HR: 1330h
AN: GC32A-0200    [PDF]
TI: Evaluation of Partitioning Gas Tracer Tests for Measuring Water in Landfills
AU: * Imhoff, P T
EM: imhoff@udel.edu
AF: University of Delaware, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Newark, DE 19716 United States
AU: Han, B
EM: grage@copland.udel.edu
AF: University of Delaware, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Newark, DE 19716 United States
AU: Jafarpour, Y
EM: yousef@mit.edu
AF: University of Delaware, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Newark, DE 19716 United States
AU: Gallagher, V N
EM: nikkeyg@copland.udel.edu
AF: University of Delaware, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Newark, DE 19716 United States
AU: Chiu, P C
EM: pei@ce.udel.edu
AF: University of Delaware, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Newark, DE 19716 United States
AU: Fluman, D A
EM: daf@dswa.com
AF: Delaware Solid Waste Authority, 1128 S. Bradford St., Dover, DE 19903-0455 United States
AU: Vasuki, N C
EM: ncv@dswa.com
AF: Delaware Solid Waste Authority, 1128 S. Bradford St., Dover, DE 19903-0455 United States
AU: Yazdani, R
EM: ramin.yazdani@yolocounty.org
AF: Yolo County Department of Public Works, 292 West Beamer Street, Woodland, CA 95695 United States
AU: Augenstein, D
EM: Iemdon@aol.com
AF: IEM, 4277 Pomona Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94306 United States
AU: Cohen, K K
EM: KAREN.COHEN@netl.doe.gov
AF: National Energy Technology Laboratory, United States Department of Energy, P.O. Box 10940, Pittsburgh, PA 15236 United States
AB: Methane is an important greenhouse gas, and landfills are the largest anthropogenic source in many developed countries. Bioreactor landfills have been proposed as one means of abating greenhouse gas emissions from landfills. Here, the decomposition of organic wastes is enhanced by the controlled addition of water or leachate to maintain optimal conditions for waste decomposition. Greenhouse gas abatement is accomplished by sequestration of photosynthetically derived carbon in wastes, CO2 offsets from energy use of waste derived gas, and mitigation of methane emission from the wastes. An important issue in the operation of bioreactor landfills is knowing how much water to add and where to add it. Accurate methods for measuring the amount of water in landfills would be valuable aids for implementing leachate recirculation systems. Current methods for measuring water are inadequate, though, since they provide point measurements and are frequently affected by heterogeneity of the solid waste composition and solid waste compaction. The value of point measurements is significantly reduced in systems where water flows preferentially, such as in landfills. Here, spatially integrated measurements might be of greater value. We are evaluating a promising technology, the partitioning gas tracer test, to measure the water saturation within landfills, the amount of free water in solid waste divided by the volume of the voids. The partitioning gas tracer test was recently developed by researchers working in the vadose zone. We report the results from laboratory and field tests designed to evaluate the partitioning gas tracer test within an anaerobic landfill operated by the Delaware Solid Waste Authority. Vertical wells were installed within the landfill to inject and extract tracer gases. Gas flow and tracer gas movement in the solid waste were controlled by the landfill's existing gas collection system, which included vertical wells installed throughout the landfill through which a vacuum was applied. The results from this test are reported along with an overview of a similar test planned for the bioreactor landfill cells operated by the Yolo County Department of Planning and Public Works.
DE: 1694 Instruments and techniques
DE: 1699 General or miscellaneous
SC: Global Climate Change [GC]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting