Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Composting under controlled conditions.

A Cronjé1, C Turner, A Williams

  • 1Silsoe Research Institute, Wrest Park, Silsoe, Bedford, MK45 4HS, United Kingdom.

Environmental Technology
|December 13, 2003
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Validation of an AI-enabled exome/transcriptome liquid biopsy platform for early detection, MRD, disease monitoring, and therapy selection for solid tumors.

Scientific reports·2025
Same author

Routine whole-body CT identifies clinically significant findings in patients supported with veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Clinical radiology·2022
Same author

Evidence for X(3872) in Pb-Pb Collisions and Studies of its Prompt Production at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV.

Physical review letters·2022
Same author

Measurement of single-diffractive dijet production in proton-proton collisions at <math> </math> with the CMS and TOTEM experiments.

The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields·2020
Same author

A Deep Neural Network for Simultaneous Estimation of b Jet Energy and Resolution.

Computing and software for big science·2020
Same author

Studies of Charm Quark Diffusion inside Jets Using Pb-Pb and pp Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV.

Physical review letters·2020
Same journal

Ammonium ion exchange in fluidised bed reactors: effects of expansion ratio & layer composition.

Environmental technology·2026
Same journal

Enhanced nitrogen and phosphorus removal from mining-affected waters by micro-nano aeration coupled with microbial remediation.

Environmental technology·2026
Same journal

Hydraulic characteristics and enhanced nitrogen removal performance of a fold-flow iron-based bioretention pond.

Environmental technology·2026
Same journal

Methylene blue degradation by DBD: combined effects of pH, Cl<sup>-</sup>, and black TiO<sub>2</sub>.

Environmental technology·2026
Same journal

Integrated spatial assessment, transformation, and risk evaluation of microplastics in tropical municipal landfills.

Environmental technology·2026
Same journal

Sustainable air pollution management in coal mining through low-cost sensors and smart monitoring platform.

Environmental technology·2026
See all related articles

Laboratory-scale composting in controlled reactors mimicked large heaps. Optimized aeration maintained 60°C, promoting aerobic activity and heat generation, with most ammonia emitted early.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Microbiology
  • Chemical Engineering

Background:

  • Composting is a vital process for waste management and nutrient recycling.
  • Replicating thermophilic conditions of large compost heaps in a laboratory setting is challenging.
  • Understanding off-gas composition and temperature dynamics is crucial for process optimization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and optimize laboratory-scale composting that thermally mimics large open heaps.
  • To analyze the impact of controlled aeration on temperature, microbial activity, and off-gas composition.
  • To model and compensate for heat losses in a closed composting system.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized three 200-litre cylindrical reactors operating as closed systems.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Implemented a baseline humidified air aeration strategy in five-minute bursts.
  • Monitored off-gas composition (ammonia, oxygen, carbon dioxide) and temperature.
  • Employed external heating to compensate for radial heat loss, modeling heat flux requirements.
  • Used temperature feedback control for aeration to maintain a core temperature of 60°C.

    • Main Results:

    • Achieved laboratory-scale composting that thermally resembled large open heaps.
    • External heating compensated for radial heat loss, maintaining a temperature difference within 1°C in over 60% of recorded temperatures.
    • Aeration strategy resulted in a well-aerated material, favoring aerobic microbial activity and internal heat generation.
    • A mean vertical temperature difference of at least 10°C was observed due to the aeration strategy.
    • Approximately 75% of ammonia emissions occurred within the first week of the composting process.

    Conclusions:

    • Controlled laboratory conditions can effectively simulate the thermal processes of large-scale composting.
    • Optimized aeration is key to maintaining desired temperatures and promoting aerobic decomposition.
    • Early ammonia emission is a significant characteristic of the initial composting phase.
    • The study provides a foundation for further research into optimizing composting processes for waste management and resource recovery.