Landfill gas is produced as a result of a sequence of physical, chemical, and biological processes occurring within an anaerobic landfill. Landfill operators, energy recovery project owners, regulators, and energy users need to be able to project the volume of gas produced and recovered over time from a landfill. Mathematical and computer models for predicting gas yields are widely available. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) developed a methodology for determining landfill gas generation based on a first-order degradation model and has provided default values for model input parameters. However, these values are based on data obtained from conventional landfills. Waste stabilization can be enhanced and accelerated so as to occur significantly more rapidly if the landfill is designed and operated as a bioreactor, primarily involving moisture addition. Enhanced waste stabilization will result in increased gas production; therefore, the rate constant (k) and methane generation potential (L0) values will be different from conventional landfills. The objective of this report is to investigate landfill gas collection from wet cells and estimate first-order gas generation model parameters. The task was accomplished by doing a literature review regarding landfill gas generation and modeling. Case studies of gas collection from wet landfills were identified. Parameters were determined through statistical comparison of predicted and actual gas collection.

"EPA-600/R-05/072." Title from title screen (viewed Dec. 21, 2010). "June 2005." "Contract Number: EP-C-04-023, Work Assignment Number: RN990230.0030." Includes bibliographical references (p. 6-1 to 6-3).