AIRFLOW THROUGH COMPOST: DESIGN AND COST IMPLICATIONS

Analytic expressions which show the interdependence between biological and physical factors for aerobic composting are presented. In particular, equations for pressure drops through piping and compost are integrated into the analytic models. Effects of operating temperature, bed depth, compost rate of degradability and compost maturity on operating cost were evaluated using the models. Equations for determining optimum bed depth for composting under conditions of variable bed depth and fixed bed depth are presented.