Estimation of Bulk Parameters of a Composting Process in Windrows

✍ Scribed by Roni Robinzon; Eitan Kimmel; Boris Krasovitski; Yoram Avnimelech

• Book ID: 102574328
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 205 KB
• Volume: 73
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0021-8634
• DOI: 10.1006/jaer.1998.0396

✦ Synopsis

A program based on a lumped parameter model was developed to estimate three parameters of a composting process in windrows. The "rst two parameters represent two types of heat loss from the compost pile. The third parameter represents the e!ective composting rate. Most of the heat is dissipated at a rate proportional to the total biodegradable mass in the pile. Heat loss due to natural ventilation through the pile is much smaller and is associated with extremely low air velocities. Two alternative rate functions were investigated: a temperaturedependent function and a constant derived directly from measurements of the biodegradable mass. The empirical constant provided a better estimation. The values of the estimated parameters can be used to compare di!erent composting processes and to evaluate potential improvements. The variation in mass and temperature of the pile during the composting process can be forecasted based on measured data from the initial transient phase.