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ELECTRIC POWER GENERATION USING A PHOSPHORIC ACID FUEL CELL ON A MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILL GAS STREAM
Citation:
Masemore, S. AND S. Piccot. ELECTRIC POWER GENERATION USING A PHOSPHORIC ACID FUEL CELL ON A MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILL GAS STREAM. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/R-98/105 (NTIS PB99-118333), 1998.
Impact/Purpose:
information
Description:
The report gives results of tests to verify the performance of a landfill gas pretreatment unit (GPU) and a phorsphoric acid fuel cell system. The complete system removes contaminants from landfill gas and produces electricity for on-site use or connection to an electric grid. The verification test was the first use of fuel cell technology at a municipal solid waste facility. The test design was subjected to extensive review and comment by the EPA, landfill test site operators, and the technology developers. Performance data were collected at two sites determined to be representative of the U.S. landfill market. The Penrose facility, in Los Angeles, CA, was the first test site. The landfill gas at this site represented waste gas recovered from four nearby landfills consisting primarily of industrial waste material. It produced approximately 3000 scf of gas/minute, and had a higher heating value of 446 Btu/scf at about 44% methane concentration. The second test site, in Groton, CT, was a relatively small landfill, but with greater heat content gas (methane levels were about 57% and the average heating value was 585 Btu/scf). The verification test addressed contaminant removal efficiency, flare destruction efficiency, operational capability of the cleanup system, and power production capability of the fuel cell system.