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Re: Solar heat collector/storage for homebrew residential/community waste treatment system



On Mon, 15 Nov 1999 21:15:03 GMT, in alt.solar.thermal "Steve Spence"
<steve.spence@home.com> wrote:

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>Steve Spence
>Renewable Energy Pages
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>"mud" <mlomas@tinet.ie> wrote in message
>news:80pn33$cev$4@scotty.tinet.ie...
>> Lawrence F. London, Jr. wrote in message The compost
>> >"bin" would consist of a structure made of concrete or concrete block,
>> >maybe rectangular or square in shape. The container's wall height
>> >would have to be just right, too tall and the pile might go anaerobic,
>> >too short and it would become too dry. The bottom would
>> >consist of solid blocks laid without mortar, side by side, on top of a
>> >base of more blocks turned open side up. A layer of pea gravel would
>> >cover the bottom of the bin allowing liquid to drain through it and
>> >through the cracks between the solid blocks to a drain leading to
>> >a reedbed. We're talking quick draining of liquid from all household
>> >sewage deposited onto the compost pile through the pile and into the
>> >reedbed. No chance for the greywater to become anaerobic or linger
>> >in the compost pile making it go anaerobic.
>>
>> The water wouldn't drain through fast enough, and the drainage layer at
>the
>> bottom would block. - it would be anaerobic. Trust me :-)
>> Better to keep greywater and urine well away from the compost. Use a twin
>> vault compost system for solids, and put the liquid direct to a reed bed.
>> (Greasy Kitchen sink water is blackwater, not grey, and so would need the
>> grease trap before entering the reed bed).
>> If you're wondering what to do with the grease from the trap if the
>bacteria
>> don't digest it fast enough - then you can put it into the compost system.
>> There's enough bacterial activity to break it down. If you put a goose
>(99%
>> grease:-) on a compost heap, it will rot.
>>
>>
>> Solids and grease left
>> >behind in the pile would be turned into the biomass with some sort of
>> >auger or tines on a shaft powered by windmill, solar-powered electric
>> >motor, hand crank or bicycle power. This procedure should make the
>> >pile heat up much as yours did, purifying the pile and creating
>> >finished compost to be used to grow more biomass.
>>
>>
>> If you introduce a mechanical process into this, it's one more thing to go
>> wrong, but also I think it would take quite a lot of power to turn the
>heap.
>>
>>
>> >>> I was thinking of a design using cedar/redwood +
>> >>> glass/polycarbonate/acrylic mini-greenouse with one of those passive
>> >>> vent openers for hot days mounted on the compost bin with sealed
>> >>> plastic water barrels buried in the compost for heat storage.
>>
>> If you insulated the blockwork on the outside with polystyrene (don't want
>> anything getting in the way as you empty it), and relied on natural
>> insulating effect of being in the ground, I think the heat created by
>> composting would keep it above freezing. You need to compost the stuff for
>> 12-18 months anyway, and so if activity slows down in winter it'll catch
>up
>> in summer.
>> >
>> Mark
>>
>>
>>
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