Temperature Distribution Measurements in the Gyál MSW Landfil

Abstract

Mixed municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills can serve as energy sources, because the temperature inside of them is high for a long time period. There are many mechanical, chemical and biological processes taking place simultaneously. Probably, there are aerobic and anaerobic biological decomposition taking place simultaneously because the average temperature can be higher than 40 0C for decades. The inside operation of the heterogeneous MSW landfills is a really complex phenomenon. For the better knowledge about the operation of MSW landfills as bioreactors more measured data is necessary. For this reason a temperature, leachate and landfill gas monitoring system was installed into the Gyál (Hungary) MSW landfill. One hundred temperature sensors were installed into ten 16 m depth monitoring wells. Since two years temperature data has been red weekly. This data base is now available for analysis. The temperature monitoring wells were drilled into four different landfill sections. The deposition time of the waste is different in the different landfill sections. Exponential temperature increase can be observed at the young waste section and almost constant or decreasing temperature tendency at the older ones. Characterising temperature 1 time functions were determined by simple curve fitting. The vertical temperature distribution in the monitoring wells was also analysed.