Composting apparatus and method

Abstract

To provide a composting apparatus and a composting method, capable of efficiently composting processed matter in a short time and being low in energy loss.SOLUTION: A composting apparatus 1 comprises agitating means 12, air supply means 10, information acquisition means 16, and control means 15. The agitating means 12 agitates processed matter. The air supply means 10 supplies air to the processed matter. The information acquisition means 16 acquires information on a surface of the processed matter. The control means 15, based on learning data formed from information on predetermined parameters of the processed matter, environment parameters, and the actually measured information on the surface of the processed matter, predicts an inside temperature of the processed matter from the information on the surface of the processed matter acquired by the information acquisition means 16 and controls the agitating means 12 and the air supply means 10 according to the predicted inside temperature.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a composting apparatus for composting materials and a composting method using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, when fermenting materials to be treated into compost, it has been common to agitate and ferment piled materials using heavy machinery such as a wheel loader (tire shovel) or a backhoe.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, devices for stirring materials to be treated, such as livestock excrement, using a stirring device such as that described in Patent Document 1 below, have become widespread. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-191954 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when using an agitator, a large amount of electric energy is required, and in order to send air into the material to be treated, a blower must be used to push the air into the material. If these devices are operated 24 hours a day at full capacity or by eyeballing, it takes a long time to complete the maturation, and there is a large loss of energy.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned points, and has an object to provide a composting apparatus and a composting method equipped with the same, which can compost the material to be treated efficiently in a short period of time with little energy loss. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The composting apparatus according to claim 1 is a composting apparatus for composting a material to be treated, comprising: an agitation means for agitating the material to be treated; an air supply means for supplying air to the material to be treated; and an information acquisition means for acquiring information on the surface of the material to be treated. Pre-measured Predetermined parameters of the workpiece; Pre-measured Environmental parameters; Under the characteristics of the workpiece as understood based on Information on the surface of the workpiece that has been actually measured Through initial learning, the relationship with the internal temperature of the object to be treated is repeatedly learned and corrected. Based on the generated learning data, information on the surface of the workpiece acquired by the information acquisition means only and a control means for predicting the internal temperature of the workpiece based on the predicted internal temperature and controlling the stirring means and the air supply means in accordance with the predicted internal temperature.

[0008] The composting apparatus according to claim 2 is the composting apparatus according to claim 1, The predetermined parameters of the object to be treated include at least one of the following: the type of bedding contained in the object to be treated, the moisture content of the object to be treated, the temperature of the object to be treated, the color of the object to be treated, the amount of air contained in the object to be treated, and the specific gravity of the object to be treated. It is something.

[0009] The composting method according to claim 3 comprises: Pre-measured Predetermined parameters of the workpiece; Pre-measured Environmental parameters; Under the characteristics of the workpiece as understood based on Information on the surface of the workpiece that has been actually measured Through initial learning, the relationship with the internal temperature of the object to be treated is repeatedly learned and corrected. Based on the generated learning data, the surface information of the workpiece is acquired only The internal temperature of the material to be treated is predicted based on the temperature, and the material is agitated and air is supplied to the material according to the predicted internal temperature, thereby composting the material.

[0010] The composting method according to claim 4 is the composting method according to claim 3, The predetermined parameters of the object to be treated include at least one of the following: the type of bedding contained in the object to be treated, the moisture content of the object to be treated, the temperature of the object to be treated, the color of the object to be treated, the amount of air contained in the object to be treated, and the specific gravity of the object to be treated. It is something. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, materials to be treated can be composted efficiently in a short period of time with little energy loss. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a composting apparatus according to one embodiment. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a side view showing the stirring means of the composting apparatus. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an elevational view showing the composting apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] 1 to 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a composting apparatus, and this composting apparatus 1 is an apparatus (facility) for composting a material to be treated W by aerobic fermentation using aerobic microorganisms, i.e., a compost house. In other words, this composting apparatus 1 is an organic waste fermentation treatment apparatus for composting the material to be treated W, which is organic waste containing organic matter, to obtain compost (treated material). Note that the material to be treated W is discharged from, for example, a cowshed or the like, which is a livestock house, and as one example, it is cow dung, which is livestock excrement, mixed with bedding.

[0015] The composting apparatus 1 comprises a long, narrow rectangular plate-shaped floor 2 and walls 3 erected on both longitudinal ends and one long side of the floor 2. The floor 2 and walls 3 form a fermentation tank 6 in which the material to be treated W is composted. For example, the fermentation tank 6 is made of concrete with the other long side open. The upper part of the fermentation tank 6 is covered by a roof 7. The floor 2 is formed with a groove (not shown) that guides water coming out of the material to be treated W to a drainage basin.

[0016] Additionally, multiple pillars 8 supporting the roof 7 are erected at intervals along the other long side of the floor 2. An opening 9 is formed between each pair of adjacent pillars 8. Through this opening 9, the material to be treated W is fed into the fermentation tank 6 and the treated compost is removed from the fermentation tank 6. The floor 2 of the fermentation tank 6 is divided into multiple zones aligned along the longitudinal direction, i.e., zones of the same size, for example.

[0017] The composting apparatus 1 also includes a plurality of air supply means 10 for supplying air to the materials W to be treated that have been introduced into the fermenter 6 and piled up on the bed body 2. That is, one air supply means 10 is provided for each zone in this composting apparatus 1. Each air supply means 10 includes, for example, a perforated pipe disposed in the groove of the bed body 2, a blower for supplying air to the plurality of perforated pipes, and a connecting pipe for connecting the perforated pipes to the blower.

[0018] Furthermore, the composting apparatus 1 is equipped with stirring means 12 that can move in the front-rear and left-right directions to stir (turn) the material W to be treated that has been introduced into the fermenter 6 and piled up on the bed body 2. This stirring means 12 is of a screw type having a stirring rotor 13 that stirs the material W to be treated while rotating in a predetermined direction. In this embodiment, the stirring means 12 is supported by a support 14 so that the stirring rotor 13 can be moved in the short side direction of the composting apparatus 1, and the stirring rotor 13 can be moved together with the support 14 in the long side direction of the composting apparatus 1. The stirring means 12 is not limited to the screw type and may be, for example, a conveyor type, and its configuration is arbitrary.

[0019] The operations of the air supply means 10 and the stirring means 12 are controlled by the control means 15. The control means 15 is, for example, a computer such as a general-purpose PC. The control means 15 predicts the internal temperature of the workpiece W based on the information on the surface of the workpiece W acquired by the information acquisition means 16, and controls the operations of the air supply means 10 and the stirring means 12 according to the predicted internal temperature.

[0020] The information acquiring means 16 acquires information related to the internal temperature of the workpiece W. The information acquiring means 16 can measure at least one of information such as the surface temperature, color, and humidity of the workpiece W. One or more information acquiring means 16 may be arranged for each zone, or may be arranged in the stirring means 12 and measure the temperature of the workpiece W in each zone as the stirring means 12 moves. The temperature of the workpiece W measured by the information acquiring means 16 may be an average value or a representative value (e.g., maximum value, minimum value, median value, etc.) of multiple temperatures measured at the same location. For example, the information acquiring means 16 is arranged in a non-contact manner with the workpiece W.

[0021] The control means 15, the air supply means 10, the stirring means 12, and the information acquisition means 16 may be connected by wires, or may be connected wirelessly via a network such as the Internet.

[0022] Next, prediction of the temperature inside the workpiece W by the control means 15 will be described.

[0023] The control means 15 is equipped with artificial intelligence (AI). The control means 15 predicts the internal temperature of the workpiece W from the information on the surface of the workpiece W acquired by the information acquisition means 16, such as the surface temperature, based on learning data (teacher data) which is model data generated from predetermined parameters of the workpiece W measured in advance, environmental parameters measured in advance, and measured (actually measured) information on the surface of the workpiece W.

[0024] The specified parameters of the workpiece W include, for example, at least one of the type of bedding contained in the workpiece W, the moisture content of the workpiece W, the temperature of the workpiece W, the color of the workpiece W, the amount of air contained in the workpiece W, and the specific gravity of the workpiece W.

[0025] Types of litter include, for example, bark, straw, sawdust, paper, chips, and the like.

[0026] The moisture amount of the workpiece W is measured, for example, at a predetermined depth from the surface of the workpiece W. The moisture amount may be measured at multiple depths of the workpiece W. For example, the moisture amount is measured at depths of 300 mm, 1500 mm, 2500 mm, etc. from the surface.

[0027] The temperature of the workpiece W is measured, for example, at a position at a predetermined depth from the surface of the workpiece W. In this embodiment, the internal temperature of the workpiece W is measured, for example, by a temperature measuring means 17. The temperature measuring means 17 is, for example, a stirring means. stirring hand A single or multiple rod-shaped thermometers or the like are used, which are arranged on the stage 12. The temperature measuring means 17 is arranged, for example, so as to be movable up and down. The temperature may be measured at multiple depths of the workpiece W. For example, the temperature is measured at depths of 300 mm, 1500 mm, 2500 mm, etc. from the surface.

[0028] The color of the workpiece W includes the surface color of the workpiece W. The color of the workpiece W varies depending on the moisture state (moisture content) of the workpiece W. Therefore, the color of the workpiece W serves as an index that indirectly indicates the moisture state of the workpiece W.

[0029] The environmental parameters are, for example, at least one of the following: outside air temperature, the air temperature inside the composting apparatus 1 in which the material to be treated W is placed, i.e., the compost building, the radiant heat (radiant heat) of the compost building, outdoor wind speed, indoor wind speed, outdoor humidity, indoor humidity, and illuminance.

[0030] The parameter acquiring means for measuring and acquiring the predetermined parameters of the workpiece W and the environmental parameters may be provided by installing dedicated sensors or may share existing devices such as the information acquiring means 16. The control means 15 may use an average value or a representative value of a plurality of data acquired at the same location as a parameter. The control means 15 may acquire the parameters by wire or wirelessly via a network such as the Internet.

[0031] Then, the control means 15 first acquires predetermined parameters and environmental parameters of the workpiece W that have been actually measured in advance, and grasps the properties of the workpiece W based on these parameters. Next, the control means 15 repeats learning about the relationship between the surface information of the workpiece W and the internal temperature under those properties, and improves the accuracy of predicting the internal temperature from the surface information of the workpiece W by making corrections each time. In other words, the control means 15 associates the surface information of the workpiece W acquired by the information acquisition means 16 with the internal temperature of the workpiece W measured by the temperature measurement means 17, and acquires the data multiple times, thereby learning the relationship between the surface information of the workpiece W and the internal temperature of the workpiece W.

[0032] After a predetermined number of learnings (initial learning) are completed, the control means 15 automatically predicts the internal temperature of the workpiece W from only the information on the surface of the workpiece W acquired by the information acquisition means 16, and generates a control signal for controlling the agitation means 12 and the air supply means 10 according to the predicted internal temperature. That is, the control means 15 determines whether or not to operate the agitation means 12 or the air supply means 10 according to the predicted internal temperature, and determines the operation time and power, and operates the air supply means 10 and the agitation means 12 so as to achieve optimal conditions for composting, thereby promoting composting of the workpiece W. The optimal conditions for composting refer to conditions such as temperature and moisture that most effectively promote composting of the workpiece W.

[0033] In this way, by predicting the internal temperature of the object W to be treated from the information on the surface of the object W acquired by the information acquiring means 16, and controlling the stirring means 12 and the air supplying means 10 in accordance with this predicted internal temperature, it is possible to efficiently operate the stirring means 12 and the air supplying means 10 in accordance with the predicted fermentation state of the object W to be treated by acquiring information on the surface of the object W, for example, by a simple configuration such as measuring the temperature. Therefore, the object W to be treated can be efficiently composted in a short period of time, and the operation of the stirring means 12 and the air supplying means 10 can be minimized, resulting in little energy loss.

[0034] Also, preferably, the learning data is corrected at a predetermined timing. This correction is based on at least the predetermined parameters of the workpiece W, the environmental parameters, and the surface information of the workpiece W. That is, the control means 15 acquires the predetermined parameters and the environmental parameters of the workpiece W at a predetermined timing, and learns the relationship between the surface information of the workpiece W and the internal temperature at that time point according to the acquired surface information of the workpiece W, based on the predetermined parameters of the workpiece W and the environmental parameters.

[0035] At this time, the predetermined parameters of the workpiece W and the environmental parameters to be acquired may be the same as those at the time of initial learning, or may be a part of the parameters at the time of initial learning.

[0036] The predetermined timing may be regular, such as every predetermined time or every predetermined number of days (e.g., once a week), or may be when the type of bedding changes, or when the external environment changes, such as at the change of seasons, etc. Furthermore, the predetermined timing may be preprogrammed, or may be set by the user via external input.

[0037] In this way, by appropriately correcting the learning data, the control means 15 can predict the internal temperature of the workpiece W with higher accuracy, and the stirring means 12 and the air supply means 10 can be operated more efficiently.

[0038] In the above embodiment, the material W to be composted is not limited to cow dung, but may be, for example, pig manure, chicken manure, or household food waste. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 1 Composting equipment 10 Air supply means 12 Stirring means 15 Control Means 16 Information acquisition means W Processing object

Claims

1. A composting apparatus for composting a material to be treated, comprising: A stirring means for stirring the object to be treated; An air supply means for supplying air to the object to be treated; An information acquisition means for acquiring information on the surface of the workpiece; a control means for predicting an internal temperature of the object to be treated only from the surface information of the object to be treated acquired by the information acquisition means based on learning data generated by an initial learning process that repeats learning and correction of the relationship between the measured surface information of the object to be treated and the internal temperature of the object under the properties of the object to be treated grasped based on predetermined parameters of the object to be treated that have been actually measured in advance and environmental parameters that have been actually measured in advance, and for controlling the stirring means and the air supply means in accordance with the predicted internal temperature; A composting apparatus comprising:

2. The predetermined parameters of the treated object include at least one of the type of bedding contained in the treated object, the moisture content of the treated object, the temperature of the treated object, the color of the treated object, the amount of air contained in the treated object, and the specific gravity of the treated object.

2. The composting apparatus according to claim 1 .

3. Under the properties of the workpiece grasped based on predetermined parameters of the workpiece actually measured in advance and environmental parameters actually measured in advance, the internal temperature of the workpiece is predicted only from the acquired information on the surface of the workpiece based on learning data generated by initial learning in which the relationship between the measured information on the surface of the workpiece and the internal temperature of the workpiece is repeatedly learned and corrected, The material is agitated and air is supplied to it according to the predicted internal temperature, thereby composting the material. A composting method comprising the steps of:

4. The predetermined parameters of the treated object include at least one of the type of bedding contained in the treated object, the moisture content of the treated object, the temperature of the treated object, the color of the treated object, the amount of air contained in the treated object, and the specific gravity of the treated object.

4. The composting method according to claim 3.

Images