Numerical Analysis of Efficiency of Landfill Venting Trenches

A 2D numerical model for convection-diffusion flow of a multispecies mixture through a multilayer porous medium is used to analyze the efficiency of landfill venting trenches. By analyzing the way each of the components of the landfill gas flow within the repository and how they are collected by the trenches, it was possible to explain the low efficiency of this type of structure that was observed in landfill operations. Numerical results are also presented for the long-term behavior of the gases inside the repository and their release into the atmosphere.