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Oazana S, Naor M, Grinshpun J, Halachmi I, Raviv M, Saadi I, Avidov R, Varma VS, Rosenfeld L, Gross A, Laor Y. A flexible control system designed for lab-scale simulations and optimization of composting processes. Waste Manag 2018; 72:150-160. [PMID: 29174066 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2017.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Revised: 11/11/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Understanding and optimization of composting processes can benefit from the use of controlled simulators of various scales. The Agricultural Research Organization Composting Simulator (ARO-CS) was recently built and it is flexibly automated by means of a programmable logic controller (PLC). Temperature, carbon dioxide, oxygen and airflow are monitored and controlled in seven 9-l reactors that are mounted into separate 80-l water baths. The PLC program includes three basic heating modes (pre-determined temperature profile, temperature-feedback ("self-heating"), and carbon dioxide-dependent temperature), three basic aeration modes (airflow dependence on temperature, carbon dioxide, or oxygen) and enables all possible combinations among them. This unique high flexibility provides a robust and valuable research tool to explore a wide range of research questions related to the science and engineering of composting. In this article the logic and flexibility of the control system is presented and demonstrated and its potential applications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sh Oazana
- Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Ramat Yishay 30095, Israel; Department of Environmental Hydrology and Microbiology, Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84990, Israel
| | - M Naor
- Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Ramat Yishay 30095, Israel; Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - J Grinshpun
- Precision livestock farming (PLF) Lab., Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Research Organization - the Volcani Center (ARO), 68 HaMacabim Road, Rishon LeZion, 7505101 Israel
| | - I Halachmi
- Precision livestock farming (PLF) Lab., Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Research Organization - the Volcani Center (ARO), 68 HaMacabim Road, Rishon LeZion, 7505101 Israel
| | - M Raviv
- Institute of Plant Sciences, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Ramat Yishay 30095, Israel
| | - I Saadi
- Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Ramat Yishay 30095, Israel
| | - R Avidov
- Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Ramat Yishay 30095, Israel; Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - V Sudharsan Varma
- Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Ramat Yishay 30095, Israel
| | - L Rosenfeld
- Precision livestock farming (PLF) Lab., Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Research Organization - the Volcani Center (ARO), 68 HaMacabim Road, Rishon LeZion, 7505101 Israel
| | - A Gross
- Department of Environmental Hydrology and Microbiology, Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84990, Israel
| | - Y Laor
- Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Ramat Yishay 30095, Israel.
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