Aerobic method and device for treating organic material

Abstract

An aerobic method for treating organic material, having the steps of loading a treatment unit with organic material; covering the organic material with a first membrane; aerobic treatment of the organic material by actively supplying air to the organic material and the supplied air flowing through said organic material; turning over the organic material using a turning-over device, wherein the organic material is homogenized and/or mixed; and continuing the supply of air according to step c). The turning-over device is moved along the direction of longitudinal extent of the treatment unit, turning over the organic material by a turning-over roller. The turning-over device has a membrane holding apparatus which holds the first membrane covering the organic material during the turning over, and a membrane laying apparatus, which lays a second membrane on the turned-over organic material.

Claims

1. An aerobic method for treating organic material comprising the steps of: a) loading a treatment unit (1) with organic material to be treated; b) covering the organic material to be treated with an odor emission-reducing first membrane that is selected from the group consisting of moisture-permeable membranes, air-permeable membranes, and membranes that are both moisture- and air-permeable; c) supplying air to the treatment unit (1), whereby aerobic treatment of the organic material is initiated by actively supplying the air to the organic material in the treatment unit (1) and flowing the air through the organic material in the treatment unit (1); d) turning over the organic material in the treatment unit (1) using a turning-over device (2), wherein the organic material in the treatment unit (1) is homogenized and/or mixed, wherein optionally the active supply of air to the organic material in the treatment unit (1) is interrupted and/or reduced during the turning over operation; and e) continuing the supply of air to the treatment unit (1) according to step c, wherein the turning-over device (2) comprises a turning-over roller (21), which is moved along the direction of a longitudinal extent (X) of the treatment unit (1) and thereby turns over the organic material in the treatment unit (1), wherein the turning-over device (2) further comprises a membrane holding apparatus (22), which holds the first membrane covering the organic material in the treatment unit (1) during the method, wherein the turning-over device (2) further comprises a membrane laying apparatus (23), which lays an odor emission-reducing second membrane on the turned-over organic material in the treatment unit (1), the second membrane also being selected from the group consisting of moisture-permeable membranes, air-permeable membranes, and membranes that are both moisture- and air-permeable, wherein the first membrane is wound up during the turning over by the membrane holding apparatus (22) arranged on the side advancing in the direction of movement (S) on the turning-over device (2), and wherein the second membrane is unwound during the turning over by the membrane laying apparatus (23) arranged on the side following in the direction of movement (S) on the turning-over device (2) by the membrane laying device (2).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the organic material in the treatment unit (1) is treated by a process selected from the group consisting of aerobic drying, aerobic composting, hygienization, aerobicization, microbiological conversion of pollutants, microbiological degradation of pollutants, and combinations thereof.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein also during step b) a turning over of the organic material in the treatment unit (1) is carried out by means of the turning-over device (2).

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising lifting the first membrane from the organic material during advancement of the turning-over device (2) during the turning operation.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the organic material in the treatment unit (1) is treated by a process selected from the group consisting of aerobic drying, aerobic composting, hygienization, aerobicization, microbiological conversion of pollutants, microbiological degradation of pollutants, and combinations thereof, and wherein also during step b) a turning over of the organic material in the treatment unit (1) is carried out by means of the turning-over device (2).

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising lifting the first membrane from the organic material during advancement of the turning-over device (2) during the turning operation.

7. An aerobic method for treating organic material comprising the steps of: a) loading a treatment unit (1) with organic material to be treated; b) covering the organic material to be treated with an odor emission-reducing first membrane and holding the first membrane covering the organic material using a membrane holding apparatus (22) arranged on a side of the turning-over device (2) advancing in a direction of movement (S), wherein the turning-over device (2) comprises the membrane holding apparatus (22); c) supplying air to the treatment unit (1), whereby aerobic treatment of the organic material is initiated by actively supplying the air to the organic material in the treatment unit (1) and flowing the air through the organic material in the treatment unit (1); d) turning over the organic material in the treatment unit (1) using a turning-over device (2) comprising a turning-over roller (21) by moving the turning-over roller (21) through the treatment unit (1) along the direction of a longitudinal extent (X) of the treatment unit (1), wherein the organic material in the treatment unit (1) is homogenized and/or mixed, wherein optionally the active supply of air to the organic material in the treatment unit (1) is interrupted and/or reduced during the turning over operation; e) laying an odor emission-reducing second membrane on the turned-over organic material in the treatment unit (1) using a membrane laying apparatus (23) arranged on a side of the turning-over device (2) following in the direction of movement (S), wherein the turning-over device (2) comprises the membrane laying apparatus (23); f) winding up the first membrane during the turning over by the membrane holding apparatus (22); g) unwinding the second membrane during the turning over by the membrane laying apparatus (23); and h) after completion of the aerobic treatment operation, further turning over the organic material in the treatment unit (1) by means of the turning-over device (2), in which the membrane lying on the organic material in the treatment unit (1) is held by the membrane holding apparatus (22), wherein the the first membrane and the second membrane each are selected from the group consisting of moisture-permeable membranes, air-permeable membranes, and membranes that are both moisture- and air-permeable.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the organic material in the treatment unit (1) is treated by a process selected from the group consisting of aerobic drying, aerobic composting, hygienization, aerobicization, microbiological conversion of pollutants, microbiological degradation of pollutants, and combinations thereof.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein also during step b) a turning over of the organic material in the treatment unit (1) is carried out by means of the turning-over device (2).

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising lifting the first membrane from the organic material during advancement of the turning-over device (2) during the turning operation.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the organic material in the treatment unit (1) is treated by a process selected from the group consisting of aerobic drying, aerobic composting, hygienization, aerobicization, microbiological conversion of pollutants, microbiological degradation of pollutants, and combinations thereof, and wherein also during step b) a turning over of the organic material in the treatment unit (1) is carried out by means of the turning-over device (2).

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising lifting the first membrane from the organic material during advancement of the turning-over device (2) during the turning operation.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be explained in more detail in the following embodiments, which are represented in FIGS. 1-9.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a possible device according to the invention in perspective view.

(3) FIG. 2 also shows the device according to the invention in perspective view.

(4) FIG. 3 shows an excerpt from the device according to the invention in the area of a treatment unit in perspective view.

(5) FIG. 4 shows a side view of the treatment unit shown in FIG. 3.

(6) FIG. 5 shows a longitudinal view through the treatment unit shown in FIG. 3.

(7) FIG. 6 shows a cross-section of the treatment unit shown in FIG. 3 in the area of the turning-over roller according to a first embodiment according to the invention.

(8) FIG. 7 shows a cross-section through the treatment unit shown in FIG. 3 in the area of the turning-over roller according to a second embodiment according to the invention.

(9) FIG. 8 shows a side view of the turner according to the invention in a membrane exchange position.

(10) FIG. 9 shows a cross-section of the treatment unit shown in FIG. 3 with one turner in a further embodiment with two turning-over rollers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(11) FIG. 1 shows a device according to the invention. This can be part of a treatment facility. In this case, several adjacent treatment units 1 are provided. Each of the treatment units may have side walls 1b and 1c extending along its main longitudinal extent. The treatment units 1 also have an appropriate bottom 1a in addition to the aerobic treatment of organic material 4, which can be supplied with air via pipes, which then flow through openings in the bottom 1a into or through the organic material 4 and through which liquid can be absorbed and discharged. The three illustrated treatment units 1 show in one case organic material covered with a membrane 3 (left most unit). In the middle treatment unit 1 there is a turning-over device 2 according to the invention, which can be moved in the direction of movement S along the longitudinal extent of the treatment unit 1, wherein said turning device lifts off a membrane 3—moisture- and/or air-permeable but at least reducing odor emissions—by means of a membrane holding device 22 during turning over and lays a further membrane 3 of the same or different construction on the organic material by means of a membrane laying apparatus 23 following in the direction of movement. In the very right treatment unit 1, organic material 4 is piled up to form a storage clamp, which is in the operation of emptying or loading. This is indicated in FIG. 2 by the wheel loader 7, which either piles up fresh material 4 to a middle finished aerobically treated material (e.g. dried material or composted material) from the treatment unit 1.

(12) The turning-over process according to the invention shall now be explained in more detail by means of FIGS. 3 to 5. Y describes the cross direction of treatment unit 1. Z describes the vertical direction perpendicular to the bottom 1a and X describes the main longitudinal extension direction of treatment unit 1. As recognized in FIG. 3, the turning-over device 2 has a direction of movement S, the movement being in a working direction parallel to the main longitudinal extension direction X of treatment unit 1, with a winding shaft 22 on the leading side, which functions as a membrane holding apparatus, in that, when the turning-over device 2 is advanced in the direction of movement S, a membrane 3 is wound up by this winding shaft 22 and is held by the organic material located beneath it. On the side of the turning-over device 2 following in the direction of movement S is another winding shaft 23, which functions as a membrane laying apparatus by unwinding the membrane 3 from the winding shaft 23 during the turning over operation, i.e. when moving the turning-over device 2 in the direction of movement S and laying it on the organic material. When the turning-over device is moved through the treatment unit 1, by far the largest part of the organic material, therefore, remains underneath or covered by a membrane 3 during the entire turning-over operation.

(13) As can be observed in particular from FIG. 5, only a small area 9 in the direction of movement S remains uncovered behind the turning-over device 2 or behind the turning-over roller. The exposed area of the organic material 4 is thus significantly reduced compared to the conventional technique with wheel loaders, in which a large part of the surface of the organic material is uncovered during the turning-over so that the odor emission is also reduced accordingly.

(14) In this way, the odor emissions to the environment during the turning over are largely reduced or minimized. In the example shown, the driver's cab 6 of the turning-over device 2 can be arranged at an angle of 90° to the direction of movement S. In this way, the driver can overlook the working area both in the direction of movement and against the direction of movement. With a bi-directional drive mode of the turning-over device 2, it is also possible to look in both directions. Alternatively, it is of course also possible to rotate the driver's cab, especially by approx. 180°.

(15) The turning-over roller 21 may also be attached to the turning-over device 2 in various ways, as shown in the two cross-sections of FIGS. 6 and 7. In FIG. 6, the turning-over roller 21 is located between the side walls 1b and 1c of the treatment unit 1. The turning-over roller 21 extends over the entire inner area of the treatment unit. The bottom 1a of the treatment unit has ventilation pipes 8 which have small nozzle openings directed towards the interior of the treatment unit and through which the air flowing through the pipes 8 is blown into the organic material laid on the bottom 1a (not shown here) through which it can flow and through which liquid can be absorbed and discharged. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the turning-over roller 21 is mounted at its end faces on a carrier 10 which is connected to the frame of the turning-over device 2. The chassis 5 of the turning-over device 2 is located adjacent to the respective outer sides of the side walls 1b and 1c and is removed from the bottom 1a so that the turning-over device 2 can pass through the entire treatment unit without the chassis having to be guided through the treatment unit.

(16) In the alternative shown in FIG. 7, the carriers 10 of the turning-over roller 21 are not arranged at its end faces, but further towards the middle of the treatment unit or the middle of the turning-over device 2.

(17) After the turning-over operation, a membrane 3 is unwound from the membrane-laying device, i.e. the associated winding shaft 23. Consequently, the winding shaft 23 is then empty, so that it must be reloaded for the next turning over operation. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, the turning-over device 2 can very easily provide for the corresponding winding shafts to be exchanged. For this purpose, the winding shafts 22, 23 can be moved from the working position to an exchange position. In the shown example, the winding shafts 22, 23 are attached to corresponding lever arms 22a or 23a, which can be lowered from the operating position to the exchange position via a mechanism that is not shown. In the position shown in FIG. 8, the winding shaft 22 would have a membrane wound onto it after the turning over operation, whereas the winding shaft 23 does not have a membrane. By lowering, the winding shaft 22 can now be attached to arm 23a and the winding shaft 23 to arm 22a. In this way, the membrane is “replaced”.

(18) The said approach is suitable for turning-over devices 2, which can only work in one direction. In an alternative embodiment based on FIG. 9, a bi-directional turning-over device is shown. In contrast to the turning-over device 2, which has already been explained, this one has two turning-over rollers 21a and 21b.

(19) When turning over in direction S, the turning-over roller 21a is used, the turning-over roller 21b is lifted a little so that it does not come into contact with the bottom of treatment unit 1. Once the turning-over operation in direction S has been completed, another turning-over operation in the opposite direction can be carried out by lowering the turning-over roller 21b and raising the turning-over roller 21a. In this way, it is no longer necessary to replace the winding shafts (see FIG. 8). The raising and lowering of the turning-over rollers 21a and 21b can be solved constructively in different ways. Each roller can be mounted on its own suspension, which can be adjusted linearly upwards and downwards in a vertical direction. Alternatively, it is possible, for example, for both turning-over rollers 21a and 21b to be mounted on a rocker arm whose rotation about a swivel axis perpendicular to the drawing plane causes one turning-over roller to be raised and the other to be lowered.