2007 Volume 69 Issue 4 Pages 71-78
A mixture of cattle manure and sawdust was composted using an 18.8 L reactor at aeration rates of 0.05, 0.15, and 0.50L/min.kgdm, employing three turning patterns (no turning, full turning, and turning with position change of the layers). The maximum temperatures for aeration were 64.3°C at 0.05L/min.kgdm, 73.2°C at 0.15L/min.kgdm, and 70.8°C at 0.50L/min.kgdm. An aeration rate of 0.50L/min.kgdm effectively accelerates composting in the early stage. A combination of aeration and the turning operation were found to resulting in different composting process patterns. Organic matter reduction in forced aeration composting can be enhanced with turning and its reduction in composting with full turning was somewhat greater than that for turning with a position change. We propose major composition changes in compost material by aeration and turning in a fabricated packed-bed reactor.
