US20080311838A1 - Compost Ventilation - Google Patents
Compost Ventilation Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20080311838A1 US20080311838A1 US12/095,461 US9546106A US2008311838A1 US 20080311838 A1 US20080311838 A1 US 20080311838A1 US 9546106 A US9546106 A US 9546106A US 2008311838 A1 US2008311838 A1 US 2008311838A1
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- Prior art keywords
- ventilation
- ventilation pipe
- air
- heap
- pipe
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- 238000009423 ventilation Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 114
- 239000002361 compost Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 53
- 238000005273 aeration Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 19
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 17
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 15
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 10
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 10
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 10
- 238000003780 insertion Methods 0.000 claims 1
- 230000037431 insertion Effects 0.000 claims 1
- 238000009264 composting Methods 0.000 description 8
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 3
- 229910000831 Steel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 230000029087 digestion Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000035515 penetration Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000010959 steel Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000006978 adaptation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007664 blowing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000004140 cleaning Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000012141 concentrate Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000007797 corrosion Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000005260 corrosion Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000010791 domestic waste Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000001035 drying Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000704 physical effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000000717 retained effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000011664 signaling Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000002699 waste material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000003466 welding Methods 0.000 description 1
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Classifications
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- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C05—FERTILISERS; MANUFACTURE THEREOF
- C05F—ORGANIC FERTILISERS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C05B, C05C, e.g. FERTILISERS FROM WASTE OR REFUSE
- C05F9/00—Fertilisers from household or town refuse
- C05F9/02—Apparatus for the manufacture
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C05—FERTILISERS; MANUFACTURE THEREOF
- C05F—ORGANIC FERTILISERS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C05B, C05C, e.g. FERTILISERS FROM WASTE OR REFUSE
- C05F17/00—Preparation of fertilisers characterised by biological or biochemical treatment steps, e.g. composting or fermentation
- C05F17/90—Apparatus therefor
- C05F17/964—Constructional parts, e.g. floors, covers or doors
- C05F17/971—Constructional parts, e.g. floors, covers or doors for feeding or discharging materials to be treated; for feeding or discharging other material
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C05—FERTILISERS; MANUFACTURE THEREOF
- C05F—ORGANIC FERTILISERS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C05B, C05C, e.g. FERTILISERS FROM WASTE OR REFUSE
- C05F17/00—Preparation of fertilisers characterised by biological or biochemical treatment steps, e.g. composting or fermentation
- C05F17/90—Apparatus therefor
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C05—FERTILISERS; MANUFACTURE THEREOF
- C05F—ORGANIC FERTILISERS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C05B, C05C, e.g. FERTILISERS FROM WASTE OR REFUSE
- C05F17/00—Preparation of fertilisers characterised by biological or biochemical treatment steps, e.g. composting or fermentation
- C05F17/90—Apparatus therefor
- C05F17/964—Constructional parts, e.g. floors, covers or doors
- C05F17/971—Constructional parts, e.g. floors, covers or doors for feeding or discharging materials to be treated; for feeding or discharging other material
- C05F17/979—Constructional parts, e.g. floors, covers or doors for feeding or discharging materials to be treated; for feeding or discharging other material the other material being gaseous
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C05—FERTILISERS; MANUFACTURE THEREOF
- C05F—ORGANIC FERTILISERS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C05B, C05C, e.g. FERTILISERS FROM WASTE OR REFUSE
- C05F17/00—Preparation of fertilisers characterised by biological or biochemical treatment steps, e.g. composting or fermentation
- C05F17/90—Apparatus therefor
- C05F17/993—Arrangements for measuring process parameters, e.g. temperature, pressure or humidity
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02P20/00—Technologies relating to chemical industry
- Y02P20/141—Feedstock
- Y02P20/145—Feedstock the feedstock being materials of biological origin
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02W—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT
- Y02W30/00—Technologies for solid waste management
- Y02W30/40—Bio-organic fraction processing; Production of fertilisers from the organic fraction of waste or refuse
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a method of ventilating a compost heap, in particular to the ventilation of compost heaps and windrows so as to reduce odour.
- Composting of compostable material is typically performed in heaps. These heaps may be located inside buildings or outside. If the compost heap is located outside, it is typically in the form of an elongate row called a windrow. Compost heaps may be agitated or turned during the composting process to aerate the content to ensure efficient composting. Compostable material is used herein to include biodegradable materials such as household waste and other waste materials.
- vent channels located on the floor of a building in which a compost heap is to be located.
- the vent channels in the floor either blow air into the base of the compost heap, or draw air from the base of the heap. This air movement through the base of the heap ventilates the heap and therefore promotes more rapid and even composting of the material in the pile and removes the need to manually or mechanically turn or aerate the heap.
- vent channels can be costly to build into the, typically concrete, floor. To avoid the cost of building the vents into the floor it is known to locate vent channels on the surface of the floor. However the channels are constructed on the floor they are vulnerable to damage by machinery used to transport the compost material as the compost heap is built over the channels. The channels also tend to fill with debris and liquid leachate from the heap and require frequent cleaning to ensure that the channels are still open for air flow.
- the invention provides a method of ventilating a compost heap using at least one ventilation pipe and an air moving means, the ventilation pipe comprising a pipe wall defining a conduit for gas and the ventilation pipe having a connection end and a ventilation portion, the ventilation portion having a plurality of aeration holes extending through the pipe wall and the method comprising the steps of: constructing a compost heap comprising compostable materials; inserting the ventilation portion of the at least one ventilation pipe into the compost heap; connecting the connection end of the ventilation pipe to the air moving means; using the air moving means to cause movement of air through the aeration holes; the step of inserting the ventilation portion into the compost heap comprises coupling the ventilation pipe to a piler apparatus and using the piler apparatus to force the ventilation pipe into the compost heap.
- the ventilation pipes may be adapted to include a coupling portion adapted to be coupled to a coupling portion of the piler apparatus.
- the ventilation pipes preferably also include a nose portion adapted to penetrate the compost heap during the piling operation.
- the ventilation pipes may be inserted into the compost heap as it is constructed, but it is preferred that the ventilation pipes are inserted after construction of the heap as this speeds up the construction of the heap as there is no need to stop construction to arrange the ventilation pipes before the remainder of the heap is constructed.
- the piler apparatus is compressed air powered, for example it may be the GrundomatTM from TT UK Limited.
- Such pilers include a head portion that reciprocates rapidly to drive the piler through the material.
- the apparatus includes a controller and at least one sensor for measuring a physical property related to the compost heap, for example the moisture content, temperature or other property within the compost heap or in the air drawn from the compost heap.
- the controller receiving a signal from the at least one sensor, comparing that signal with a desired signal and controlling the air moving means to adjust the flow rate of air through the aeration holes in response to said signal.
- the controller preferably receives signals from a plurality of sensors.
- the ventilation pipes may be of any suitable size, but are preferably substantially straight and have a diameter between 60 mm and 100 mm. The diameter depends upon the depth of the heap, with a deeper heap preferably being provided with a wider ventilation pipe.
- the ventilation portion may comprise the entire length of the pipe within the heap, but preferably is between 500 cm and 1500 cm in length and includes a plurality of ventilation apertures of between 6 mm and 25 mm in diameter.
- the length of the ventilation portion is preferably about 500 cm for a 3 m heap, with the length increasing to 1500 cm for a 5 m heap.
- the total area of ventilation apertures is preferably selected so that it is not greater than the cross sectional area of the ventilation pipe.
- the ventilation pipe may be made from a plastics material as such materials are relatively cheap and easy to work with and are resistant to corrosion, but the ventilation pipes may be fabricated from any suitable material and is preferably fabricated from steel as this is resistant to the forces involved in the pile driving operation.
- the flow rate of air through the ventilation pipes is preferably chosen to maintain the correct aeration of the compost. This flow rate depends upon the state of composting in the heap with a newer heap requiring a higher flow rate of air which gradually reduces as the composting process proceeds.
- the flow of air may be controlled based upon the temperature of the heap detected by in heap temperature sensors with a higher temperature resulting in a higher flow of air.
- the air flow may be pulsed, with periods of constant flow separated with periods of no flow. For example, a hot heap may have 15 minutes of air flow per hour, while a cooler heap requires only 6 minutes per hour of air flow at the same rate.
- the invention provides a method for constructing a composting apparatus comprising a compost heap comprising compostable material, at least one ventilation pipe and air moving means, the ventilation pipe comprising a pipe wall defining a conduit for gas and the ventilation pipe having a connection end and a ventilation portion, the ventilation portion having a plurality of aeration holes extending through the pipe wall and a wherein the ventilation portion is located within the compost heap and the connection end is coupled to the air moving means such that, when active, the air moving means causes movement of air through the aeration holes.
- the ventilation of the heap is more uniform as air is being moved from with the heap rather than at an outer surface of the heap.
- Aeration of the heap can be achieved by blowing air into the heap through the ventilation pipe, or by drawing air through the ventilation pipe, thereby causing air to be drawn through the compost heap toward the ventilation portion.
- the drawing of air into the ventilation pipe can also help to prevent the heap from drying out as moisture is drawn into the heap rather than being blown to the external surfaces from which it can easily evaporate.
- the drawing of air into the heap also help to control odour as the volatile chemicals are retained within the heap rather than being blown outwards.
- the aim is to promote aerobic digestion of the material. Such digestion generates heat and this heat tends to concentrate in a top core.
- the concentration of heat can be drawn downwards towards the ventilation portion by the movement of the air through the ‘hot spot’.
- Ventilation pipes having ventilation portions within the compost heap so that the aeration is distributed throughout the compost heap as this helps to avoid ‘hot spots’ or areas of high or low aeration.
- the ventilation pipe is preferably arranged substantially vertically within the compost heap such that the connection end extends above an upper surface of the heap. This facilitates connection of the ventilation pipe to the air moving means and can help to prevent the ventilation pipe from filling with compost material which may occur if material can fall through the aeration holes.
- FIG. 1 shows a cross section through a windrow compost heap
- FIGS. 2 a , 2 b and 2 c shows a cross section through a compost heap as a ventilation pipe is inserted into the compost heap;
- FIG. 3 shows a cross section through an end of a ventilation pipe.
- FIG. 1 shows a composting apparatus 1 comprising a compost heap 2 comprising compostable material.
- the ventilation pipe 4 comprised a pipe wall 8 defining a conduit 10 for gas.
- the ventilation pipe 4 has a connection end 10 and a ventilation portion 12 .
- the ventilation portion 12 has a plurality of aeration holes 14 extending through the pipe wall 8 .
- the ventilation portion 12 is located within the compost heap 2 and the connection end 10 is coupled to the air moving means 6 by a pipe 16 such that, when active, the air moving means 6 causes movement of air through the aeration holes 14 towards the air moving means 6 .
- the ventilation pipe is a 76 mm outer diameter steel pipe having a wall thickness of 3 mm.
- the air moving means 6 comprise a controller 18 , an air mover 20 , a filter 22 and a sensor 24 .
- the controller 18 receives a signal from the sensor 24 and controls the air mover 20 , in this case a fan blower, in response to said signal. It should be understood that the apparatus could function without the sensor with the controller 18 simply controlling the air mover 20 at a constant speed depending upon whether the air moving means is active or not, for example the controller could be a simple switch.
- the air drawn from the heap 2 is passed through filter 22 for treatment to substantially reduce the odour of the gas before it is vented to atmosphere through vent 26 .
- This compost heap 30 could be located inside a building on a concrete base, but could also be a windrow compost heap located outdoors on any surface, for example a surface of a field.
- FIG. 1 also shows a further ventilation pipe 104 located in the compost heap 2 and coupled to the same air moving means. It is possible that each ventilation pipe could have its own air moving means, but a single air moving means is preferred.
- FIG. 2 a shows an initial stage in the ventilation of a compost heap 30 using a ventilation pipe 32 having a ventilation portion 34 and a connection end 36 .
- a compressed air powered piler 38 dimensioned so as to fit through the ventilation pipe 32 is provided to create the hole in which the ventilation pipe 32 will be arranged.
- the piler 38 includes an air line 40 leading to a source of compressed air (not shown).
- the piler 38 includes a coupling means 42 which includes a taper 58 adapted to couple to coupling means 44 in the nose 50 at an end of the ventilation pipe opposite the connection end 36 .
- the coupling means 44 include a female taper 56 which is adapted to engage with the taper 58 .
- FIG. 2 b shows the ventilation pipe 32 and piler 38 coupled together by engagement between the coupling means 42 and 44 .
- the piler 38 is acting as an internal pile driver within the ventilation pipe 4 and driving it into the compost heap 30 . This process will continue until the ventilation pipe 32 has reached a desired depth.
- FIG. 2 c shows the ventilation pipe 32 in position within the compost heap 30 .
- the coupling means 42 , 44 have been disengaged and the piler 38 retrieved from the ventilation pipe 32 .
- a compressed air line 46 is coupled to the connection end 36 and compressed air blown into the ventilation pipe 32 to blow debris from the aeration holes 14 .
- the air line 46 is then removed and the connection end 36 connected to air moving means as shown in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 3 shows a ventilation pipe 4 having a nose portion 50 adapted to penetrate the compost heap during the piling operation.
- the nose portion 50 includes a shoulder 52 which contacts the wall 8 of the ventilation pipe 4 and is welded thereto to secure the nose portion 50 to the ventilation pipe 4 .
- the nose portion comprises a substantially solid machined truncated cone shaped tip 54 which allows for increased penetration of the ventilation pipe 4 into the compost heap 2 during the piling operation.
- the nose portion further includes a male taper section 56 which engages with a female protrusion of the piler apparatus 58 to form a Morse taper type engagement although other engagement means could be used.
- This outer shape of the tip 54 is one example of an adaptation to enable deeper penetration into the compost.
- the tip 54 preferably has a tapered shape such that a leading end has a smaller cross sectional area than the ventilation pipe.
- the leading end could be pointed or truncated and the cross section could be any suitable shape such as star, square, oval or circular.
- the nose portion may be integrally formed with the ventilation pipe, or attached by welding, or attachment means such as a screw thread or bayonet fitting.
- the nose portion is preferably substantially solid.
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method of ventilating a compost heap. The method comprises using at least one ventilation pipe and an air moving means, the ventilation pipe comprising a pipe wall defining a conduit for gas and the ventilation pipe having a connection end and a ventilation portion, the ventilation portion having a plurality of aeration holes extending through the pipe wall and the method comprising the steps of: constructing a compost heap comprising compostable materials; inserting the ventilation portion of the at least one ventilation pipe into the compost heap; connecting the connection end of the ventilation pipe to the air moving means; using the air moving means to cause movement of air through the aeration holes; in which the step of inserting the ventilation portion into the compost heap comprises the steps of: coupling the ventilation pipe to a piler apparatus; using the piler apparatus to drive the ventilation pipe into the compost heap; releasing the piler apparatus from the ventilation pipe; and retrieving the piler apparatus from the ventilation pipe.
Description
- a. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to a method of ventilating a compost heap, in particular to the ventilation of compost heaps and windrows so as to reduce odour.
- b. Related Art
- Composting of compostable material is typically performed in heaps. These heaps may be located inside buildings or outside. If the compost heap is located outside, it is typically in the form of an elongate row called a windrow. Compost heaps may be agitated or turned during the composting process to aerate the content to ensure efficient composting. Compostable material is used herein to include biodegradable materials such as household waste and other waste materials.
- It is known to have vent channels located on the floor of a building in which a compost heap is to be located. The vent channels in the floor either blow air into the base of the compost heap, or draw air from the base of the heap. This air movement through the base of the heap ventilates the heap and therefore promotes more rapid and even composting of the material in the pile and removes the need to manually or mechanically turn or aerate the heap.
- However, such vent channels can be costly to build into the, typically concrete, floor. To avoid the cost of building the vents into the floor it is known to locate vent channels on the surface of the floor. However the channels are constructed on the floor they are vulnerable to damage by machinery used to transport the compost material as the compost heap is built over the channels. The channels also tend to fill with debris and liquid leachate from the heap and require frequent cleaning to ensure that the channels are still open for air flow.
- It is an object of the present invention to provide improved ventilation of a compost heap.
- The invention provides a method of ventilating a compost heap using at least one ventilation pipe and an air moving means, the ventilation pipe comprising a pipe wall defining a conduit for gas and the ventilation pipe having a connection end and a ventilation portion, the ventilation portion having a plurality of aeration holes extending through the pipe wall and the method comprising the steps of: constructing a compost heap comprising compostable materials; inserting the ventilation portion of the at least one ventilation pipe into the compost heap; connecting the connection end of the ventilation pipe to the air moving means; using the air moving means to cause movement of air through the aeration holes; the step of inserting the ventilation portion into the compost heap comprises coupling the ventilation pipe to a piler apparatus and using the piler apparatus to force the ventilation pipe into the compost heap. When the ventilation pipe has been forced into the required position, the piler apparatus is released from the ventilation pipe and retrieved from the ventilation pipe. If a plurality of ventilation pipes are being used, this step can be repeated as often as required to insert all the ventilation pipes. The ventilation pipes may be adapted to include a coupling portion adapted to be coupled to a coupling portion of the piler apparatus. The ventilation pipes preferably also include a nose portion adapted to penetrate the compost heap during the piling operation.
- The ventilation pipes may be inserted into the compost heap as it is constructed, but it is preferred that the ventilation pipes are inserted after construction of the heap as this speeds up the construction of the heap as there is no need to stop construction to arrange the ventilation pipes before the remainder of the heap is constructed.
- It is preferred that the piler apparatus is compressed air powered, for example it may be the Grundomat™ from TT UK Limited. Such pilers include a head portion that reciprocates rapidly to drive the piler through the material.
- It is preferred that the apparatus includes a controller and at least one sensor for measuring a physical property related to the compost heap, for example the moisture content, temperature or other property within the compost heap or in the air drawn from the compost heap. The controller receiving a signal from the at least one sensor, comparing that signal with a desired signal and controlling the air moving means to adjust the flow rate of air through the aeration holes in response to said signal. The controller preferably receives signals from a plurality of sensors.
- The ventilation pipes may be of any suitable size, but are preferably substantially straight and have a diameter between 60 mm and 100 mm. The diameter depends upon the depth of the heap, with a deeper heap preferably being provided with a wider ventilation pipe. The ventilation portion may comprise the entire length of the pipe within the heap, but preferably is between 500 cm and 1500 cm in length and includes a plurality of ventilation apertures of between 6 mm and 25 mm in diameter. The length of the ventilation portion is preferably about 500 cm for a 3 m heap, with the length increasing to 1500 cm for a 5 m heap. The total area of ventilation apertures is preferably selected so that it is not greater than the cross sectional area of the ventilation pipe. There is preferably one ventilation pipe for a heap volume of between 30 m3 and 80 m3 and most preferably one per 50 m3.
- The ventilation pipe may be made from a plastics material as such materials are relatively cheap and easy to work with and are resistant to corrosion, but the ventilation pipes may be fabricated from any suitable material and is preferably fabricated from steel as this is resistant to the forces involved in the pile driving operation.
- The flow rate of air through the ventilation pipes is preferably chosen to maintain the correct aeration of the compost. This flow rate depends upon the state of composting in the heap with a newer heap requiring a higher flow rate of air which gradually reduces as the composting process proceeds. The flow of air may be controlled based upon the temperature of the heap detected by in heap temperature sensors with a higher temperature resulting in a higher flow of air. The air flow may be pulsed, with periods of constant flow separated with periods of no flow. For example, a hot heap may have 15 minutes of air flow per hour, while a cooler heap requires only 6 minutes per hour of air flow at the same rate.
- Therefore, the invention provides a method for constructing a composting apparatus comprising a compost heap comprising compostable material, at least one ventilation pipe and air moving means, the ventilation pipe comprising a pipe wall defining a conduit for gas and the ventilation pipe having a connection end and a ventilation portion, the ventilation portion having a plurality of aeration holes extending through the pipe wall and a wherein the ventilation portion is located within the compost heap and the connection end is coupled to the air moving means such that, when active, the air moving means causes movement of air through the aeration holes.
- By having a ventilation pipe with a ventilation portion within the compost heap the ventilation of the heap is more uniform as air is being moved from with the heap rather than at an outer surface of the heap. Aeration of the heap can be achieved by blowing air into the heap through the ventilation pipe, or by drawing air through the ventilation pipe, thereby causing air to be drawn through the compost heap toward the ventilation portion. The drawing of air into the ventilation pipe can also help to prevent the heap from drying out as moisture is drawn into the heap rather than being blown to the external surfaces from which it can easily evaporate. The drawing of air into the heap also help to control odour as the volatile chemicals are retained within the heap rather than being blown outwards.
- The aim is to promote aerobic digestion of the material. Such digestion generates heat and this heat tends to concentrate in a top core. By positioning the ventilation portion below the top core and drawing air into the ventilation pipe, the concentration of heat can be drawn downwards towards the ventilation portion by the movement of the air through the ‘hot spot’.
- It is preferred that there are a plurality of ventilation pipes having ventilation portions within the compost heap so that the aeration is distributed throughout the compost heap as this helps to avoid ‘hot spots’ or areas of high or low aeration.
- The ventilation pipe is preferably arranged substantially vertically within the compost heap such that the connection end extends above an upper surface of the heap. This facilitates connection of the ventilation pipe to the air moving means and can help to prevent the ventilation pipe from filling with compost material which may occur if material can fall through the aeration holes.
- The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
-
FIG. 1 shows a cross section through a windrow compost heap; -
FIGS. 2 a, 2 b and 2 c shows a cross section through a compost heap as a ventilation pipe is inserted into the compost heap; -
FIG. 3 shows a cross section through an end of a ventilation pipe. -
FIG. 1 shows a composting apparatus 1 comprising a compost heap 2 comprising compostable material. There is at least oneventilation pipe 4 and air moving means 6, in this case a fan. Theventilation pipe 4 comprised apipe wall 8 defining aconduit 10 for gas. Theventilation pipe 4 has aconnection end 10 and aventilation portion 12. Theventilation portion 12 has a plurality ofaeration holes 14 extending through thepipe wall 8. Theventilation portion 12 is located within the compost heap 2 and theconnection end 10 is coupled to the air moving means 6 by apipe 16 such that, when active, the air moving means 6 causes movement of air through the aeration holes 14 towards theair moving means 6. In this case the ventilation pipe is a 76 mm outer diameter steel pipe having a wall thickness of 3 mm. - The air moving means 6 comprise a
controller 18, anair mover 20, afilter 22 and asensor 24. Thecontroller 18 receives a signal from thesensor 24 and controls theair mover 20, in this case a fan blower, in response to said signal. It should be understood that the apparatus could function without the sensor with thecontroller 18 simply controlling theair mover 20 at a constant speed depending upon whether the air moving means is active or not, for example the controller could be a simple switch. - The air drawn from the heap 2 is passed through
filter 22 for treatment to substantially reduce the odour of the gas before it is vented to atmosphere throughvent 26. - This
compost heap 30 could be located inside a building on a concrete base, but could also be a windrow compost heap located outdoors on any surface, for example a surface of a field. -
FIG. 1 also shows afurther ventilation pipe 104 located in the compost heap 2 and coupled to the same air moving means. It is possible that each ventilation pipe could have its own air moving means, but a single air moving means is preferred. -
FIG. 2 a shows an initial stage in the ventilation of acompost heap 30 using aventilation pipe 32 having aventilation portion 34 and aconnection end 36. A compressed air poweredpiler 38 dimensioned so as to fit through theventilation pipe 32 is provided to create the hole in which theventilation pipe 32 will be arranged. Thepiler 38 includes anair line 40 leading to a source of compressed air (not shown). - The
piler 38 includes a coupling means 42 which includes ataper 58 adapted to couple to coupling means 44 in thenose 50 at an end of the ventilation pipe opposite theconnection end 36. the coupling means 44 include afemale taper 56 which is adapted to engage with thetaper 58. -
FIG. 2 b shows theventilation pipe 32 andpiler 38 coupled together by engagement between the coupling means 42 and 44. Thepiler 38 is acting as an internal pile driver within theventilation pipe 4 and driving it into thecompost heap 30. This process will continue until theventilation pipe 32 has reached a desired depth. -
FIG. 2 c shows theventilation pipe 32 in position within thecompost heap 30. The coupling means 42,44 have been disengaged and thepiler 38 retrieved from theventilation pipe 32. Acompressed air line 46 is coupled to theconnection end 36 and compressed air blown into theventilation pipe 32 to blow debris from the aeration holes 14. Theair line 46 is then removed and the connection end 36 connected to air moving means as shown inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 3 shows aventilation pipe 4 having anose portion 50 adapted to penetrate the compost heap during the piling operation. Thenose portion 50 includes a shoulder 52 which contacts thewall 8 of theventilation pipe 4 and is welded thereto to secure thenose portion 50 to theventilation pipe 4. The nose portion comprises a substantially solid machined truncated cone shapedtip 54 which allows for increased penetration of theventilation pipe 4 into the compost heap 2 during the piling operation. The nose portion further includes amale taper section 56 which engages with a female protrusion of thepiler apparatus 58 to form a Morse taper type engagement although other engagement means could be used. This outer shape of thetip 54 is one example of an adaptation to enable deeper penetration into the compost. Thetip 54 preferably has a tapered shape such that a leading end has a smaller cross sectional area than the ventilation pipe. The leading end could be pointed or truncated and the cross section could be any suitable shape such as star, square, oval or circular. The nose portion may be integrally formed with the ventilation pipe, or attached by welding, or attachment means such as a screw thread or bayonet fitting. The nose portion is preferably substantially solid. - It should be understood that the invention has been described above by way of example only and that modifications in detail may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as described in the claims.
Claims (5)
1. A method of ventilating a compost heap using at least one ventilation pipe and an air moving means, the ventilation pipe comprising a pipe wall defining a conduit for gas and the ventilation pipe having a connection end and a ventilation portion, the ventilation portion having a plurality of aeration holes extending through the pipe wall and the method comprising the steps of:
constructing a compost heap comprising compostable materials;
inserting the ventilation portion of the at least one ventilation pipe into the compost heap;
connecting the connection end of the ventilation pipe to the air moving means;
using the air moving means to cause movement of air through the aeration holes;
in which the step of inserting the ventilation portion into the compost heap comprises the steps of:
coupling the ventilation pipe to a piler apparatus;
using the piler apparatus to drive the ventilation pipe into the compost heap;
releasing the piler apparatus from the ventilation pipe; and
retrieving the piler apparatus from the ventilation pipe.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , in which the air moving means are used to draw air from the ventilation pipe and draw air through the aeration holes into the ventilation pipe.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , in which the piler apparatus is powered by compressed air.
4. A method as claimed in claim 1 , in which compressed air is blown into the ventilation pipe after insertion such that air is forced out through the aeration holes substantially clearing them of debris that may hinder air flow.
5. (canceled)
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB0524255A GB2432581A (en) | 2005-11-29 | 2005-11-29 | Compost ventilating apparatus and method |
GB0524255.7 | 2005-11-29 | ||
PCT/GB2006/004468 WO2007063305A2 (en) | 2005-11-29 | 2006-11-29 | Compost ventilation |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20080311838A1 true US20080311838A1 (en) | 2008-12-18 |
Family
ID=35601405
Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/095,461 Abandoned US20080311838A1 (en) | 2005-11-29 | 2006-11-29 | Compost Ventilation |
US12/095,411 Abandoned US20090221227A1 (en) | 2005-11-29 | 2006-11-29 | Compost ventilation |
Family Applications After (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/095,411 Abandoned US20090221227A1 (en) | 2005-11-29 | 2006-11-29 | Compost ventilation |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (2) | US20080311838A1 (en) |
EP (2) | EP1957433A2 (en) |
GB (1) | GB2432581A (en) |
WO (2) | WO2007063296A2 (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN108530117A (en) * | 2018-06-25 | 2018-09-14 | 黑龙江省农业科学院畜牧研究所 | A kind of livestock manure fermented ventilation equipment and its method of ventilation |
DE102021133838A1 (en) | 2021-12-20 | 2023-06-22 | Dietmar Meenken | Method for introducing at least one air space into at least one heap of material, in particular into a heap of compost, and torpedo-shaped body, in particular for the aforementioned method |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN113017298B (en) * | 2021-04-08 | 2022-05-27 | 淄博职业学院 | Moisture-proof medicine storage cabinet |
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US3138448A (en) * | 1961-03-28 | 1964-06-23 | Schulze Karl Ludwig | Method for control of aerobic decomposition |
US5269829A (en) * | 1991-08-01 | 1993-12-14 | Compost Technologies, Inc. | Method for accelerated aerobic decomposition of vegetative organic waste material |
US5540294A (en) * | 1995-02-14 | 1996-07-30 | Anderberg Construction Company | Vertical percussion ground boring tool apparatus and method |
US6383803B1 (en) * | 2001-06-29 | 2002-05-07 | Ch2M Hill, Inc. | Portable compostion system with reconfigurable air flow |
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2005
- 2005-11-29 GB GB0524255A patent/GB2432581A/en not_active Withdrawn
-
2006
- 2006-11-29 EP EP20060820373 patent/EP1957433A2/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2006-11-29 US US12/095,461 patent/US20080311838A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2006-11-29 WO PCT/GB2006/004454 patent/WO2007063296A2/en active Search and Examination
- 2006-11-29 US US12/095,411 patent/US20090221227A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2006-11-29 WO PCT/GB2006/004468 patent/WO2007063305A2/en active Application Filing
- 2006-12-29 EP EP20060820363 patent/EP1957432A2/en not_active Withdrawn
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US3138448A (en) * | 1961-03-28 | 1964-06-23 | Schulze Karl Ludwig | Method for control of aerobic decomposition |
US5269829A (en) * | 1991-08-01 | 1993-12-14 | Compost Technologies, Inc. | Method for accelerated aerobic decomposition of vegetative organic waste material |
US5540294A (en) * | 1995-02-14 | 1996-07-30 | Anderberg Construction Company | Vertical percussion ground boring tool apparatus and method |
US6383803B1 (en) * | 2001-06-29 | 2002-05-07 | Ch2M Hill, Inc. | Portable compostion system with reconfigurable air flow |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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CN108530117A (en) * | 2018-06-25 | 2018-09-14 | 黑龙江省农业科学院畜牧研究所 | A kind of livestock manure fermented ventilation equipment and its method of ventilation |
DE102021133838A1 (en) | 2021-12-20 | 2023-06-22 | Dietmar Meenken | Method for introducing at least one air space into at least one heap of material, in particular into a heap of compost, and torpedo-shaped body, in particular for the aforementioned method |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB0524255D0 (en) | 2006-01-04 |
WO2007063296A3 (en) | 2007-09-13 |
US20090221227A1 (en) | 2009-09-03 |
EP1957432A2 (en) | 2008-08-20 |
WO2007063305A2 (en) | 2007-06-07 |
GB2432581A (en) | 2007-05-30 |
EP1957433A2 (en) | 2008-08-20 |
WO2007063305A3 (en) | 2007-09-13 |
WO2007063296A2 (en) | 2007-06-07 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: COVERED SYSTEMS LIMITED, UNITED KINGDOM Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:JARDINE, JOHN;WATCHORN, SIMON JAMES;REEL/FRAME:021237/0486 Effective date: 20080625 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |