Design of a Compost Processing Plant for Municipal Solid Waste Management

Abstract

In recent times, it is found that energy has received quite an appreciable attention around the world. This is partly due to the gradual transition from centralized to distributed energy generation technology brought about by the widespread application of renewable energy resources. However, while this is a welcome development, it is also found that one other aspect that affects human lives, as much as energy, seems either to be neglected or given less attention in many parts of the world, especially in developing countries. This is the management of solid wastes, which has a direct impact on the health and well-being of the people in an area, a city or community. Managing domestic and industrial solid wastes is one of the major challenges facing both the industrialized and developing nations, but this has been identified as a means to also generate revenue and energy. For these reasons, there is the need to also prioritize the management of municipal wastes both from the residential and industrial premises. This paper presents improved design of a Compost Processing Plant (CPP) for managing municipal solid wastes, using an existing plant in Ondo State, Nigeria, with a throughput of 508 kg/hr as a case study.

We design the various machine components to achieve an increased throughput of 875 kg/hr of compost, which is about 75% improvement in performance. We include the cost of the components of the CPP, to give the study a techno-economic outlook that can be useful for planning such a plant in developing countries, including Nigeria. The plant is not only useful for managing solid wastes, but also produces compost for agricultural purposes. Some directions for future work are also suggested.

Keywords: Compost Plant, Design, Environment