Catalytic Conversion of Landfill Gas to Liquid Fuel

Landfill gas can be captured, converted, and used as an energy source. Approximately 234 MM tons/year of municipal solid waste is produced in United States, with the average landfill collecting 2800 ft³/min of landfill gas (LFG). Most of this gas is wasted by flaring while landfills spend $8,000 per day on diesel fuel for its vehicle fleet. The process involves two specialized catalysts, Ni-Mg supported on Ce_0.6Zr _0.4O₂ for use in a Tri-reforming reactor, turning CO₂ and methane into hydrogen and carbon monoxide (syngas). This syngas is converted using a silica eggshell catalyst in the Fischer-Tropsch reactor (FTSR). Using both the tri-reforming and the FTS reactors in tandem enables conversion of the landfill gas directly into a tailored fuel cut of middle distillates (diesel and jet fuel) without creating heavier hydrocarbons. The catalysts combat current issues of coke formation and lowers the cost of synthetic fossil fuels. The downscaling of extremely large FTS reactors is important to the implementation of this system on a wider scale. Current efforts are aimed at integration of the reactors and scaling of the prototype system.