System and method for decomposing municipal solid waste (MSW) under anaerobic conditions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10071403-B2
Application number	US-201615002075-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2016
Priority date	Jan 20, 2016
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

A system and method for decomposing municipal solid waste (MSW) under anaerobic conditions. The system includes a bioreactor landfill with the MSW, a leachate recirculation unit in connection with the bioreactor landfill, a multilevel thermocouple unit, placed inside the bioreactor landfill for monitoring temperature in the bioreactor landfill. Further, the system includes a sensor for monitoring moisture level within the bioreactor landfill. Furthermore, the system includes the leachate recirculation unit configured to initiate recirculation of a leachate, collected from the bioreactor landfill, when temperature in the bioreactor reaches a determined temperature and a determined moisture level.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system for decomposing municipal solid waste (MSW) under anaerobic conditions, the system comprising:
a bioreactor landfill with said MSW;
a leachate recirculation unit in connection with said bioreactor landfill;
at least one access tube placed inside said bioreactor landfill,
wherein said at least one access tube encloses a multilevel thermocouple unit for monitoring temperature of said MSW at different depth levels in said bioreactor landfill, and
wherein said at least one access tube encloses a sensor for monitoring moisture level of said MSW in said bioreactor landfill; and

wherein said leachate recirculation unit is configured to initiate recirculation of a leachate collected from said bioreactor landfill when said temperature of said MSW in said bioreactor landfill and said moisture level of said MSW within said bioreactor landfill reaches a determined temperature and a determined moisture level.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said leachate recirculation unit includes a storage unit, placed external to said bioreactor landfill, to store said leachate collected from said bioreactor landfill, and a pump to recirculate said collected leachate into said bioreactor landfill.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein said leachate recirculation unit, in connection with said multilevel thermocouple unit and said sensor, frequently obtains values corresponding to said temperature and said moisture level of said MSW in said bioreactor landfill.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein said determined temperature corresponds to an increase in temperature of said MSW.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein said determined moisture level corresponds to a decrease in said moisture level of said MSW.

6. A method for decomposing municipal solid waste (MSW) under anaerobic conditions, the method comprising:
monitoring, by a multilevel thermocouple unit placed inside at least one access tube, temperature of said MSW at different depth levels in a bioreactor landfill;
monitoring, by a sensor placed inside said at least one access tube, moisture level of said MSW within said bioreactor landfill; and
initiating, by a leachate recirculation unit, recirculation of a leachate collected from said bioreactor landfill when said temperature of said MSW in said bioreactor landfill and said moisture level of said MSW within said bioreactor landfill reaches a determined temperature and a determined moisture level.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said multilevel thermocouple unit and said sensor, frequently obtains values corresponding to said temperature and said moisture level of said MSW in said bioreactor landfill.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein said determined temperature corresponds to an increase in temperature of said MSW.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein said determined moisture corresponds to a decrease in said moisture level of said MSW.

Assignees

• Indian Inst Technology Bombay

Inventors

• Singh Devendra Narain
• Patil Bhagawan Shamrao

Classifications

• C12M41/34

  of gas · CPC title

• C12M21/16

  Solid state fermenters, e.g. for koji production · CPC title

• C12M21/04

  for producing gas, e.g. biogas (digesters for manure with production of biogas A01C3/028, biological treatment of water, waste water or sewage C02F3/00, C02F11/02, preparation of natural gas or syngas C10L3/06, C10L3/10) · CPC title

• B09B1/00

  Dumping solid waste · CPC title

• C12M29/02

  Percolation · CPC title