Beyond Power Production and Boiler Fuel - Innovative Combustion Based Alternatives for Landfill Gas Utilization

摘要

The major "traditional" methods of landfill gas utilization have been power generation in reciprocating engine and turbine driven generators and direct firing in industrial boilers. With the uncertainties in the development of power projects brought about by the lack of tax credits and the small number of boiler facilities near landfills, options must be identified and developed. A number of lesser-used applications, such as vehicle fuel and pipeline quality gas have also been developed, and these are steps in the right direction toward innovative solutions for landfill gas use. This paper presents a number of innovative uses for landfill gas, involving specialized, yet commonly used, combustion systems, coupled with the availability of land for location of new facilities at or near a landfill. Virtually hundreds, perhaps thousands of different types of fuel fired commercial and industrial process and process heating systems are in everyday use around the world. Many of these processes are highly tolerant to the composition of the fuel used. However, many of these fuel use facilities are too small to be economically considered for construction of a landfill gas delivery pipeline of any significant length. Although it is impossible to relocate a landfill, investigations have uncovered a number of processes which can quite easily be located (or relocated) on landfill property or adjacent lands. This paper describes projects which can be developed around both the availability of landfill gas and the availability of property on, or adjacent to the landfill. The projects run the gamut of asphalt pavement production, lime and cement production, human crematories and animal carcass disposal as well as incineration and glass production.