WO2007115549A1

WO2007115549A1 - Method for determining the state of disinfection of an organic substance subjected to rotting and/or fermentation, and method for conducting rotting and fermentation processes

Info

Publication number: WO2007115549A1
Application number: PCT/DE2007/000608
Authority: WO
Inventors: Martin Idelmann
Original assignee: Universität Kassel
Priority date: 2006-03-31
Filing date: 2007-03-30
Publication date: 2007-10-18
Also published as: DE102006015626A1; EP2007441A1

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for determining the state of disinfection of an organic substance (2) that is subjected to rotting and/or fermentation in accordance with selected organisms. In said method, the substance (2) is disinfected by means of heat during the rotting and/or fermentation process, and the temperature of the substance is measured at a plurality of points in time at least at one point during the disinfection process. Temperature/time sums are formed from the measured temperatures and the associated intervals, and disinfection shares are assigned to the temperature/time sums. The state of disinfection is then determined from the sum of the disinfection shares.

Description

Method for determining the state of sanitation of an organic substance subjected to rotting and / or fermentation and method for carrying out the process in rotting and fermentation processes

The invention relates to a method according to the preamble of claim 1 for determining the Hygienisierungszustandes of rotting and / or fermentation subject organic substance in dependence of selected organisms and a method for process control in rotting and fermentation processes with regard to achieving a desired state of sanitation.

The biological waste treatment of organic substances is often done by rotting or fermentation. Largely solid waste such. As green waste, crop residues, organic household waste od. Like. Are left in so-called. Haufwerken (rents) of aerobic rotting. Alternatively, highly hydrous or pulpy materials such. As food residues, fruit and vegetable waste od. Like. Degraded by anaerobic digestion in a fermentation reactor or other container designed for this purpose.

The end products obtained during rotting or fermentation are used, for example, as compost in gardening or agriculture. It must therefore be ensured that harmful or undesirable organisms (eg pathogens or weeds) that may be present in the degradable organic substances are inactivated during degradation, ie. H. be killed. This process is referred to as sanitation and is for the purpose of preventing harmful effects or unwanted spread of said organisms.

In the cases of interest here, the hygienization is carried out by the fact that the organic substances are automatically forcibly heated during rotting or fermentation either due to the resulting degradation processes due to metabolic heat or by external heat supply. A measure of the achieved thereby

Hygienization is the state of sanitation which indicates the percentage of the substance already sanitized or the inactivation already made of the interfering pathogens or plant seeds. A 100% sanitation thus means that the Organic substance subject to rotting or fermentation no longer contains any harmful or undesirable organism. In addition, sanitation always takes place in dependence on at least one selected organism, ie the state of sanitization indicates to what percentage the selected organism, eg. For example, a specific pathogen has already been inactivated. It is assumed that inactivation of different organisms usually also different temperatures and / or different temperature profiles are required and the inactivation of a selected organism also has an inactivation of all organisms result, which are less heat-tolerant than the selected organism.

To ensure that the end product of a retting and / or fermentation process is sufficiently sanitized, d. H. has a non-critical Hygienisierungszustand and therefore z. B. can be used as compost, the legislature has issued appropriate hygienization provisions. Details can be z. B. the Biological Waste Ordinance (BioAbfV) of 21 September 1998, last amended on 26.11.2003, which is hereby made to avoid repetition to the subject of the present disclosure.

To comply with the statutory sanitation regulations, a direct and an indirect process test are available according to the Biowaste Ordinance.

In the direct process test, the progress of sanitation throughout the process is monitored directly by means of test or indicator organisms, which are introduced into the organic substance intended for rotting and / or fermentation, using suitable detection methods. This method is costly and time consuming and not suitable for serial testing.

In the case of indirect process testing (see also DE 42 37 872 A1), on the other hand, it is merely checked whether the substance subject to rotting and / or fermentation was exposed to a prescribed minimum temperature or a higher temperature for a prescribed minimum period. For this purpose, the temperatures which occur spontaneously during rotting and / or fermentation in the organic substance or forced by the supply of heat, are measured and recorded, if necessary together with points relevant for the process, such as conversion times during rotting or feeding times during fermentation.

With regard to the indirect process testing used for the purposes of the present invention, the Biological Waste Ordinance only requires that the temperature measurements be made both continuously and intermittently, e.g. B. once a working day to take place. Therefore, indirect process testing can be carried out quickly and with comparatively simple means. In both said cases, however, there is basically the disadvantage that the end product is considered to be hygienic only when it was exposed for safety reasons over a relatively long period of a relatively high minimum temperature or a higher temperature. Depending on the course of the process, this can take a long time and cause problems, especially in the case of rotting in heaps, since very different temperatures can form in them. Intermittent temperature measurement involves further sources of error since, for example, temperature drops between two measurements are not or only inaccurately recorded. This can lead to the sanitation regulations being greatly increased for safety reasons to avoid the resulting errors. This, in turn, can be economically disadvantageous since, for example, the organic substances intended for rotting and / or fermentation must remain in a plant for much longer than required, and thus their throughput is reduced.

Therefore, with the methods known hitherto, it can only be reliably detected whether the end products of a rotting and / or fermentation process still contain active or viable organisms which are spread and could have detrimental effects if either the cumbersome direct process test applied or the indirect one Process testing is made sufficiently secure by the choice of high minimum temperatures and long minimum periods. Apart from this, it is perceived as a disadvantage that none of the methods known hitherto allows a quantitative description of the state of sanitation during an ongoing rotting or fermentation process.

Proceeding from this, the object of the invention is to carry out the method based on the indirect process test of the type described at the outset for determining the state of sanitation of a substance subjected to rotting and / or fermentation, - A -

organic matter to improve so that the sanitation state can be reliably detected and quantified throughout the rotting or fermentation process. In addition, a method for process control in the rotting and / or fermentation of organic matter to be proposed.

To solve this problem, the characterizing features of claims 1 and 11 serve.

The invention is based on the surprising finding that a killing of pathogens, unwanted plant seeds od. Like. Also at temperatures is possible, which are below the prescribed by the Biowaste Regulation minimum temperatures, provided that these temperatures only act long enough and above a relatively low temperature threshold from Z. B. 38 ° C lie. In addition, it has been found that the Hygienisierungsbeiträge obtained at different temperatures can be added. As a result, the advantage is achieved that the method according to the invention not only increases the reliability in the determination of the hygienization conditions of the end products of rotting and fermentation processes, but also at any time of a current rotting or fermentation process quantitative information about the maximum remaining load of the organic substance with non-inactivated organisms. The method according to the invention is therefore also excellently suitable for process control in rotting and fermentation processes with regard to achieving a desired state of sanitation.

The above findings and resulting conclusions are supported by experiments made by the inventor of the present application within the scope of his dissertation (Martin Idelmann in "Hygienization of Compost, Possibilities to Demonstrate Successful Killing of Pathogens and Weed Seeds") Waste Technology of the University of Kassel, Volume 6, April 2006).

Further advantageous features of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims.

The invention will be explained in more detail below in connection with the accompanying drawings of exemplary embodiments. Show it: Fig. 1 shows schematically a rent with an example in three zones "edge", "core" and "base" arranged organic substance;

FIG. 2 shows the exemplary temperature profile in the zones of a rent according to FIG. 1 during a rotting phase; FIG.

FIG. 3 shows the exemplary temperature profile in the zones of a rent according to FIG. 1 during a plurality of rotting phases; FIG.

4 shows by way of example the temperature profile in the core of a rent according to FIG. 1 for a certain period of time according to FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows, by way of example, temperature / time sums, formed from the temperature profile shown in FIG. 4; FIG.

6 shows by way of example the course of a sanitizing power as a function of the temperature;

FIG. 7 shows, by way of example, the individual sanitation contributions which have been assigned to the individual temperature / time sums in accordance with FIGS. 5 and 6;

FIG. 8 shows, by way of example, sanitization states of an organic substance in the zones of a rent 1 according to FIG. 1 during several rotting phases; FIG. and

9 shows an exemplary schematic representation of a fermentation reactor for an organic substance.

Fig. 1 shows an example of a heap in the form of a rent 1, in which an organic substance intended for rotting 2 is arranged. In the rent 1 form in a rotting z. B. three zones where different temperatures prevail. These zones contain a base zone 3 located predominantly in a lower area of the rent 1, a core zone 4 located in a middle area of the rent 1 and an edge zone 5 surrounding the two zones 3 and 4. The number of zones is not limited to three zones, ie more or fewer than three zones can be created or defined. For the purposes of the invention, it is believed, which broadly agrees with the experience, that substantially the same temperatures are present at all locations within one and the same zone 3, 4 or 5.

The method according to the invention for determining the state of sanitization of the substance 2 rotting in the rent 1 initially involves the measurement of the temperatures within the zones 3, 4 and 5 with the aid of temperature sensors, the temperatures preferably being measured in each case at different points and optionally can also be derived by measuring exhaust air temperatures. The temperature measurement takes place according to FIG. 1 for the base zone 3 z. B. at measuring points TBl to TBn, for the core zone 4 at measuring points TKl to TKn and for the edge zone 5 at measuring points TRI to TRn. For the evaluation of the measurement results explained below, an average is formed from the temperatures obtained at the different measuring points of one and the same zone. To increase the safety of the method according to the invention, the minimum value can also be used in each case. Alternatively, the temperature detection per zone but also at only one point can be done with only one temperature sensor, for example, at the points TBl, TKl and TRI. Furthermore, in a selected zone the temperature can be measured at only one point, while in another zone the temperature is measured at several points. In addition, it is assumed in the exemplary embodiment that all the temperature values measured in the substance 2 are self-adjusting due to the rotting process, ie. H. no heat from the outside takes place.

FIG. 2 shows, by way of example, the temperature profile in the substance 2 of the rent 1 according to FIG. 1 during a rotting phase, from which it can be seen that the dependence of the temperature abraded along the ordinate on the rotted duration removed along the abscissa in the base zone 3 is indicated by a curve 6 , is represented in the core zone 4 by a curve 7 and in the edge zone 5 by a curve 8. The temperature profiles in the three zones 3, 4 and 5 can therefore be different. Frequently, the core zone 4 is predominantly characterized by the highest and the base zone 3 predominantly by the lowest temperatures. While the temperature profile during a single rotting phase is shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 3 shows the temperature profile in a plurality of successive rotting phases, with a phase 1 substantially corresponding to the rotting phase shown in FIG. In phases 2 to 6, completely different temperature profiles can be obtained compared to phase 1, as can be seen from the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 3. In the exemplary embodiment, this is a consequence of the fact that the substance is converted into the rent 1 after completion of each phase, as explained below and shown schematically in FIG. 3 by conversion times UZ1 to UZ5. The measured curves indicate the temperatures in those base, core and peripheral zones, which are obtained after conversion to the conversion times UZ1-UZ5.

The determination according to the invention of the state of sanitation of the substance 2 on the basis of the temperatures determined according to FIG. 2 will be explained in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7 in conjunction with what is currently considered to be the best embodiment. FIG. 4 shows a simplified representation of the temperature profile for the core zone 4 in accordance with the curve 7 in FIG. 2.

From the temperatures determined according to FIG. 4, so-called temperature / time sums are initially formed, which are shown in FIG. 5 in the manner of a bar graph (temperature histogram). Along the abscissa, the temperatures are plotted here in ⁰ C, which along the ordinate the associated periods are assigned in hours, indicating how long the relevant temperature during the rotting phase 1 was present. A bar 9 indicates by way of example that in the core zone 4, the temperature of 65 ⁰ C was measured for a total of about 11 hours. As shown in FIG. 5, z. B. determined for each integer value of the temperature such a temperature / time sum, although of course other subdivisions are possible.

The graph in Fig. 6 shows the dependency of the sanitizing power plotted along the ordinate in percent / hour on the temperature with respect to a particular organism (eg Plasmodiophora brassicae). The organism, depending on which the state of sanitation is to be determined or on which the method according to the invention is based, is the one which is to be safely inactivated during the sanitation and therefore is normally a harmful or harmful substance. is at least one unwanted organism. This organism is, so to speak, the standard for hygienization. It is also assumed that if the harmful organism forming the scale is killed, all other harmful organisms that are more sensitive to heat are also killed. 5

Typically, there is an exponential relationship between the acting temperature and the resulting sanitizing performance corresponding to a curve 10 in FIG. 6. Specifically, the sanitizing performance / temperature function of FIG. 6 shows that e.g. B. at a temperature of 65 ⁰ C, a Hygienisierungsleistung of about

10 6.4% / hr, at a temperature of 70 ° C a sanitation of about 14% / hr and at about 82 ⁰ C a Hygienisierungsleistung of about 100% / hr is achieved. This means that at 70 ⁰ C about 7.15 hours are required to completely sanitize the substance in the core zone 4, ie completely kill the organism Plasmodiophora brassicae, while the same

15 100% inactivation at about 82 ⁰ C is reached after one hour.

The sanitizing performance / temperature relationships for the selected organisms can be obtained and / or deduced in a variety of ways. For certain organisms they are z. B. published in national or international publications.

Furthermore, such sanitation performance / temperature relationships for certain harmful organisms can be deduced from national and international regulations or regulations. Another possibility is to find the relationship you are looking for for certain organisms, eg. B. Plasmodiophora brassicae, directly to determine these organisms experimentally. 5

Finally, Fig. 7, again in the manner of a bar graph, as the temperature / time totals of FIG. 5 using the Hygienisierungsleistung / temperature relationship of FIG. 6 according to the invention individual Hygienisierungsbeiträge be assigned. According to Fig. 5, the temperature / time sum for 65 ⁰ C is about 11 hours. After 0 Fig. 6, the Hygienisierungsleistung at 65 ⁰ C is about 6.4% / hr. It follows that the temperature / time sum determined at 65 ^° C. makes a sanitation contribution (bar 11 in FIG. 7) of approximately 11 hours × 6.4% / hour = 70.4%. In other words, the substance 2 in the core zone 4 is already approximately 70% after about 11 hours at 65 ^° C. sanitized.

The method according to the invention is further based on the knowledge that the sanitation contributions (eg bars 11) shown in FIG. 7 can be added to a total state of sanitation. That is, in FIG. 7, the sum of all the bars gives a numerical value in percent, which faithfully indicates the total sanitizing state in the zone concerned, in the substance 2, based on the organism in FIG Rottenphase 1 of Fig. 4 is obtained. In the given example, the addition of the sanitation contributions leads to a state of sanitation well in excess of 100%, ie. H. After completion of the sanitation phase 1, the core zone 4 is certainly free from viable or infectious spores of the pathogen Plasmodiophora brassicae.

According to the invention, the hygienization contributions belonging to the individual temperatures according to FIG. 7 are thus added to determine the state of sanitation of a considered amount of organic substance. If the sum of the sanitation contributions indicates a sanitization state that is less than 100%, not all the underlying organisms in the substance have been safely inactivated or killed. D. H. Hygienisation is not complete. If the sum of the contributions to sanitation is 100%, then all the organisms which have been used are completely inactivated or killed. Values for the sum of sanitation contributions greater than 100% indicate that the heat to which the organic substance 2 was exposed in the considered zone 3, 4 or 5 would have sufficed to completely inactivate an organism in comparison to Plasmodiophora brassicae less sensitive to heat.

An essential component of the method according to the invention is the sanitizing performance / temperature function according to curve 10 in FIG. 6. This function is not the same for all organisms that are to be inactivated by a rotting process, and not known to a sufficient extent , In this case, the invention makes use of a trick.

Studies have shown that the inactivation behavior of numerous organisms is not only determined using known or previously determined parameters, but also can be simulated with selected test organisms. Tomato seeds have proven to be particularly suitable for this purpose. It was found that the heat tolerance and thus the mortality of tomato seeds can be significantly increased by reducing their moisture content. For example, the kill time of tomato seeds having a moisture content of

15% at 50 ⁰ C approx. 7 days, after reduction of the moisture content to 7.5% at the same temperature approx. 33 days. Therefore, it is possible to detect heat-related killing of weed seeds and pathogens with tomato seeds whose moisture content has been adjusted to an appropriate level. The illustrated in Fig. 6 curve 10 for Plasmodiophora brassicae, which is proposed in the Biological Waste Ordinance as a test organism, corresponds to z. For example, very precisely a sanitizing power / temperature curve obtained with tomato seeds having a moisture content of 12.4%. For other selected organisms, the moisture content may be set to other values.

A particular advantage of these findings is that the sanitizing performance / temperature curves of tomato seeds can be determined easily and without difficulty. It is even possible to use selected organisms, e.g. As harmful pathogens, curves analogous to Fig. 6, which were obtained using tomato seeds with moisture contents adjusted accordingly, even if the Hygienisierungsleistungen respect to the pathogens only incomplete and z. B. only for a few temperatures or even only for a single temperature are known. This results in the further advantage that the heat compatibility of most known pathogens, weed seeds or the like does not need to be thoroughly checked or known so that a usable hygienisation output / temperature function in the sense of FIG. 6 results, but that this Organisms only a certain moisture content of tomato seeds needs to be assigned. From the known Hygienisierungsleistung / temperature curve for this particular tomato seeds all Hygienisierungsleistungen can then be removed, which are required in the sense of the above description for the determination of Hygienisierungsbeiträge at the various temperatures. The sanitizing state obtained by adding these sanitation contributions is just as well suited to the verification of compliance with legislation, such as a sanitizing state determined on the basis of the selected organism itself. In the assessment of the sanitation state of the substance (FIG. 1) arranged in the rent 1, the problem arises that the temperature profiles in the different zones 3, 4 and 5 according to FIG. 2 can be very different. In particular, the substance 2 in the core zone 4 can already be completely sanitized, if this does not yet apply to the substance in the base or edge zone 3 or 5. Therefore, it is common to repeatedly react the substance 2 in the rent 1 in the course of the composting process to thereby obtain a homogeneous state of sanitation for the entire rent. In this case, the rotting process consists of several rotting phases, which are defined by conversion times. Implementation times are those times at which the substance 2 arranged in the rent 1 is converted, for example by a converter. At the

Reacting is carried out mixing the substance, but the shape of the arrangement, for example, the form of a rent, is usually maintained or restored. If it is converted to a first conversion time UZ1, then the end of the first rotting phase is determined. At the same time, this determines the beginning of the second phase of the rotting. The same applies to further rotting phases, as shown schematically in FIG. 8.

Fig. 8 further shows schematically the zones 3, 4 and 5 of Fig. 1 corresponding zones "base", "core" and "edge" of the rent 1. The rectangles of the top row schematically represent the edge zones of the rent 1 in the respective Rottephasen 1 to 6 is.

The same applies to the rectangles of the middle and lower row with respect to the Kernbzw. Base region. Thereafter, z. B. a left uppermost rectangle 12 is the edge zone for the first rotting phase, while a rectangle 14 of the bottom row to the right represents the base zone for the sixth rotting phase.

The percentages in the rectangles of Fig. 8 represent sanitizing conditions reached by the organic substance that was in the corresponding rotting phase in the corresponding zone. Thus, for example, a sanitation state of 33% was achieved in the marginal zone during the third rotting phase, and a sanitation state of 3% in the base zone during the fifth rotting phase. The sanitation states of the zones according to FIG. 8 are all determined by first determining the temperature / time sums corresponding to the respective zones and rotting phases (FIG. 5) according to the above description. The individual temperature / time Totals are then assigned sanitation contributions by means of a sanitizing power / temperature relationship (Figure 6) (Figure 7). The summation of these sanitation contributions within a zone gives the sanitation status of that zone during the rotting phase in question.

From the individual hygienization states of the individual zones determined in this way, it is possible to infer the state of sanitation of the entire rent 1. If only one rotting phase is present (eg phase 1), then it results from FIG. 8 that both the edge zone and the core zone have 128% or 1373% (rectangles 12 and 15) a sanitation state, which is the safe one Killing the underlying

Indicates organisms. In contrast, in the base zone (rectangle 16) with 1% virtually no heat-related sanitation occurred. It follows that the rent 1 does not comply as a whole the sanitation provisions and therefore z. B. is not usable as compost. Theoretically, the rotting process would have to continue until the base zone also has a sanitizing state of at least 100%.

To speed up the sanitation of the entire rent 1, the substance 2 is e.g. implemented at the time of UZl, d. H. z. B. homogeneously mixed and again arranged according to FIG. 1. The newly formed base zone (rectangle 17 in FIG. 8) then receives shares from all three zones of the preceding phase 1, d. H. Substance parts which originate from the zones represented by the rectangles 12, 15 and 16, as indicated schematically by arrows. In addition, Figure 8 (rectangles 17, 18 and 19) shows that during rotting phase 2, the rim zone was sanitized at 53%, the core zone at 151% and the base zone at 26%.

This in turn results in the worst case sanitation result for the base zone. Since during phase 2 the base zone also contains material from the base zone of phase 1 (rectangle 16), which has been sanitized only to 1%, and since the total sanitation according to the invention results from addition of the individual (possibly already existing) sanitation states, It follows from FIG. 8 that after completion of phase 2, the substance located in the base zone has reached a sanitization state of at least 27%. Also, this Hygienisierungszustand is not enough. After a further implementation at the time UZ2 and expiration of the third rotting phase results in the embodiment that now the edge zone (rectangle 20) is least hygienized, while in the core and base zone (rectangles 21, 22) lying over 100% and thus sufficient killing of the underlying organisms is obtained. It should be noted that the edge zone during the third phase also contains material that comes from the mass (rectangle 17), which has formed the base zone in phase 2 and in the worst case, only a total of 27% is sanitized. If, therefore, the edge zone (rectangle 20) according to FIG. 8 is hygienized to 33% during phase 3, then it follows that the material originating from the rectangle 17 and only 27% sanitized there is now 60% hygienic. Even at the end of Phase 3, the rent 1 is therefore not yet sufficiently sanitized.

During the rotting phase 4, the conditions shown in FIG. 8 result, according to which only the base zone (rectangle 23) reaches a low degree of sanitation at 44%. This zone contains the hitherto least hygienic proportion of material to those who after the implementation at the time UZ3 from the phase 3 in the edge zone (rectangle 20) forming part of the rent and is 60% sanitized. However, since the baseline zone is 44% sanitized during Phase 4, it can be concluded that this worst proportion of material will be sanitized during Phase 4 from 60% to 104%. All other parts of the material, on the other hand, must be more than 104% sanitized due to the above-mentioned procedure. This result is based on the preferred determination of the sanitization state in that in each rotting phase in each case the sanitation state of the rotting zone is selected for the summation, which has the lowest sanitation state of all involved rotting zones.

From the above explanations, it follows that the sanitizing state of the entire rent 1 is obtained by adding sanitizing states in selected rotting zones and / or rotting phases, and after completing the phase 4, the whole organic substance 2 has a sanitizing state of 104% or more. Accordingly, in this example, at least from a hygienic point of view, the rotting process can be discontinued after the phase 4, since at this time all harmful organisms related to the sanitation, are killed. In terms of Process control, this example also has the advantage that the sanitation state of the entire rotting material by means of the method described in a simple way continuously determined and therefore the rotting material can be taken from the plant already with the end of the fourth rotting phase from a hygiene point of view. The plant is thus for reasons of hygiene earlier than previously available again, if it is assumed that previously for safety reasons z. B. all six rotting phases shown in Fig. 8 are completed.

Another possibility of summation is to add only those conditions of sanitization which are obtained during the various rotting phases in the individual zones of rents 1 (edge, core and base zones). In general, it is assumed that the base zones each represent the coldest zones, in which consequently the smallest hygienization states are obtained.

In addition, the sums of the sanitization states can take into account the normally obtained volumes of the different zones. So z. B. in an exemplary embodiment assumed that in the base zone 3 about 20 vol.%, In the core zone 4 about 55 vol.% And in the edge zone 5 about 25 vol.% Of the total in the rent 1 substance 2 to come to rest. This makes it possible to estimate which components of the substance 2 are distributed after a conversion from a selected zone to the respective other zones and how large, therefore, after completion of a rotting phase, are the subsets with a specific state of sanitation related to the total amount of the original substance 2. In this way it can be calculated after completion of a rotting phase, how large the amount of not yet killed organisms in the rent 1 in total. For example, for phase 1 of FIG. 8, the total rent in the core and peripheral zones (= 80% by volume of the total substance 2) is 100% sanitized, while the base zone (= 20% by volume of the total) Substance 2) is only 1% sanitized. This results in a total sanitation state for substance 2 or rent 1 of 80.2%. This means that after the rotting phase 1 already in 80.2% by volume of the rent 1 all existing organisms of the selected species have been killed or these organisms have been inactivated there. As a rule, it can be assumed that the process of sanitization is not reversible, ie organisms that have once been inactivated do not reactivate themselves. It There are no self-healing powers in this respect. If, therefore, an organic substance after hygienisation has, for example, a state of sanitization of 40%, then this may possibly change to the extent that it is increased by renewed sanitation. This applies regardless of whether the sanitation is caused by rotting or fermentation.

The method described can be applied in a corresponding manner to a substance which is subjected to a fermentation process. For this purpose, z. For example, a fermentor 25 shown in FIG. 9 may be used which is filled with an organic substance 26. Via a feed 27, new substances can be introduced into the fermentation reactor 25 at specific times, for example at feed times. Through a sequence 28, at certain times completely or partially fermented substance can be removed from the fermentation reactor 25. In order to promote fermentation, the substance 26 can be circulated by a stirring device 29. A circulation can also be done by other circulating means, such as pumping devices or screws. The temperatures of the substance 26 located in the fermentation reactor 25 can be detected by at least one temperature sensor 30 attached to the container wall or by at least one temperature sensor arranged in the interior of the fermentation reactor 25. Due to the circulation of the substance 26 in the fermentation reactor 25, a generally uniform temperature of the substance 26 in the fermentation reactor 25 can be assumed here.

The application of the method according to the invention to the organic substance 26, which is intended for fermentation, takes place analogously to the above description in terms of FIGS. 4 to 7. Because of the homogeneous distribution of the temperature, only a single zone of fermentation is present, and it is in the Rule also carried out only a single fermentation phase, the duration of which is preferably such that either at the end of this phase certainly a 100% sanitation of the substance 26 results or a 100% sanitation in combination with a downstream rotting in the sense of the above description and / or an upstream material heating is achieved. In the latter cases, the calculation of the total state of sanitation takes place by adding the hygienization states which are achieved by the individual treatment methods. The invention is not limited to the described embodiments, which can be modified in many ways. Thus, a heap in which organic substance is arranged may have one, two, three or more zones as appropriate. Furthermore, the definition of the zones can be chosen differently depending on either their volume percentage of rotting material or on the basis of the temperature profile for different rotting phases. Furthermore, the determination of the zone volumes can be made with other than the stated values. The process according to the invention can also be used in plants where debris and fermentation reactors are involved in the decomposition and / or fermentation of organic matter in such a way that the conditions of sanitation either for a sub-process or a complete process, in the plant expires, be determined. Furthermore, at least one further variable, for example pressure, humidity and / or microbacterial activity, may be taken into account in the determination of the state of sanitation in addition to the parameters mentioned. Furthermore, the tomato seeds used in the process for the determination of Hygienisierungsleistung / temperature curves can be replaced by other organisms, especially other seeds such as wheat seeds. Finally, it is understood that the various features may be applied in combinations other than those described and illustrated.

Claims

claims

1. A method for determining the sanitation state of an organic substance (2) subject to fermentation and / or rotting as a function of selected organisms, wherein the substance (2) is sanitized during fermentation and / or rotting by heat and during sanitization at least one Place at a plurality of times, the temperature of the substance (2) is measured, characterized in that from the measured temperatures and associated time periods temperature / time sums are formed, the temperature / time totals Hygienisierungsbeiträge be assigned and the Hygieni- sierungszustand from the sum the Hygienisierungsbeiträge is determined.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the Hygienisierungs- state is added to an already existing existing Hygienisierungszustand.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the assignment of Hygienisierungsbeiträge done by means of known or predetermined parameters.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that the Hygienisierungs- contributions are determined from Hygienisierungsleistung / temperature functions that the

Describe inactivation behavior of those organisms depending on which the determination of sanitization is to be performed.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that the Hygienisierungs- performance / temperature functions are determined experimentally on selected test organisms whose moisture content is adjusted so that their inactivation behavior corresponds to the inactivation of those organisms, depending on which carried out the determination of sanitation shall be.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an organic substance destined for rotting in a heap (1) having one or more rotting zones (3, 4, 5) with predetermined volumes, at conversion times (UZl - UZ5 ), which define rotting phases, is implemented, that in each rotting phase (3, 4, 5) for each rotting zone a sanitation state according to any one of the preceding claims is determined and that the sanitation state of the entire cluster (1) based on the thus determined Hygienisierungszustände the individual rotting zones is determined.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that the determination of the sanitation state of the entire cluster (1) is effected by an addition of sanitation states which are obtained in selected rotting zones (3, 4, 5) and / or selected rotting phases.

8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that, for the determination of the state of sanitation of the entire aggregate (1), the sanitizing state of that composting zone (eg 3) is selected in each compost phase, which preferably has the lowest state of sanitation of all existing composting zones (4) , 5, 6).

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in addition to the temperature / time sums optionally at least one further variable is taken into account in the determination of the sanitation state.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the Hygienisierungszustand is used to verify compliance with legal requirements.

11. A process for process control in the fermentation and / or rotting of an organic substance (2), characterized in that according to at least one of the preceding claims continuously hygienization states of the substance (2) are determined and the process is carried out on the basis of the so determined Hygienisierungszustände.