# Presentation: 156379

## R. J. Spiegel

- R. J. Spiegel

- For presentation at the EPA Fuel Cell Workshop
- to be held in Cincinnati, Ohio on June 26-27, 2001

- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- National Risk Management Reseach Laboratory
- Air Pollution Prevention and Control Division
- Research Triangle Park, NC 27711

## DEMONSTRATION OF FUEL CELLS TO RECOVER

**ENERGY FROM WASTE METHANE GAS**

-   Objective is to demonstrate that fuel cell energy recovery from waste    methane is economically and environmentally feasible.
-   Involves two field demonstrations using phosphoric acid fuel (PAFC)   power plants to produce electricity from landfill gas (LFG) and one   from anaerobic digester gas (ADG)     -  EPA regulations require LGF collection and control equipment     -  Wastewater treatment sludge is processed in anaerobic digesters         which produce waste methane
-   Major R&D Issue     -  development of a waste methane gas treatment system that cleans the         gas suitable for fuel cell use

## U.S. LANDFILL GASS EMISSIONS

-   Contribute 1-2% of total worldwide methane emissions
-   Produce 5-15% of atmospheric buildup of the last 10 years
-   Add about 1% to annual increase in radiative forcing or    (greenhouse effect)

## LANDFILL GAS DEMONSTRATIONS

-   Groton, CT Landfill     -  Moved equipment from Penrose and set-up gas pretreatment system        and fuel cell               - Completed 1996     -  One year field test of fuel cell energy recovery system               - Completed 1997

**LANDFILL GAS DEMONSTRATIONS**

- (Schedule of project events)

## POTENTIAL POWER THAT CAN BE PRODUCED

**FROM FUEL CELLS AT U.S. LANDFILLS**

**Site Power Rating (kW)**
- <200
- 201-400
- 401-1000
- 1001-1500
- 1501-2000
- 2001-2500
- 2501-3000
- >3000
**Total**

**Number of Landfill Sites**
- 3700
- 1100
- 1700
- 380
- 220
- 90
- 60
- 230
**7480**

**Total Estimated Power**
**Output (MW)**
- 220
- 330
- 1010
- 480
- 380
- 190
- 160
- 1600
- 4370

## METHANE MITIGATION/RECOVERY

-   Modest methane emission reduction can result in large    reductions in the  atmospheric rise
-   1-2 Tg annually of landfill methane are currently being    collected and used for energy or flared (converted to CO2)
-   Recovery methods       -  combustion combined with heat recovery       -  conversion to electricity       -  conversion to pipeline gas       -  conversion to vehicular fuel

## COMPARISON OF LANDFILL GAS AT PENROSE

**AND GROTON LANDFILLS**

**Item**
**Gas Consumption**
**CH****4**
**CO****2**
**N****2**
**O****2**
**Higher**
**Heating Value**
**Contaminants**
**Total Halides (as CL)**
**Organic Sulfur (as H****2****S)**
**Hydrogen Sulfide**

**Units**
**%**
**%**
**%**
**%**
**Kcal/SL**
**ppmV**
**ppmV**
**ppmV**

**Penrose (CA)**
**44.0**
**38.0**
**17.6**
**0.4**
**3.98**
**45 to 65**
**11**
**100**

**Groton (CT)**
**56.95**
**41.34**
**1.29**
**0.41**
**5.22**
**7 to 45**
**1**
**181**

## SOME TYPICAL RAW LANDFILL GAS CONTAMINATES

-    Landfill Gas Trace Contaminates
-                        Hydrocarbons
- Isobutane
- Isopentane
- n-Pentane
- Hexane
- Octane
-                          Aromatics
- Benzine
- Ethylbensene
- Chlorobenzene
- Toluene
- Xylenes
- Styrene
-                Halogenated Hydrocarbons
- Dichloroethene
- Dichlorethane
- Methylene Chloride
- Cis-1, 2-Dichloroethane
- Trichlorofluoroethane
- Tricloroethylene
- Tetrachlorethylene
- Vinyl Chloride
-                                Sulfides
- Hydrogen Sulfide
- Methyl Mercaptan
- Ethyl Mercaptan
- Dimethyl Sulfide
- Dimethyl Disulfide

- Raw Gas Concentration Level (ppm - by volume)
- 95
- 963
- 198
- 297
- 81
- 2
- 13
- 1
- 35
- 22
- 0.5
- 3
- 3
- 12
- 5
- 0.6
- 70
- 6
- 1.4
- 103
- 5
- 5
- 8
- 0.02

## LANDFILL GAS DEMONSTRATION

_**Landfill Gas**_
** ****Methane and NMOC mitigration**
** ****Low-Btu fuel**
** ****Heavily contaminated**

_**Contaminant Removal**_
** ****Remove sulfur and halides**

_**Energy Conversion**_
** ****Energy sold offsite****    - operating revenue****    - energy offset****    - environmental benefit**
** ****Very low emissions at site**

## PENROSE LANDFILL

**PENROSE LANDFILL**

## GROTON LANDFILL

**GROTON LANDFILL**

## LANDFILL GAS CLEANUP SYSTEM

## LANDFILL GAS CLEANUP SYSTEM

-   Unit tested at Penrose and Groton landfill sites
-   Component functions      -  H2S removal bed (nonregenerable)      -  cooler/condenser to remove water and hydrocarbons      -  dryer bed to remove water to -500C dew point (regenerable)      -  low temperature cooler to cool carbon bed      -  carbon bed to remove sulfur and halogen compounds (regenerable)      -  filter to remove particulates

## TEST PROCEDURES FOR GAS PRETREATMENT UNIT

-   At specific times Tedlar bag samples were collected   at the inlet and outlet
-   Bag samples were analyzed off-site              -  Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS)                  analysis for the volatile organic compounds (VOCs)              -  Gas chromatography/Flame photometric detedtion                 (GC/FPD) analysis for sulfur compounds
-   Detection Limits              -  GC/MS above 0.002 ppmV              -  GC/FPD above 0.004 to 0.010 ppmV

## LANDFILL GAS CLEANUP SYSTEM

**LANDFILL GAS CLEANUP SYSTEM**

## LANDFILL GAS CLEANUP SYSTEM

**LANDFILL GAS CLEANUP SYSTEM**

## PERFORMANCE SUMMARY OF

**LANDFILL GAS CLEANUP SYSTEM**

**Exit Total Sulfur (as H****2****S)**
**Exit Total Halides (as Cl)**
**Flare Emissions:**
**    ****1. NO****X**
**    ****2. CO**
**    ****3. NMOC**
**    ****4. Destruction Efficiency**
**        ****of Sulfur Compounds**
**    ****5. Destruction efficiency**
**        ****of VOCs**
**    ****6. Particulate Matter**
**Total Duration of Operation**
**on Landfill Gas**
**Longest Continuous Run**
**Adjusted Availability**

**Units**

**Penrose (CA)**

**Groton (CT)**

**ppmv**
**ppmv**
**ppmv**
**ppmv**
**ppmv**
**%**
**%**
**grains/dscf**
**hours**
**hours**
**%**

** ****0.047**
** ****0.032**

** ****0.022**
** ****0.014**
**No data taken**
**4,168**
**827**
**45 (total)**
**70 (last 6 months)**

** **
**7.5 to 14.9**
**1.6 to 5.8**
**6.8 to 11.7**
**>99**
**>99**
**0.013**
**2,297**
**342**
**87.3**

## SUMMARY OF FUEL CELL PERFORMANCE

**Maximum Power Output**
**Stable Power Output**
**Efficency at Stable Output**
**Total Duration of Output**
**Adjusted Availability**
**Exhaust Emissions:**
**             ****SO****2**
**             ****NO****x**
**             ****CO**

**Units**
**kW**
**kW**
**%**
**hours**
**%**
**ppmV**
**ppmV**
**ppmV**

**Groton (CT)**
**165**
**140**
**38.0**
**3,313**
**96.5**
**No data taken**

**Penrose**
**137**
**120**
**36.5**
**707**
**98.5**
**<0.23**
**0.12**
**0.77**

## CONCLUSIONS

-   Large potential landfill gas market, but economically difficult       -  Environmental regulations may “push” market
-   Fuel cells are capable of being sited in NOX and CO nonattainment areas
-   No major technical hurdles       -  Commercial fuel cell technology available       -  Gas clean-up system works well