AU494792B2 - An apparatus for producing composts - Google Patents

Description

1671 376 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing

composts by achieving an aerobic fermentation of organic wastes and

excretions, which are of relative fluidity or high water content, such as

a mixture of feces and urine of domestic animals. Conventionally, rotary kilns have been used wherein organii

wastes are aerobically fermented to produce composts. However, the

conventional apparatus has presented some serious disadvantages that a

great number of rotary kilns which are expensive should be installed whel

further amount of organic wastes are treated since there is a definit

limitation in constructing large- scaled kilns. Further, when the kilns

are once formed in larger scale, the predetermined large amount of

wastes should be always treated in order to keep a desired fermentation

condition within the kilns. Thus, the kilns in the conventional art are

almost inapplicable to variation in a volume of wastes to be treated. On the other hand, an attempt has been made recently, in

which piled organic wastes are circulated within an annular groove to

achieve an aerobic fermentation of wastes during circulation. In the

attempt, the piled organic wastes, which have been supplied into the pre-

formed annular groove for fermentation, are circularly transferred along

the groove by means of rotary stirrers and the fermentation and a natural

drying are carried out during such circulation. After the natural drying

is completed to obtain composts which contains water of about 20% by

weight, a part of the naturally dried composts are delivered out of a

predetermined position of the groove, and then crude or unfermented

organic wastes are additionally supplied onto the remanent composts in

the groove. Then, another stirring is done while the mixture of the

newly supplied organic wastes and the remanent composts are circularly

transferred along the groove for another fermentation.

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1671 3n6

In such annular groove type apparatus, the isadvantageous problems have also appeared in that extra- pparatus should have an annular groove having is rdinarily large area since an aerobic fermentation about enerally restriced to a piling height of, at most, ,0 cm. Thus, if the height of the mixture of the residual exceeds fermented composts and the crude organic wastes bout 50 cm, a desired aerobic fermentation will no longer in which )e effected. Further, the conventional apparatus, but also :he mixture to be fermented is not only stirred large :ransferred along the groove, requires a considerably when a ?ower for transferring the mixture, particularly the conventional reat amount of mixture is treated. Moreover, as housing or apparatus requires an additional element such apparatus, casing which covers the whole structure of the and for the sake of maintenance of fermentation temperature of prevention of an evil order of the mixture. In accordance with the present invention there is from organic provided an apparatus for producing composts waste of high water content comprising: a fermentation vessel of a rectangular configuration, the top of said vessel being opened; means for feeding slurry-like organic wastes within base composts which have been piled in said fermentation vessel and for simultaneously stirring the base composts and the slurry-like organic wastes; means for supplying an air into said fermentation

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vessel from a base portion thereof to aerobically ferment

the mixture of the base composts and the slurry-like

organic wastes within said vessel;

and

means for gathering an upper portion of predetermined

thickness of the fermented composts piled in the vessel and

for carrying the gathered composts out of the vessel;

said feeding and stirring means and said gathering

and carrying means being movable in the longitudinal

direction on the top of the fermentation vessel.

it 4 94792

16713 6

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the apparatus according to a

first embodiment of the present invention; in the Fig. 2 is a partly sectioned side view of elements

first embodiment shown in Fig. .1; of the Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectioned view of a part

element shown in Fig. 2; elements in Fig. 4 is a partly sectioned side view of other

the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1; embodiment Fig. 5 is a partly sectioned side view of another

of the present invention; in another Fig. 6 is a partly sectioned view of the apparatus of pipes within embodiment of the present invention, showing a plurality

a vessel; pipe Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of the shown in Fig. 6; in another Fig. 8 is a partly sectioned side view of elements

embodiment of the present invention; and of the Fig. 9 is a perspective view of another embodiment

present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the drawings, like reference numerals represent like

parts in the different views of the drawings. In Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 which show a first embodiment of rectangular the present invention, a fermentation vessel 1 of iron plate of a box- shaped configuration is provided which has, for example, a length

16 71 3/76 of 50 in., a width of 2.5 m. and a depth of 2m, and a top face of which

is opened. Above the vessel 1 are provided a device 2 for feeding slurry-

like orgaanic wastes and a device 3 for scratching or gathering up an upper

portion of the predetermined thickness of fermented composts *within the

vessel 1 and carrying the composts out of the vessel, the devices 2 and

3 being described later in detail. The vessel 1 has, on top of side walls

4 and 4' thereof, rails 5 and 5' so that the aforesaid devices 2 and 3 may* be moved along the rails 5 and The vessel 1 has a base plate 8 and a

perforated plate 6 above the base plate 8 with an air space therebetween. The perforated plate 6 has a plurality of minor through-holes 7 and is

disposed in parallel to the base plate 8. A blower 9, which is schematic-

ally illustrated in Fig. 2 because it may be of any type of device for

supplying an air intc the air space formed between the two plates 6 and 8,

is -provided adjacent to the base plate 8 so that the blower 9 is communi-

cated with the air space by means of a suitable conduit.

Adjacent to the vessel 1, there is provided a container of

slurry-like organic wastes 13, a pump 14 and a stirrer 30 which are

illustrated in a mere schematic diagram for the sake of convenience since

these may be of any known type or configuration.

Referring particularly to Fig. 2 which shows the device 2

for feeding and stirring the slurry-like organic wastes, the device 2 has

a movable body 31 which has a driving motor 19 and four wheels 32a, 32b,

32c and 32d so that the movable body 31 may be reciprocated along the

rails 5 and 5' in the longitudinal direction of the vessel 1 by means of the

driving motor 19. Rotation of the driving motor 19 is delivered to the

wheels 32a thou-',n 32d by known suitable means. The movable body 31

has rails 20 and 20' on the top thereof so that a stirring shaft 10, which

will be described below in detail, may be traversed along the rails 20 and in the direction with a right angle to the traversing direction of the

movable body 31.

S. 4 94 79 2

16 7 1 3nl6

The stirring shaft 10 extends downwardly into the vessel of stirring and has a spiral band or ribbon m~ember 11 for the purpose rotating the the wastes piled in the vessel 1 and a driving motor 12 for shaft 10 through shaft 10. The spiral band member 11 is attached to the a plura lity of arms 11' and is wound around the lower portion of the has shaft 10. The shaft 10, as shown in Fig. 3, has a passage 15 which at the bottom, and an opening at the top end of the shaft 10 but is closed communicated a single or a plurality of branch passages 15a which are shaft 10. Pre- with the passage 15 and have openings at the side of the

ferably, a nozzle 16 may be fixed to the openings of the respective injection of the branch passage 15a for the purpose of an effective the vessel 1. The slurry-like organic wastes into the piled composts in to the inside of the branch passages 15a may be extended, if necessary, thereby inject spiral band member 11 through the arm members 11' to band member the slurry-like wastes from openings formed on the spiral 11. has The shaft 10 in the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 tht shaft wheels 33a, 33b, 33c and 33d and a driving motor 21 so that rails 20 and with the spiral band member 11 may be traversed along the a rotary on the movable body 31. On top of the shaft 10 is provided the afore- joint 18 which is pivotably mounted and is communicated with such that the said pump 14 through a resilient coiled conduit member 17 the stirrer organic wastes contained in the container 13 and stirred by

into a slurry- like materials is fed through the conduit member 17,

the rotary joint 18, the shaft 10 and then into the vessel. 1.

Referring now to Fig. 4 which shows a gathering device 3 3 has a in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the device though movable body 34 which has four wheels 35a, 35b, 35c and 35d, 34 may be two of which are not shown in the drawing, so that the frame 5, movable by means of a motor 28'(shown in Fig. 1) along the rails 7 494792

16 7 1 3/76 on the vessel 1. A screw conveyor 22 which has a length slightly shorter

than the distance between the walls 4 and 4' of the vessel is, at the ends

thereof, suspended from the movable body 34 by means of members 36 and

36'. The members 36 and 36' are connected to the movable body 34 but

are slidable in the vertical direction so that the level of the screw con-

veyor 22 may be adjusted in accordance with the height of the composts in

the vessel 1. The screw conveyor 22 has a screw part 22a and a screw

part 22b which is of spiral configuration opposite to that of the screw part

22a so that the fermented composts are gathered toward a center of the

screw conveyor 22 when the screw conveyor 22 is driven by a motor

positioned on the movable body 34.

At the center of the screw conveyor 22, there is disposed

a set of screw conveyors 23 and 23', which are opposite each other in

parallel and are declined toward a belt conveyor 24 which is positioned on

the frame member 34 and is driven by a motor 27. The screw conveyors

23 and 23' are covered by a cylindrical member 37 which prevents the

composts from dropping out of the screw conveyors 23 and 23'. The

screw conveyors 23 and 23' are simultaneously driven by a motor 26

through toothed wheels 38, 39 and 40 such that the screw conveyor 23

is rotated in one direction while the screw conveyor 23' is in other direc-

tion.

Adjacent and parallel to the wall 4' of the vessel 1, there

is provided a belt conveyor 29 which is,for example, as long as the longer

walls 4 and 4' of the vessel 1, as shown in Fig. 1.

Here, a care should be taken that the rails 5 and 5' disposed

on the walls 4 and 4' of the vessel 1 are longer than the wall 4 and 4' so

that one of the devices 2 and 3 may be positioned outside of the vessel 1

while the other is being operated with respect to full area of the vessel 1.

The devices 2 and 3 are separately positioned on the separate

movable bodies 31 and 34, respectively, in the above-described embodi-

ment, but the both devices 2 and 3 may be located on a single movable

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16 7 1 36

body which has four wheels, though not shown in the drawings. in the above- The driving motors 19 and 28 are provided bodies 31 and 34, respec- described embodiment for driving the movable and 34 may be reciprocated along tively. However, the movable bodies 31 other pulling power, without the rails 5 and 5' by pulling them by using the movable bodies. providing the driving motors 19.and 28 on shown in Fig. In another embodiment of the present invention 10, both of which are fixed to a there are provided two stirring shafts shafts are provided, then movable body 31. When two or more stirring wheels 33a, 33b, 33c and 33d the driving motor 21, rails 20 and 20', and may be rotated at their fixed are unnecessary, since each stirring shafts body 31. The stirring shafts positions without traversing on the movable

in Fig. 5 are rotated by a motor 12. The vessel 1, namely four vertical

is made of concrete in integral. The walls 4 and 4' and a base plate movable body 31 and other elements as well as the stirring shafts 10, shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, motor 12 are quite similar to the embodiment

and no detailed description will be made. shown in Figs. In further embodiment of the present invention communicated to one another are 6 and 7, a plurality of pipes 6' which are the perforated plate 6 of the afore- disposed on the base plate 8' in place of

mentioned embodiment shown in Fig. 5. The pipes have, as shown in Fig.

or a blower 9. Other 7, holes 7' and connected to an air compressor shown in Figs. 1, construction and elements are similar to the embodiment

2, 3 and 4, and no detailed description will be made. the present In Fig. 8 which shows another embodiment of 41 is disposed by the side of invention, an additional container or groove

the wall 4 of the vessel 1. The groove 41 is as long as the length of the illustrated by vessel 1. In this embodiment, an additional pump which is body 31 of the device 2. reference numeral 14' is provided on the movable Q 494792

16713/76 The organic wastes which are stirred by the stirrer 30 within the container

13 is supplied by the pump 14 into the groove 41 through a conduit tube 42,

and then the slurry-like organic wastes in the groove 41 are suctioned by

the pump 14' through another conduit tube 42' which is movable in the length-

wise direction of the groove together with the movable body 31. The thus

suctioned wastes are fed into the piled composts, which have been remained

in the vessel 1, in a manner similar to the embodiment shown in Fig. 2.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 8 is desired particularly when the vessel 1

is constructed in a large scale such that the vessel 1 is several tens meters

long.

Fig. 9 shows another embodiment of the present invention. In

this embodiment, a scraper conveyor 43 which has a plurality of nail

members 44 at the predetermined intervals on the outer surface of the con-

veyor 43 is disposed on a movable body 34' in place of the screw conveyors

22, 23 and 23' of Fig. 3. The scraper conveyor 43 has a width substantially

same with, or slightly smaller than, the inner distance between the walls 4

and and declined toward a belt conveyor 24' which is similar to the belt

conveyor 24 of Fig. 4 but is long enough to bridge over the walls 4 and 4'.

Other construction is quite similar to the embodiment shown is Figs. 1 and

4, and no detailed description will be made.

A mode of operation will be described hereinafter with

reference to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 through 4.

First of all, completed composts which have been produced

by any conventional methods are piled as a base material within the fermen-

tation vessel 1 as high as, for example, about 1.5m. whereas the depth of

the vessel 1 is about 2m. The base composts may contain water of about

40% by weight.

Crude mixture of feces and urine of domestic animals are

supplied into the container 13 and stirred by the stirrer 30 to form a sub-

stantially homogeneous slurry-like excretion. By the pump 14 the slurry-like

1.67 1 3/f6 by weight at this stage, is excretion, which contains water of about 85% 10 through the coiled' delivered to the passage 15 of the stirring shaft then into the base composts. conduit member 17 and the rotary joint 18, and 15a. Namely, the slurry- irn the vessel 1 by way of the branch channels the base composts whicprevi- like excretion is injected or poured into ously have been piled in the vessel 1. excretion into At the same time of injecting the slurry- like rotated at the speed of 50- 100 the base composts, the stirring shaft 10 is the movable body 31 is rpm, and the stirring shaft 10 together with of 0.5 6.0 meters per traversed along the rails 5 and 5' at the speed motor 21 in the direction minute while the shaft 10 is traversed by the direction of the movable 31. with a right angle to the aforesaid traversing the same is moved in a zig- zag Thus, the stirring shaft 10 is rotated while injected slurry-lila excretion manner, and the base composts and the newly are stirred and uriformly mixed. and effec- In general, an aerobic fermentation is preferably to tively proceeded and achieved when the water content in the materials

be fermented is within the range of about 50 65% by weight. TKhe high and urine cannot be aero- water content material as the mixture of feces according to the apparatus of bically fermented just as it is. In this respect, predetermined thickness of the present invention, an upper portion of the up, whereas the of the fermented composts is scratched and gathered the vessel 1 as the base remanent composts are always positioned within of about material. Therefore, the desired mixture which contains water a high water 65 by weight can be easily prepared by merely pouring composts. content crude excretion into the remanent or base base composts Referring back to Figs. 1 through 4, after the stirring shaft 10, the and the excretions are well mixed by rotating the hours to form fermented mixture is left as it is for about 72 hours to 120 air is compressed into composts. and during the fermentation period an 11 494792

16 7133n6 the vessel 1 through the perforated plate 6 by means of the blower 9 to

achieve an effective fermentation of the mixture. The device 2 which has the stirring shaft 10 may be suitably traversed by driving the motor 19

while the stirring shaft 10 jq being rotated by the motor 12 during that period to accomplish further effective fermentation of the mixture. If necessary, a heated air may be supplied by the blower 9 into the vessel 1 at an initial stage of fermentation so that a rapid fermentation mnay be facili-

tated.

Thus, well fermented composts are obtained which contain water of about 30 40% by weight. If necessary, the blower 9 is further driven to supply an air or heated air into the vessel 1 to obtain dried

composts which contain water of about 10 20% by weight. After the well fermented composts are thus produced, the motors 25, 26 and 28 are simultaneously driven so that the screw conveyors

22, 23 and 23' are rotated while the device 3 is moved along the rails

and The screw conveyor 22, which can be shifted upward or downward by adjusting the length of the members 36 and 36' which suspend the screw conveyor 22 at the ends thereof, scratches and gathers up the upper part of the. composts toward the bet of screw conveyors 23 and 23'. The scratche, and collected composts are then delivered to the belt conveyor 24 through the screw conveyors 23 and 23'. Then, the composts are delivered to the belt conveyor 29 which is installed at the side of the vessel as shown in Fig. 1.

After the upper portion of the predetermined depth, for instance about 10 20 cm, of the fermented composts are delivered out Of the vessel 1 by the device 3, the device 3 is moved out of the vessel, and then the device 2 is again operated to supply a crude excretion into the vessel through the nozzles 16 of the stirring shaft 10 such that the crude excretion may be supplied within the remanent composts, and to stir to mix the remanent with the newly supplied crude excretion for. the sake of further production of composts. 12 4 94 79 2

1671 3n6

Quantity of the remanent may be selected in accordance with water content in the quantity of the crude excretion to be supplied and a the crude excretion. According to the apparatus of the present invention, an

efficient fermentation can be achieved in comparison with the conventional can be apparatus in the art. Further, a desired aerobic fermentation than in achieved even when the material to be fermented is piled higher 1 can the conventional arts, and therefore an area occupied by the vessel

be made smaller. Moreover, all of the steps of supplying a crude excre- composts, tion, stirring and mixing the crude excretion and the remanent vessel 1 fermentation and drying can be accomplished within the single apparatus without transferring all of the piled mixture. Accordingly the

does not require large power for transferring the mixture. Additionally, since the crude excretion is poured or supplied

within the remanent composts, an evil odor can be minimized. Although the present invention has been described with and reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, many modifications

alterations may be made within the spirit of the present invention. For instance, the perforated plate 6 shown in Fig. 1 may be

replaced by a net or meshed member of metal. Moreover, a heat insula-

tion material may be inserted inside of wall of the fermentation vessel in

order to keep a desired fermentation temperature.

'13 494792

16 71 3n6 THE' CLAII.S DVn iNG THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

An apparatus for producing composts from organic wastes

a fermentation vessel of a rectangular configuration, the top of said vessel being opened;

means for feeding slurry-like organic wastes within base composts which have been piled in said fermentation vessel and for simul- taneously stirring the jase composts and the slurry-like organic wastes; means for supplying an air into said fermentation vessel from a base portion thereof to aerobicaily ferment the mixture of the base composts and the slurry-like organic wastes within said vessel; and means for gathering an upper portion of 4e predetermined thickness of the fermented composts piled in the vessel and for carrying the gathered composts out of the vessel; said feeding and stirring means and said gathering and carrying means being movable in the longitudinal direction on the top of the fermentation vessel.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said feeding and stirring means comprises: a rotatable shaft member extending downwardly into the vessel, said shaft has a passage therethrough through which slurry-like organic wastes are fed within base composts which have been piled in said vessel; and a spiral member fixed arouind the rotatable shaft member for mixing the base compost and the slurry-like organic wastes.

Claims (1)

16 7 13 n6

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said feeding

and stirring means comprises: a movable body reciprocating in the longitudinal direcion

on the top of the fermentation vessel; a stirring shaft extending downwardly into the vessel and

having a passage therethrough, said stirring shaft being rotatably

mounted on the movable body and being movable in the direction with a

right angle to said longitudinal direction of said vessel;

a spiral member fixed around the stirring shaft; and

a pump means for delivering the slurry-like organic wastes

through the passage of the stirring shaft into the vessel.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said feeding

and stirring means comprises: a movable body reciprocating in the longitudinal direction

on the top of the fermentation vessel;

a plurality of stirring shafts each extending downwardly

into the vessel and each having a passage therethrough, said stirring shafts being rotatably mounted on the movable body;

a spiral member fixed around each of the stirring shafts; and

a pump means for delivering the slurry-like organic wastes

through the passages of the stirring shafts into the vessel.

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means

for supplying an air into said vessel comprises a perforated plate above

a base of said vessel with an air space therebetween, and a blower communicated with said air space, thereby supplying an air into said

vessel through said air space and said perforated plate.

16713n6 6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1i, wherein said means for supplying an air into said vessel comprises a plurality of pipe disposed

on a base of said vessel, and a blower communicated with said pipes,

said pipes having holes on the upper portion thereof, thereby supplying

an air into said vessel.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gathering and carrying means comprises:

a screw conveyor having a length substantially same with the width of the vessel, said screw conveyor gathering the upper portion of

the fermented composts piled in the vessel toward a center of said screw

conveyer; and

a conveyor means for carrying the gathered composts out of the vessel.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gathering and carrying means comprises:

a movable body reciprocating in the longitudinal direction on the top of the fermentation vessel;

a screw conveyor hanged from the movable body and having a length substantially same with the width of the vessel and two opposed

spiral parts so that the upper portion of the fermented composts piled in the vessel are gathered toward a center of the screw conveyor;

a belt conveyor mounted on the movable body;

a set of screw conveyors disposed at the center of said screw conveyor, said set of screw conveyors being opposite each other

in parallel and being declined toward the belt conveyor; whereby the

gathered composts are delivered to the belt conveyor by the set of screw

conveyors and then carried out of the vessel by the belt conveyor.

16 494792

16713n6 The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gathering 9.

and carrying means comprises:

a movable body reciprocating in the longitudinal direction

on the top of the fermentation vessel; same with a scraper conveyor having a width substantially on the outer that of the vessel and having a plurality of nail members

surface of the scraper conveyor;

a belt conveyor mounted on the movable body, said scraper the upper conveyor being declined toward said belt conveyor; whereby the vessel are scraped and portion of the fermented composts piled in and carried out delivered to the belt conveyor by the scraper conveyor

of the vessel by the belt conveyor.

An apparatus for producing composts substantially to the accompanying as hereinbefore described with reference

drawings.

S DATED THIS 6TH DAY OF AUGUST, 1976 NIIGATA ENGINEERING CO., LTD. and SEIBU CHEMICAL INDUSTRY CO., LTD. By Their Patent Attorneys

CLEMENT HACK CO. Fellows Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia

16 713 nl6

FIG. I