Investigation and optimization of composting processes -: test systems and practical examples

To determine the optimal course of composting it is useful to carry out experiments. The selection of the right experimental setup depends on the question of concern. Each set-up is useful for a particular application and has its limits. Two test systems of different scales (up to 1500 ml; up to 1001) are introduced. The purpose and importance of each system design shall be highlighted by application-examples: (1) Suitability of a liquid industrial residue as composting accelerator; (2) Determination of the compost maturity; (3) Behaviour of odor-reducing additives during waste collection and composting; (4) Production of tailor-made compost with respect to Nitrogen (5) Suitability of O-2-enriched air for acceleration of composting.. Small-scale respiration experiments are useful to optimize parameters which have to be adjusted during substrate pre-treatment and composting, with the exception of particle size and temperature, and to reduce the number of variants which have to be investigated in greater detail in larger scale experiments. As all regulation possibilities such as aeration, moistening, turning pan be simulated with the technical scale set-up, their complex cooperation can be taken into consideration. Encouraging composting variants can-be tested, compared and optimized. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.