Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Numerical model of aerobic bioreactor landfill considering aerobic-anaerobic condition and bio-stable zone development

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Aeration by airflow technology is a reliable method to accelerate waste biodegradation and stabilization and hence shorten the aftercare period of a landfill. To simulate hydro-biochemical behaviors in this type of landfills, this study develops a model coupling multi-phase flow, multi-component transport and aerobic-anaerobic biodegradation using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. The uniqueness of the model is that it can well describe the evolution of aerobic zone, anaerobic zone, and temperature during aeration and evaluate aeration efficiency considering aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation processes. After being verified using existing in situ and laboratory test results, the model is then employed to reveal the bio-stable zone development, aerobic biochemical reactions around vertical well (VW), and anaerobic reactions away from VW. With an increase in the initial organic matter content (0.1 to 0.4), the bio-stable zone expands at a decreasing speed but with all the horizontal ranges larger than 17 m after an intermittent aeration for 1000 days. When waste intrinsic permeability is equal or greater than 10−11 m2, aeration using a low pressure between 4 and 8 kPa is appropriate. The aeration efficiency would be underestimated if anaerobic biodegradation is neglected because products of anaerobic biodegradation would be oxidized more easily. A horizontal spacing of 17 m is suggested for aeration VWs with a vertical spacing of 10 m for screens. Since a lower aeration frequency can give greater aeration efficiency, a 20-day aeration/20-day leachate recirculation scenario is recommended considering the maximum temperature over a reasonable range. For wet landfills with low temperature, the proportion of aeration can be increased to 0.67 (20-day aeration/10-day leachate recirculation) or an even higher value.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • ANSYS (2009) ANSYS Fluent 12.0 user’s guide. Canonsburg, PA: ANSYS

  • Cao BY, Feng SJ, Li AZ (2018) CFD modeling of anaerobic-aerobic hybrid bioreactor landfills. Int J Geomech 18:04018072

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feng SJ, Lu SF, Chen HX, Fu WD, Lü F (2017a) Three-dimensional modelling of coupled leachate and gas flow in bioreactor landfills. Comput Geotech 84:138–151

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feng SJ, Gao KW, Chen YX, Li Y, Zhang LM, Chen HX (2017b) Geotechnical properties of municipal solid waste at Laogang Landfill, China. Waste Manag 63:354–365

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Feng SJ, Cao BY, Li AZ, Chen HX, Zheng QT (2018) CFD modeling of hydro-biochemical behavior of MSW subjected to leachate recirculation. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25:5631–5642

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fytanidis DK, Voudrias EA (2014) Numerical simulation of landfill aeration using computational fluid dynamics. Waste Manag 34:804–816

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grisey E, Aleya L (2016) Prolonged aerobic degradation of shredded and pre-composted municipal solid waste: report from a 21-year study of leachate quality characteristics. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23(1):800–815

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Haarstrick A, Mora-Naranjo N, Meima J, Hempel DC (2004) Modeling anaerobic degradation in municipal landfills. Environ Eng Sci 21(4):471–484

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hrad M, Huber-Humer M (2017) Performance and completion assessment of an in-situ aerated municipal solid waste landfill—final scientific documentation of an Austrian case study. Waste Manag 63:397–409

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hubert J, Liu X, Collin F (2016) Numerical modeling of the long term behavior of municipal solid waste in a bioreactor landfill. Comput Geotech 72:152–170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim SY, Tojo Y, Matsuto T (2007) Compartment model of aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation in a municipal solid waste landfill. Waste Manag Res 25:524–537

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ko JH, Powell J, Jain P, Kim H, Townsend T, Reinhart D (2013) Case study of controlled air addition into landfilled municipal solid waste: design, operation, and control. J Hazard Toxic Radioact Waste 17:351–359

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lavagnolo MC, Grossule V, Raga R (2018) Innovative dual-step management of semi-aerobic landfill in a tropical climate. Waste Manag 74:302–311

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu L, Ma J, Xue Q, Wan Y, Yu X (2018a) Modeling the oxygen transport process under preferential flow effect in landfill. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25:18559–18569

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu L, Ma J, Xue Q, Shao J, Chen Y, Zeng G (2018b) The in situ aeration in an old landfill in China: multi-wells optimization method and application. Waste Manag 76:614–620

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McDougall J (2007) A hydro-bio-mechanical model for settlement and other behaviour in landfilled waste. Comput Geotech 34:229–246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nag M, Shimaoka T, Komiya T (2018) Influence of operations on leachate characteristics in the aerobic-anaerobic landfill method. Waste Manag 78:698–707

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ng CWW, Feng S, Liu H (2015) A fully coupled model for water-gas-heat reactive transport with methane oxidation in landfill covers. Sci Total Environ 508:307–319

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Omar H, Rohani S (2017) The mathematical model of the conversion of a landfill operation from anaerobic to aerobic. Appl Math Model 50:53–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Öncü G, Reiser M, Kranert M (2012) Aerobic in situ stabilization of landfill Konstanz Dorfweiher: leachate quality after 1 year of operation. Waste Manag 32:2374–2384

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Park JK, Chong YG, Tameda K, Lee NH (2018) Methods for determining the methane generation potential and methane generation rate constant for the FOD model: a review. Waste Manag Res 36:200–220

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Powell J, Jain P, Kim H, Townsend T, Reinhart D (2006) Changes in landfill gas quality as a result of controlled air injection. Environ Sci Technol 40:1029–1034

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Powrie W, Beaven R (1999) Hydraulic properties of household waste and implications for landfills. Proc Inst Civ Eng Geotech Eng 137:235–237

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raga R, Cossu R (2014) Landfill aeration in the framework of a reclamation project in Northern Italy. Waste Manag 34:683–691

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Raga R, Cossu R, Heerenklage J, Pivato A, Ritzkowski M (2015) Landfill aeration for emission control before and during landfill mining. Waste Manag 46:420-429

  • Reddy KR, Hettiarachchi H, Parakalla N, Gangathulasi J, Bogner J, Lagier T (2009) Hydraulic conductivity of MSW in landfills. J Environ Eng 135:677–683

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reddy KR, Kulkarni HS, Khire MV (2012) Two-phase modeling of leachate recirculation using vertical wells in bioreactor landfills. J Hazard Toxic Radioact Waste 17:272–284

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reichenberger V, Jakobs H, Bastian P, Helmig R (2006) A mixed-dimensional finite volume method for two-phase flow in fractured porous media. Adv Water Resour 29:1020–1036

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ritzkowski M, Stegmann R (2012) Landfill aeration worldwide: concepts, indications and findings. Waste Manag 32:1411–1419

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ritzkowski M, Stegmann R (2013) Landfill aeration within the scope of post-closure care and its completion. Waste Manag 33:2074–2082

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ritzkowski M, Walker B, Kuchta K, Raga R, Stegmann R (2016) Aeration of the teuftal landfill: Field scale concept and lab scale simulation. Waste Management 55:99-107

  • Stoltz G, Gourc JP, Oxarango L (2010) Liquid and gas permeabilities of unsaturated municipal solid waste under compression. J Contam Hydrol 118:27–42

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Townsend TG, Powell J, Jain P, Xu Q, Tolaymat T, Reinhart D (2015) Sustainable practices for landfill design and operation. Springer, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Tran HN, Münnich K, Fricke K, Harborth P (2014) Removal of nitrogen from MBT residues by leachate recirculation in combination with intermittent aeration. Waste Manag Res 32:56–63

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • White J (2008) The application of LDAT to the HPM2 challenge. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers-Waste and Resource Management Thomas Telford Ltd, pp. 137-146

  • White J, Zardava K, Nayagum D, Powrie W (2015) Functional relationships for the estimation of van Genuchten parameter values in landfill processes models. Waste Manag 38:222–231

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Notations

\( \overset{=}{\tau } \)shear stress tensor

Aanisotropy of MSW

Dimass diffusion coefficient for component i

DT,ithermal diffusion coefficient

fTinhibition factor of temperature

fθinhibition factor of moisture content

gacceleration of gravity

H0landfill height

Hsscreen length of VW

HwVW depth

hqspecific enthalpy of phase q

\( \overrightarrow{J_i} \)diffusion flux of component i

kiintrinsic permeability

k•Monod saturation constant

kO2,isaturation constant of O2

kCH4saturation constant for CH4

krrelative permeability

K•reaction rate constant

mvgvan Genuchten constant

ntotal porosity of MSW

nvgvan Genuchten constant

pqliquid/gas pressure

pccapillary pressure

\( {P}_{{\mathrm{O}}_2} \)partial pressure of O2

PH2partial pressure of H2

PCH4partial pressure of CH4

qqheat flux

Qpqintensity of heat exchange between phases

\( {R}_{\bullet}^i \)reaction rate

Risource/sink term of component i in biochemical reactions

\( {R}_{\bullet}^{\mathrm{D}} \) decay rate of biomass

Siconcentration of substrate

Seeffective degree of saturation

Sqsource/sink term of phase q

ttime

Ttemperature

Vqvolume occupied by phase q

\( \overrightarrow{v_q} \)velocity of phase q

X•concentration of biomass

\( {X}_{\bullet}^{ini} \)initial concentration of biomass

Yimass fraction of component i in phase q

Y•yield coefficient

αlrresidual volume fraction of leachate phase

αlsmaximum volume fraction of leachate phase

αqphasic volume fraction of phase q

αvgVGM parameter related to the gas entry pressure

μqdynamic viscosity of phase q

μ•specific growth rate of biomass

\( {\mu}_{\bullet}^{\mathrm{max}} \)maximum specific growth rate

η•environmental inhibition factor

ρqdensity of phase q

Funding

The work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 41725012, 41572265, and 41661130153; the Shuguang Scheme under Grant No. 16SG19; and the Newton Advanced Fellowship of the Royal Society under Grant No. NA150466.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Geotechnical and Underground Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China

    Shi-Jin Feng, An-Zheng Li, Qi-Teng Zheng & Hong-Xin Chen

  2. Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, UK

    Ben-Yi Cao

Authors
  1. Shi-Jin Feng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. An-Zheng Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Qi-Teng Zheng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ben-Yi Cao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Hong-Xin Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hong-Xin Chen.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Marcus Schulz

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Feng, SJ., Li, AZ., Zheng, QT. et al. Numerical model of aerobic bioreactor landfill considering aerobic-anaerobic condition and bio-stable zone development. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 15229–15247 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-04875-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-04875-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation