Fermentation treatment device and composting method using the same

Abstract

To provide a fermentation treatment apparatus capable of, by using a fermentation treatment container, fermenting a waste in the container to make its compost.SOLUTION: This fermentation treatment apparatus comprises: a fermentation treatment container 52 provided with a container body 54 that stores a waste to be fermented; air ejection means 68 disposed in the bottom of the container body 54; an air introduction unit 76 for introducing air into the air ejection means 68; first air supply means 78 for supplying air of first pressure; and second air supply means 80 for supplying air of second pressure lower than the first pressure. When the waste is fermented, the first air supply means 78 is connected to the air introduction unit 76, and primary fermentation is performed for the waste in the container body 54. Then, the second air supply means 80 is connected to the air introduction unit 76, and secondary fermentation is performed for the waste in the container body 54.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fermentation treatment apparatus for fermenting waste materials including selection branches, weeds, food waste, etc., and a composting method using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] As a method for fermenting organic waste such as livestock manure, a method has been proposed in which the waste is granulated before processing, then placed in a fermentation tank, subjected to primary aerobic fermentation, followed by secondary anaerobic fermentation, and dried after the secondary fermentation for use as fertilizer (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this fermentation method, during primary fermentation, hot air at 60 to 70°C is supplied into the fermentation tank to raise the internal temperature to around 35°C (the temperature at which primary fermentation is maintained), thus raising the temperature inside the fermentation tank so that primary fermentation continues. Also, when secondary fermentation is to begin after primary fermentation has ended, hot air at around 70°C is supplied into the fermentation tank to raise the temperature inside the fermentation tank, thus allowing secondary fermentation to end in a short time.

[0003] At the end of this secondary fermentation, the moisture content of the treated material (granular waste) is 50-65%, so the treated material is dried, for example by natural drying or forced drying using a dryer, until the moisture content is around 35%. A portion of the dried treated material is used as a moisture regulator for the waste being treated, and the remainder is used, for example, as fertilizer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-170693 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in this fermentation method, when the primary fermentation is performed, hot air of 60 to 70°C is supplied to the material (granular waste) contained in the fermenter for, for example, 2 to 3 hours to raise the temperature, and when the secondary fermentation is performed, hot air of about 70°C is supplied to the material for, for example, 6 to 8 hours to raise the temperature, which requires the installation of equipment for supplying hot air, resulting in a problem of increased equipment costs. In addition, since it is necessary to send hot air for fermentation, there is a problem of increased fuel costs for generating hot air, in other words, processing costs.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a fermentation treatment apparatus that utilizes a fermentation treatment container and is capable of fermenting waste material within the container to produce compost.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a composting method that utilizes a fermentation container and is capable of composting waste while it is contained within the container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention Fermentation treatment equipment The fermentation treatment container includes a container body for accommodating waste to be fermented, an air ejection means disposed at the bottom of the container body, and an air supply means for supplying air to the air ejection means, a bottom surface and four side surfaces of the inside of the container body are substantially entirely covered with mesh-like or slat-like sheets or plates, gaps are formed between the four side surfaces of the container body and the sheets or plates, and the gaps are continuous in the up-down direction of the container body; the air ejection means includes an air distribution pipe disposed on one end side of the container body, and a plurality of branch ejection pipes connected to the air distribution pipe at intervals, the tip sides of the plurality of branch ejection pipes extend from the one end side to the other end side of the container body, and a plurality of air ejection holes are provided at intervals in the longitudinal direction thereof, When the waste in the container body is fermented, air at a first pressure is supplied from the air supply means to the air ejection means to perform a primary fermentation process on the waste in the container body, and then air at a second pressure lower than the first pressure is supplied from the air supply means to the air ejection means to perform a secondary fermentation process on the waste in the container body. A part of the air supplied into the container body during the primary fermentation treatment and the secondary fermentation treatment flows through the sheet or the plate into the gap and flows upward through the gap. It is characterized by:

[0010] In such a fermentation treatment device, It is preferable to provide a pair of support partition walls on both sides of each of the multiple branch jet pipes of the air ejection means along the longitudinal direction of each branch jet pipe, and to provide a resin sheet or resin plate to cover the multiple branch jet pipes and their corresponding support partition walls.By configuring in this manner, air from the multiple branch jet pipes can be caused to flow upward toward the waste, and adhesion of the waste to these branch jet pipes can be suppressed.

[0011] As a sheet Resin sheet or As a plate It is preferable that the resin plate is fixed to the four side surfaces of the container body by fixing plates, and is not fixed to the bottom surface of the container body. By configuring it in this manner, the resin sheet or resin plate is supported in contact with the bottom surface of the container body, thereby preventing a large load from being applied to the resin sheet or resin plate.

[0012] The air supply means may also be constructed from a pressure switching supply means capable of switching the pressure of the supplied air. In this case, the pressure of the air supplied from the pressure switching supply means can be set to a first pressure during primary fermentation, and the pressure of the air supplied from the pressure switching supply means can be set to a second pressure during secondary fermentation.

[0013] This air supply means may be composed of a first supply means for supplying air at a first pressure and a second supply means for supplying air at a second pressure. In this case, during the primary fermentation, the first supply means can be connected to the air ejection means to supply air at the first pressure, and during the secondary fermentation, the second supply means can be connected to the air ejection means to supply air at the second pressure.

[0014] Furthermore, it is preferable to provide a pair of support legs at one end of the bottom of the container body, and a pair of rotatably supported wheels at the other end. By configuring in this manner, it becomes possible to load the container body onto the loading platform of the vehicle by utilizing the loading arm mechanism on the vehicle side.

[0015] The fermentation treatment apparatus of the present invention comprises a fermentation treatment container having a container body for accommodating waste to be fermented, an air ejection means disposed at a bottom of the container body, and an air supply means for supplying air to the air ejection means, The bottom surface and the four side surfaces of the inside of the container body are substantially entirely covered with a mesh-like or slat-like sheet or plate, the air ejection means includes an air distribution pipe disposed on one end side of the container body, and a plurality of branch ejection pipes connected to the air distribution pipe at intervals, the tip sides of the plurality of branch ejection pipes extend from the one end side to the other end side of the container body, and a plurality of air ejection holes are provided at intervals in the longitudinal direction thereof, Further, a pair of support partition walls are provided on both sides of each of the plurality of branch ejection pipes of the air ejection means along the longitudinal direction of the corresponding branch ejection pipe, the pair of support partition walls protrude upward beyond the corresponding branch ejection pipe, and the sheet or the plate is disposed so as to cover the plurality of branch ejection pipes and the corresponding support partition walls, When the waste in the container body is fermented, air at a first pressure is supplied from the air supply means to the air jetting means to perform a primary fermentation process on the waste in the container body, and then air at a second pressure lower than the first pressure is supplied from the air supply means to the air jetting means to perform a secondary fermentation process on the waste in the container body. Furthermore, the method for composting waste of the present invention comprises the steps of: A method for composting waste, comprising the steps of: The waste is crushed and crushed into small pieces in a crushing / crushing step, a granule formation step in which a mixture of the waste crushed in the crushing / crushing step and the purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacteria is added and mixed to form a number of granules, and the number of additive mixture granules formed in the granule formation step are formed into a mesh-like or slat-like shape on substantially the entire area of ​​the bottom and four sides. Sheet or plate a step of housing the added mixed granular material in a fermentation treatment container covered with a Air Supply Means a primary fermentation step in which air at a first pressure is supplied from the air supply means to the added mixed granular material in the fermentation container to perform a primary fermentation process; and a secondary fermentation step in which, after the primary fermentation step, air at a second pressure lower than the first pressure is supplied from the air supply means to the added mixed granular material in the fermentation container to perform a secondary fermentation process. Including, The fermentation treatment container is one in which continuous gaps are formed in the vertical direction between the four side walls of the container body and the sheet or plate, and a part of the air supplied into the container body in the primary fermentation process and the secondary fermentation process is made to flow through the sheet or plate into the gaps and to flow upward through the gaps. It is characterized by: Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the fermentation treatment apparatus (and the composting method using the same) of the present invention, waste to be fermented is housed in a container body of a fermentation treatment container, air jetting means is disposed at the bottom of the container body, air from the air supplying means is supplied to the air jetting means, and the air thus supplied is jetted from the air jetting means. When the waste in the container body is subjected to fermentation treatment, air at a first pressure from the air supplying means is first jetted from the bottom of the container body onto the waste, so that the air at the first pressure flows through the waste housed in the container body and a primary fermentation treatment can be performed on the waste. Thereafter, air at a second pressure from the air supplying means is supplied to the waste from the bottom of the container body, so that the air at the second pressure flows through the waste and a secondary fermentation can be performed on the waste after the primary fermentation. In addition, since substantially the entire inside bottom surface and four side surfaces of the container body are covered with a mesh or slat-like sheet or plate, some of the air ejected from the air ejection means into the container body flows into the gaps between the four side surfaces of the container body and the sheet or plate, and the air flow flowing through these gaps dries the waste on the surface side of the sheet or plate to an appropriate degree, thereby preventing the contained waste from adhering to the container body. Furthermore, according to the fermentation treatment apparatus of the present invention, a pair of support partition walls are provided along the longitudinal direction of each branch jet pipe on both sides of each air jet means, and a sheet or plate is provided to cover the multiple branch jet pipes and their corresponding support partition walls, so that air from the multiple branch jet pipes can flow upward toward the waste and adhesion of the waste to these branch jet pipes can be suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic diagram of an example of a vehicle for transporting a fermentation treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a simplified partial explanatory diagram showing the state in which the fermentation treatment device is being pulled toward the vehicle. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a simplified partial explanatory diagram showing a state in which a part of the fermentation treatment apparatus is placed on a loading platform in preparation for loading the apparatus onto a vehicle. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a simplified partial explanatory diagram showing the state in which the fermentation treatment apparatus is lifted onto the loading platform of the vehicle. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a simplified partial explanatory diagram showing the state in which the fermentation treatment device is pulled up onto the loading platform of the vehicle and moved forward. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a rear view of an embodiment of the fermentation treatment apparatus as viewed from the rear side of the vehicle. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the fermentation treatment apparatus of FIG. 6. [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7 . [Figure 9] 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 7. [Figure 10]7 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view showing a corner portion of a container body of the fermentation treatment device of FIG. 6. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a process diagram showing an example of the treatment process of the waste composting method according to the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a simplified example of a vehicle used for handling a fermentation treatment apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a fermentation treatment apparatus according to another embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a process diagram showing another example of the treatment process of the waste composting treatment method according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a fermentation treatment apparatus and a composting method for waste using the same according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, a fermentation treatment apparatus and a vehicle for transporting the same will be generally described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5. In Figs. 1 and 2, a vehicle 2 (e.g., a container loading vehicle) has a vehicle body 4, a driver's cab section 6 is provided at the front of the vehicle body 4, and a loading platform section 8 is provided at the rear of the vehicle body 4. The loading platform section 8 is provided with a loading arm mechanism 12 and a locking device 14. The loading arm mechanism 12 is used when loading and unloading a fermentation treatment apparatus 10 (see Figs. 2 to 5) onto and from the loading platform section 8, and the locking device 14 is used to lock and hold the loaded fermentation treatment apparatus 10 on the loading platform section 8.

[0019] The loading arm mechanism 12 includes an arm mechanism 16 used when moving the fermentation treatment apparatus 10, and this arm mechanism 16 includes a loading arm 18 supported so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction, and a hook arm 22 having a hook 20 at its tip, and this hook arm 22 is rotatably attached to the tip of the loading arm 18. The loading arm 18 includes a cylindrical base member 24 extending substantially linearly, and a substantially L-shaped movable member 26 attached to the base member 24 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction, and the hook arm 22 is provided at the tip of this movable member 26.

[0020] In association with this loading arm mechanism 12, there are provided a first cylinder mechanism 28 for rotating the loading arm 18, a second cylinder mechanism 30 for rotating the hook arm 22, and a third cylinder mechanism (not shown) for sliding the movable member 26 of the loading arm 18 in the forward / backward direction relative to the base member 24.

[0021] A pair of guide rollers 32 (only one of which is shown in Figs. 1 to 5) are rotatably provided at the rear end of loading platform 8. Guide roller 32 rotates acting on the bottom surface of fermentation treatment device 10 when fermentation treatment device 10 is attached to or detached from loading platform 8, supporting the bottom surface and acting to make the attachment and detachment work smooth. Corresponding to locking device 14 on the loading platform 8 side, engaging portion 34 (see Fig. 2) is provided on the bottom of fermentation treatment device 10, and when fermentation treatment device 10 is positioned at a predetermined loading position on loading platform 8, engaging portion 34 is locked and engaged with locking device 14, and fermentation treatment device 10 is fixed at this predetermined loading position.

[0022] In addition, a pair of support legs 36 (only one shown in Figures 2 to 5) are provided at the front bottom of the fermentation treatment apparatus 10, spaced apart in the width direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in Figures 2 to 5, the left-right direction in Figures 6 and 8), and a pair of support wheels 38 (only one shown in Figures 2 to 5) are rotatably provided at the rear bottom, spaced apart in the width direction, so that when the fermentation treatment apparatus 10 is placed on the ground, the pair of support legs 36 are grounded on the ground at the front side, and the pair of support wheels 38 are grounded at the rear side (see also Figure 9).

[0023] As such a vehicle 2, a container loading vehicle that is well known in itself can be used, and as the loading structure of the fermentation treatment device 10 to be loaded onto this container loading vehicle, a loading structure that is well known in itself and is used for containers loaded onto this loading vehicle can be used.For specific configurations thereof, please refer to, for example, Patent Publication No. 2010-58753.

[0024] Next, the loading operation of the fermentation treatment device 10 onto the loading platform 8 of the vehicle 2 will be described. With reference to Figs. 3 to 5 as well as Figs. 1 and 2, when loading the fermentation treatment device 10, the vehicle 2 is brought closer to the fermentation treatment device 10 placed on the ground. Then, as can be seen from Fig. 2, the movable member 26 of the loading arm 18 is slid backward to bring the loading arm 18 closer to the fermentation treatment device 10. Thereafter, the loading arm 18 is rotated, and with this rotational movement, the hook arm 16 is also rotated.

[0025] Next, the actual loading of the fermentation treatment device 10 is performed. The second cylinder mechanism 30 is extended to rotate the hook arm 16 forward (upward), and the hook 20 is engaged with an engagement portion 42 (omitted in Fig. 6 and subsequent figures) provided on the front surface of the fermentation treatment tank 10. Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 2, the loading arm 18 is rotated forward. By rotating it in this manner, the fermentation treatment device 10 is moved toward the vehicle body 4 with the pair of support wheels 38 in contact with the ground 40, and the front side of the fermentation treatment device 10 is lifted upward.

[0026] Then, when the loading arm 18 is rotated forward from this position, as shown in Figure 3, the front bottom of the fermentation treatment device 10 comes into contact with and is supported by a pair of guide rollers 32, and when it is rotated further forward, the fermentation treatment device 10 is lifted onto the loading platform section 8 of the vehicle body 4, and the fermentation treatment device 10 is placed on the loading platform section 8 and supported by a pair of guide rollers 32.

[0027] Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 4, movable member 26 of loading arm mechanism 14 is slid forward, and as a result of this forward movement, fermentation treatment device 10 is moved forward on loading platform 8. Then, as shown in Fig. 5, when movable member 26 is moved to a front stop position, fermentation treatment tank 10 is moved to a predetermined loading position on loading platform 8 and is loaded as required on loading platform 8, and engaging portion 34 on the fermentation treatment device 10 is engaged with locking device 14 on loading platform 8, so that fermentation treatment device 10 is fixed in a loaded state on loading platform 8 of vehicle body 4.

[0028] By loading it onto the loading platform 8 of the vehicle 2 in this manner, the fermentation treatment device 10 can be transported and installed at the desired location, and the waste contained in the fermentation treatment device 10 can be easily transported and installed using the loading arm mechanism 14 mounted on the vehicle 2.

[0029] Next, the above-mentioned fermentation treatment device 10 and a method for composting waste using the same will be described with reference to Figs. 6 to 11. In Figs. 6 and 7, the fermentation treatment device 10 has a fermentation treatment container 52, which is provided with a container body 54 in which waste to be fermented is accommodated. The container body 54 is generally rectangular parallelepiped in shape and has four side walls, a front wall 56, a right side wall 58, a left side wall 60, and a rear wall 62, and a bottom wall 64. These four side walls 56 to 62 and the bottom wall 64 define a storage space 66 with an open top, into which the waste to be fermented is placed. Vertical reinforcing members 65 and horizontal reinforcing members 67 are provided on the outer surfaces of the front wall 56, the left and right side walls 58, 60, and the rear wall 62 as necessary for reinforcement (only those provided on the front wall 56 are shown in Fig. 6).

[0030] The bottom of the container body 54 is provided with an air blowing means 68 for blowing air toward the contained waste. The illustrated air blowing means 68 has an air distribution pipe 70 disposed on one end side of the container body 54, which is disposed on the rear end side of the container body 54 in this embodiment, and a plurality of (five in this embodiment) branched blowing pipes 72 that are connected to the air distribution pipe 70 at intervals in the axial direction (i.e., in the width direction of the container body 54). The plurality of branched blowing pipes 72 extend from the air distribution pipe 70 on one end side of the container body 54 (accommodation space 66) to the other end, and extend vertically over almost the entire length from one end of the container body 54 to the other end. A plurality of air blowing holes 74 are provided at predetermined intervals (for example, 30 to 60 cm) on the upper part of the branched blowing pipes 72.

[0031] An air inlet connecting pipe 76 (forming an air inlet section for introducing air) is provided on the rear wall 62 of the container body 54, and this air inlet connecting pipe 76 penetrates the rear wall 62 and is connected to the air distribution pipe 70. An air supply means for supplying air is connected to this air inlet connecting pipe 76. In this embodiment, the air supply means is composed of a first supply means 78 for supplying air at a first pressure and a second supply means 80 for supplying air at a second pressure lower than the first pressure, and the first supply means 78 is detachably connected to the air inlet connecting pipe 76 when the waste is subjected to primary fermentation, and the second supply means 80 is detachably connected to the air inlet connecting pipe 76 when the waste is subjected to secondary fermentation.

[0032] Because of this configuration, when the first supply means 78 (or the second supply means 80) is connected, the air from this first supply means 78 (or the second supply means 80) is supplied to the air distribution pipe 70 through the air injection connection pipe 76, distributed to the multiple branch jet pipes 72 by this air distribution pipe 70, and then flows through each branch jet pipe 72 and is sprayed into the container body 54 from the multiple air spray holes 74.

[0033] In this embodiment, the air inlet connection pipe 76 is provided on the rear wall 62 of the container body 54, but instead of this configuration, one end (or the other end) of the air distribution pipe 70 may be made to penetrate the right side wall 58 (or the left side wall 60) and protrude outward, and this protruding end may function as an air inlet portion, and such an air inlet connection portion may be provided on the front wall 56 of the container body 54.

[0034] Further, in this embodiment, the air distribution pipe 70 is arranged inside the container body 54, but this configuration is not limited to this. The air distribution pipe 70 may be arranged outside the rear wall 62 (or front wall 56) of the container body 54, and multiple branched ejection pipes 72 extending from the air distribution pipe 70 may be provided so as to penetrate the rear wall 62 (or front wall 56) and extend inside the container body 54 toward the front wall 56 (or rear wall 62).

[0035] The first supply means 78 has, for example, a first supply source 82 that supplies air, and a first supply line 84 that delivers air from the first supply source 82 to the air inlet connecting pipe 76 of the container body 54, the first supply source 82 being composed of, for example, a compressor, and the first supply line 84 being composed of, for example, a supply pipe, a supply tube, etc. This first supply means 78 (first supply source 82) supplies air at a first pressure, for example, 0.3 to 0.7 kPa (for example, 0.5 kPa), through the first supply line 84.

[0036] The second supply means 80 has, for example, a second supply source 86 that supplies air, and a second supply line 88 that sends air from the second supply source 86 to the air inlet connecting pipe 76 of the container body 54, the second supply source 86 being composed of, for example, an air blower, and the second supply line 88 being composed of, for example, a supply pipe, a supply tube, etc. This second supply means 80 (second supply source 86) supplies air through the second supply line 88 at a second pressure lower than the first pressure, for example, 0.1 to 0.3 kPa (for example, 0.25 kPa).

[0037] The air supply means may be configured with a pressure switching supply means (not shown) capable of switching the air pressure, for example, a compressor capable of adjusting the air supply pressure. In this configuration, as will be understood from the following description, the pressure of the air supplied from the pressure switching supply means is set to a first pressure (e.g., 0.5 kPa) during the primary fermentation treatment, and the pressure of the air supplied from the pressure switching supply means is set to a second pressure (e.g., 0.25 kPa) during the secondary fermentation treatment.

[0038] In the fermentation treatment apparatus 10 of this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 7 to Fig. 10, the entire inner surface of the four side walls 56 to 62 and the bottom wall 64 of the container body 54 is covered with a flexible resin sheet 90. The resin sheet 90 may be a small mesh or slat type, as long as the air in the container body 54 flows through the resin sheet 90. By using such a resin sheet 90, a part of the air blown into the container body 54 from the air blowing means 68 flows through the resin sheet 90 to the inner side of the four side walls 56 to 62 of the container body 54, and flows through the gaps between the inner surfaces of these four side walls 56 to 62 and the resin sheet 90, and also through the gaps of the resin sheet 90 itself. Note that it is preferable to provide a small gap, for example, a gap of about 2 to 15 mm, between the inner surfaces of the four side walls 56 to 62 and the resin sheet 90 so that such an appropriate flow of air occurs.

[0039] This resin sheet 90 does not need to cover the entire inner surface of the four side walls 56-62 of the container body 54; it is sufficient if it covers substantially the entire inner surface, specifically, up to an area slightly above the area with which the waste contained in the container body 54 comes into contact. However, when the container body 54 is almost filled with waste and fermented as described below, it is preferable to provide the resin sheet 90 so as to cover the entire inner surface of the four side walls 56-62, as in this embodiment.

[0040] The resin sheet 90 has a certain degree of thickness and sufficient strength so as to withstand the load of the waste inside the container body 54. Instead of such a resin sheet 90, a small mesh-like or slat-like resin plate may be used.

[0041] When such a resin sheet 90 is used, it is fixed using, for example, a long and thin fixing plate 92, as shown in Figures 8 and 10. For example, the inner surfaces of the four side walls 56 to 62 (the front wall 56, the left and right side walls 58, 60, and the rear wall 62) of the container body 54 are covered with the resin sheet 90, the fixing plate 92 is pressed against the resin sheet 90, and in this state, fixing screws 94 are screwed into the container body 54 through the fixing plate 92, and in this manner, the resin sheet 90 can be attached to the container body 54.

[0042] In this embodiment, at the upper opening of the container body 54, a fixing plate 92 (indicated by reference number 92a in FIG. 8) is disposed continuously with this upper opening, and a resin sheet 90 is attached over the entire periphery of the inner surface of the upper opening of the container body 54. Also, at the middle and bottom parts of the container body 54, the fixing plates 92 (indicated by reference number 92b in FIG. 8) are disposed at intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions, and by disposing them in this manner, a configuration is made in which gaps between the inner surfaces of the four side walls 56-62 of the container body 54 and the resin sheet 90 are continuously generated in the vertical direction.

[0043] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 8 to 10, a pair of support partition walls 94 are provided on both sides of each of the multiple branch ejection pipes 72 of the air ejection means 68, and the pair of support partition walls 94 extend from the base to the tip along the longitudinal direction of the corresponding branch ejection pipe 72 (the support partition walls 94 are omitted in Figure 7). The pair of support partition walls 94 define an accommodation space that accommodates the corresponding branch ejection pipe 72, and the branch ejection pipe 72 is accommodated and disposed in this accommodation space.

[0044] The pair of support partition walls 94 are provided so as to protrude upward from the branch jet pipe 72 housed therebetween. For example, when the outer diameter of the branch jet pipe 72 is about 20 to 30 mm (e.g., about 25 mm), the height of the support partition wall 94 is about 25 to 40 mm (e.g., about 30 mm), and the support partition wall 94 is configured so as to protrude upward from the branch jet pipe 72 by about 5 to 10 mm. With this configuration, the air ejected from the multiple air ejection holes 74 of the branch jet pipe 72 is guided by the pair of support partition walls 94 to the waste above, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 10 (only a portion of the waste is shown in Fig. 10).

[0045] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 8 and 10, the resin sheet 90 is provided so as to cover the plurality of branch jet pipes 72 and the plurality of support partition walls 94, and is attached to the four side walls 56-62 without being fixed to the bottom wall 64 of the container body 54. Therefore, when waste is contained, the resin sheet 90 is bent by the weight of the waste and supported by the bottom surface of the bottom wall 64 and the plurality of support partition walls 94, and moves and deforms depending on the state of the waste. This deformation can prevent a large load from acting on the resin sheet 90, and can also prevent the waste in the container body 54 from adhering to the air distribution pipe 70 and the plurality of branch jet pipes 72.

[0046] Next, a composting method using the above-mentioned fermentation treatment device 10 will be described mainly with reference to Figures 7, 8, and 11. In this composting method, waste materials such as weeds, pruning branches, and food waste (e.g., school lunch waste) are composted and used as compost.

[0047] In this composting method, first, a crushing / crushing step S1 is carried out in which the waste to be treated (weeds, pruning branches, food waste, etc.) is crushed and crushed into small pieces. In the crushing / crushing step S1, the waste to be treated is crushed or crushed using, for example, a commercially available crushing device (not shown), and the waste to be treated is crushed or crushed into pieces of 10 mm or less, preferably 8 mm or less, by this crushing / crushing step S1.

[0048] Next, a granule formation step S2 is performed in which the crushed or smashed waste is mixed and formed into a large number of granules. This granule formation step S2 is performed, for example, using a commercially available agitator granulator (not shown). The crushed or smashed waste is fed from a hopper (not shown) of the agitator granulator, and purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacteria are added at the time of feeding. The agitator granulator mixes the fed waste with the added purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacteria, and granulates the added mixture to produce a large number of dumpling-shaped added mixed granules H (see FIG. 10).

[0049] The additive mixed granular material H produced by the agitation granulator is formed to have an outer diameter of, for example, 5 to 25 mm, so that air can flow through the additive mixed granular material H and fermentation (aerobic fermentation and anaerobic fermentation, described below) can progress to the inside of the additive mixed granular material H, and it is preferable that the outer diameter be 5 to 20 mm.

[0050] As the red non-sulfur photosynthetic bacteria group, various types such as green, black, and light pink are produced and sold. For example, the wine-red type with a slight sewer smell can be used. For example, 8 m of crushed or mashed waste can be used. 3 It is preferable to add about 400cc to 700cc, for example about 500cc per unit.

[0051] In this embodiment, the purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacteria are added to and mixed with the crushed or pulverized waste. However, in order to effectively carry out the fermentation described below and to adjust the moisture content of the added mixed granular material H, it is preferable to mix the compost produced by this composting method as return compost with the crushed or pulverized waste. In this case, the added mixed granular material H contains the crushed or pulverized waste, the composted compost, and the purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacteria.

[0052] The ratio (W1:W2) of the crushed or mashed waste (mass W1) to the compost (composted compost) (mass W2) added as return compost is, for example, approximately (40-60):(60-40). By mixing in such a ratio, the moisture content of the added mixed granular material H can be adjusted to approximately 40-60%, and by achieving such a moisture content, the fermentation (aerobic fermentation and anaerobic fermentation) described below can be promoted.

[0053] In the stage before composting (i.e., the first stage), since there is no return compost, it is preferable to prepare a seed compost equivalent to the return compost and add it to the crushed or mashed waste. In this case, food waste (e.g., school lunch waste), weeds, sawdust (to be a mushroom bed), etc. are crushed or mashed, and a group of purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacteria and a chelating agent are added to the crushed or mashed waste to form a large number of additive mixed seed granules. In this case, the chelating agent can be, for example, one that binds (coordinates) with iron ions to convert them to divalent iron. These additive mixed seed granules are then housed in, for example, the container body 54, and sufficient air is allowed to flow through the additive mixed seed granules to cause aerobic fermentation in the same manner as in the primary fermentation step S4 described later. After that, the additive mixed seed granules after the primary fermentation are subjected to anaerobic fermentation by gradually flowing air through the numerous additive mixed seed granules in the same manner as in the secondary fermentation step S5 described later to produce a seed compost.

[0054] In this granule formation process S2, in addition to the purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacteria, a chelating agent used in making the seed compost, for example one that binds (coordinates) with iron ions to convert them to divalent iron, may be added. In this case, an additive mixed granule H is formed in which the waste, return compost, purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacteria, and chelating agent are stirred and mixed.

[0055] After this granular material formation step S2, the additive mixed granular material H is loaded into the fermentation treatment container 52 (container body 54) as shown in Figure 10 (granular material storage step S3), and the loaded additive mixed granular material H is subjected to fermentation treatment.

[0056] Then, the additive mixed granular material H contained in the fermentation treatment container 52 is subjected to a primary fermentation treatment (primary fermentation step S4).

[0057] In the primary fermentation step S4, the first supply line 84 of the first supply means 78 is connected to the air inlet connecting pipe 76 of the container body 54, and the first supply source 82 (e.g., a compressor) is operated. Thus, air at a first pressure (e.g., 0.5 kPa) from the first supply means 78 is supplied to the air ejection means 68 through the air inlet connecting pipe 76, and the air from the first supply means 78 is ejected upward from the multiple air ejection holes 74 of the multiple branch ejection pipes 72. The air ejected from these air ejection holes 74 flows upward through the gaps between the multiple added mixed granular materials H as shown by the arrows in FIG. 10.

[0058] At this time, since the additive mixed granular material H is in the shape of a dumpling, there are gaps between adjacent additive mixed granular material H even when contained in the container body 54, and the air ejected from the multiple air outlets 74 flows upward through these gaps so as to be uniform over almost the entire area, thereby enabling sufficient air to be supplied to the numerous additive mixed granular material H contained in the container body 54, thereby allowing aerobic fermentation of these additive mixed granular material H by aerobic bacteria.

[0059] In addition, since a large number of additive mixed granules H contain purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacteria, these bacteria act as food for the microorganisms, activating them and suppressing the odor generated during aerobic fermentation, thereby preventing the odor from diffusing into the surrounding area.

[0060] Furthermore, at this time, a portion of the air flowing upward within the container body 54 flows through the resin sheet 90 into the gap between the resin sheet 90 and the four side walls 56-62 of the container body 54, as shown in Figure 10, and the air flowing upward through this gap removes the moisture contained in the surface of the resin sheet 90 and the additive mixed granular material H near this surface, thereby drying it appropriately, and preventing the additive mixed granular material H from adhering to the inner surfaces of the four side walls 56-62 of the container body 54.

[0061] After 2 to 3 days have passed since the start of this primary fermentation process S4, the temperature of the numerous added mixed granular materials H rises to around 60 to 70°C, and aerobic fermentation actively takes place. The aerobic fermentation then progresses further, and the temperature rises to a high temperature of over 70°C, where aerobic fermentation takes place. By thus raising the temperature to over 70°C, the amount of unwanted bacteria is reduced to very few.

[0062] After 6 to 10 days have passed since the start of this primary fermentation process S4, the temperature of the numerous added mixed granular materials H begins to drop slightly to 60 to 70°C, and when this temperature is reached, aerobic fermentation by the aerobic bacteria ends, and the primary fermentation process S4 ends.

[0063] After the primary fermentation step S4, a secondary fermentation step S5 is performed in which secondary fermentation is performed on the attached mixed granular material H. In this secondary fermentation step S5, a second supply means 80 is connected in place of the first supply means 78 that was connected to the container body 54. That is, a second supply line 88 of the second supply means 80 is connected to the air introduction connection part 76 of the container body 54, and a second supply source 86 (for example, an air blower) is operated.

[0064] In this way, air at a second pressure (e.g., 0.25 kPa) from the second supply means 80 is ejected upward from the air ejection holes 74 of the branch ejection pipes 72, and the air ejected from these air ejection holes 74 flows upward through the gaps between the numerous additive mixed granular materials H in the container body 54, as described above. At this time, the air ejected from the air ejection holes 74 flows upward so as to be uniform throughout the gaps, but since the air supply flow rate is small, air is supplied little by little to the additive mixed granular materials H contained in the container body 54, and thus anaerobic fermentation of the additive mixed granular materials H by anaerobic bacteria is performed on the additive mixed granular materials H. Also, during this secondary fermentation, the purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacteria serve as food for the microorganisms, and the odor generated during anaerobic fermentation is suppressed.

[0065] At this time, as described above, part of the air flowing upward within the container body 54 flows through the resin sheet 90 into the gap between the resin sheet 90 and the four side walls 56-62 of the container body 54, and the air flowing upward through this gap removes moisture contained in the surface of the resin sheet 90 and the added mixed granular material H near this surface, drying the material, and preventing the added mixed granular material H from adhering to the inner surfaces of the four side surfaces 56-62 of the container body 54 even during secondary fermentation.

[0066] After 7 to 14 days from the start of the secondary fermentation step S5, the temperature of the large amount of additive mixed granular material H drops to around 25 to 35° C., and when the temperature drops to this level, the anaerobic fermentation by the anaerobic bacteria ends, and the secondary fermentation step S5 ends. After the secondary fermentation step S5 ends, the additive mixed granular material H may be left to dry while still contained in the container body 54.

[0067] The added mixed granular material H after the secondary fermentation step S5 is used as the return compost in the granular material forming step S2 as described above. The compost after the secondary fermentation step S5 may be used as the return compost as it is, or it may be dried and used as the return compost.

[0068] When the mixture is used as compost for soil, a sorting step S6 is carried out to sort the additive mixture granular material H as finished compost. In this sorting step S6, the additive mixture granular material H is sent to a final sorting device (not shown), which sorts the additive mixture granular material H as required and removes foreign matter that has been mixed into the additive mixture granular material H, completing the finished compost (compost completion S7). This finished compost can be, for example, carried to a field and spread on the soil surface, or can be bagged as fertilizer and sold commercially.

[0069] An embodiment of the fermentation treatment apparatus and the composting method using the same according to the present invention has been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to such a fermentation treatment apparatus and composting method, and various changes and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0070] For example, in the above-described embodiment, one first supply means 78 and one second supply means 80 are provided for one fermentation treatment container 52, but this is not limited to such a configuration, and one first supply means 78 and / or one second supply means 80 may be provided for multiple (e.g., three to four) fermentation treatment containers 52.

[0071] When one first supply means 78 (or second supply means 80) is provided for multiple fermentation treatment containers 52, for example, multiple first supply lines 84 (or second supply lines 88) are branched off from a first supply source 82 (or second supply source 86), such as a compressor (or air blower), and a first on-off valve (or second on-off valve) is provided in each first supply line 84 (or second supply line 88).The first on-off valve (or second on-off valve) of the first supply line 84 (or second supply line 88) connected to the air inlet connecting pipe 76 (air inlet section) of the fermentation treatment container 52 is opened to supply air from the first air supply source 82 (or second air supply source 86) to the container body 54.

[0072] Also, for example, although not particularly provided in the above-mentioned fermentation treatment container 52, an opening / closing cover (not shown) for covering the opening of the container body 54 may be provided as necessary. For example, when composting waste, this opening / closing cover is held in an open state that opens the opening of the container body 54, and by keeping it in this open state, air flowing between the waste (additive mixed granular material H) is exhausted to the outside through the opening of the container body 54. Also, when transporting the fermentation treatment container 52, this opening / closing cover is held in a closed state that covers the opening of the container body 54, and by keeping it in this closed state, it is possible to prevent the waste (additive mixed granular material H) contained in the container body 54 from scattering to the outside.

[0073] Furthermore, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention has been described as being applied to a fermentation treatment container 52 having a shape suitable for loading onto the loading platform 8 of the vehicle body 4 using the loading arm mechanism 12 of the vehicle 2, but the present invention is not limited to such a shape and can be similarly applied to a shape suitable for use by placing it on the ground, for example. When configured in this way, the present invention can be configured, for example, as shown in Figures 12 to 14.

[0074] 12 and 13, in this modified embodiment, a container 102 that can be stacked is used. The fermentation treatment container 102 has a container body 104 with an open top, which, like the container body 104 described above, has four side walls 106, 108, 110, 112 and a bottom wall 114. Although not shown, this container 102 also has a resin sheet (not shown) disposed over substantially the entire inner surface of the four side walls 106 to 112 and the bottom wall 114, like the container 52 (container body 54) shown in FIGS. 6 to 10, and this resin sheet may be the same as that described above.

[0075] Although not shown, air ejection means having a similar configuration to that described above is provided at the bottom inside the container body 104, and this air ejection means is connected in communication with an air introduction connection pipe 116 provided inside the container body 104, for example, penetrating the side wall 106. Note that air supply means, for example, a switching supply means (or first and second supply means) is connected to this air introduction connection pipe 116.

[0076] A pair of support leg members 118 are provided on the bottom wall 114 of the container body 104, and both ends of these support leg members 118 protrude outward from the container body 104. This protrusion makes it easy to stack the fermentation treatment containers 102. By providing a pair of support leg members 118 in this manner, a space is created between the ground on which the fermentation treatment container 102 is placed (or the lower fermentation treatment container 102) and the bottom wall 114 of the fermentation treatment container 102 (or the upper fermentation treatment container 102), and this space can be used to handle the fermentation treatment container 102 with a forklift 120.

[0077] For handling the fermentation treatment container 102, it is preferable to use a forklift, for example, a rotary lift 122 shown in Fig. 12. In Fig. 12, the rotary lift 122 is equipped with a vehicle body 124 capable of running, for example, by a battery, and a lifting member 128 is attached to the front side of the vehicle body 124 via a lifting mechanism 126 so as to be able to move up and down, a rotating member 130 is supported rotatably on the lifting member 128, and an attachment unit 131 is attached to the rotating member 130 for handling the fermentation treatment container 102 (see Fig. 13) as described below.

[0078] As the attachment unit 131, one including a first attachment 134 having a pair of claw members 132 and a second attachment 138 having a lid member 136 can be conveniently used. The first and second attachments 134, 138 are attached so as to be movable toward and away from each other, and for example, the pair of claw members 132 of the first attachment 134 are inserted under the fermentation treatment container 102 (container body 104) to support the bottom wall 114 side, and the lid member 136 of the second attachment 138 covers the container 102 (container body 104) to support the opening side. Such a rotary lift 122 can be manufactured using a commercially available product.

[0079] When such a rotary lift 122 is used, the fermentation treatment container 102 is clamped and held between a pair of claw members 132 and a lid member 136, and by rotating the rotating member 130 in this holding state, the fermentation treatment container 102 held by the attachment unit 131 can be rotated. The lid member 136 of the second attachment 138 is preferably sized to cover the entire opening of the container body 104, and by making it such a size, the added mixed granular material in the container body 104 can be prevented from spilling out when it is rotated.

[0080] By using such a fermentation container 102 and a rotary lift 122, the additive mixed granular material contained in the container body 104 can be easily stirred and mixed, and the additive mixed granular material can be composted, for example, by the composting method shown in Fig. 14. Referring to Fig. 14, in this composting method, as can be easily understood by comparing Fig. 14 with Fig. 11, a first stirring and mixing step S14 is provided between the granular material containing step S13 and the primary fermentation step S15, and a second stirring and mixing step S16 is provided between the primary fermentation step S5 and the secondary fermentation step S7, and the other steps in this composting method are the same as those described above (the steps shown in Fig. 11).

[0081] In the first stirring and mixing step S14 (or the second stirring and mixing step S16), as described above, the first and second attachments 134, 138 of the attachment unit 131 are moved in a direction separating them. Then, the pair of claw members 132 of the first attachment 134 are inserted below the fermentation treatment container 102 (container body 104), and the lid member 136 of the second attachment 138 is positioned above the opening side of the container 102. In this state, the first and second attachments 134, 138 are moved in a direction approaching each other.

[0082] As a result, the pair of claw members 132 of the first attachment 134 lifts the bottom wall 114 of the container body 104, while the second attachment 138 blocks the opening of the container body 104, and the container body 104 containing the additive mixed granular material is clamped and held between the first and second attachments 134, 138.

[0083] Thereafter, the rotating member 130 is rotated in a predetermined direction, and the container body 104 is rotated together with the rotating member 130. This rotation causes the additive mixed granular material in the container body 104 to flow and be stirred and mixed, thereby making it possible to stir and mix the additive mixed granular material and homogenize it before the primary fermentation step S15 (or secondary fermentation step S17), and thus promoting the fermentation process in the next primary fermentation step S15 (or secondary fermentation step S17).

[0084] In this embodiment, the first stirring and mixing step S14 is carried out before the primary fermentation step S15, and the second stirring and mixing step S16 is carried out thereafter, but for example, the stirring and mixing step may be carried out only before the primary fermentation step S15, or only after the primary fermentation step S15. Alternatively, the number of stirring and mixing steps during the composting treatment may be increased, for example, stirring and mixing may be carried out once or twice or more times during the primary fermentation step S15, and / or stirring and mixing may be carried out once or twice or more times during the secondary fermentation step S17. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 2 Vehicles 8 Loading platform 10 Fermentation treatment equipment 12 Loading arm mechanism 52,102 Fermentation processing container 54,104 Container body 68 Air ejection means 70 Air distribution pipe 72 Branching jet pipe 76,116 Air intake connection pipe 78 First supply means 80 Second supply means 90 Resin Sheet 94 Supporting Partition Wall H-added mixed granules

Claims

1. The fermentation treatment container includes a container body for accommodating waste to be fermented, an air ejection means disposed at the bottom of the container body, and an air supply means for supplying air to the air ejection means, a bottom surface and four side surfaces of the inside of the container body are substantially entirely covered with mesh-like or slat-like sheets or plates, gaps are formed between the four side surfaces of the container body and the sheets or plates, and the gaps are continuous in the up-down direction of the container body; the air ejection means includes an air distribution pipe disposed on one end side of the container body, and a plurality of branch ejection pipes connected to the air distribution pipe at intervals, the tip sides of the plurality of branch ejection pipes extend from the one end side to the other end side of the container body, and a plurality of air ejection holes are provided at intervals in the longitudinal direction thereof, A fermentation treatment apparatus characterized in that, when fermenting the waste in the container body, air at a first pressure is supplied from the air supply means to the air jetting means to perform a primary fermentation treatment on the waste in the container body, and then air at a second pressure lower than the first pressure is supplied from the air supply means to the air jetting means to perform a secondary fermentation treatment on the waste in the container body, and a portion of the air supplied into the container body during the primary fermentation treatment and the secondary fermentation treatment flows through the sheet or plate into the gap and flows upward through the gap.

2. The fermentation treatment device described in claim 1, characterized in that a pair of support partition walls are provided on both sides of each of the multiple branch jet pipes of the air jet means along the longitudinal direction of the corresponding branch jet pipe, the pair of support partition walls protruding upward beyond the corresponding branch jet pipe, and the sheet or plate is arranged to cover the multiple branch jet pipes and the corresponding support partition walls.

3. A fermentation treatment device as described in Claim 2, characterized in that the sheet or plate is a resin sheet or resin plate, fixed to the four side surfaces of the container body by fixing plates, and maintained in an unfixed state on the bottom surface of the container body.

4. The fermentation treatment device according to claim 1, characterized in that the air supply means is composed of a pressure switching supply means capable of switching the pressure of the supply air, and during the primary fermentation treatment, the pressure switching supply means supplies air of the first pressure to the air jetting means, and during the secondary fermentation treatment, the pressure switching supply means supplies air of the second pressure to the air jetting means.

5. The fermentation treatment device according to claim 1, characterized in that the air supplying means is composed of a first supplying means for supplying air at the first pressure and a second supplying means for supplying air at the second pressure, and during the primary fermentation treatment, the air at the first pressure from the first supplying means is supplied to the air jetting means, and during the secondary fermentation treatment, the air at the second pressure from the second supplying means is supplied to the air jetting means.

6. The fermentation treatment device described in claim 1, characterized in that a pair of support legs are provided at one end of the bottom of the container body, spaced apart in the width direction, and a pair of support wheels are rotatably provided at the other end, spaced apart in the width direction, and the container body can be loaded onto a loading platform of a vehicle using a loading arm mechanism on the vehicle side.

7. A fermentation container having a container body for accommodating waste to be fermented, an air ejection means disposed at the bottom of the container body, and an air supply means for supplying air to the air ejection means, The bottom surface and the four side surfaces of the inside of the container body are substantially entirely covered with a mesh-like or slat-like sheet or plate, the air ejection means includes an air distribution pipe disposed on one end side of the container body, and a plurality of branch ejection pipes connected to the air distribution pipe at intervals, the tip sides of the plurality of branch ejection pipes extend from the one end side to the other end side of the container body, and a plurality of air ejection holes are provided at intervals in the longitudinal direction thereof, Further, a pair of support partition walls are provided on both sides of each of the plurality of branch ejection pipes of the air ejection means along the longitudinal direction of the corresponding branch ejection pipe, the pair of support partition walls protrude upward beyond the corresponding branch ejection pipe, and the sheet or the plate is disposed so as to cover the plurality of branch ejection pipes and the corresponding support partition walls, This fermentation treatment device is characterized in that, when fermenting the waste in the container body, air at a first pressure is supplied from the air supply means to the air jetting means to perform a primary fermentation treatment on the waste in the container body, and then air at a second pressure lower than the first pressure is supplied from the air supply means to the air jetting means to perform a secondary fermentation treatment on the waste in the container body.

8. A method for composting waste, comprising the steps of: the waste is crushed and crushed into small pieces; a granule formation step of forming an additive mixture obtained by adding purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacteria to the waste crushed in the crushing step and mixing the bacteria into a number of granules; an additive mixed granule accommodation step of accommodating the number of additive mixed granules formed in the granule formation step in a fermentation container having a bottom and four side surfaces substantially entirely covered with a mesh or slatted sheet or plate; a primary fermentation step of supplying air at a first pressure from an air supply means to perform a primary fermentation process on the additive mixed granules in the fermentation container; and a secondary fermentation step of, after the primary fermentation step, supplying air at a second pressure lower than the first pressure from the air supply means to perform a secondary fermentation process on the additive mixed granules in the fermentation container. The fermentation treatment container is one in which continuous gaps are formed in the vertical direction between the four side walls of the container body and the sheet or plate, and a portion of the air supplied into the container body in the primary fermentation process and the secondary fermentation process is caused to flow through the sheet or plate into the gaps and then upward through the gaps. This is a method for composting waste, characterized in that

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