Modification and performance evaluation of a prototype compost turning machine

Date

6-2016

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering

Major Course

Major in Agricultural Power and Machinery Engineering

College

College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology (CEAT)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Arthur L. Fajardo

Restrictions

Restricted: Not available to the general public. Access is available only after consultation with author/thesis adviser and only to those bound by the confidentiality agreement.

Abstract

Composting is the process that utilizes organic materials form a new product. One of the processes involved in composting it turning which is labor intensive. An existing prototype compost turner was modified and evaluated. Modifications were based on stability and power transmission problems. Performance of the machine was conducted using compost piles made up of shredded and unshredded rice straw. These were turned using manual (every 4 days) and machine turning( every 4 and 5 days). Turning capacity and financial analysis were used to assess the preformace of the modified compost turner against manual turning. The average turning capacities of the machine used in compost pile with shredded and unshredded rice straw were 12.42 m³/h and 15.87 m³/h, respectively. The average fuel consumption of the machine with shredded and unshredded compost piles were 1.6 L/h and 2.0 L/h, respectively. The average turning capacity of manual turning with shredded and unshredded compost piles were 5.70 m³/h and 5.13 m³/h, respectively. The machine turned compost pile with shredded rice straw matured in 31 days (turned every 4 days). The manually turned compost pile shredded rice straw matured in 39 days (turned every 4 days). The projects considered were economically acceptable based on financial analysis parameters such as payback period, internal rate of return, and benefit cost ratio.

Language

English

Location

UPLB College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology (CEAT)

Call Number

LG 993.5 2016 A2 /A95

Document Type

Thesis

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