Author：Kai-Dong Xu¹, Feng-Jehng Wang²

¹ Graduate Student, Dept. of Bio-industrial Mechatronics Engineering, National Chung-Hsing University
² Associate Professor, Dept. of Bio-industrial Mechatronics Engineering, National Chung-Hsing University, Corresponding Author

Abstract：

    Fruit and vegetable wastes was a high moisture content, easy rancid, bulky, low heat value, composition uneven, incineration must consume large amounts of energy and costs. If direct sunlight into organic compost must need a large space and prone to pest mosquitoes and easy to cause secondary pollution. In this study, the waste of fruits and vegetables market of Taichung has through collected , sorted and pre-treated , and then by an efficient aerobic fermentation process to produce organic fertilizer and return farmland using. In this experiment, fruits and vegetables market waste was as the research materials. Raw materials were collected by an environmental company and sent to the experimental composting machine. It was using a rotary kiln type fermentation machine to mixing and fermentation. Its fermentation tank can adjust the operation frequency , running time , and reversible turn with emergency stop. At outside of the tank also has a blower and its control circuit to control the internal mixing tank ventilation volume and gas flow condition to improve the efficiency of composting. Materials feeder used a set of biaxial type disc cutters to chop to 5-7 cm long of debris. This experiment adopted without adding any sub-materials, adjusting its porosity, C / N ratio, and moisture content. In this study, a total of three batches of test. In response different testing seasons, the ratio of raw materials also were different. Because of high moisture content of materials, the fermentation tank stilled turning one day let freely water drained out. Initial fermented stage measured the temperature once every eight hours and controlled the fermentation tank turning stop time, interval of eight hours turning twenty minutes, continuous samples in the first 4 days, 2- 4 days after the sampling time. The samples analyzed immediately pH, conductivity (EC value) , aqueous rate, ash, organic matter, etc., until a few days after composting. Three batches of test results : To composting machinery for different seasons of fruit and vegetable wastes composting test, the number of days to maturity: 31 days in summer, 61 days in autumn, and 55 days in winter. Composting process sampling analysis showed ambient temperature and type of materials would influence the time required for fermentation. And after three batches of compost matured compost test results of the analysis by sampling, can meet our CNS requirements of miscellaneous materials. This proved that agricultural wastes composting machinery for moisture content of up to 90% of the fruit and vegetable wastes composting exact feasible.

Keywords: Compost, Organic compost, Fruit and vegetable wastes.