Compost-powered food drying project. Final report
Results of a study performed to demonstrate the use of heat generated from compost piles to dry food are presented. Results indicate that compost pile heat, the main source of heat for the dryer, performed rather erratically in past trials, but its positive effects on the environment merit more study. The increase in nitrogen fertilizer value of finished compost over the original materials ranged between 25% and 90%. This replaces nitrogen usually made with fossil fuels, without generating any known toxic effects on the surrounding environment. Bacteria are very efficient workers that can be harnessed to do certain tasks. Heating and producing nitrogen would be using the same bacteria to do two jobs efficiently. When too much heat is extracted from a pile, the bacteria cannot function efficiently and the pile cools down. Therefore there is only a limited amount of heat available for outside uses. This amount of heat is felt to be proportionate to pile size, so a larger pile could meet the heating demands of the dryer used in the project. Operator expertise is very critical in composting for heat and is effectively gained only through experience. Since the cost effectiveness of the operation depends on using waste materials available at the site, the operator must find the correct combination of these materials and combine them correctly. The length of time involved in fully composting materials and the seasonal limitations of the method combine to bring expertise to the operator only after years of composting. A positive side effect of the project has been the realization of the usefulness of the pre-made insulated box (used refrigerator truck body) in temperature controlled situations. It has proved to be a very cost effective and portable dryer.
- Research Organization:
- New Day Vegetarian Foods, Inc., Chestertown, MD (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG43-81R308075
- OSTI ID:
- 5827624
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/R3/08075-T1; ON: DE85009163
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Microfiche only, copy does not permit paper copy reproduction
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
COMPOSTING
WASTE HEAT UTILIZATION
ORGANIC WASTES
DRYERS
DRYING
FOOD
HEAT TRANSFER
ENERGY TRANSFER
MANAGEMENT
PROCESSING
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION
WASTES
320304* - Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization- Industrial & Agricultural Processes- Waste Heat Recovery & Utilization