title: A finite element simulation of biological conversion processes in landfills.
abstract: Landfills are the most common way of waste disposal worldwide. Biological processes convert the organic material into an environmentally harmful landfill gas, which has an impact on the greenhouse effect. After the depositing of waste has been stopped, current conversion processes continue and emissions last for several decades and even up to 100years and longer. A good prediction of these processes is of high importance for landfill operators as well as for authorities, but suitable models for a realistic description of landfill processes are rather poor. In order to take the strong coupled conversion processes into account, a constitutive three-dimensional model based on the multiphase Theory of Porous Media (TPM) has been developed at the University of Duisburg-Essen. The theoretical formulations are implemented in the finite element code FEAP. With the presented calculation concept we are able to simulate the coupled processes that occur in an actual landfill. The model's theoretical background and the results of the simulations as well as the meantime successfully performed simulation of a real landfill body will be shown in the following.
authors.affiliation: Department of Water and Waste Management, Building Sciences, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstraße 15, 45141 Essen, Germany. markus.robeck@uni-due.de
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Robeck
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ricken
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Widmann
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D005740:Gases; D008954:Models, Biological; D016062:Porosity; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D014866:Waste Products / Q000145:classification
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D005740:Gases; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014866:Waste Products