Composting method and apparatus utilizing air assist to aid in movement

Abstract

A composting method and apparatus is disclosed for accelerated decomposition of organic matter. The organic matter is deposited into a chamber of a vessel. A ram moves through a relatively short stroke within one end of the vessel so that organic matter deposited in the vessel at one end may be moved through the chamber and discharged at the other end as a result of each successive charge of material pushing the preceding charge forward through the vessel by the action of the ram. The vessel includes a set of orifices in a floor of the chamber for introducing pressurized air into the vessel. During the normal composting operation, pressurized air passes through these orifices at a relatively low intensity to aerate the organic matter. At certain times during operation of the ram, a surge of pressurized air will be introduced into the chamber of the vessel through the orifices at such an intensity as to effect movement of the organic matter through the chamber with a ram force which is substantially less than the ram force required to move the organic matter absent the surge of air. This provides a substantially less dense mass of organic matter moving through the chamber of the vessel than would be produced without the delivery of the surge of pressurized air.