Fuzzy Approach to Predict Methane Production in Full-Scale Bioreactor Landfills

Year 2018, Volume: 1 Issue: 1, 4 - 13, 01.01.2018

Martina Di Addario , Bernardo Ruggeri

Abstract

Bioreactor landfills
(BRLs) aim to increase moisture content of municipal solid waste to enhance the
biodegradation kinetics of the organic fraction and biogas production.
Prediction of biogas production is a key tool to design an appropriate energy
recovery system from BRLs. In this paper, a fuzzy-based model to predict
methane generation in full scale BRLs is proposed. Eleven deterministic inputs
(pH, RedOx potential, chemical oxygen demand, volatile fatty acids, ammonium
content, age of the waste, temperature, moisture content, organic fraction
concentration, particle size and recirculation flow rate) were identified as
antecedent variables. Two outputs, or consequents, were chosen: methane
production rate and methane fraction in the biogas. Antecedents and consequents
were transported in the fuzzy domain by a fuzzyfication procedure and then
linked by 84 IF-THEN rules, which stated the effects of the input parameters in
a linguistic form. The fuzzy model was built and tested on seven lab-scale
studies, representing different operational conditions and waste qualities. The
fuzzy model showed good performances in the prediction of methane generation, although
lab-scale studies depicted ideal conditions that can be hardly reached in real
BRLs. In order to deal with higher heterogeneities and lower data availability
typical of full-scale landfills, new antecedents and rules were added to the
proposed model. With few adjustments based on the available information, the
fuzzy model could be applied to a retrofit BRLs located in Northern Italy. The
results confirmed that fuzzy macro-approach can be a powerful and flexible tool
able to model the complex processes taking place in BRLs.    

Keywords

Bioreactor Landfill, Fuzzy Logic, Landfill Gas, Methane, Modelling

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