Heat Transfer Model for an Engineered Landfill in Sainte-Sophie, Quebec, Canada

A conceptual and numerical heat transfer model was developed for a landfill gas to energy (LFGTE) facility in Ste. Sophie, Quebec. The operating LFGTE facility was instrumented with sensors to measure parameters affecting waste stabilization. Temperature data from the field was used to calibrate a heat transfer model to better understand the thermal processes and parameters. Waste was observed to stay frozen for up to 1.5 years when placed in thick layers during the winter. Detection of oxygen within the top 1 m of waste was directly correlated with temperature rises, indicating a heat source, likely aerobic biodegradation. In simulating the placement of five waste lifts over a five year period, aerobic digestion in the top 1 m generated 56% of the total heat generated. A brief sensitivity analysis was completed and the model was used to show the effect of waste sequencing on the vertical temperature profile over time.