be provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of LFG refrigeration to remove water and other compounds at a GRS owned reciprocating plant.