An underground ventilated system for storing nuclear waste materials. The system includes a storage module having an outer shell defining an internal cavity and an inner shell. A majority of the height of the outer shell may be disposed below grade. The outer shell may include a hermetically sealed bottom. First and second canisters are positioned in lower and upper portions within the cavity respectively in vertically stacked relationship. A centering and spacing ring assembly is interspersed between the first and second canisters to transfer the weight of the upper second canister to the lower first canister. The assembly may include centering lugs which laterally restrain the first and second canisters in case of a seismic event. A natural convection driven ventilated air system cools the canisters to remove residual decay heat to the atmosphere. In one non-limiting embodiment, the shells are made of steel.

The necessary dimensions are determined for a tank which comprises a pit for the storage and processing of solid household waste of organic origin while taking into account soil characteristics. The bottom of the pit and the side walls thereof are made of poured concrete, the concrete layer undergoes hydrolysis, and the bottom of the tank is made with a slope, wherein at the low point of the bottom of the tank, a water intake for collecting filtrate and water is installed, which is connected by a pump to a water purification filter. Along the perimeter of the tank, a pipe system for discharging biogas is installed which is connected to a biogas purification device. A portion of the solid household waste is loaded into the tank, covered with a water-impermeable material and covered over by a layer of soil.

A system for extracting landfill gas from a landfill is provided. According to some embodiments, a control system for landfill gas extraction is provided. The control system uses a throttle to control flow of landfill gas extracted from the landfill. The throttle is actuated in use to vary the flow of gas between a well and a gas collection system, in accordance with a control algorithm that adjusts flow as a parameter in controlling gas extraction. The throttle is configured to ensure that there is at least some flow of landfill gas from the landfill to a gas output throughout operation. The extraction system provides an efficient system for landfill gas extraction, while mitigating a risk of creating undesired or unpleasant conditions and/or of violating regulations during operation.

A hazardous material storage repository includes a drillhole extending into the Earth and including an entry. The drillhole includes a vertical drillhole portion, a transition drillhole portion coupled to the vertical drillhole portion, and a hazardous material storage drillhole portion coupled to the transition drillhole portion. The hazardous material storage drillhole portion is located below a self-healing geological formation and is vertically isolated, by the self-healing geological formation, from a zone that comprises mobile water. The repository includes a storage canister positioned in the hazardous material storage drillhole portion and sized to fit from the drillhole entry through the vertical drillhole portion, the transition drillhole portion, and into the hazardous material storage drillhole portion. The storage canister includes an inner cavity sized to enclose hazardous material.

Described herein are embodiments of a control system that automatically (1) determines whether a gas extraction system is in a state in which landfill gas is being released into the atmosphere, and (2) automatically controls landfill gas flow to mitigate, prevent and/or stop the release of landfill gas. The control system may control a valve to control flow of landfill gas through well piping of the gas extraction system. The pressure of landfill gas in the well piping at a location upstream of the valve may indicate whether there is a risk of landfill gas being released into the atmosphere. The control system may adjust a position of the valve in response to determining that the pressure at the location upstream of the valve indicates that there is a risk of landfill gas being released into the atmosphere.

A control system for controlling extraction of landfill gas from a landfill via a gas extraction system comprising well piping, the landfill gas having a first temperature when extracted, the control system comprising: a gas composition chamber coupled to the well piping and comprising at least one sensor configured to measure one or more characteristics of a landfill gas sample in the gas composition chamber; a temperature control mechanism configured to heat the landfill gas sample in the gas composition chamber to a second temperature at least a threshold amount greater than the first temperature; and a controller configured to control the at least one sensor to measure the one or more characteristics of the landfill gas sample in the gas composition chamber when a temperature of the landfill gas sample in the gas composition chamber is at least the threshold amount greater than the first temperature.

The present invention comprises a remote gas monitoring system (RGMS) which improves soil-gas monitoring and data management tasks at landfills and other impacted sites while reducing errors in data collection. The remote gas monitoring system incorporates multiple remote gas monitoring sensors and allows for continuous monitoring of landfill soil-gas composition and more efficient and cost-effective operation of a landfill flare system. The invention also comprises a method of controlling the operation of a landfill flare by signaling the flare to begin and cease operation based on predetermined threshold landfill gas concentrations.

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.

A low-profile fluid collection conduit includes an elongate outer cover having an upper portion and a lower portion generally opposite the upper portion, with the outer cover being much wider than it is tall and defining an interior volume. An elongate rigid spacer is fitted within the interior volume of the elongate outer cover, with the elongate spacer allowing the majority of the interior volume to be unfilled so as to permit the flow of fluid along and within the elongate outer cover. The collection conduit is used with a fluid-impermeable membrane as part of a landfill fluid collection and conveyance system.

Systems and/or methods of waste disposal use human-made caverns that are constructed within deep geological formations. A given human-made cavern may be constructed by first drilling out a vertical wellbore to a deep geological formation. Then a bottom portion of the vertical wellbore is jet drilled using an abrasive jetting fluid to form a launch chamber of void volume, that is sized to fit a reaming tool in its deployed open configuration. A reaming tool, in a closed configuration, is then inserted into the vertical wellbore for landing in the launch chamber. The reaming tool is then deployed into its open configuration while in the launch chamber. Reaming operations then occur from the launch chamber directed downwards within the deep geological formation, forming a given human-made cavern. The newly formed human-made cavern may be conditioned and/or configured for receiving amounts of the waste for long-term disposal and/or storage.