[USCC] Vertical composting

[Jim McNelly]

>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Swager, Ronald [mailto:RSwager at patrickengineering.com]
>Sent: 20 September 2006 23:07
>To: compost at composter.com
>Subject: [USCC] Vertical composting
>
>Anyone have any thoughts on converting a number of 25ft diameter, 150
>ft. tall concrete grain elevators into vertical composters?     Would it
>be possible to deal with compaction and air flow problems at depth of
>100+  feet?  What's the deepest pile of compost anyone's heard of?

Greetings Ronald,

I recall the Taulman Weiss silo technology having bridging problems 
even with a 30' diameter, meaning that the mass at the base of the 
silo did not fall and flow down to the discharge auger.

Look at V-hoppers such as salt spreaders at 70 degrees and see how 
they blind with compost, even with a slick side wall such as UHMW plastic.

My experience is that compost "knits", forms a loaf and that it takes 
significant mechanical force to get it fluidized again.

Much of the composting industry emerged out of modified agricultural 
equipment or mining equipment, neither of which are suited to the 
unique properties of compost and composting.  I know that as an 
operator I would not like a silo reactor that had no mechanical 
mechanism to remove the compost if it decided to stop moving with gravity.

Make sure you have a plan B as to what to do if the material blinds 
and sets up in the silo.

Cheers


Jim~ McNelly
Renewable Carbon Management LLC 320-253-5076
NaturTech, NaturSoil, CompostMan
jim at composter.com
www.composter.com