KR20010036101A - High efficiency vermiculture process and apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A high-yield method for breeding an earthworm and a device thereof are provided, which improve the speed of becoming a compost by using a thin bed, save labor by removing the need of mixing, and is cost-effective by using a multi-layered device. CONSTITUTION: The high-yield method for breeding the earthworm by using the device comprising a plurality of conveyors(101) having a ring-shaped belt and a bed pan, a support(116) for supporting the conveyors(101), controller connected to driving motor, living resources of thin bed, is characterized by comprising: fixing the earthworm inside a living resources; forming a successive thin bed by inducing successively the living resources which is not decomposed; maintaining the thin bed in successive way for making the living resources which is not decomposed, by the earthworm; inducing the living resources which is not decomposed by moving the thin bed; and maintaining the earth worm group with collecting the living thing resources which is decomposed.

Description

High efficiency vermiculture process and apparatus

The present invention relates to the composting of the organic matter-containing waste by the earthworm culture and the earthworm, and more particularly to a high-efficiency method and apparatus for earthworm farming and earthworm composting using a thin bed.

Through earthworm farming, it is possible to feed earthworms as a source of animal feed components, to feed live earthworms for sport fishing, or to feed earthworms for other products. Earthworm composting is the use of earthworms to break down waste such as livestock dung and general waste. Earthworms generally eat inorganic and organic matter, digest and absorb organic matter sufficiently, and excrete the residue back into the soil. As a result of the food intake, earthworms help break down organic matter in the material they eat. Earthworms also ventilate the soil and accelerate the breakdown of bacteria and other microorganisms.

Typically, large earthworm farming uses thick beds that process large quantities of organic matter in a relatively stationary manner. Typically, the rear layer is stratified into a moving earthworm zone and a zone of dense material. Often these dense areas are soured due to anaerobic degradation, which results in undesirable conditions for the earthworm's activity. Thus, it is necessary to freshen or change the layers, for example by adding a rug material. Also typically, back layer operation is a batch process that requires manual loading of new biological resources. After the organic material is actually degraded, the earthworms and the degraded material are separated and collected.

Less manpower is required, the compost is more uniform, the environmental conditions are more easily controlled, the earthworm activity is more uniform and the speed of activity is increased, so the compost rate is increased and the earthworm is separated from the decomposed material. There is a need for an earthworm composting method, in which earthworm production and earthworm composting methods are more predictable overall for easy and stable flow of waste.

The present invention has been made in an effort to provide a unique method for high-efficiency earthworm farming and earthworm composting, and an object thereof is to provide a high-efficiency earthworm farming device and method using thin layers to increase earthworm composting speed and improve composting uniformity. .

It is another object of the present invention to provide a highly efficient earthquake farming apparatus and method in which the required labor is reduced compared to conventional methods by minimizing space requirements, maximizing decomposition rates, and eliminating the need for mixing.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a highly efficient earthquake farming device having a multi-layered form that is low in assembly and operation cost and is stacked for increased space efficiency.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an earthworm farming method that promotes earthworm fertility and provides an excessive earthworm as a product.

1 is a schematic diagram of the composting method using an earthworm using thin biomass according to the present invention.

2 shows an embodiment of the invention using a single horizontal layer.

3 illustrates an embodiment of the invention with multiple layers in a vertically stacked form.

4 shows a variant in which two assemblies of a stacked structure are arranged in series to facilitate loading.

<Description of the reference numerals for the main parts of the drawings>

1: active part 4, 16: floor surface 5: loading point

6 undecomposed biological material 8 decomposed biological material 10 free surface

9 light source 14 support structure 15 annular belt

20: roller 25: drive mechanism 30: bad fan

35: passing part 55: second belt 60: earthworm

100: conveyor belt 114: roller 107: side part

108: bottom 112: annular conveyor belt 116: support structure

106: broad back 105: single box type supply device

109: supply box inlet 110: deceleration drive unit 101: conveyor assembly

115: speed and time control device 120: screen tumbler

The present invention is directed to a method of improving composting and earthworm culture by installing thin layers of material that facilitate the high density of earthworm populations to actively migrate into undissolved material to erode the material at high speed. Because of the thinness of the material layers, the movement of the earthworm to other areas is facilitated, thereby reducing the earthworm stratification and increasing compost uniformity. In this way a thin layer of material is formed on the moving surface to facilitate processing of large amounts of material. By controlling the moving speed of the earthworm through the material layer to be equal to the moving surface speed, a continuous process can be maintained from the loading site to the loading site. Earthworms always stay on the surface of a portion of the material to remove digested material. Organic-containing wastes that can be treated by this method and apparatus include various types of waste, such as pig farm waste, dairy waste, classified general waste, food waste, industrial sludge and industrial process waste.

The lamella worm farming method of the present invention produces a larger number of worms than is required for composting systems. The recovery of the earthworm eggs and earthworms can result in the production of a composting system. Or otherwise, the earthworm and the earthworm eggs may be introduced to increase the number and efficiency of the earthworms.

In one example of the device according to the invention, a continuous belt with a flat belt surface is provided. An initial thin layer of organic material is introduced on the top of the belt so that an earthworm can settle in the thin layer. As the belt moves, new organic material is added to the loading station to keep the thin layer continuously. At the unloading station, composted material is recovered. The movement of the belt is maintained by a control device. The composted material forms layers with a thickness of 2 to 8 inches depending on the nature of the waste being treated. Such thin layers can be operated in a batch process, but the preferred method is to operate the belt continuously or semi-continuously. In order to use space most efficiently, multiple layers are maintained in one vertical stack. In addition, when these layers are inclined, it is possible to reduce the power due to the gravity that pulls the loaded belt into the place of loading. A loading and unloading device is provided to move new material to the belt and to remove the decomposed material from the belt. Or otherwise, the degraded material falls off the belt by gravity. The stacked layers can be installed in areas such as warehouses or green houses, allowing for environmental control. The use of such or similar devices maintains the desired temperature and humidity and promotes the activity of the earthworm and the degradation thereby.

Higher efficiency can be obtained by providing an incentive to keep the earthworm moving toward new material that has not been degraded. An effective attraction is to stimulate the movement of the earthworm towards the loading point of the layer surface by directing strong light or blowing air at the dropping point of the layer surface end. The presence of new material at the loading point of the layer surface also facilitates the movement of the earthworm. Other attracting means are electrical barriers and radiant heating devices.

In one form, a continuous belt of woven plastic sheet is used. This plastic sheet is supported from below by a bed pan of the same material. One advantage of this structure is its low cost, which is particularly suitable in places such as farms. Such belts can be further reduced in cost by being supported around rollers of plastic or flat wood. By tilting the layers, the entire assembly can be driven by a single drive connected to one of the rollers of each earthworm layer. Alternatively, an independent drive device can be used.

These devices and methods are used for the treatment of waste and as a means of producing earthworms as products. Due to the uniform composting method, the thin earthworm composting reduces the labor required for waste disposal. These systems require less space, which increases the average composting rate by allowing environmental control to further increase the level of earthworm activity. This is especially advantageous in the northern provinces, where earthworms are hiding most of the year in ambient conditions.

The following examples are merely illustrative of this new earthworm composting invention. Other variations of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art of earthworm composting and earthworm farming techniques.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for composting organic waste in a very efficient manner. In particular, the present invention utilizes large doses of composting. The term ″ earthworm composting ″ as used herein means that the earthworm decomposes the organic material by ingesting and digesting the organic material. Earthworm composting also involves the incidental bioconversion of the organic material from the inherent bacterial action of this system. The present invention can grow a large number of earthworms beyond what is required for composting. Therefore, the present invention also relates to a method and apparatus for producing earthworms. There are at least hundreds of earthworms commonly known as red earthworms in earthworm composting techniques. One example is Lumbricus rubellus. In general, red earthworm species are considered equal to each other in earthworm composting. Although the red earthworm is the type used to demonstrate the present invention, other types of earthworms may work equally depending on the type of organic material and the environment to some extent.

Earthworm composting of the present invention utilizes a relatively thin layer of organic material in which the earthworm population performs its task. Such methods can be effectively used to convert or compost farm food waste, farm waste such as chicken, pig, or cow dung, and waste such as plant and crop waste, sewage and other organic waste. The organic matter-containing material is collected and optionally pretreated to form a thin biomass. The pretreatment may consist of grinding to reduce size to increase uniformity and to inoculate with beneficial bacteria. As used herein, the term `` biological resource '' refers to the organic matter that first comes into contact with the earthworm-the general flow of the material, the partially degraded organic matter that the earthworm penetrates-the containing material, the earthworm dung and the undecomposed organic matter from the earthworm population- Means containing material.

In order to make a highly efficient earthworm composting system, it is necessary to create a biomass that minimizes earthworm population stratification and promotes earthworm migration to undissolved material. An important step in achieving this is to form a sufficiently thin biomass layer. Typically, where a thick layer, for example 2 to 5 feet thick, is used for earthworm composting, the earthworm dense areas are formed with dense material regions due to the stratification of the earthworm population. If a sufficiently thin biomass layer is provided and guided to the earthworm population, the earthworm will move more evenly through the biomass to produce a uniformly degraded compost. How this can be done in an efficient and effective manner is described below.

1 is a functional diagram of an earthworm composting system of thin biomass. The earthworm 3 effectively penetrates the active part 1 of the biological material in its entire thickness. The vertical thickness of the biomass is 2 to 8 inches. If the biomass is cow dung, the preferred thickness is about 4 inches. If the thickness is greater, stratification of the earthworm population may occur or a biomass area bypassing the earthworm population may occur. The term ″ earthworm population ″ is used to refer to collective earthworms that move within the biological resource. Still earth may be used in thin earthworm composting, but in this case there are problems of loading and loading biomass and separating earthworms from degraded biomass. From the loading point 5 in which the thin layer which consists of newly undecomposed biological resources 6 is formed, the moving layer surface which moves a thin layer gradually to the dropping point 8 in which the decomposed biological resource 8 is collect | recovered ( It is desirable to provide a conveying device having 4). Earthworms are forced to move toward the undegraded biomass as the earthworms eat the thin, limited food. In the figure, the earthworm moves from right to left. If the speed of movement of the layer surface 4 is comparable to the speed of the earthworm moving in the opposite direction, the earthworms remain stationary, with each part of the degraded biomass being substantially free of earthworms being recovered. The degraded biomass 8 is shown to fall by gravity as it breaks down as it reaches the dripping point of the layer surface end and is no longer supported from below. Since earthworms naturally avoid the free surface 10, there are generally no earthworms in the portion of the biomass that is exposed. In addition, a light source 9 such as fluorescence can be used as the earthworm attraction device. The function of the attracting device is to pull the earthworm out of the degraded biomass so that it is buried deep into the undegraded biomass. The presence of the light source 9 allows the earthworms to be deeply introduced into the biomass, making it easier to obtain an earthworm-free disassembled portion. Other handouts are moving air, current, radiant heat, and vibration directed towards the exposed surface 10. Fan blowing air towards the exposed surface 10 may also facilitate the worm to be embedded deep into the biological resource. Recovery of the degraded biomass may be effected by other means, such as a mechanical device capable of simultaneously removing small portions of the biomass. Of course, the speed of the earthworm in the biomass depends on many factors including the nature of the biomass and environmental conditions. Earthworm activity is particularly dependent on temperature. In order for the earthworm to move through all parts of the biomass, the biomass must be loaded at a rate such that practically continuous layers are formed. If breaks, aborts or islands occur, the earthworms may stop or become very slow. The function of the conveying device and the layer surface can be fulfilled by many different structures. In addition to those shown in the examples below, other structures may be used that provide the same function of moving and maintaining thin layers of certain biological resources in a manner that can control the speed of earthworm movement. Although the surface layer is shown as horizontal and flat in FIG. 1, other forms may be used.

2 shows an example of an apparatus for making thin biomass. This horizontal conveying device is provided with a support structure 14, on which a continuous annular belt 15 is supported. The belt is rotatable by spanning the rollers 20 at both ends of the support structure. A drive mechanism 25, such as an electric motor, is connected to a roller or other drive device for rotating the belt. Very low speed drive mechanisms are needed to provide the low linear belt speeds required in such transfer devices. In order to achieve such a low speed, a stepped motor having a deceleration mechanism or similar mechanism that is well known in the art may be used. Some representative feed rates are shown in the examples below. A bed pan 30 is secured to the support structure to form a foundation for supporting the belt. In this form, the bad pan 30 is a fabric spread between the individual members of the structure 14. The width of the entire assembly is optional and depends on the characteristics of the location. In operation, undecomposed biomass is filled in the feed hopper or passage 35 and then introduced onto the belt 15. The belt 15 provides a layer surface 16 which is composted with the biomass remaining on the layer surface. If necessary, a leveler is provided to provide a flat surface and thickness. Or otherwise, a gate or weir is provided at an appropriate distance from the top of the loading site of the belt. The biomass is then passed between the belt and the gate that controls the thickness of the layer, thereby effectively extruding on the belt. The belt 15 moves at a speed almost equal to the speed at which the earthworm proceeds through the biological resources. The degraded biomass 50 falls from the belt and is recovered by the second belt 55. In an enlarged view, an earthworm 60 is shown infiltrating the thin biomass. Although various members such as feed hoppers and conveyors can be structurally connected, they may only be functionally connected by being located close enough in the proper direction to work effectively with each other.

One embodiment for carrying out the present invention that is effective in terms of space and cost is shown in FIG. 3. A plurality of inclined conveyors 100 are supported in a vertically stacked form to form the conveyor assembly 100. Each conveyor has an annular conveyor belt 112 that spans the rollers 114 at both ends, as described above. A support structure 116 is provided to support the weight of the loaded belt. The top surface of each spit 112 forms a layered surface, on which the undecomposed biomass is loaded via a single boxed feeder 105. The feed box has a wide broad back 106 that spans the full width of the conveyor belt 100. The side portion 107 and the bottom portion 108 extend along the belt in the direction of the conveyor belt and accommodate the biomass introduced. The loading surface of the front part of the supply box contains the loading end of the conveyor. The side portion 107 is prevented from leaking by sticking to the side portion of the conveyor. The biomass to be loaded is introduced at the feed box inlet 109 and accumulated in the box. The biomass is guided over the individual conveyor belts 112 due to its weight. Depending on the spacing between the rollers at the loading ends of the conveyors, the thickness of the biomass layer formed is determined. This spacing is shown excessively in FIG. 3 for clarity. Other methods and apparatus for loading such mass flow on the surface of the conveyor will be apparent to those skilled in the art of material transport. Each conveyor 100 is inclined downward from its loading end to its loading end as shown. Since the weight of the biomass on the surface of the layer can be extremely high, the frictional resistance to belt movement can be increased. However, the inclination reduces the motor power required to operate the belt by pulling the belt down such that the weight of the biomass opposes the frictional force. The exact angle depends on the composition and density of the biological material. The belt material and the bad pan material greatly influence the frictional force as their contact area increases. A deceleration drive device 110 similar to that of FIG. 2 is provided, connected directly or indirectly to each belt 112. Speed and time control device 115 is provided to the deceleration drive device 110. These parts are just one way to control the belt operation. Other alternative methods may be used, such as driving each belt independently. Although the operation of the conveyor spit and layer surface has been described as continuous, discontinuous operation may be better. The same result can be obtained by operating for a short period of time with a long shutdown period, but in this case the operation must be short enough so that most of the degraded biomass is not recovered together with the earthworm.

For convenience, the screen tumbler 120 is located at the dropping end of the conveyor assembly 101 so that the degraded biomass falls into the open end of the tumbler. The function of the screen tumbler is to separate the larger sized undigested biomass mass 125 and the accompanying earthworm from the smaller sized degraded earthworm dung material 130. The screen size depends on the characteristics of the biological resource. When earthworms are composted, 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch screens have been found to be suitable. All materials passed through the 1/8 inch screen are preferably returned to the undecomposed biomass, whereby they are reloaded to form a thin layer. In this way, a large number of worm eggs are returned to hatch in the worm population, thereby supporting the worms. Or else, the portion containing the earthworm eggs may be removed to allow for hatching and earthworm production of the earthworm eggs.

Example

Vertically stacked earthworm compost assemblies were assembled with seven slanted layers of biomass each. Each of these layers was inclined at an included angle of 24 degrees from horizontal so that the dropping end was lower. The sides of the assembly were covered with polyethylene sheets to help maintain them at elevated temperatures. The fed dung was liquefied, pumped into the hopper, gravity drained for 24 hours, then manually loaded in the gravity feed trough and loaded simultaneously in all layers. The trough had a loading end of the layers, and due to the weight of the biomass on top of the layers, a portion of the biomass was fed from the trough through the slot on the surface of each layer. Between vertically neighboring layers, the slot is defined as the space between the individual rollers of the layers. Such a device is similar to that shown in FIG. 3. Red earthworms for feeding were obtained, distributed over the layers and temporarily settled. The layers were moved and additional biomass was loaded to maintain a continuous thin layer in the layer. As a attracting means a simple electric blower and two 40 watt fluorescent bulbs were directed to the dropping end of the assembly. The portion of the layer suddenly protruding from the dropping end of the layer was dropped into the tray by gravity to recover the degraded biomass. The degraded biomass was then screened through a 1/8 inch wire mash and the residue returned to the trough. The residue consisted mainly of small chunks of undecomposed cow dung, earthworms, and earthworm eggs clinging to the dung. About one third of the volume of material recovered from the bed was returned to the biomass and reloaded. The assembly was operated while exposed to ambient conditions ranging from about 40 ° F. (starting) to 78 ° F. (after 7 weeks). Thus, by increasing the speed of earthworm activity, the movement of the layer surface was facilitated. The process parameters and results of this example are shown in the table below.

The apparatus of this embodiment is configured similarly to the apparatus of FIG. The support structure was made of wood and wood rollers were used. A plastic fabric belt was connected to the rollers by friction only. It is demonstrated that the effectiveness of these cheaper devices can lower the cost of such designs and methods. During the operation of this exemplary device, the density of earthworms has been found to increase significantly. As a result of the continuous movement, the earthworms work on biological resources that are continuously replenished. As a result of this continuous process, the rate of decomposition of the waste increases.

4 shows a variant with two stacked structures 90 and 92. This stacking structure is arranged such that each loading end faces a common feed trough serving as a loading device. The layers operate similar to that described in FIG. 3. Undecomposed biomass is introduced at the top of the feed trough. The biomass is guided on the layer surface by gravity. In FIG. 4 the left side of the trough is removed to expose the individual conveyor loading ends. As explained in the above embodiment, the biomass is guided to all layers except the top layer through the gap between the rollers of neighboring layers. The thickness of the biomass layer is determined by the diameter of the roller as well as the vertical gap between the layers. Alternatively, the trough structure may facilitate flow by including progressively tapered or funneled slots in communication with the layer surface. This arrangement simplifies the loading method and improves space efficiency.

The above embodiments are provided to illustrate the claimed invention, but the scope of the invention is not limited to the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art to combine current and future materials and devices in other embodiments of the present invention.

As described in detail above, the present invention uses a thin layer to increase the earthworm composting rate and improve the composting uniformity, the space requirements are minimized, the decomposition rate is maximized, and the need for mixing to eliminate the need for mixing compared to the conventional method Labor force is reduced. In addition, the assembly and operation costs are low, and the multi-layered form has the effect of increasing the space efficiency.

Claims (19)

A high-efficiency earthworm aquaculture device that reduces the stratification of earthworms and increases the earthworm density and efficacy in the composted biomass, comprising: thin-layer biomass; An earthworm population located inside the biological resource; An inlet end and an outlet end; A means for transporting said thin biomass from said input end to said discharge end, wherein said biomass is transported from said input end to said discharge end while said biomass is decomposed by said earthworm population. Device. The high efficiency earthquake breeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the biomass thin layer is 2 to 8 inches thick. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises a movable first layer surface; The apparatus further comprises control means for controlling the movement of the first layer surface; The control means is functionally connected to the first layer surface; And the biomass stays on the surface of the first layer for a time sufficient to degrade to a significant extent before reaching the discharge end. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a feeder for distributing undegraded biomass to the surface of the first layer in a distributed manner; The feeder is functionally connected to the first layer surface and the control means; And wherein said biomass can be supplied in a substantially continuous thin layer on the surface of said first layer. 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising a continuous, flexible first belt; And said first belt has a surface forming said first layer surface. The high efficiency earthworm aquaculture apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first belt is inclined at an actual angle from the horizontal. 4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the vehicle comprises: a plurality of high layer surfaces; Further comprising a support structure; The control means is operatively connected to the respective raised layer surface; And wherein each elevated layer surface is supported by the support structure at a predetermined vertical distance away from the top of the first layer surface, thereby forming a laminated form. 8. The high efficiency earthworm aquaculture apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the at least one earthworm movement attracting means is provided, wherein the attraction means is functionally connected to the discharge end of the conveying means. 9. The high efficiency earthquake breeding apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the attracting means is a light emitting device. An earthworm aquaculture device that prevents earthworm stratification and increases earthworm density and efficacy in composted biomass, comprising: a rotatable continuous annular belt made of fabric and having a layered surface, a pair of separate rollers supporting the belt; A plurality of conveyors comprising a bad pan made of fabric and fixedly disposed below the belt; A support structure made of a wooden member and supporting the conveyors in an inclined manner in a vertical stack; A drive motor connected to one of the pair of rollers; A control device functionally connected to the drive motor; A thin layer biomass formed on at least one of the layer surfaces; And, an earthworm population infiltrating at least a portion of the biological resource. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the earthworm farming device further comprises a plurality of second conveyors that are inclinedly supported by the second support structure in a form stacked vertically with the second support structure; The first and second structures are relatively positioned to form a space between the first and second conveyors, further comprising a loading trough formed around the space and at least partially encased in the space. High efficiency earthquake farming device, characterized in that. A high-efficiency earthworm farming method in which a group of earthworms move through the biomass layer to completely and completely decompose the biomass to form more uniform compost. Establishing a group of earthworms in biological resources; Introducing a population of undecomposed organisms in a substantially continuous manner to form a substantially continuous thin layer in contact with the earthworm population; Allowing the lamella to stay in a substantially continuous manner so that a worm population can penetrate the digested biomass and digest it to a significant extent; Moving the thin layer so that undigested new biomass can be introduced continuously and efficiently; Maintaining the worm population in contact with the degraded biomass while recovering the degraded biomass such that an exposed biomass surface occurs; High-efficiency earthworm farming method that allows the worm population to penetrate and decompose in a continuous stream of undecomposed biological resources by providing continuous exposure processes. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of providing a means for facilitating the movement of the earthworms toward the undecomposed biological resources. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: surrounding the thin layer; A high-efficiency earthworm culture method further comprising the step of promoting environmental degradation and bacterial decomposition by controlling environmental conditions. 13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the above steps are repeated to provide a plurality of thin layers in close proximity to each other. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: screening the recovered and digested biomass to separate a portion of the biomass; And introducing the separated portion into the undecomposed biomass to form a continuous thin layer. An earthworm farming method in which an earthworm population moves through a biomass layer to completely and completely decompose the biomass to form more uniform compost, the method comprising: forming a thin biomass; Establishing a group of earthworms in a portion of the biomass; Moving the earthworm population into an undigested portion of the biomass; Moving the biomass through the biomass at an average linear velocity substantially equal to the speed at which the earthworm population moves in the opposite direction; Recovering the degraded biological resource; A high efficiency earthworm farming method that allows the earthworm population to actually stay in one location. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein moving the biomass is a combined mean linear velocity of movement and stop that is substantially equivalent to the speed at which the earthworm population moves in the opposite direction through the biomass, alternating movement and halt. High-efficiency earthworm culture method comprising moving the biological group. 18. The mixture of claim 17 wherein the portion of the recovered and degraded biomass is introduced back into the thin layer biomass provided with the earthworm population and mixed with the thin layer biomass such that the mixture comprises some already degraded biomass. High efficiency earthworm culture method characterized in that it is formed.