Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DESCRIPTION
Title of Invention
COMPOSTING APPARATUS, COMPOSTING METHOD, AND PROGRAM
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a compost production apparatus,
a compost
production method, and a program.
Background Art
[0002] There has been known compost obtained by decomposing biological
wastes
-- such as food wastes and excrements from domestic animals by the action of
aerobic
microorganisms. Since application of the compost to soil has resulted in
improvement
in the physical characteristics of soil and has caused effective
microorganisms to be
increased, the compost has been used as organic fertilizers, soil improvement
materials,
water adjustment agents, and bedding for domestic animals.
[0003] Aerobic fermentation in which compost materials such as biological
wastes
are decomposed refers to composting. Such composting requires the control of
oxygen
included in such a compost material, the temperature and water of the compost
material,
time taken for the composting, and microorganisms and nutrients included in
the compost
material. Patent Literature 1 describes a compost production apparatus that
measures
the temperature of a compost material, determines an air-supply rate at which
air is
supplied to the compost material on the basis of the temperature of the
compost material,
and supplies air to the compost material at the determined air-supply rate.
The
air-supply rate refers to the amount of air supplied per unit time.
Citation List
Patent Literature
[0004] Patent Literature 1: Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Kokai
Publication No. 2012-229136
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'
Summary of Invention
Technical Problem
[0005] The compost production apparatus in Patent Literature 1
includes: an
inverter that supplies electric power to a blower; and an inverter controller
that controls
the frequency of the electric power output by the inverter. The compost
production
apparatus in Patent Literature I can precisely control the amount of sent air
and therefore
enables an electric power consumption to be reduced by around several tens of
percent in
comparison with a conventional compost production apparatus; however, since
the
expensive inverter and the expensive inverter controller are used in the
compost
production apparatus, a cost associated with the introduction of the compost
production
apparatus is high. Therefore, there is a problem that although the compost
production
apparatus in Patent Literature 1 enables a great reduction in electric power
consumption
to be achieved for large-scale farmers and others who can take advantage of
scale and has
high cost-effectiveness caused by the introduction of the compost production
apparatus,
the compost production apparatus allows small farmers and the like who
primarily have a
small electric power consumption required for composting to have low cost-
effectiveness
caused by the introduction of the compost production apparatus because of the
small
absolute amount of consumed electric power that can be reduced by the small
farmers
and others.
[0006] The present disclosure was made based on such a background. An
objective of the present disclosure is to provide a compost production
apparatus, a
compost production method, and a program that enable a reduction in cost
associated
with the introduction of the compost production apparatus, the compost
production
method, and the program, while reducing an electric power consumption caused
by
composting a compost material.
Solution to Problem
[0007] In order to achieve the objective described above, a compost
production
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apparatus according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes: air
supply means
for supplying air to a compost material; temperature measurement means for
measuring
the temperature of the compost material; and control means for controlling the
air supply
means based on the temperature of the compost material so that air is
intermittently
.. supplied to the compost material.
[0008] The control means may control the air supply means so that air is
supplied to
the compost material at a constant air-supply rate.
[0009] The temperature measurement means may measure the temperature of
the
compost material for each fixed time period; and the control means may set,
based on the
temperature of the compost material, an activation time period during which
the air
supply means is activated and an inactive time period during which the air
supply means
is stopped, for each fixed time period.
[0010] The control means may set, when the temperature of the compost
material is
within a first temperature range, a duty ratio that is a ratio obtained by
dividing the
activation time period by the fixed time period, as a first duty ratio; may
set, when the
temperature of the compost material is within a second temperature range that
is a higher
temperature range than the first temperature range, the duty ratio as a second
duty ratio
that is greater than the first duty ratio; and may set, when the temperature
of the compost
material is within a third temperature range that is a higher temperature
range than the
second temperature range, the duty ratio as a third duty ratio that is less
than the second
duly ratio.
[0011] The first temperature range may be 50 C or less; the second
temperature
range may be greater than 50 C and less than 60 C; and the third temperature
range may
be 60 C or more.
[0012] The control means may set a duty ratio that is a ratio obtained by
dividing
the activation time period by the fixed time period, to zero when the
temperature of the
compost material is 25 C or less; may set the duty ratio within a range
between about 1/6
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and about 1/2 when the temperature of the compost material is between 25 C and
30 C;
may set the duty ratio within a range between about 1/4 and about 2/3 when the
temperature of the compost material is between 30 C and 40 C; may set the duty
ratio
within a range between about 1/3 and about 2/3 when the temperature of the
compost
material is between 40 C and 50 C; may set the duty ratio within a range
between about
1/2 and about 5/6 when the temperature of the compost material is between 50 C
and
60 C; and may set the duty ratio to about 1/6 when the temperature of the
compost
material is 60 C or more.
[0013] The temperature measurement means may include: a thermometer that
measures the temperature of the compost material; and transmission means for
transmitting data relating to the temperature measured by the thermometer to
the control
means by a wireless communication circuit.
[0014] The control means may include: a programmable logic controller in
which a
program for controlling the air supply means is stored; and a magnet switch
for opening
and closing, based on a signal from the programmable logic controller, a drive
circuit that
drives the air supply means.
[0015] In order to achieve the objective described above, a compost
production
method according to a second aspect of the present disclosure includes: a step
of
measuring the temperature of a compost material; a step of determining the on-
off pattern
of air supply to the compost material based on the measured temperature of the
compost
material; and a step of intermittently supplying air to the compost material
based on the
determined pattern.
[0016] In order to achieve the objective described above, a program
according to a
third aspect of the present disclosure causes a computer to function as: means
for
acquiring data relating to the temperature of a compost material; means for
determining
the on-off pattern of air supply to the compost material based on the
temperature of the
compost material; and means for controlling, based on the determined pattern,
air supply
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means so that air is intermittently supplied to the compost material.
Advantageous Effects of Invention
[0017] In accordance with the present disclosure, the control means for
controlling
the air supply means on the basis of the temperature of the compost material
so that air is
5 .. intermittently supplied to the compost material is included. Therefore,
there can be
provided the compost production apparatus, the compost production method, and
the
program that enable a reduction in cost associated with the introduction of
the compost
production apparatus, the compost production method, and the program, while
reducing
an electric power consumption caused by composting the compost material.
Brief Description of Drawings
[0018] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a compost production apparatus
according to
Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a fermentation tank according to Embodiment 1
of
the present disclosure;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a fermentation tank and an air
supply
pipe according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure;
FIG. 4 is a view setting forth a condition on which a blower according to
Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure is controlled;
FIG. 5 is a flowchart representing composting treatment according to
Embodiment
1 of the present disclosure;
FIG. 6 is a view setting forth experimental conditions in Example 1;
FIG. 7 is a graph indicating the measurement results of the temperature of a
compost material in Example 2;
FIG. 8 is a graph indicating the trial calculation values of electric power
consumptions associated with composting in Example 2;
FIG. 9 is a graph indicating the emission amounts of N20 and CH4 emitted from
the compost material in Example 2;
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FIG. 10 is a graph indicating the emission amount of NI-I3 emitted from the
compost material in Example 2;
FIG. 11 is a graph indicating the measurement results of the temperature of a
compost material in Example 3;
FIG. 12 is a graph indicating the measurement results of the decrease of water
in
the compost material in Example 3;
FIG. 13 is a graph indicating the measurement results of an integrated
electric
power consumption associated with composting in Example 3; and
FIG. 14 is a front view of a compost production apparatus according to
Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure.
Description of Embodiments
[0019] A compost production apparatus according to an embodiment of the
present
disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.
In each
drawing, the same or equivalent portions are denoted by the same reference
characters.
[0020] (Embodiment 1)
A compost production apparatus 1 is an apparatus that produces compost while
promoting the composting of compost materials 100 by supplying air to the
compost
materials 100. The compost materials 100 include domestic animal excrement
such as
cow dung, pig dung, chicken dung, or horse dung, garbage, sewage sludge, food
industry
sludge, rice straw, sawdust, and/or the like.
[0021] The configuration of the compost production apparatus 1 according
to
Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a view
schematically illustrating the compost production apparatus 1 according to
Embodiment
1. The compost production apparatus 1 includes fermentation tanks 10, air
suppliers 20,
temperature measurers 30, and a controller 40. The controller 40 acquires the
temperatures of the compost materials 100, measured by the temperature
measurers 30,
and controls air supply to the compost materials 100 by the air suppliers 20.
The
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controller 40 separately controls the air supply to the compost materials 100
in the two
fermentation tanks 10.
[0022] Each component of the compost production apparatus 1 will be
described
below. Each fermentation tank 10 is a tank in which each compost material 100
is
housed, and that is intended to ferment the compost material 100. Each air
supplier 20
extends from the exterior to interior of the fermentation tank 10, and is an
example of air
supply means for supplying air into the fermentation tank 10. Each temperature
measurer 30 is an example of temperature measurement means for measuring the
temperature of the compost material 100 housed in the fermentation tank 10.
Data
relating to the temperature measured by the temperature measurer 30 is
provided to the
controller 40 that is control means. The controller 40 acquires the
temperature
measurement data measured by the temperature measurer 30, and controls the
action of
the air supplier 20 on the basis of the temperature of the compost material
100.
[0023] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the fermentation tank
10 according
to Embodiment 1. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the fermentation tank 10 includes:
a bottom
11 having a rectangular plane; and a side wall 12 that stands upright from the
back end of
the bottom 11. The fermentation tank 10 includes five side walls 13, 14, 15,
16, and 17
that are disposed perpendicularly to the bottom 11 and the side wall 12, and
that partition
the fermentation tank into four sections 10a, I Ob, 10c, and 10d. A port
opening through
which a tire loader, a tractor, and the like are put in and taken out of the
interior of the
fermentation tank 10 in order to operate the compost material 100 is disposed
in the front
side of the bottom 11.
[0024] The entire fermentation tank 10 is covered with a roof 18 in order
to prevent
the compost material 100, housed in each of the sections 10a, I Ob, 10c, and
10d, from
getting wet. The roof 18 is supported by plural struts 19 that extend upward
from the
side walls 13 and 17.
[0025] Each air supplier 20 is air supply means for supplying air to the
compost
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material 100 housed in the fermentation tank 10. The air supplier 20 is
arranged along
the outer surface of the side wall 12 of the fermentation tank 10 and the top
surface of the
bottom 11. The air supplier 20 is disposed in each of the sections 10a, lob,
10c, and
10d of the fermentation tank 10, and configured to uniformly supply air to the
compost
material 100.
[0026] Referring back to FIG. 1, the air supplier 20 includes a blower 21
and air
supply pipes 22. The blower 21 sucks air (external air) from a suction port,
applies
energy to the sucked air, and supplies the air from an air supply port to the
outside. The
air supply port of the blower 21 is connected to the air supply pipes 22
disposed on the
fermentation tank 10 so that air can be supplied to the air supply pipes 22.
The blower
21 is placed on the top surface of a bank formed on the outside of the side
wall 12 of the
fermentation tank 10. The blower 21 supplies air from the air supply port
connected to
the air supply pipe 22 at a constant air-supply rate in activation. The blower
21 supplies
air at such an air-supply rate that a volume flow rate to the compost material
100 having a
unit volume is in a range of about 40 L/min/m3 to about 300 L/min/m3,
preferably about
40 L/min/m3 to about 100 L/min/m3, and still more preferably about 50 L/min/m3
to
about 60 L/min/m3.
[0027] Through the air supply pipe 22, air supplied from the blower 21 is
supplied
toward the bottom 11 of the fermentation tank 10. The air supply pipe 22 is
formed by
connecting plural tubes made of vinyl chloride via joints, and arranged along
the top
surface of the bottom 11 and the outer surface of the side wall 12 of the
fermentation tank
10.
[0028] FIG. 3 is a side view of observation of the fermentation tank 10
illustrated in
FIG. 2, from which the side wall 17 is removed to facilitate interpretation.
As illustrated
in FIG. 3, the air supply pipe 22 includes: a base end 22a that is connected
to the blower
21; an intermediate 22b that is connected to the base end 22a and extends
downward
along the outer surface of the side wall 12; and a leading end 22c that is
connected to the
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lower end of the intermediate 22b, penetrates the side wall 12, and extends on
the top
surface of the bottom 11.
[0029] Plural spouting holes 23 through which air delivered from the
blower 21 is
released to the outside are disposed in the leading end 22c of the air supply
pipe 22. The
plural spouting holes 23 are disposed at equal intervals in the lengthwise
direction of the
leading end 22c of the air supply pipe 22 in order to uniformly supply air
into the
compost material 100, and are formed so as to have a diameter that is
increased with
approaching the tip of the leading end 22c. The spouting holes 23 may also be
arranged
so as to have a density that is increased with approaching the tip of the
leading end 22c,
-- or changes in the hole diameters and changes in densities of the spouting
holes 23 may
also be combined.
[0030] Referring back to FIG. 1, each temperature measurer 30 is an
example of the
temperature measurement means for measuring the temperature of the compost
material
100 and sends the temperature measurement data to the controller 40. The
temperature
measurer 30 includes: a thermometer 31 that measures the temperature of the
compost
material 100; and a sender 32 that sends the measured temperature measurement
data of
the compost material 100.
[0031] The thermometer 31 includes: a body that is long so that a
leading end of the
body can reach the center of the compost material 100; and a measurer that is
disposed in
the leading end of the body. The body is a tube in which a space is included,
and is
formed of a corrosion resistant material such as stainless steel in order to
suppress
corrosion caused by a gas or the like generated from the compost material 100.
The
body has a length of about 2 m to about 5 m so that the temperature of the
center of the
compost material 100 can be measured. The measurer includes a thermocouple
because
of being excellent in life, heat resistance, and mechanical strength.
[0032] The sender 32 is an example of transmission means for
transmitting, to the
controller 40, the temperature measurement data measured by the thermometer
31. The
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sender 32 is communicatably connected to the measurer of the thermometer 31
through
an electric wire that extends in the space in the body. The sender 32 is
communicatably
connected to a communicator 60 in the controller 40 through a wireless
communication
line. More specifically, a wireless LAN master is connected to the controller
40, and a
5 wireless LAN slave is adopted as the sender 32 of the temperature
measurer 30. The
communicatable connection between the master and the slave through Wi-Fi
allows the
sender 32 to be configured so that temperature measurement data can be sent to
the
communicator 60 of the controller 40.
[0033] In the compost production apparatus 1, any communication line
using wired
10 communication is not used for sending temperature measurement data, and
therefore, the
temperature measurer 30 can be kept in safe storage when the compost material
100 is
not housed in the fermentation tank 10. Even when the temperature measurer 30
is
inserted into the compost material 100, the controller 40 can reliably acquire
temperature
measurement data because of the absence of a wired communication line which
can be
.. cut by a mouse or the like.
[0034] The controller 40 is a control panel that controls the operation
of the air
supplier 20 on the basis of the temperature of the compost material 100,
measured by the
temperature measurer 30. The controller 40 functions as air supply control
means for
controlling so that the activation and stoppage of the blower 21 are repeated
at set time
intervals. Since the blower 21 delivers air to the compost material 100 at a
constant
air-supply rate in activation, oxygen in an amount required for the
fermentation of the
compost material 100 can be supplied by intermittently activating the blower
21 by the
controller 40.
[0035] The controller 40 includes a programmable logic controller 41
(PLC), a
magnet switch 42, a breaker 43. The PLC 41, the magnet switch 42, and the
breaker 43
are connected to each other through a drive circuit.
[0036] The PLC 41 is also referred to as a sequencer, is a kind of small
computer,
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and includes: a memory that stores a program; and a microprocessor that
executes the
program stored in the memory. The PLC 41 controls ON/OFF of an output device
depending on ON/OFF of a command signal from an input device such as a switch
or a
sensor according to a preset condition. The PLC 41 stores the program for
opening and
closing the magnet switch 42 depending on temperature measurement data sent
from the
temperature measurer 30.
[0037] The magnet switch 42 is a switch in which an electro-magnetic
contactor
that opens and closes the circuit, and a thermal relay that disconnects the
circuit when an
overload occurs are combined. The electro-magnetic contactor opens and closes
the
drive circuit in order to switch ON/OFF of the blower 21 on the basis of a
direction from
the PLC 41. In a state in which no current is supplied from the PLC 41 to the
electro-magnetic contactor, thereby preventing the coil of an electromagnet
from being
excited, a fixed contact and a movable contact are separated from each other,
and the
electro-magnetic contactor opens the drive circuit. In contrast, in a state in
which
current is supplied from the PLC 41 to the electro-magnetic contactor, thereby
exciting
the coil of the electromagnet, the fixed contact and the movable contact come
in contact
with each other, the electro-magnetic contactor closes the drive circuit.
[0038] When the blower 21 is overload, the thermal relay disconnects the
circuit in
order to prevent the burnout of the blower 21. The thermal relay includes: a
heater that
.. generates heat when an overload occurs; and a bimetal that disconnects the
circuit when
the heater generates heat.
[0039] The breaker 43 is a circuit breaker that disconnects the drive
circuit when a
short circuit, electric leakage, or the like occurs in the drive circuit.
[0040] The controller 40 further includes a display 50 and the
communicator 60.
The display 50 displays ON/OFF of the blower 21, the temperature of the
compost
material 100, measured by the thermometer 31, a condition, on which the blower
21 is
controlled, selected by the controller 40, and the like. The display 50 is a
touch panel
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attached to the front of the controller 40, and not only displays information
but also
functions as a direction acceptor that accepts a direction to allow the
controller 40 to start
composting, and/or the like.
[0041] The communicator 60 is an example of communication means for
sending a
signal from the controller 40 to an external terminal or the like and that
receives a signal
from the external terminal or the like to the controller 40. The communicator
60 is also
communicatably connected to the external terminal at a remote location through
a
network such as the Internet line. The communicator 60 sends the measured
temperature data of the compost material 100, the imaging data of the compost
material
100, and the like to the external terminal. The communicator 60 receives
temperature
measurement data from the sender 32 of the temperature measurer 30, a
direction related
to a control condition sent by the external terminal, a direction to start
composting, a new
control program stored in the PLC 41, and the like. Such a configuration
enables a user
to control the action of the compost production apparatus I by using an
external terminal
in an office at a remote location.
[0042] Such an external terminal includes a personal computer, a
smartphone, a
tablet, or the like. An application required for communicatable connection to
the
communicator 60 is installed on the external terminal.
[0043] The condition on which the blower 21 is controlled will now be
described
with reference to FIG. 4.
[0044] The temperature of the compost material 100 indicates the active
state of
aerobic microorganisms in the compost material 100. The aerobic microorganisms
do
not require much oxygen when the temperature of the compost material 100 is
relatively
low, while the aerobic microorganisms require much oxygen when the temperature
of the
compost material 100 is relatively high. Thus, in the composting of the
compost
material 100, the measurement of the temperature of the compost material 100
enables
the achievement of the supply of oxygen according to the state of the
fermentation of the
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compost material 100 without measuring the amount of oxygen in the compost
material
100.
[0045] In the compost production apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1,
an
air-supply rate that is the amount of air supplied by the blower 21 per unit
time is allowed
to be constant, and a time for which the blower 21 is turned off (OFF time) is
allowed to
be longer than a time for which the blower 21 is turned on (ON time) when the
temperature of the compost material 100 is relatively low. In contrast, when
the
temperature of the compost material 100 is relatively high, the ON time of the
blower 21
is allowed to be longer than the OFF time of the blower 21. In such a manner,
the
controller 40 sets the ON and OFF times of the blower 21 for each fixed time
period
depending on the measured temperature of the compost material 100.
[0046] The ON and OFF times of the blower 21 are determined based on a
duty
ratio that is a ratio obtained by dividing the ON time of the blower 21, set
in advance on
the basis of the temperature of the compost material 100, by the fixed time
period (the
total time of the ON and OFF times). The duty ratio is low when the
temperature of the
compost material 100 is relatively low, while the duty ratio is high when the
temperature
of the compost material 100 is relatively high.
[0047] More specifically, the temperature measurer 30 measures the
temperature of
the compost material 100 at one-hour intervals. The controller 40 determines a
duty
ratio for one hour after the measurement of the temperature of the compost
material 100
on the basis of the program stored in the PLC 41. The controller 40
distributes the one
hour into ON and OFF times on the basis of the determined duty ratio. The
controller
40 is also pattern determination means for determining the pattern of the ON
and OFF
times of the blower 21, that is, the on-off pattern of the supply of air to
the compost
material 100.
[0048] As a result of repeating an experiment on composting while
changing the
ON and OFF times of the blower 21, the present inventors finally found that
the control
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condition set forth in FIG. 4 is optimal. The control condition set forth in
FIG. 4 is
predicated on the placement of the blower 21 that supplies air at an air-
supply rate
suitable for the amount of the compost material 100 (for example, the air-
supply rate to
the compost material 100 per unit volume may be 52 Limin/m3) in the compost
production apparatus 1, and it is not necessary to adjust the ON and OFF times
depending
on the amount of the compost material 100, the air-supply rate of the blower
21, and the
like. On the control condition set forth in FIG. 4, the safety of compost
obtained by
composting can be secured, and an electric power consumption and the emission
amounts
of nitrous oxide N20, methane 0-14, and ammonia NI-I3, associated with the
composting,
can be reduced.
[0049] On the control
condition set forth in FIG. 4, the controller 40 sets one entire
hour after the measurement of the temperature to the OFF time when the
temperature of
the compost material 100 is 25 C or less.
When the compost material 100 is between 25 C and 30 C, the ON time is set in
a
range of 10 to 30 minutes, and the OFF time is set in a range of 30 to 50
minutes.
When the temperature of the compost material 100 is between 30 C and 40 C, the
controller 40 sets the ON time in a range of 15 to 40 minutes and the OFF time
in a range
of 20 to 45 minutes in one hour after the measurement of the temperature.
When the temperature of the compost material 100 is between 40 C and 50 C, the
controller 40 sets the ON time in a range of 20 to 40 minutes and the OFF time
in a range
of 20 to 40 minutes in one hour after the measurement of the temperature.
When the temperature of the compost material 100 is between 50 C and 60 C, the
controller 40 sets the ON time in a range of 30 to 50 minutes and the OFF time
in a range
of 10 to 30 minutes in one hour after the measurement of the temperature.
When the temperature of the compost material 100 is 60 C or more, the
controller
40 sets the ON time to 10 minutes and the OFF time to 50 minutes in one hour
after the
measurement of the temperature.
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[0050] When the temperature of the compost material 100 is between 25 C
and
30 C, between 30 C and 40 C, between 40 C and 50 C, or between 50 C and 60 C,
the
ON time and the OFF time have options. A user can determine, as appropriate,
actual
ON and OFF times in consideration of conditions such as the environment of a
5 production facility, the size and shape of the fermentation tank 10, and
a material
included in the compost material 100 put in the fermentation tank 10. The PLC
41 of
the controller 40 stores a program in which the ON time and the OFF time are
also
determined in a case in which the temperature of the compost material 100 is
between
C and 30 C, between 30 C and 40 C, between 40 C and 50 C, or between 50 C and
10 60 C.
[0051] The duty ratio for determining the ON and OFF times of the blower
21 on
the basis of the control condition set forth in FIG. 4 is set as follows.
The controller 40 sets the duty ratio to zero when the temperature of the
compost
material 100 is 25 C or less.
15 The controller 40 sets the duty ratio in a range between about 1/6 and
about 1/2
when the temperature of the compost material 100 is between 25 C and 30 C.
The controller 40 sets the duty ratio in a range between about 1/4 and about
2/3
when the temperature of the compost material 100 is between 30 C and 40 C.
The controller 40 sets the duty ratio in a range between about 1/3 and about
2/3
20 when the temperature of the compost material 100 is between 40 C and 50
C.
The controller 40 sets the duty ratio in a range between about 1/2 and about
5/6
when the temperature of the compost material 100 is between 50 C and 60 C.
The controller 40 sets the duty ratio to about 1/6 when the temperature of the
compost material 100 is 60 C or more.
25 [0052] The duty ratio may also be set as follows.
The controller 40 set the duty ratio to a first duty ratio when the
temperature of the
compost material 100 is 50 C or less (first temperature range).
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The controller 40 sets the duty ratio to a second duty ratio that is greater
than the
first duty ratio when the temperature of the compost material 100 is greater
than 50 C and
less than 60 C (second temperature range).
The controller 40 sets the duty ratio to a third duty ratio that is less than
the second
duty ratio when the temperature of the compost material 100 is 60 C or more
(third
temperature range).
[0053] A process executed by the compost production apparatus 1 is
implemented
by executing a preinstalled program by, for example, an apparatus including
the physical
configuration described above. The present disclosure may be executed as a
program or
may be implemented as a storage medium in which the program is stored.
[0054] The composting process of executing the composting of the compost
material 100 will now be described with reference to a flowchart in FIG. 5.
[0055] The display 50 directs a user to put, in the section 10a of the
fermentation
tank 10, the compost material 100 collected in a composting facility (step
S101). Since
the port opening through which a tire loader and a tractor can enter and leave
the
fermentation tank 10 is formed in the fermentation tank 10, the user can allow
the tire
loader and the tractor to enter the section 10a of the fermentation tank 10,
thereby
enabling the compost material 100 to be piled.
[0056] Then, the display 50 directs the user to insert the temperature
measurer 30
into the compost material 100 piled in step S101 (step S102). The temperature
measurer
is inserted by the user so that the leading end of the temperature measurer 30
is located
in the center of the compost material 100.
[0057] Then, the temperature measurer 30 inserted into the compost
material 100 in
step S102 measures the temperature of the compost material 100 (step S103).
The
25 controller 40 is notified of data relating to the temperature measured
by the temperature
measurer 30 from the sender 32 of the temperature measurer 30 through a
wireless
communication circuit.
CA 03019503 2018-09-28
17
[0058] The controller 40 determines the ON and OFF times of the air
supplier 20
on the basis of the temperature of the compost material 100, measured in step
S103 (step
S104). On the basis of the control condition set forth in FIG. 4, the ON and
OFF times
of the air supplier 20 are determined so that the total of the ON and OFF
times is one
hour (set time).
[0059] The air supplier 20 performs ON/OFF of air supply for the ON and
OFF
times determined by the controller 40 in step S104 (step S105). The controller
40
controls the blower 21 so as to first operate the blower 21 only for the ON
time and to
then stop the blower 21 only for the OFF time. Since the controller 40
determines the
condition, on which the air supplier 20 is controlled, on the basis of the
temperature of the
compost material 100, oxygen in a necessary and sufficient amount is supplied
to
compost material 100 according to the degree of fermentation.
[0060] Then, the controller 40 determines whether the set time has
elapsed from the
start of the air supply of the air supplier 20 (step S106). When the set time
has elapsed
from the start of the air supply of the air supplier 20 (step S106: YES), the
temperature
measurer 30 measures the temperature of the compost material 100 again (step
S107).
In contrast, when the set time has not elapsed from the start of the air
supply of the
compost material 100 (step S106: NO), the controller 40 controls the air
supplier 20 on
the determined control condition until one hour as the set time has elapsed.
[0061] It is determined whether the temperature of the compost material
100,
measured in step S107, is a threshold value or less (step S108). When the
temperature
of the compost material 100, measured in step S107, is the threshold value or
less (step
SI08: YES), the display 50 directs the user to blend the compost material 100
(step
S109).
[0062] More specifically, the controller 40 allows the display 50 to
display, for the
user, a direction to perform blending. When receiving the direction, the user
draws the
temperature measurer 30 from the compost material 100, and moves the compost
CA 03019503 2018-09-28
18
material 100 from the section 10a of the fermentation tank 10 to the section
10b by a tire
loader, a tractor, or the like, whereby the compost material 100 is mixed on
the whole and
allowed to contain air. When the blending of the compost material 100 is
ended, the
user touches the touch panel of the display 50 to provide notification that
the blending has
been ended. Then, the touch panel of the display 50 notifies the controller 40
of the end
of the blending.
[0063] The blending is an operation of mixing the fermenting compost
material 100.
It is known that although the temperature of the compost material 100 is
increased with
fermentation, after an increase to a certain temperature, the fermentation
loses momentum,
and therefore, the temperature is decreased. The blending enables the
fermentation of
the compost material 100 to be activated again and enables the composting of
the
compost material 100 to be promoted.
[0064] When the temperature of the compost material 100, measured in step
S107,
is not the threshold value or less (step S108: NO), the process goes back to
step S104
again, and the controller 40 determines the ON and OFF times of the air
supplier 20 in
the subsequent set time (one hour) on the basis of the temperature of the
compost material
100. In addition, the processes of steps S104 to S108 are repeated once again.
[0065] After the blending of the compost material 100 in step S109, the
temperature
measurer 30 measures the temperature of the compost material 100 again (step
S110).
In addition, the controller 40 determines again whether the temperature of the
compost
material 100, measured by the temperature measurer 30, is the threshold value
or less
(step S111).
[0066] When the temperature of the compost material 100 is the threshold
value or
less (step S111: YES), the controller 40 determines that the composting of the
compost
material 100 has been completed, and ends the composting process. This is
because
when the temperature of the compost material 100 is not increased even by the
blending,
it can be determined that the compost material 100 has been decomposed to such
a degree
CA 03019503 2018-09-28
19
that the fermentation of the compost material 100 does not proceed.
[0067] In contrast, when the temperature of the compost material 100 is
not the
threshold value or less (step S111: NO), the process goes back to step S104,
and the
controller 40 determines a condition on which the air supplier 20 is
controlled in the
subsequent set time (one hour) on the basis of the temperature of the compost
material
100. In addition, the processes of steps S104 to S111 are repeated once again.
This is
because when the temperature of the compost material 100 is increased by the
blending,
the fermentation of the compost material 100 still proceeds, and therefore, it
is necessary
to promote the composting of the compost material 100.
[0068] Whenever the blending in step S109 is performed, the compost
material 100
is moved from the section 10a to the section 10b, from the section 10b to the
section 10c,
and from the section 10c to the section 10d, in the fermentation tank 10.
Therefore, the
compost material 100 placed in the section 10d is considered to be most highly
composted.
[0069] (Example 1)
Examples in which a compost material 100 was composted using a compost
production apparatus 1 in a laboratory level will be described below. In
Example 1, a
compost material 100 in which milk cow dung and wheat straw were mixed was put
in a
fermentation tank 10, and the compost material 100 was composted. The compost
production apparatus 1 was activated according to each of a reference example
and
conditions A to I set forth in FIG. 6. In Example 1, the temperature of the
compost
material 100, an electric power consumption, and the emission amounts of N20,
CF14,
and NH3 are measured. A period in which the compost material 100 was composted
is
7 days. An air-supply rate to the compost material 100 per unit volume in the
activation
of a blower 21 is 52L/min/m3.
[0070] Conventionally, an ON time of 60 minutes and an OFF time of 60
minutes
have been considered to be desirable for achieving both of the safety of
compost and a
CA 03019503 2018-09-28
reduction in electric power consumption. Thus, in Example 1, a case in which
the
blower 21 is controlled for an ON time of 60 minutes and an OFF time of 60
minutes is
regarded as the reference example, the case of controlling the blower 21 in
the reference
example and the case of controlling the blower 21 on each of the experimental
conditions
5 .. A to I are compared with each other.
[0071] First, the measurement results of the temperature of the compost
material
100 will be examined. The security of the safety of compost requires the
killing of
disease-causing bacteria belonging to coliform group and the like, and the
inactivation of
weed seeds. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires that a
time
10 period in which the compost material 100 has a temperature of 55 C or
more is allowed
to be three consecutive days (72 consecutive hours) or more in order to secure
the safety
of the compost Thus, in Example I, it is determined that the safety of the
compost is
secured in a case in which an integration time period in which the temperature
of the
compost material 100 is 60 C or more is three days or more, for sufficient
security. In
15 Example 1, an integration time period in which the temperature of the
compost was 60 C
or more was more than three days in the cases of the experimental conditions
A, and C to
I set forth in FIG. 6.
[0072] The consumed electric power of the blower 21 has been known to
account
for the major part of the running cost of a production facility. Accordingly,
a reduction
20 in the running cost of the production facility requires a reduction in
the consumed electric
power of the blower 21. In Example 1, air was supplied to 150 m3 (about 60
tons) of the
compost material 100 by the blower 21 having an output of 5.0 kW. As a result,
the
electric power consumption of the compost production apparatus 1 was reduced
in the
cases of the experimental conditions B to I set forth in FIG. 6, in comparison
with the
reference example.
[0073] It is preferable to reduce the emission amounts of N20 and CH4
because
N20 and CH4 are greenhouse gases. In Example 1, the total emission amount of
the
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21
emission amounts of N20 and CH4 in the compost production apparatus 1 was
reduced in
the cases of the experimental conditions A, and E to H set forth in FIG. 6, in
comparison
with the reference example.
[0074] It is preferable to reduce the emission amount of NH3 because NH3
has a
peculiar irritating smell and causes a complaint about a production facility.
In Example
1, the emission amount of NH3 in the compost production apparatus 1 was
reduced in the
cases of the experimental conditions C to I set forth in FIG. 6, in comparison
with the
reference example.
[0075] In summarization of the experimental results described above, it
is desirable
to adopt the experimental conditions E to H among the experimental conditions
set forth
in FIG. 6, for securing the safety of compost and achieving the curtailment of
an electric
power consumption and the emission amounts of N20, CH4, and NH3, associated
with
composting. The control condition set forth in FIG. 4 is set to include all
the
experimental conditions E to H set forth in FIG. 6.
[0076] (Example 2)
A further example in which a compost material 100 was composted using a
compost production apparatus 1 in a laboratory level will now be described. In
Example 2, the temperature of the compost material 100, an electric power
consumption,
and the emission amounts of N20, CH4, and NI-13 are measured in the cases of
continuously supplying air to the compost material 100 (continuous air blow),
controlling
a blower 21 for an ON time of 15 minutes and an OFF time of 45 minutes
(15/45),
controlling the blower 21 for an ON time of 30 minutes and an OFF time of 30
minutes
(30/30), controlling the blower 21 for an ON time of 60 minutes and an OFF
time of 60
minutes (60/60), controlling the blower 21 for an ON time of 120 minutes and
an OFF
time of 120 minutes (120/120), and controlling the blower 21 according to a
change in
temperature on control conditions satisfying the condition set forth in FIG. 4
(Control 1 to
Control 4). FIG. 7 to FIG. 10 indicate the temperature of the compost material
100, the
CA 03019503 2018-09-28
22
electric power consumption, the emission amounts of N20 and CI14, and the
emission
amount of NH3, according to each of the experimental conditions of Example 2,
respectively. The temperature of the compost material 100 and the emission
amounts of
N20, CH4, and NH3 are experimental values in a case in which a period in which
the
compost material 100 is composted is set to seven days, while the electric
power
consumption is a trial calculation value in a case in which the composting
period is set to
30 days. Like Example 1, an air-supply rate to the compost material 100 per
unit
volume in the activation of the blower 21 is 52 L/min/m3.
[0077] First, the measurement results of the temperature of the compost
material
100 will be examined. In Example 2, it is also determined that the safety of
compost is
secured in a case in which an integration time period in which the temperature
of the
compost material 100 is 60 C or more is three days (4320 minutes) or more.
FIG. 7 is a
graph indicating an integration time period in which the temperature of the
compost
material 100 is 60 C or more, according to each experimental condition.
[0078] As indicated in FIG. 7, all integration time periods in which the
temperature
of the compost material 100 was 60 C or more are three days (4320 minutes) or
more in
the cases of Control 1 to Control 4. The integration times in which the
temperature of
the compost material 100 was 60 C or more are 144% to 150% higher than that in
60/60.
The integration times in which the temperature of the compost material 100 was
60 C or
more is 201% to 209% higher than that in the continuous air blow. Accordingly,
the
safety of compost can be secured when the control condition set forth in FIG.
4 is
adopted.
[0079] FIG. 8 is a graph indicating the trial calculation value of the
consumed
electric power of the compost production apparatus 1, according to each
experimental
condition. The trial calculation value of the electric power consumption in
the case of
composting 150 m3 (60 tons) of the compost material 100 for 30 days by the
blower 21
having an output of 5.0 kW is indicated.
CA 03019503 2018-09-28
23
[0080] As indicated in FIG. 8, the electric power consumptions in Control
1 to
Control 4 are 57% to 62% less than that in 60/60. The electric power
consumptions are
79% to 81% less than that in the continuous air blow. Accordingly, an electric
power
consumption associated with composting can be reduced in the case of adopting
the
control condition set forth in FIG. 4.
[0081] FIG. 9 is a graph indicating the total of the emission amounts of
N20 and
CH4 emitted from the compost production apparatus 1, according to each
experimental
condition. In FIG. 9, "mg-0O2" represents a value obtained by converting the
mass of
N20 or CH4 into the mass of CO2 causing an equivalent greenhouse effect, and
"kg-dm"
represents the mass of the completely dry compost material 100. As indicated
in FIG. 9,
the total emission amounts of the emission amounts of N20 and CH4 in Control 1
to
Control 4 are 14% to 45% less than that in 60/60. In addition, the total
emission
amounts of the emission amounts of N20 and CH4 are 31% to 56% less than that
in the
continuous air blow. Accordingly, the total emission amount of the emission
amounts
of N20 and CH4, associated with composting, can be reduced in the case of
adopting the
control condition set forth in FIG. 4.
[0082] FIG. 10 is a graph indicating the emission amount of NI-13 emitted
from the
compost production apparatus 1, according to each experimental condition. As
indicated in FIG. 10, the emission amounts of NH3 in Control Ito Control 4 are
37% to
70% less than that in 60/60. In addition, the emission amounts of NH3 are 85%
to 93%
less than that in the continuous air blow. Accordingly, the emission amount of
NH3
associated with composting can be reduced in the case of adopting the control
condition
set forth in FIG. 4.
[0083] Referring now to FIGS. 7 to 10, in 15/45 among the conventional
ON/OFF
controls, the emission amounts of N20, CH4, and NH3 are reduced while securing
the
safety of the compost, and relatively favorable results seem to have been
obtained. In
15/45, however, there is a problem in view of the promotion of the
fermentation of the
CA 03019503 2018-09-28
24
.=
compost material 100 and the efficiency of drying the compost material 100.
Therefore,
15/45 is not considered to be an appropriate ON/OFF control.
[0084] (Example 3)
In Example 1 or 2, the example in which the compost material 100 was composted
using the compost production apparatus 1 on the scale of the laboratory level
is described.
In Example 3, however, an example in which a compost material 100 was
composted
using a compost production apparatus 1 in an actual machine level is
described. In
Example 3, an integration time period in which the temperature of compost was
60 C or
more, a water reduction rate, and an integrated electric power consumption
were
measured in each case of continuous air blow, simple intermittence, and new
intermittence. The simple intermittence is the same as the reference example
in FIG. 6,
and the ON and OFF of a blower 21 are repeated every 60 minutes. The new
intermittence is the same as the experimental condition F in FIG. 6 and
satisfies the
control condition set forth in FIG. 4.
[0085] Experimental results will be described below. FIG. 11 is a graph
indicating an integration time period in which the compost material 100 is at
60 C or
more on each control condition. As indicated in FIG. 11, such integration time
periods
at 60 C or more were 30.5 hours, 88.2 hours, and 540.3 hours in the cases of
the
continuous air blow, the simple intermittence, and the new intermittence,
respectively.
The integration time period at 60 C or more in the case of the new
intermittence was
about 18 times that in the case of the continuous air blow and about 6 times
that in the
case of the simple intermittence.
[0086] In Example 2 in which the compost production apparatus
1 in the laboratory
level was used, an integration time period at 60 C or more in the case of new
intermittence was about 2 times that in the case of the continuous air blow
and about 1.5
times that in the case of simple intermittence. When the control condition set
forth in
FIG. 4 is applied to the compost production apparatus 1 in the actual machine
level, an
CA 03019503 2018-09-28
integration time period at 60 C or more is greatly increased in comparison
with the
compost production apparatus 1 in the laboratory level. This reveals that the
safety of
compost can be drastically improved when the control condition set forth in
FIG. 4 is
applied to the compost production apparatus 1 in the actual machine level.
5 [0087] FIG. 12 is a graph indicating the decrease of water in the
compost material
100 on each control condition. For enhancing the quality of compost, it is
important to
appropriately control the amount of water in the compost. This is because
water
dripping from the compost and the weight of the compost preclude the handling
of the
compost in the case of the large amount of water in the compost, while the
compost is
10 excessively dried, thereby scattering powder dust from the compost, in
the case of the
small amount of water in the compost. The amount of water included in the
compost
material 100 is about 60% to about 70% at the time of starting the production
of the
compost and is preferably decreased to about 40 to about 60% at the time of
finishing.
In other words, the water reduction rate of the compost material 100 is
preferably about
15 15% to about 30%.
[0088] As indicated in FIG. 12, the water reduction rate of the compost
material
100 was 18.95% in the case of the continuous air blow, 9.66% in the case of
the simple
intermittence, or 22.04% in the case of the new intermittence. The water
reduction rate
of the compost material 100 is insufficient, and compost having an excessive
water
20 content is obtained in the case of the simple intermittence, whereas the
water reduction
rate of the compost material 100 falls within an appropriate range, and
compost having an
appropriate water content can be obtained in the case of the continuous air
blow or the
new intermittence. Moreover, the amount of water in the compost can be
effectively
decreased in the case of the new intermittence in comparison with the case of
the
25 continuous air blow. This reveals that the amount of water contained in
compost can be
allowed to be adequate when the control condition set forth in FIG. 4 is
applied to the
compost production apparatus 1 in the actual machine level.
CA 03019503 2018-09-28
26
[0089] FIG. 13 is a graph indicating an integrated electric power
consumption
consumed by the blower 21 on each control condition. As indicated in FIG. 13,
the
integrated electric power consumption was 970.7 kWh in the case of the
continuous air
blow, 478.1 kWh in the case of the simple intermittence, or 188.6 kWh in the
case of the
-- new intermittence. The integrated electric power consumption in the case of
the new
intermittence is reduced to about 1/5 in the case of the continuous air blow
and about 2/5
in the case of the simple intermittence. This reveals that the consumed
electric power of
the blower 21 can be effectively reduced, and the running cost of a composting
facility
can be reduced when the control condition set forth in FIG. 4 is applied to
the compost
.. production apparatus 1 in the actual machine level.
[0090] As described above, in the compost production apparatus 1
according to
Embodiment 1, the blower 21 is controlled so as to be intermittently operated
depending
on the temperature of the compost material 100, and therefore, it is
unnecessary to adopt
an expensive component such as an inverter while achieving air supply
necessary and
sufficient for composting to the compost material 100. Therefore, an electric
power
consumption caused by the composting of the compost material 100 can be
reduced, and
a cost associated with the introduction of the compost production apparatus 1
can be
reduced.
[0091] In the compost production apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1.
the
action of the blower 21 is controlled on the optimal control condition on
which the
emission amounts of N20, CH4, and NH3 are reduced while securing the safety of
compost and the appropriate amount of water, and therefore, the emission
amounts of
N20, CH4, and NI-13 can be reduced while securing the safety of the compost
and the
appropriate amount of water.
[0092] In the compost production apparatus I according to Embodiment 1, the
temperature measurer 30 and the controller 40 are communicatably connected to
each
other through the wireless communication circuit, and therefore, the
temperature
CA 03019503 2018-09-28
27
measurer 30 can be safely stored when the compost production apparatus 1 is
not used,
while temperature measurement data can be stably sent from the temperature
measurer 30
to the controller 40 when the compost production apparatus I is used.
[0093] The compost production apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1 is
configured so that the controller 40 accepts a direction from an external
terminal through
a network and notifies the external terminal of the state of composting.
Therefore, a
user can adjust a condition on which air supply to the compost material 100 is
controlled,
and can grasp the state of the composting of the compost material 100, for
example, in an
office at a remote location distant from a production facility.
[0094] (Embodiment 2)
A compost production apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 2 of the present
disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 14. Although the placement
of the
temperature measurer 30 in the compost material 100 and the blending of the
compost
material 100 are performed by user in Embodiment 1, the compost production
apparatus
1 may be configured so that these operations are performed by the compost
production
apparatus 1. Although the fundamental configuration of the compost production
apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 2 is the same as that of the compost
production
apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1, the compost production apparatus 1
according
to Embodiment 2 is different from the compost production apparatus 1 according
to
Embodiment 1 in view of including a pair of rails 70, a temperature
measurement crane
80, and a compost crane 90. Differences between Embodiments 1 and 2 will be
mainly
described below.
[0095] A pair of the rails 70 is arranged so as to extend in the same
direction as a
direction in which the sections 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d of a fermentation tank
10 are
arranged. The rails 70 are supported by the roof 18 of the fermentation tank
10 via a rail
supporter 71.
[0096] The temperature measurement crane 80 moves a temperature measurer
30 in
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28
the longitudinal and vertical directions of the rails 70. The temperature
measurement
crane 80 includes: a traveler 81 that is supported by the rails 70 and travels
on the rails
70; and a cylindrical extension 82 that extends downward from the bottom end
of the
traveler 81. The extension 82 accommodates the temperature measurer 30 in the
internal space of the extension 82 so that the temperature measurer 30 can be
moved in
the vertical direction.
[0097] The compost crane 90 grips a compost material 100 and transports
the
gripped compost material 100. The compost crane 90 includes: a traveler 91
that is
supported by the rails 70 and travels on the rails 70; and a extensible member
92 that
extends downward from the bottom end of the traveler 91 and can telescope in
the
vertical direction. In addition, the compost crane 90 includes a pair of grip
pieces 93
that are supported by a tip of the extensible member 92 and can grip the
compost material
100.
[0098] The controller 40 supported by the strut 19 of the fermentation
tank 10
controls the action of the temperature measurement crane 80 and the compost
crane 90.
The controller 40 controls the traveling of the traveler 81 of the temperature
measurement
crane 80 and the traveler 91 of the compost crane 90 on the basis of, for
example, a
program stored in a PLC 41.
[0099] The controller 40 allows the temperature measurer 30 to extend
from the
extension 82 of the temperature measurement crane 80 at set time intervals set
in the PLC
41, and moves the temperature measurer 30 so that the leading end of the
temperature
measurer 30 is located in the center of the compost material 100 placed in the
fermentation tank 10. When the measurement of a temperature by the temperature
measurer 30 is ended, the controller 40 allows the temperature measurer 30 to
retreat into
the internal space of the extension 82.
[0100] The controller 40 directs the compost crane 90 to blend the
compost
material 100 when determining that the blending of the compost material 100 is
required,
CA 03019503 2018-09-28
29
on the basis of the temperature measured by the temperature measurer 30. More
specifically, the controller 40 extends the extensible member 92 of the
compost crane 90
to allow a pair of the grip pieces 93 to grip the compost material 100. The
controller 40
shortens the extensible member 92 while gripping the compost material 100 by a
pair of
.. the grip pieces 93, then allows the traveler 91 to travel on the rails 70,
and moves the
compost crane 90 to the next section. Then, the controller 40 extends the
extensible
member 92 of the compost crane 90 into the fermentation tank 10 and releases
the
compost material 100 from a pair of the grip pieces 93. The controller 40
allows the
compost crane 90 to repeat the action described above and controls the compost
crane 90
so as to move the compost material 100 to another section.
[0101] As described above, the compost production apparatus 1 according
to
Embodiment 2 includes the temperature measurement crane 80 and the compost
crane 90
that move along the rails 70, the temperature measurement crane 80 is
configured to
move the temperature measurer 30 that measures the temperature of the compost
material
100 at set time intervals, and the compost crane 90 is configured to blend the
compost
material 100 on the basis of the measurement result of the temperature of the
compost
material 100. Therefore, the compost production apparatus 1 according to
Embodiment
2 allows compost of the compost material 100 without a user inserting the
temperature
measurer 30 into compost material 100 or blending the compost material 100.
[0102] The present disclosure is not so limited, but an alternative example
described below is also possible.
[0103] (Alternative Example)
In the embodiments described above, the controller 40 controls the supply of
air to
the compost materials 100 placed in the two fermentation tanks 10. However,
the
present disclosure is not so limited. For example, a controller 40 may control
the supply
of air to a compost material 100 placed in one fermentation tank 10 or may
control the
supply of air to compost materials 100 placed in three or more fermentation
tanks 10.
CA 03019503 2018-09-28
[0104] In the embodiments described above, each fermentation tank 10 is
divided
into the four sections. However, the present disclosure is not so limited. For
example,
three or less sections or five or more sections may be disposed in a
fermentation tank 10.
[0105] In the embodiments described above, the three air supply pipes 22
are
5 disposed per section of each fermentation tank 10. However, the present
disclosure is
not so limited. For example, two or less air supply pipes 22 or four or more
air supply
pipes 22 may be disposed in a fermentation tank 10. A larger number of air
supply
pipes 22 are preferred for uniformly supplying air to a compost material 100.
[0106] In the embodiments described above, the thermometer 31 includes
the
10 thermocouple. However, the present disclosure is not so limited. For
example, the
thermometer 31 may be an infrared thermometer, a resistance thermometer, or
the like.
[0107] In the embodiments described above, the thermometer 31 measures
the
temperature of only the one center of the compost material 100. However, the
present
disclosure is not so limited. For example, a thermometer 31 may measure a
surface of a
15 compost material 100 or may measure the temperatures of the plural
points of the
compost material 100 to calculate a representative value such as a mean value
or a
median from the plural measured temperatures. In the case of measuring the
surface
temperature of the compost material 100, the temperature of the center of the
compost
material 100 may be predicted using a prediction model such as a hierarchical
neural
20 network generated based on previously learned data.
[0108] In the embodiments described above, the controller 40 disposed in
the
compost production apparatus 1 controls the action of the blower 21. However,
the
present disclosure is not so limited. Such a configuration is acceptable that
a program is
stored in a computer, a server, or the like placed at a location distant from
a compost
25 production apparatus 1, and the action of each blower 21 is controlled
based on a
direction from the computer, the server, or the like.
[0109] In Embodiment 2 described above, the action of the temperature
CA 03019503 2018-09-28
31
measurement crane 80 and the compost crane 90 is controlled based on the
program
stored in the controller 40. However, the present disclosure is not so
limited. For
example, such a configuration is acceptable that the action of a temperature
measurement
crane 80 and a compost crane 90 is controlled based on a direction from an
external
terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet to a controller 40.
[0110] In the embodiments described above, the compost material 100 is
directly
put in the section 10a of the fermentation tank 10. However, the present
disclosure is
not so limited. For example, an underground pit may be disposed adjacently to
a
fermentation tank 10, and a compost material 100 may be temporarily put and
stored in
the underground pit. In this case, the compost material 100 may be put from
the
underground pit into the section 10a of the fermentation tank 10 by using a
compost
crane 90 or the like before composting the compost material 100.
[0111] In Embodiment 2 described above, the blending is immediately
performed
when it is determined that the blending of the compost material 100 is
required, on the
basis of the measurement result of the temperature of the compost material
100.
However, the present disclosure is not so limited. For example, when it is
determined
that the blending of a compost material 100 is required, a compost crane 90
may be
allowed to wait on an as-is basis until the nighttime, and the blending may be
performed
in the night time during which electric power is inexpensive.
[0112] In the embodiments described above, the temperature of the compost
material 100 is measured every one hour, and an ON time and an OFF time in one
hour
after the measurement of the temperature are adjusted depending on the
measurement
result of the temperature of the compost material 100. However, the present
disclosure
is not so limited. For example, the temperature of a compost material 100 may
be
measured for each set time period set in a range of 10 minutes to 1 hour, and
a
distribution into an ON time and an OFF time in the set time after the
measurement of the
temperature may be adjusted depending on the measurement result of the
temperature of
32
the compost material 100.
[0113] In the embodiments described above, the compost production
apparatus 1 is
used to supply air to the compost material 100. However, the present
disclosure is not
so limited. For example, the controller 40 of a compost production apparatus 1
may be
configured not only to control a blower 21 that supplies air to a compost
material 100 but
also to control, for example, a blower that ventilates a facility for breeding
a domestic
animal or an experimental animal.
[0114] In the embodiments described above, the controller 40 includes
the PLC 41.
However, the controller 40 may include a computer instead of the PLC 41. In
this case,
the computer includes a memory and a processor. The processor executes a
program
stored in the memory, thereby carrying out the control action described above.
[0115] The above-described embodiments, in which the program executed
by the
controller 40 is stored in advance in the memory in the controller 40, have
been explained.
However, the program for executing the above-described process action may be
stored in
a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium such as a flexible disk, a
compact
disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), or a magneto-
optical
disk (MO). In this case, a controller 40 that executes the above-described
process is
configured by installing the program on a computer.
[0116] The foregoing describes some example embodiments for
explanatory
purposes. Although the foregoing discussion has presented specific
embodiments,
persons skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and
detail
without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention.
Accordingly, the
specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a
restrictive
sense. This detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting
sense, and the
scope of the invention is defined only by the included claims, along with the
full range of
equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
CA 3019503 2020-01-08
33
Industrial Applicability
[0117] The compost production apparatus, compost production method,
and
program of the present disclosure enable a reduction in electric power
consumption
caused by composting a compost material, and enable a reduction in cost
associated with
the introduction of the compost production apparatus, the compost production
method,
and the program in comparison with a conventional technology. Moreover, the
compost
production apparatus, the compost production method, and the program enable
the
production of safe compost having high quality, and are useful.
Reference Signs List
[0118] 1 Compost production apparatus
10 Fermentation tank
10a, 10b, 10c, 10d Section
11 Bottom
12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 Side wall
18 Roof
19 Stmt
Air supplier
20 21 Blower
22 Air supply pipe
22a Base end
22b Intermediate
22c Leading end
23 Spouting hole
Temperature measurer
31 Thermometer
CA 3019503 2020-01-08
CA 03019503 2018-09-28
34
32 Sender
40 Controller
41 Programmable logic controller (PLC)
42 Magnet switch
43 Breaker
50 Display
60 Communicator
70 Rail
71 Rail supporter
80 Temperature measurement crane
81 Traveler
82 Extension
90 Compost crane
91 Traveler
92 Extensible member
93 Grip piece
100 Compost material
