Aeration system for Compostor

[SAK9]

Guys,

Please someone offer some guidelines for the design of aeration system for an in vessel compostor used for composting organic waste?I am looking for advice on spacing of aeration grates,velocities,pressure drop,methods of flow control etc etc

 

[bimr]

It is difficult to provide advice without know the scope of your project.

You probably want to use a pd type of blower. The aeration piping would consist of drilled piping installed in a gravel bed. Use a perforated floor under the compost.

In-vessel compost systems was tried about 20 years ago and discarded because of the excessive equipment cost. It is difficult to control the air flow since the compost will shrink and crack as it biodegrades.

The aeration rates are the same as conventional composting. The only difference is how the composting system is loaded and unloaded.

 

[SAK9]

Thanks Bimr for the response.This is for a 20 ton composter(rectangular shape) that will rest on a concrete pad.I intend to provide trenches within the pad and lay in them the drilled aeration pipes .The vessel will have slots which will be on top of the pipes when placed on the pad.Thair from the pipes will go thru the slots into the compost and a extract fan is drawing air from the top of the vessel.My concerns are:

Will the compost get into the aeration holes and eventually block them?Can we protect the holes from choking up

How do we ensure uniform air flow out of the pipe throughout its lengh(about 7 meteres)

 

[bimr]

I don't recall aeration hole plugging as being a major problem. If you have concerns about plugging, then you might want to investigate the slat floor products that have where the slats have a V section. The v section is self cleaning.

The material is supposed to be placed into the top of these units and theoretically should be evenly spread across the top. As the compost degrades and loses moisture, the volume decreases, such that you will get craters, low areas, and pulling away from the walls.

These issues will cause short circuiting of the aire flow.

Be aware that odors from these compost units is intense, so you need odor control equipment.