Enhanced Methane Generation with Steam
It requires three basic components to produce methane, an anaerobic condition, a water/hydrogen source and a carbon source. To accelerate the process it requires heat. This presentation will outline the advantages of using steam injection in landfills or steam bio-mass reactors versus water addition in landfills or water based digesters. This presentation will show photos of a steam injection pilot study performed at the Miramar Landfill in San Diego, California in 2005 and 2006. Based on the pilot study findings a Steam Bio-mass Reactor has been developed to convert organic waste into methane. Drawings and photos will be displayed. Since most landfill gas is either destroyed by a flare or used for power generation they produce large amounts of exhaust hence air pollution. This presentation will also describe a process to sequester this exhaust into steam and re-inject it into a landfill where the CO2 and the CO will be converted into additional methane. Drawings and photos will be displayed.
AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90090©2009 AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, Denver, Colorado, June 7-10, 2009