Deer Track Bioreactor Experiment: Field-Scale Evaluation of Municipal Solid Waste Bioreactor Performance
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 138, Issue 6
Abstract
The Deer Track Bioreactor Experiment (DTBE) was a field-scale experiment conducted in a drainage lysimeter (8.2-m height, 2.4-m diameter) to assess the physical, chemical, and biological response of municipal solid waste with leachate addition. The experiment was operated for 1,067 days, with leachate dosing initiated on Day 399. Fresh leachate collected from a full-scale landfill was used for each dose. The ratio of cumulative leachate effluent to influent volume increased during dosing and leveled off at approximately 80%, indicating field capacity was achieved. Peak Darcy flux ranged from to , with larger flux computed for the last four doses when waste saturation was higher. During the experiment, the average dry unit weight of the waste increased 28% and the dry-weight water content () increased 18%; field capacity of the waste was 44 to 48% on a dry-weight basis. Biochemical methane potential decreased from 51.4 to -dry, indicating that 93% of the potential methane embodied in the waste was removed. The pH of the effluent increased, whereas biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and BOD:COD all decreased during dosing. Immediate compression occurred for 1–2 weeks following waste placement, and the immediate compression ratio was 0.23. The average rate of time-dependent compression () ranged between 0.048 and 0.35 and varied systematically with waste temperature (increasing with increasing temperature).
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Acknowledgments
Financial support for this study was provided by the University of Wisconsin–North Carolina State University Bioreactor Partnership (www.bioreactorpartnership.org), which is sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation (Grant No. EEC-0538500) and a consortium of industry partners (CH2MHill, Geosyntec Consultants, Republic Services, Veolia Environmental Services, Waste Connections Inc., and Waste Management, CDM) through the National Science Foundation’s Partnerships for Innovation program.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 138 • Issue 6 • June 2012
Pages: 658 - 670
Copyright
© 2012. American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 23, 2010
Accepted: Sep 12, 2011
Published online: Dec 10, 2011
Published in print: Jun 1, 2012
Published ahead of production: Jun 15, 2012
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