Devices and techniques relating to landfill gas extraction

• US 10,576,514 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2017
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Loci Controls, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Loci Controls, Inc.
• Inventors: Campanella, Andrew, Michels, Joseph G., Quigley, Peter, Martin, Ian
• Primary Examiner(s): Sayre, James G
• Application Number:
  US15/493,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20170218730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B09B 1/006 Shafts or wells in waste dumps
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/00 Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells applicable only to water E03B

Abstract

A control system for controlling extraction of landfill gas, comprising: at least one sensor configured to measure one or more characteristics of landfill gas; at least one flow control mechanism disposed in well piping and configured to control flow of the landfill gas through the well piping; and at least one processor configured to: obtain a measured concentration of a first gas in landfill gas; determine whether the measured concentration of the first gas is either less than a first threshold concentration or greater than a second threshold concentration; when it is determined that the measured concentration is less than the first threshold concentration, control the at least one flow control mechanism to reduce flow rate of landfill gas; and when it is determined that the concentration is greater than the second threshold concentration, control the at least one flow control mechanism to increase the flow rate of landfill gas.

Claims

1. A control system for controlling extraction of landfill gas from a landfill via a gas extraction system, the gas extraction system comprising at least one vacuum source, well piping, and at least one well coupled to the at least one vacuum source through the well piping, the control system comprising:

at least one sensor configured to measure one or more characteristics of landfill gas extracted from the landfill;

at least one flow control mechanism disposed in the well piping and configured to control flow of the landfill gas through the well piping; and

at least one processor configured to;

obtain a measured concentration, obtained using the at least one sensor, of a first gas in landfill gas extracted from the landfill;

determine whether the measured concentration of the first gas is either less than a first threshold concentration or greater than a second threshold concentration;

when it is determined that the measured concentration is less than the first threshold concentration, control the at least one flow control mechanism to reduce flow rate of landfill gas through the at least one flow control mechanism; and

when it is determined that the measured concentration is greater than the second threshold concentration, control the at least one flow control mechanism to increase the flow rate of landfill gas through the at least one flow control mechanism.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein, when it is determined that the measured concentration is less than the first threshold concentration, the at least one processor is further configured to:

after controlling the at least one flow control mechanism to reduce the flow rate of the landfill gas through the at least one flow control mechanism,

obtain a second measured concentration of the first gas in landfill gas extracted from the landfill;

determine whether the second measured concentration of the first gas is less than the first threshold concentration; and

when it is determined that the second measured concentration of the first gas is less than the first threshold concentration, control the at least one flow control mechanism to further reduce the flow rate of landfill gas through the at least one flow control mechanism.

3. The control system of claim 1, wherein, when it is determined that the measured concentration is greater than the second threshold concentration, the at least one processor is further configured to:

after controlling the at least one flow control mechanism to increase the flow rate of the landfill gas through the at least one flow control mechanism,

obtain a second measured concentration of the first gas in landfill gas extracted from the landfill;

determine whether the second measured concentration of the first gas is greater than the second threshold concentration; and

when it is determined that the second measured concentration of the first gas is greater than the second threshold concentration, control the at least one flow control mechanism to further increase the flow rate of landfill gas through the at least one flow control mechanism.

4. The control system of claim 1, wherein the first gas is methane, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine whether the measured concentration of methane is less than the first threshold concentration at least in part by determining whether the measured concentration of methane is less than 45 percent of methane by volume.

5. The control system of claim 1, wherein the first gas is methane, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine whether the measured concentration of methane is greater than the second threshold concentration at least in part by determining whether the measured concentration of methane is greater than 55 percent of methane by volume.

6. The control system of claim 1, wherein the first threshold concentration is less than the second threshold concentration.

7. The control system of claim 1,

wherein the at least one flow control mechanism comprises at least one valve,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to control the at least one flow control mechanism to increase the flow rate of landfill gas at least in part by causing the at least one valve to open to a greater degree, and

wherein the at least one processor is configured to control the at least one flow control mechanism to decrease the flow rate of landfill gas at least in part by causing the at least one valve to close to a greater degree.

8. The control system of claim 1, wherein the first gas is methane.

9. The control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a sensor configured to detect partial pressure or concentration of methane.

10. The control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is coupled to the at least one flow control mechanism.

11. The control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is located remotely from the at least one flow control mechanism and is configured to wirelessly communicate with the at least one flow control mechanism.

12. A method for controlling extraction of landfill gas from a landfill via a control system, the control system comprising at least one sensor and at least one flow control mechanism configured to control flow of landfill gas through well piping in a gas extraction system, the method comprising:

measuring, using the at least one sensor, a concentration of a first gas in landfill gas extracted from the landfill,

determining whether the measured concentration of the first gas is either less than a first threshold concentration or greater than a second threshold concentration;

when it is determined that the measured concentration is less than the first threshold concentration, controlling the at least one flow control mechanism to reduce the flow rate of landfill gas through the at least one flow control mechanism; and

when it is determined that the measured concentration is greater than the second threshold concentration, controlling the at least one flow control mechanism to increase the flow rate of landfill gas through the at least one flow control mechanism.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, when it is determined that the measured concentration is less than the first threshold concentration, the method further comprises:

after controlling the at least one flow control mechanism to reduce the flow rate of the landfill gas through the at least one flow control mechanism,

measuring a second concentration of the first gas in landfill gas extracted from the landfill;

determining whether the second concentration of the first gas is less than the first threshold concentration; and

when it is determined that the second concentration of the first gas is less than the first threshold concentration, controlling the at least one flow control mechanism to further reduce the flow rate of landfill gas through the at least one flow control mechanism.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein, when it is determined that the measured concentration is greater than the second threshold concentration, the method further comprises:

after controlling the at least one flow control mechanism to increase the flow rate of the landfill gas through the at least one flow control mechanism,

measuring a second concentration of the first gas in landfill gas extracted from the landfill;

determining whether the second concentration of the first gas is greater than the second threshold concentration; and

when it is determined that the second concentration of the first gas is greater than the second threshold concentration, controlling the at least one flow control mechanism to further increase the flow rate of landfill gas through the at least one flow control mechanism.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first gas is methane, and wherein determining whether the measured concentration of methane is less than the first threshold concentration comprises determining whether the measured concentration of methane is less than 45 percent of methane by volume.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the first gas is methane, and wherein determining whether the measured concentration of methane is greater than the second threshold concentration comprises determining whether the measured concentration of methane is greater than 55 percent of methane by volume.

17. The method of claim 12,

wherein the at least one flow control mechanism comprises at least one valve,

wherein controlling the at least one flow control mechanism to increase the flow rate of landfill gas comprises controlling the at least one valve to open to a greater degree, and

wherein controlling the at least one flow control mechanism to decrease the flow rate of landfill gas comprises controlling the at least one valve to close to a greater degree.

18. A control system for controlling extraction of landfill gas from a landfill via a gas extraction system, the gas extraction system comprising at least one vacuum source, well piping, and at least one well coupled to the at least one vacuum source through the well piping, the control system comprising:

at least one sensor configured to measure one or more characteristics of landfill gas extracted from the landfill;

at least one flow control mechanism disposed in the well piping and configured to control flow of the landfill gas through the well piping, wherein the at least one flow control mechanism comprises a valve; and

at least one processor configured to;

obtain a measured concentration, obtained using the at least one sensor, of a first gas in landfill gas extracted from the landfill;

determine whether the measured concentration of the first gas is either less than a first threshold concentration or greater than a second threshold concentration;

when it is determined that the measured concentration is less than the first threshold concentration, control the at least one flow control mechanism to increase flow rate of landfill gas through the at least one flow control mechanism at least in part by opening the valve in predefined increments; and

when it is determined that the measured concentration is greater than the second threshold concentration, control the at least one flow control mechanism to decrease the flow rate of landfill gas through the at least one flow control mechanism at least in part by closing the valve in predefined increments.

19. The control system of claim 18, wherein the first gas is oxygen.

20. The control system of claim 18, wherein the first gas is nitrogen.

21. The control system of claim 18, wherein opening the valve in predefined increments comprises opening the valve in one or more increments of 5%, and closing the valve in predefined increments comprises closing the valve in one or more increments of 5%.