This document is a user's guide for a computer model, Version 1.0 of a landfill gas generation model for estimating landfill gas generation and recovery from municipal solid waste landfills in Central America.
The Central America LFG Model is an Excel spreadsheet tool developed by SCS Engineers under contract to the U.S. EPA's Landfill Methane Outreach Program. It is designed to estimate landfill gas generation and recovery rates for landfills in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. The model utilizes a first-order decay equation based on site-specific data such as refuse disposal rates, precipitation, and collection efficiency, while providing default values for waste composition and generation constants (k and L0) specific to each country.
| Applicable Countries | Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama |
|---|---|
| Model Basis | First order decay equation |
| Time Lag Assumption | Six months |
| Gas Composition Assumption | 50 percent methane and 50 percent other gases |
The model requires site-specific data for landfill opening and closing years, refuse disposal rates, average annual precipitation, and collection efficiency.
It uses a first-order exponential decay function that assumes LFG generation is at its peak following a six-month time lag after waste placement.