JP2007176756A - Apparatus and method of manufacturing compost - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus and a method of manufacturing compost in which the fixation of an air passage formed inside a compost raw material of a high water content is prevented to eliminate uneven aeration or uneven fermentation and the clogging of an air hole for the aeration from the bottom of a fermenter is prevented. <P>SOLUTION: The compost manufacturing apparatus 1 is provided with the fermenter 10, many air discharge ports 11 formed on the bottom of the fermenter 10, an air supply path 12 for supplying air to the air discharge ports 11 and a high pressure air feeding means 20 for temporarily supplying high pressure air to the air supply path 12. A compost raw material swelling and softening means is constituted of the air supply path 12, the high pressure air feeding means 20 and a timing means 30. The high pressure air feeding means 20 is formed by a supply route switching means 21 and a compressed air supply means 22 and the supply route switching means 21 is switched by the action of the timing means 30 to switch the air supplied to the air supply path 12 from low pressure air of a blower 40 to compressed air of the compressed air supply means 22. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a compost production apparatus and a production method that include a fermenter for depositing a compost raw material and compost while composting the compost raw material deposited in the fermenter.

  For the treatment of organic waste such as livestock manure, food residue, sludge, etc., composting and reuse is appropriate for both environmental conservation and public health. Composting with these organic waste as raw materials Various compost manufacturing apparatuses or manufacturing methods have been proposed. Maintaining and promoting aerobic fermentation is essential for producing good-quality compost from organic waste. As a compost production device, air permeability inside the compost raw material is ensured in the fermenter where the compost raw material is deposited. Many of them are equipped with a blower.

  However, some organic wastes that are compost raw materials have high moisture content, such as livestock excreta. If they are deposited in the fermenter as they are, the porosity is low and the low-pressure blower has sufficient air permeability. Can not do it. Therefore, for high-moisture compost raw materials, mixing of secondary materials such as sawdust, which easily absorbs moisture, squeezing with a solid-liquid separator, moisture reduction treatment, or pre-drying in a vinyl house, etc. However, pre-processing that requires labor and time is not practical, and the use of secondary materials is generally widespread.

  In addition, as a compost production apparatus targeting high-moisture compost raw materials, an apparatus equipped with a mechanical stirrer such as a rotary, a scoop, an auger and the like in the fermenter is known in addition to the above-mentioned mixing of the auxiliary materials. However, a compost production apparatus equipped with such a mechanical stirring device is expensive to introduce, has a complicated mechanical structure, requires maintenance costs, and is difficult to add to existing facilities. There is a problem that there is.

  On the other hand, what equips the upper part of the existing fermenter with an additional turning-back conveyance apparatus is proposed. What is described in the following Patent Document 1 is an example thereof, and a combusting material deposited in the fermenter is provided with a vent pipe having a vent at the bottom of the fermenter, and compressed from the vent. By blowing out the air whose temperature has been increased, the compost raw material is ventilated, and a turn-over conveyance device is provided at the top of the fermenter, and this turn-over device is driven along the fermenter to remove the heated air. The air is passed through the changed compost raw material.

JP-A-7-133177

  In the compost manufacturing apparatus that is additionally equipped with a reversing and conveying device at the top of the fermenter as in the prior art described above, it is assumed that air is fed from the bottom of the fermenter or aspirated by suction, and the amount of livestock excreta is high. In the case of moisture compost raw materials, it is necessary to add a large amount of auxiliary materials such as sawdust to ensure sufficient ventilation. However, due to the widespread use of various compost production equipment, demand for secondary materials has increased and prices have risen. To reduce compost production costs, aerobic fermentation has been sustained and promoted even if the amount of secondary materials is reduced. Development of technology to be developed is required.

  In particular, it is desirable that the turn-over transfer device installed in the upper part of the fermenter is as simple as possible in view of the reduction of the introduction cost and the maintenance management. In such a case, frequent turn-over transfer is not possible, so air permeability is ensured. In order to do so, it becomes indispensable to mix a large amount of secondary materials, and so the cost of purchasing materials becomes a big problem. Moreover, since the amount of processing increases due to a large amount of secondary materials, it is necessary to increase the volume of the processing facility including the fermenter accordingly, resulting in a problem that the construction cost of the facility increases.

  In addition, when ventilation or suction is performed from the bottom of the fermenter and the frequency of reversing and feeding is reduced with respect to the high-moisture compost raw material, the aeration path formed inside the compost raw material is fixed. , There arises a problem that nonuniformity of ventilation and nonuniformity of fermentation are likely to occur. Furthermore, when aeration is performed from the bottom of the fermenter, air holes for blowing or suction are easily clogged with compost raw materials, and there is a problem that good ventilation cannot be ensured. This problem is particularly noticeable when handling high-moisture compost raw materials, and it is necessary to frequently remove compost raw materials that block air holes. In order to eliminate the clogging of the air holes, it is considered that high-pressure air from a compressor or the like is ejected from the air holes. However, simply eliminating the clogging eliminates the aeration unevenness and fermentation unevenness described above. It is not possible.

  The present invention has been proposed to deal with such a situation. In other words, even with equipment that does not perform frequent agitation and reversing conveyance, good aeration can be secured for high-moisture compost raw materials that minimize the amount of secondary materials mixed, and maintenance and promotion of aerobic fermentation In particular, for high-moisture compost raw materials, it prevents the aeration path formed inside the compost raw materials from being fixed, eliminates uneven ventilation and fermentation unevenness, and prevents ventilation from the bottom of the fermenter. The present invention eliminates the clogging of air holes, reduces the initial cost of capital investment and the running cost of compost production, and enables high-quality compost production by uniform aerobic fermentation, etc. Is the purpose.

  In order to achieve such an object, the present invention has the following features.

  One is a compost production apparatus that includes a fermenter for depositing compost raw material, and composts the compost raw material deposited in the fermenter while ventilating the air. A compost raw material swelling and softening means for forming an outlet, temporarily ejecting high-pressure air from the air projecting port, causing the accumulated compost raw material to float and then sink; Features.

  In addition, in addition to the above-described features, the compost raw material swelling and softening means includes an air supply path that supplies high-pressure air to the air discharge port, and a high-pressure that temporarily sends high-pressure air to the air supply path. And an air delivery means.

  In addition, in combination with the above-described feature, the high-pressure air delivery means includes a supply path switching means for temporarily switching a supply path for connecting a blower to the air supply path to another supply path, It is characterized by comprising compressed air supply means connected to the supply path.

  In addition, in addition to the above-described characteristics, the supply path switching means detects an increase in the blowing pressure of the blower and switches to another supply path.

  In addition, in addition to the above-described characteristics, the supply path switching means detects a decrease in the compost raw material temperature in the fermenter and switches to another supply path.

  In addition, in addition to the above-described features, the air discharge port is formed in an air supply pipe disposed at the bottom of the fermenter, and the air supply pipe is rotated around the tube axis or in the tube axis direction. An air discharge position changing means for changing the position of the air discharge port by sliding is provided.

  Moreover, it is a compost manufacturing method provided with the fermenter which deposits a compost raw material, and composting it, ventilating the compost raw material deposited in this fermenter, Comprising: The compost raw material deposited in the said fermenter is stirred. A continuous aeration process for aeration, and high-pressure air is temporarily ejected from a large number of air discharge ports formed at the bottom of the fermenter, and the accumulated compost raw material is floated and then submerged. And a compost raw material swelling and softening step for swelling and softening the raw material.

  Further, in addition to the above-described features, the constantly venting step is performed by supplying low-pressure air from a blower to the air discharge port, and the compost raw material swelling and softening step is compressed air from the blower. It is performed by switching to high pressure air from the supply means.

  The present invention having such features has the following effects.

  According to the compost raw material expansion and softening means that temporarily ejects high-pressure air from a number of air outlets formed at the bottom of the fermenter, high-pressure air is temporarily ejected at a pressure set according to the weight of the compost raw material As a result, the compost raw material deposited in the fermenter floats and then sinks, breaking the fixed air passage formed inside the compost raw material, and variously in the solidified part where the air passage is not formed. A ventilation path is formed to swell and soften the entire accumulated compost raw material.

  After this softening, various aeration paths are formed in the high-moisture compost raw material in the fermenter, and uneven ventilation is eliminated. Thus, the aerobic fermentation can be made uniform without frequent stirring and reversing conveyance.

  The compost raw material swelling and softening means includes an air supply path for supplying high-pressure air to an air discharge port formed at the bottom of the fermenter, and a high-pressure air delivery means for temporarily sending high-pressure air to the air supply path. It is provided and can be easily deployed to an existing facility having a fermenter.

  Further, the high-pressure air delivery means described above includes a supply path switching means for temporarily switching a supply path for connecting a blower to the above-described air supply path to another supply path, and compressed air connected to the other supply path. By configuring with the supply means, the air discharge port for ejecting high-pressure air can be shared with the vent hole by the blower, and by switching the supply path from the blower to the high-pressure air supply path from the compressed air supply means, Temporary high-pressure air can be supplied. According to this, it becomes possible to easily equip the existing facility in which the air discharge port for ventilation is formed at the bottom of the fermenter with the compost raw material swelling and softening means, and from the air discharge port for ventilation. By temporarily ejecting high-pressure air, clogging of the air discharge port can be prevented.

  Further, the supply path switching means described above detects the fixed state of the aeration path inside the compost raw material in the fermenter, and ejects temporary high-pressure air from the air discharge port when signs of fixation are observed. Thus, the compost raw material can be effectively swelled and softened.

  In order to detect the fixed state of the ventilation path inside the compost raw material, for example, it is effective to detect an increase in the blowing pressure in a blower that constantly ventilates. A moderate ventilation resistance is obtained in the state where the ventilation is distributed throughout the compost raw material, and the blower operates at a predetermined blowing pressure. However, if the ventilation path is fixed inside the compost raw material, the ventilation resistance increases. Since the blast pressure rises, it is possible to detect this and grasp the signs of fixing the ventilation path.

  Moreover, in order to detect the fixed state of the ventilation path in the compost raw material, it is also effective to detect a decrease in the compost raw material temperature in the fermenter. In the state where the ventilation is spread throughout the compost raw material, the temperature of the compost raw material rises due to the appropriate progress of aerobic fermentation. However, if the ventilation path is fixed inside the compost raw material, the fermentation of the solidified compost raw material is not promoted, so the temperature of the compost raw material is lowered. By detecting this temperature drop, it is possible to grasp the signs of fixing the ventilation path.

  Furthermore, the air discharge port is formed in an air supply pipe arranged at the bottom of the fermenter, and the position of the air discharge port is changed by rotating the air supply pipe around the tube axis or sliding in the tube axis direction. By providing the air discharge position changing means to perform, high pressure air can be ejected while appropriately changing the position of the air discharge port, and the solidified compost raw material portion can be effectively expanded and softened.

  The compost production method of the present invention includes a continuous aeration step for agitating the compost raw material deposited in the fermenter without agitation, and a plurality of air discharge ports formed at the bottom of the fermenter to temporarily supply high-pressure air. When the mixing of auxiliary materials is reduced with respect to high-moisture compost raw materials, the compost raw material has a compost raw material softening process that causes the compost raw materials to expand and soften In addition, it is possible to efficiently ventilate the compost raw material while repeating the swelling and softening of the compost raw material, and it is possible to promote aerobic fermentation throughout the compost raw material without frequent stirring and the like.

  Also, the continuous ventilation process is performed by supplying low-pressure air from the blower to the air outlet at the bottom of the fermenter, and the compost raw material expansion / softening process is switched from low-pressure air from the blower to high-pressure air from the compressed air supply means. By doing so, it is possible to easily add a compost raw material swelling and softening process to the method using existing facilities and open the clogging of the air outlet at the time of ventilation with high pressure air. It is also possible to increase the efficiency.

  According to the features of the present invention described above, even if the equipment does not perform frequent agitation and reversal conveyance, it is possible to ensure good ventilation for the high-moisture compost raw material with a minimum amount of secondary materials mixed. It is possible to maintain and promote aerobic fermentation. In addition, the high-moisture compost raw material prevents the aeration path formed inside the compost raw material from being fixed, eliminates uneven ventilation and fermentation, and clogs air holes against ventilation from the bottom of the fermenter. It can be solved. And the initial cost of capital investment and the running cost of compost manufacture can be reduced, and high-quality compost manufacture can be realized by uniform aerobic fermentation.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a compost production apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention in a plan view. The compost production apparatus 1 includes a fermenter 10, a large number of air discharge ports 11 formed at the bottom of the fermenter 10, an air supply path 12 that supplies air to the air protrusions 11, and temporarily supplies high-pressure air to the air supply path 12. Supplying high-pressure air delivery means 20 is provided. The fermenter 10 is an upper-opening container-like facility on which organic waste or the like as compost raw material is deposited. A plurality of air supply pipes 12A are arranged in parallel at the bottom of the fermenter 10, and the air supply pipes 12A are connected to the air supply pipes 12A. The air discharge port 11 is formed by forming the opening hole. The air supply pipe 12 </ b> A may be arranged at the bottom of the fermenter 10 or may be built under the bottom of the fermenter 10. Alternatively, the air discharge port 11 may be formed directly on the bottom surface of the fermenter 10 and built in the constituent members of the fermenter 10 to form the air supply path 12.

  The air supply path 12, the high-pressure air delivery means 20, and the timing means 30 constitute compost raw material swelling and softening means. In this embodiment, the high-pressure air delivery means 20 is formed by the supply path switching means 21 and the compressed air supply means 22, and the supply path switching means 21 is switched by the operation of the time measuring means 30 to supply the air supplied to the air supply path 12. Is configured to be temporarily switched from the low-pressure air from the blower 40 to the compressed air from the compressed air supply means 22. As another form, a supply path of low-pressure air and the air discharge port 11 are provided separately so that only the high-pressure air is discharged from the air discharge port 11, and the compressed air is temporarily supplied by the operation of the timing means 30. The high pressure air from the means 22 may be supplied to the air supply path 12.

  The supply path switching means 21 described above can be configured by a three-way valve 21A and a valve control unit 21B as an example, and the compressed air supply means 22 can be configured by a high-pressure tank 22A and a compressor 22B as an example. .

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory view for explaining the operation of the compost raw material swelling and softening means in the present invention. Here, the crane-type automatic compost turning device 100 is provided on the upper portion of the fermenter 10, but the present invention is not particularly limited thereto. As an embodiment of the present invention, a stirrer is not provided, and a reversing transfer device is additionally provided in the upper portion of the fermenter 10, or a deposition type in which reversing is performed while moving a compost raw material with a vehicle loader. It is particularly suitable for devices equipped with a simple reversing and conveying device that does not frequently perform reversing and conveying.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, the air discharge port 11 formed at the bottom of the fermenter 10 with respect to the compost raw material M deposited in the fermenter 10 by connecting the blower 40 to the air supply path 12. When the low-pressure air is discharged and the ventilation is continued, in the high-moisture compost raw material M that does not mix a large amount of auxiliary materials, a fixed ventilation path a as shown in the figure is formed inside the compost raw material M. Further, in the solidified portion where the ventilation path a is not formed inside the compost raw material M, sufficient ventilation is not performed.

  Therefore, after a predetermined time has passed since the start of ventilation with low-pressure air, the three-way valve 21A is switched by operating the valve control unit 21B of the supply path switching means 21 in accordance with the timing signal from the timing means 30, and the air supply path 12 is switched. High pressure air is supplied from the compressed air supply means 22, and high pressure air is ejected from the air outlet 11 formed at the bottom of the fermenter 10 temporarily. When the high-pressure air is temporarily ejected, the compost raw material M deposited as shown in the figure by the pressure temporarily floats and then sinks. The fixed ventilation path a is broken, the solidified portion inside the compost raw material M is broken, and various ventilation paths are formed there.

  After such a composting raw material M is subjected to the swelling and softening process, the supply path switching means 21 is switched again to connect the blower 40 to the air supply path 12 as shown in FIG. Low pressure air is discharged from the discharge port 11. Since the various ventilation paths b are formed after the swelling and softening treatment, the ventilation resistance is reduced, and effective ventilation can be performed inside the compost raw material M. The frequency at which the softening treatment is performed, the set pressure of the high-pressure air, and the treatment time are appropriately set according to the amount of the compost raw material M deposited in the fermenter 10 and the water content of the compost raw material.

  In this embodiment, since the air discharge port 11 for ventilation and the air discharge port 11 for high-pressure air ejection are shared, the air discharge port 11 is clogged by the high moisture compost raw material M during ventilation. Even in this case, the air discharge port 11 can be opened by jetting high-pressure air, and deterioration of ventilation efficiency due to clogging can be prevented.

  The automatic compost turning device 100 shown in the figure will be described. A machine body 102 that is movable along a rail portion 101 provided on the upper part of the fermenter 10 is provided. The machine body 102 can be moved up and down and grasped. A pair of comb-shaped grabs 103A (103B) are provided, and the controller 104 operates to lower the position from the state shown in FIG. Is carried out while being transported to the fermenter.

  3-5 is explanatory drawing explaining other embodiment of this invention. The same parts as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a part of the overlapping description is omitted.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the supply path switching means 21 detects an increase in the blowing pressure of the blower 40 and switches the supply path. That is, the pressure detection means 50 is provided in the blower 40 or the air supply path 12, and the detected pressure of the pressure detection means 50 is output to the switching control means 51. Then, in the switching control means 51, for example, the detected value is compared with a set value to determine the state of pressure increase, and when a sign of fixing the aeration path inside the compost raw material M is detected, the valve control unit 21B is operated to switch the supply path, and the swelling and softening process using high-pressure air is performed.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the supply path switching means 12 detects a decrease in the compost raw material temperature in the fermenter 10 and switches the supply path. That is, the temperature detection means 60 is provided in the fermenter 10, and the temperature detected by the temperature detection means 60 is output to the switching control means 61. Then, in the switching control means 61, for example, the state of temperature drop is determined by comparing the detected value with a set value, and when a sign of fixing the aeration path inside the compost raw material M is detected, the valve control unit 21B is operated to switch the supply path, and the swelling and softening process using high-pressure air is performed.

  According to such an embodiment, since the process is executed by detecting the necessary condition of the swelling and softening process, an efficient swelling and softening process becomes possible, and the blowing pressure of the blower 40 or the compost raw material in the fermentation tank 10 Since a good aeration state can always be grasped depending on the temperature, a favorable aeration state can be continued and aerobic fermentation can be promoted and maintained.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the air discharge port 11 is formed in the air supply pipe 12 </ b> A arranged at the bottom of the fermenter 10, and the air supply pipe 12 </ b> A is rotated around the tube axis or slid in the tube axis direction. Thus, the air discharge position changing means 70 for changing the position of the air discharge port 11 is provided. In this embodiment, the air supply pipe 12A is supported so as to be pivotable and slidable in the axial direction, and provided with driving means for rotating (70a) and sliding (70b) the air supply pipe 12A. The air discharge position changing means 70 is provided.

  According to this, when performing the process of swelling and softening a plurality of times, the air discharge position from which high-pressure air is ejected can be changed each time, so that the composting raw material M can be expanded and softened more effectively. The entire compost raw material M can be uniformly ventilated.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram (process flow) for explaining a compost manufacturing method using the compost manufacturing apparatus according to each embodiment of the present invention described above. According to this compost manufacturing method, after the compost raw material M is carried into the fermenter 10 (S1), the compost raw material M deposited in the fermenter 10 is aerated without being stirred. The compost which swells and softens the compost raw material M by temporarily ejecting high-pressure air from a large number of air discharge ports 11 formed at the bottom of the fermenter 10 to float the deposited compost raw material M and then sink it. The raw material swelling and softening step (Sb) will be inserted, and then, if necessary, a turn-back conveyance step (Sn) for operating the automatic compost turning-back device 100 and the like will be performed, and high-quality compost production by maintaining aerobic fermentation After confirming that (Se; composting is completed), the product is carried out.

  As described above, the constant ventilation process (Sa) is performed by supplying low pressure air from the blower 40 to the air supply port 11, and the compost raw material swelling and softening process (Sb) is compressed air from the blower 40. This can be done by switching to high pressure air from the supply means 22. Moreover, when the supply path | route of high pressure air is provided separately from the ventilation path | route of the air blower 40, the compost raw material expansion | swelling softening process Sb can also be performed for every desired period, continuing a ventilation process (Sa) always. .

  As described above, the compost raw material swelling and softening step (Sb) may be performed once or twice a day or once every few days while grasping the state of fixing the ventilation path inside the compost raw material M. Preferably, when good and uniform ventilation can be secured in the compost raw material M, it is possible to reduce the frequency of the turn-back conveying step (Sn).

  In addition, the compost raw material swelling and softening step (Sb) is performed only on compost raw materials that are relatively high in moisture at the beginning of production and difficult to be ventilated. You may make it equip only the fermenter of the 1st to 2nd week of a start with the compost raw material expansion | swelling softening means. According to this, introduction cost can be suppressed and a system with high investment efficiency can be constructed.

  In the above description, the fermenter that does not perform frequent stirring has been described. However, the compost raw material swelling and softening means according to the embodiment of the present invention can be provided in a fermenter equipped with a stirring device. . According to this, by introducing the compost raw material swelling and softening step (Sb) in the initial stage where the stirrer cannot operate smoothly in a high moisture state, it becomes possible to reduce the amount of auxiliary materials mixed, and to the processing by subsequent stirring The effect of accelerating the transition is obtained.

  As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to ensure good ventilation with respect to the high moisture compost raw material in which the mixing amount of the auxiliary material is minimized, and it is possible to maintain and promote aerobic fermentation. can do. Especially for high-moisture compost raw materials, it prevents the aeration path formed inside the compost raw materials from being fixed, eliminates uneven ventilation and fermentation, and clogs the air holes against ventilation from the bottom of the fermenter. It can be solved. As a result, the initial cost of capital investment and the running cost of compost production can be reduced, and high-quality compost production by homogenizing aerobic fermentation can be realized.

1 shows an example in which compost was produced with an apparent density of 939 kg / m ³ and a deposition height of 1.6 m using beef manure with a moisture content of 72% as a compost raw material by the compost production apparatus according to the embodiment shown in FIG. .

  The above table shows changes in the ventilation amount and the ventilation resistance by the blower before and after the swelling and softening treatment. Immediately before the swelling and softening treatment, the ventilation resistance inside the compost material was large, and almost no ventilation was possible, but immediately after the swelling and softening treatment, the ventilation resistance decreased and it became possible to ventilate with an appropriate ventilation amount. It was. Moreover, the temperature inside compost raw material rose to 30-70 degreeC on the 2nd day of ventilation | gas_flowing, and it has confirmed acceleration | stimulation of aerobic fermentation. As is clear from this example, the compost manufacturing apparatus and the compost manufacturing method according to the embodiment of the present invention can obtain an effect of improving air permeability with respect to a high moisture compost raw material.

It is explanatory drawing which showed in plan the compost manufacturing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory view for explaining the operation of the compost raw material swelling and softening means in the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the compost manufacturing apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the compost manufacturing apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the compost manufacturing apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the compost manufacturing method which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Compost manufacturing apparatus 10 Fermenter 11 Air discharge port 12 Air supply path 12A Air supply piping 20 High-pressure air delivery means 21 Supply path switching means 21A Three-way valve 21B Valve control part 22 Compressed air supply means 22A High-pressure tank 22B Compressor 30 Timing means 40 Air blower 50 Pressure detecting means 60 Temperature detecting means 51, 61 Switching control means 70 Air discharge position changing means 100 Automatic compost turning device M Compost raw material a, b Ventilation path

Claims (8)

A compost production apparatus comprising a fermenter for depositing compost raw material, composting while composting the compost raw material deposited in the fermenter,
A large number of air discharge ports are formed at the bottom of the fermenter, and high pressure air is temporarily ejected from the air projecting ports so that the accumulated compost material floats and then sinks, thereby expanding the compost material. A compost production apparatus comprising compost raw material swelling and softening means for softening.   The compost raw material swelling and softening means includes an air supply path for supplying high-pressure air to the air discharge port, and a high-pressure air delivery means for temporarily sending high-pressure air to the air supply path. The compost manufacturing apparatus described in 1.   The high-pressure air delivery means includes supply path switching means for temporarily switching a supply path for connecting a blower to the air supply path to another supply path, and compressed air supply means connected to the another supply path. The compost manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2.   The compost manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the supply path switching unit detects an increase in the blowing pressure of the blower and switches to the another supply path.   The compost production apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the supply path switching means detects a decrease in the compost raw material temperature in the fermenter and switches to another supply path.   The air discharge port is formed in an air supply pipe disposed at the bottom of the fermenter, and the position of the air discharge port is changed by rotating the air supply pipe around the tube axis or sliding in the tube axis direction. The compost manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising air discharge position changing means for performing the operation. A compost production method comprising a fermenter for depositing compost raw material, composting the compost raw material deposited in the fermenter while ventilating,
A continuous aeration step of aerating the compost raw material deposited in the fermentor without stirring;
Compost raw material expansion that softens the compost raw material by temporarily ejecting high-pressure air from a large number of air discharge ports formed at the bottom of the fermenter, causing the accumulated compost raw material to float and then sink. A compost production method comprising a softening step. The constantly venting step is performed by supplying low-pressure air from a blower to the air outlet,
The compost production method according to claim 7, wherein the compost raw material swelling and softening step is performed by switching the low-pressure air from the blower to the high-pressure air from the compressed air supply means.

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