Optimal Waste Decomposition—Landfill as Treatment Process
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 122, Issue 11
Abstract
Landfills can be regarded as uncontrolled anaerobic digestors. An increasingly popular landfill management technique involves moisture addition and/or leachate recycle which can enhance stabilization, increase gas production, and improve leachate quality. Leachate recycle operations have not been guided by theory. In this paper, the optimal control theory is applied to managing waste decomposition in landfills through leachate recycle. The technique minimizes net present value cost of landfill postclosure operations while satisfying landfill liner safety constraints. The optimal control method specifies leachate recycle rates through the landfill lifetime and the optimal leachate collection and distribution system capacities. The approach is applied to a simplified model of waste decomposition in a typical excavated cell landfill with composite liner.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 122 • Issue 11 • November 1996
Pages: 964 - 974
Copyright
Copyright © 1996 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Nov 1, 1996
Published in print: Nov 1996
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