Patent Application
20190084896
Not applicable to this application.
Not applicable to this application.
Example embodiments in general relate to an aerobic composting system which utilizes bubbling of a gas through a mixture of liquid and organic materials to continuously agitate and mix the liquid and organic materials while supporting aerobic organisms which aid with the composting process.
Any discussion of the related art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such related art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
Composting processes have been used for many years to produce compost. Organic waste materials can be decomposed aerobically to create nutrient-rich compost. Various methods and systems have been previously used for production of composts by decomposition of organic materials.
Compost piles can be an effective method of producing compost, but suffer from several disadvantages. Compost piles require constant and close monitoring to adjust moisture and oxygen levels. Such adjustments may include turning and mixing the compost pile or adding dry organic material which can be labor-intensive and time-consuming. If the oxygen level is not sufficient for aerobic decomposition, anaerobic organisms may dominate leading to the emission of unpleasant odors. If the moisture level is not sufficient, the composting process will slow down or stop all together. Compost piles may also attract animals such as pests (insects, rodents, etc.).
Compost bins and compost tumblers have also previously been used to produce compost. Compost bins are incapable of turning and mixing the compost and suffer from difficulty delivering oxygen within the bin and difficulty monitoring and controlling moisture levels.
Compost tumblers address such disadvantages of a compost bin by adding the ability to turn and mix the compost such as by rotating the vessel containing the organic waste material. However, compost tumblers still require close monitoring of the moisture levels and periodic turning of the device to mix the contents.
Another method of composting used previously is the brewing of a compost tea. Compost tea is brewed in a tank of water with air bubbling through a permeable container of mature compost. The compost tea brewer creates conditions for the aerobic organisms living within the compost to proliferate in the water. The water is then used to inoculate plants and soil, such as through a sprayer.
An example embodiment is directed to an aerobic composting system. The aerobic composting system includes a container which is adapted to store a volume of a liquid to be continuously agitated and mixed with organic materials to produce compost. The container may include a first opening through which the liquid and/or organic materials are introduced into a cavity of the container. The container may also include a second opening such as a spigot through which the resulting compost is dispensed. A gas dispenser such as an aerator is positioned on the floor of the container within the cavity to continuously dispense a gas through the liquid so as to agitate and mix the organic materials with the liquid and to encourage aerobic organisms which aid with the composting process.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, some of the embodiments of the aerobic composting system in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional embodiments of the aerobic composting system that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the aerobic composting system in detail, it is to be understood that the aerobic composting system is not limited in its application to the details of construction or to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The aerobic composting system is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.
Example embodiments will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements are represented by like reference characters, which are given by way of illustration only and thus are not limitative of the example embodiments herein.
An example aerobic composting system 10 generally comprises a container 20 which is adapted to store a volume of a liquid 40 to be continuously mixed with organic materials 42 to produce compost 46. The container 20 may include a first opening 26 through which the liquid 40 and/or organic materials 42 are introduced into a cavity 25 of the container 20. The container 20 may also include a second opening 27 such as a spigot 29 through which the resulting compost 46 is dispensed. A gas dispenser 34 such as an aerator is positioned on the floor 33 of the container 20 within the cavity 25 to continuously dispense a gas 44 through the liquid 40 so as to mix the organic materials 42 with the liquid 40 and to encourage aerobic organisms which aid with the composting process.
A broad exemplary embodiment of the aerobic composting system 10 may comprise a container 20 adapted to store a volume of a liquid 40. The container 20 may comprise an upper end 21, a lower end 22, and a cavity 25 for storing the volume of the liquid 40. The container 20 may comprise a floor 33 within the cavity 25.
An inlet, such as a first opening 26 on the container 20, is adapted to receive an organic material 42 such that the organic material 42 is mixed with the liquid 40. The first opening 26 may be positioned on the upper end 21 of the container 20. An outlet, such as a second opening 27 on the container 20 is adapted to dispense a compost 46 produced by decomposition of the organic material 42 within the liquid 40. The second opening 27 may include a spigot 29 for selectively dispensing the compost 46. A cover 28 may be provided for selectively covering the first opening 26. The cover 28 may be hingedly connected to the container 20.
A gas dispenser 34 is positioned within the container 20; with a pump 30 supplying gas 44 to the gas dispenser 34. The pump 30 may be positioned near or at the upper end 21 of the container 20. A transfer conduit 32 may be connected between the pump 30 and the gas dispenser 34 to transfer the gas 44 from the pump 30 to the gas dispenser 34. The transfer conduit 32 may extend along the inner wall 24 of the container 20 between the upper end 21 and the lower end 22 of the container 20.
The gas dispenser 34 is adapted to direct the gas 44 through the liquid 40 so as to continuously agitate the liquid 40 and the organic material 42 to produce the compost 46. Various types of gas dispensers 34 may be utilized.
In the embodiment of
In the embodiment of
The dispenser arm 55 may rotate within the cavity 25 when the pump 30 is activated. The flow conduit 50 may comprise an inner tube 51 and an outer tube 53; with the inner tube 51 connected to the pump 30 and the outer tube 53 connected to the dispenser arm 55. The outer tube 53 and the dispenser arm 55 may rotate about the inner tube 51 when the pump 30 is activated.
A first end of the dispenser arm 55 may include a first dispenser outlet 56 and the second end of the dispenser arm 55 may include a second dispenser outlet 58. The first dispenser outlet 56 may include a first fin 57 oriented in a first direction and the second dispenser outlet 58 may include a second fin 59 oriented in a second direction such that the dispenser arm 55 rotates within the cavity 25 when the pump 30 is activated.
Various types of liquids 40 and gasses 44 may be utilized. One embodiment uses a liquid 40 comprised of water and a gas 44 comprised of oxygen to aerate the liquid 40. The organic material 42 may comprise a liquid, a solid, or a semi-solid. Often a mixture of different types of organic materials 42 will be utilized.
Also disclosed is a method for producing compost 46. The method may include the storing of a volume of a liquid 40 within the container 20; with the container 20 comprising an upper end 21, a lower end 22, a cavity 25 for storing the liquid 40, and a floor 33 within the cavity 25. Organic material 42 is introduced into the liquid 40 through the first opening 21 on the container 20. The first opening 21 may be covered, such as by a cover 28, to prevent unauthorized access to the cavity 25 and to prevent emission of odors and the like.
A gas 44 is dispensed through the liquid 40 within the container 20 with a gas dispenser 34. The gas dispenser 34 may comprise a central dispenser conduit 36 and a plurality of dispenser arms 37 each extending outwardly from the central dispenser conduit 36 to form a grid covering the floor 33 of the container 20 within the cavity 25. The organic material 42 is mixed within the liquid 40 to produce the compost 46 by the bubbling of the gas 44 up through the liquid 40. The gas 44 will also support aerobic organisms to aid in decomposition and discourage anaerobic organisms which produce odors. The resulting liquid, solid, or semi-solid compost 46 may be dispensed through as second opening 27 on the container 20, such as by a spigot 29.
As best shown in
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As shown in
In the exemplary embodiment shown in
A cover 28 may be utilized which selectively covers the first opening 26 so as to prevent contamination by weather condition such as rain. The cover 28 may also prevent unauthorized access to the cavity 26 of the container 20, such as by wildlife. The cover 28 may be hingedly connected to the container 20 and may be releasably connected to cover the first opening 26 in any manner known in the art. In some embodiments, the cover 28 may be selectively locked.
As shown in
As best shown in
Bubbling of the gas 44 through the liquid 40 continuously mixes the liquid 40 and the organic materials 42. It is preferable that the gas 44 is dispensed so as to uniformly and substantially agitate and aerate the volume of the liquid 40. Additionally, the gas 44 may assist with the composting process by encouraging and supporting organisms which aid in the composting process by breaking down and decomposing the organic material 42. The gas 44 may be continuously bubbled through the liquid 40 or may be periodically bubbled through the liquid 40.
The gas dispenser 34 is fed the gas 44 by a pump 30 as shown in
In other embodiments, the pump 30 may be separate from the container 20 and connected by a conduit such as a hose to the gas dispenser 34. As shown in
The shape, size, orientation, and positioning of the transfer conduit 32 may vary in different embodiments. The transfer conduit 32 may be external, internal, or a mix of both with respect to the container 20. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the transfer conduit 32 extends between the upper and lower ends 21, 22 of the container 20 along its inner wall 24.
In such an embodiment, the pump 30 is of sufficient strength to transfer the gas 44 down along the height of the container 20 between its upper and lower ends 21, 22 to feed the gas 44 to the gas dispenser 34. The pump 30 will preferably be of sufficient strength to supply enough pressure to force the gas 44 to the gas dispenser 34 from wherever it is located.
In the embodiment shown in
It is preferable to apply uniform circulation of gas 44 throughout the liquid 40 and organic material 42. The gas dispenser 34 is illustrated as comprising a grid-like pattern formed by the central dispenser conduit 36 and dispenser arms 37 which substantially covers the floor 33 of the container 20 within the cavity 25. This allows the bubbling gas 44 to uniformly cover the volume of the liquid 40 so as to agitate the organic material 42 within the liquid 40. By minimizing portions of the liquid 40 which are still or not aerated, the composting process may be substantially improved.
As shown in
The central dispenser conduit 36 may comprise an elongated conduit which extends across the floor 33 of the container 20 within the cavity 25 such as shown in
Each of the dispenser arms 37 may comprise an elongated conduit which extends outwardly from the central dispenser conduit 36 such as shown in
The shape, number, size, and orientation of the dispenser arms 37 may vary in different embodiments and thus should not be construed as limited by the exemplary figures. The size of the container 20 and area of the floor 33 within the cavity 25 will largely determine the optimal configuration of the dispenser arms 37.
Each of the dispenser arms 37 includes a plurality of apertures 38 through which the gas 44 is dispensed to be bubbled through the liquid 40. The apertures 38 may extend along the length of each of the dispenser arms 37 or may cover only portions of each gas dispenser arm 37. The apertures 38 are preferably spaced so as to provide sufficient coverage of the dispenser arms 37 to allow for uniform coverage of the volume of the liquid 40.
The height to which the flow conduit 50 extends within the cavity 25 may vary. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the upper end of the flow conduit 50 is rotatably connected to the upper end 21 of the container 20. Other configurations could be utilized, including different placement or orientation of the flow conduit 50.
As shown in
The flow conduit 50 is utilized to direct the flow of the gas 44 from the pump 30 to a dispenser arm 55 as shown in
The inner tube 51 includes an inner passage 52 through which gas 44 flows upwardly from the pump 30. The space between the exterior of the inner tube 51 and the interior wall of the outer tube 53 defines an outer passage 54 which surrounds the inner tube. Gas 44 will flow from the pump 30 upwardly through the inner passage 52 of the inner tube 51. The gas 44 will then flow downwardly through the outer passage 54 to the dispenser arm 55 as shown in
As shown in
The dispenser arm 55 will generally comprise an elongated, hollow member such as shown in
Gas 44 from the pump 30 will flow simultaneously through both the first dispenser outlet 56 and the second dispenser outlet 58 when the pump 30 is activated. As shown in
As the dispenser arm 55 is rotated about the flow tube 50 within the cavity 25, gas 44 will be continuously dispensed through the dispenser outlets 56, 58 to bubble upwardly through the liquid 40 stored within the container 20. The rotation of the dispenser arm 55 will also agitate the liquid 40 to further improve mixing of the organic material 42 with the gas 44. Rotation of the dispenser arm 55 will also ensure that uniform gas 44 flow is applied throughout the liquid 40 in the container 20 to properly and efficiently aerate the liquid 40.
In use, the container 20 is first filled with a volume of the liquid 40 as shown in
As shown in
It should be appreciated that the pump 30 may be activated to dispense the gas 44 either before or after the introduction of organic materials 42 into the cavity 20. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the gas 44 is dispensed through the liquid 40 before the organic materials 42 are introduced. In this manner, the organic materials 42 will be evenly and automatically mixed upon introduction into the liquid 40 within the container 20. Immediate agitation of the organic materials 42 when introduced into the liquid 40 may be beneficial to more efficiently mix the organic materials 42 with the liquid 40.
When the pump 30 is activated, the gas 44 will be transferred to the gas dispenser 34 to be dispensed through the liquid 40. The gas 44 will exit the gas dispenser 34 at or near the floor 33 of the container 20 such that the gas 44 bubbles upwardly from the lower end 22 to the upper end 21 of the container 20 to both aerate the liquid 40 to encourage aerobic organisms and mix the organic materials 42 with the liquid 40 during the composting process. Preferably, the gas 44 is uniformly bubbled across the volume of the liquid 40 so as to uniformly aerate and agitate the mixture of the liquid 40 and the organic materials 42 such as shown in
In the embodiment of
In the embodiment of
As shown in
With the liquid 40 stored within the cavity 25 of the container 20, the organic materials 42 may be added. The organic materials 42 may comprise solids, liquids, or semi-solids. The organic materials 42 may be introduced into the liquid 40 through the first opening 26 of the container 20 as shown in
With the organic materials 42 mixed within the liquid 40, the cover 28 to the container 20 may be closed to close off the first opening 26. This prevents contamination or interruption of the composting processes, such as by weather elements (rain, snow, or the like) or unauthorized access by animals such as vermin or rodents which may be drawn to the smells emanated from the container 20 during the composting process.
As the gas 44 is dispensed through the liquid 40 by the gas dispenser 34, the organic materials 42 will be continuously mixed with the liquid 40. Aerobic organisms will be supported by the aeration of the liquid 40 which will improve efficiency of the composting process. Organic materials 42 may be added at any time to the liquid 40 during the composting process. In some embodiments, the container 20 may include a heater (not shown) which heats the liquid 40 to aid in the composting process.
The composting process will produce compost 46 which may be dispensed through the second opening 27. The compost 46 may be retrieved from the container 20 while the aerobic composting system 10 is in operation producing additional compost 46. The composting process does not need to be stopped in order to dispense compost 46 so that there are no interruptions when dispensing compost 46, such as through the second opening 27.
The compost 46 may comprise a liquid, a solid, or a semi-solid. In either case, the compost 46 may be retrieved from the container 20 via the second opening 27. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the second opening 27 comprises a spigot 29 which may be selectively opened to dispense the compost 46; such as into a separate compost receiver 13. After a desired amount of compost 46 is retrieved, the spigot 29 may be closed off to allow the composting process to continue until additional compost 46 is desired to be retrieved.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although methods and materials similar to or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the aerobic composting system, suitable methods and materials are described above.
All publications, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety to the extent allowed by applicable law and regulations. The aerobic composting system may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Any headings utilized within the description are for convenience only and have no legal or limiting effect.
