Accelerated biothermal composting of manure-compost mixture

Abstract

The aim of the research was to observe the technological processes of accelerated biothermal composting of manure-compost mixture and to determine the dynamics of its temperature regime. Because of experimental research of conditions of biothermal processes of composting of manure-compost mix the mathematical laws describing dynamics of change of a temperature field in the composting pad of a different configuration for various mechanized conditions are received. It is established that mechanized composting of raw materials provides growth of internal temperatures to the maximum temperature of 65–71 °С (at height of the composting pad of 1.5 m) for 2–3 days after laying of the composting pad. In 15–17 days, the temperature is up to 50 °С, which does not correspond to the thermophilic mode of bacterial activity and the processes gradually pass into the mesophilic mode – up to 40 °С. As a result of experimental studies of biothermal processes of composting manure, it was found that during the fermentation of raw materials in the composting pad without treatment (36 days) the weight of the composting pad (at the composting pad height of 1.5 m) decreased by 20% (raw material moisture decreased by 5%). In the composting pad with mechanical treatment and addition of water, the weight of the composting pad varied from the amount of water introduced, which led to an increase in the moisture content of the raw material. There was a significant decrease in organic matter from 47–50 to 32–35% in the raw material against 50–52 to 40–41%.

Keywords

• composting
• manure-compost mixture
• composting pad
• mechanical aeration
• parameters