Equipment Introduction
The Trough-type Compost Turner is a key piece of equipment developed for aerobic fermentation processes in agriculture, environmental protection, and organic fertilizer production. It achieves uniform mixing, moisture regulation, heat dissipation, and sufficient oxygen supply through mechanical turning, thereby accelerating the composting and dehydration process.
The Trough-type Compost Turner is mainly suitable for fermentation and turning of organic waste such as livestock and poultry manure, sewage sludge, sugar factory filter mud, pomace, and straw sawdust.
1. Working Principle: The equipment spans over a pre-constructed fermentation tank and drives the turning drum to rotate at high speed via a transmission device. The stirring blades on the drum are spirally distributed, breaking up the material in the fermentation tank and pushing it backward (approximately 0.2-1 meter). Through this turning action, the material comes into full contact with air, ensuring oxygen supply and enabling aerobic fermentation of the microorganisms within the material.
2. Process Mode: Typically used in conjunction with a transfer vehicle. The transfer vehicle is responsible for laterally switching the turning machine between multiple parallel fermentation tanks, thereby achieving a highly efficient “one machine, multiple tanks” operation mode.
Equipment Structure and Composition
The trough-type compost turner adopts a modular design and mainly consists of the following core components:
1. Transmission Device: Driven by an electric motor through a cycloidal pinwheel reducer and chain, it transmits power to the turning drum.
2. Lifting Device: Some models (such as FDT, FDX, and FPY types) are equipped with a winch or hydraulic lifting system, allowing adjustment of the drum height.
3. Traveling Device: Controls the equipment’s forward and backward movement along the trough tracks.
4. Turning Drum: The core operating component, equipped with wear-resistant blades.
5. Control Cabinet: A centralized control system supporting manual or automatic control functions, and equipped with limit switches.
6. Transfer Cart (Optional): A mobile platform for cross-trough operations.
Applications of the Equipment
The trough-type compost turner is widely used in the following fields:
1. Livestock and poultry manure treatment: Harmless treatment and resource utilization of livestock and poultry manure such as pig manure, chicken manure, cow manure, and sheep manure.
2. Agricultural waste treatment: Crop straw, rice husks, edible mushroom residue, sugarcane bagasse, and other waste products.
3. Sludge treatment: Sludge from urban sewage treatment plants, sugar mill filter mud, and paper mill sludge.
4. Municipal solid waste treatment: Composting of organic municipal solid waste and kitchen waste.
5. Industrial organic waste: Food processing waste, pharmaceutical residue, and brewing waste.
6. Landscaping: Composting and fermentation of garden pruning waste and fallen leaves.
Suitable scenarios: Fermentation, composting, and moisture removal operations in organic fertilizer plants, compound fertilizer plants, sludge and waste treatment plants, horticultural farms, orchards, and button mushroom cultivation plants. Suitable for aerobic fermentation and can be used in conjunction with solar fermentation chambers, fermentation tanks, and transfer machines. When used with a transfer machine, it can achieve multi-tank functionality.
Raw Materials for the Equipment
The trough-type compost turner can handle a wide variety of raw materials, mainly including:
| Raw Material Category | Specific Raw Materials | Pretreatment Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Livestock & Poultry Manure | Pig manure, chicken manure, cow manure, sheep manure, duck manure | Moisture content 50%–65%, mix with auxiliary materials |
| Crop Straw | Corn straw, wheat straw, rice straw, bean straw | Crush to ≤10 cm |
| Agricultural By-products | Rice husk, peanut shell, cottonseed hull, mushroom residue, distiller’s grains & cake meal | Used as auxiliary materials to adjust C/N ratio |
| Sludge Category | Municipal sludge, sugar mill filter mud, paper mill sludge | Mix with dry materials to adjust moisture |
| Domestic Waste | Kitchen waste, fruit peel, vegetable leaves | Sort and remove non-biodegradable substances |
| Others | Biogas residue, distiller’s grains, Chinese medicinal herb residue, sawdust | Proportion materials according to their characteristics |
Raw Material Proportioning Requirements:
1. Carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C/N) adjusted to approximately 25:1
2. Moisture content controlled at 50%–65%
3. pH value controlled at 6–9
4. Materials are pre-piled in the fermentation trough, with the pile height not exceeding the turning depth.
Working Principle of the Equipment
The working principle of the trough-type compost turner is based on the organic combination of mechanical transmission and aerobic fermentation.
I. The working process is as follows: The electric motor directly transmits power to the cycloidal pinwheel reducer, which then drives the turning drum to rotate via a sprocket drive. The turning blades (tooth-like prongs) distributed in rows or spirals on the drum cut into the material during rotation, turning, stirring, and moving the material in the fermentation trough from the bottom. The material can typically be pushed a distance of 0.2–1 meter.
This process achieves three core functions:
1. Turning and Oxygenation: The material comes into full contact with air, providing ample oxygen for aerobic microorganisms.
2. Crushing and Mixing: The turning and threshing wings break the material into small clumps, making the viscous, dense raw material pile loose and elastic.
3. Moisture Regulation: Forced water vapor release during the turning process helps reduce the moisture content of the material.
II. Temperature Regulation Mechanism: During the operation of the turning machine, the raw material clumps come into full contact with and mix with air. The pile can retain a large amount of fresh air, which helps aerobic microorganisms to actively generate fermentation heat and raise the pile temperature. When the temperature is too high, the replenishment of fresh air can lower the pile temperature, forming an alternating state of medium-high temperature-medium-high temperature, where various beneficial microorganisms can grow and reproduce rapidly within their suitable temperature range.
Equipment Parameters
| Model | Main Motor | Walking Motor | Lifting Motor | Mobile Car Motor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FD3 | 7.5kw*2 | 1.5kw | / | 1.5Kw |
| FD4 | 11kw*2 | 1.5kw | / | 1.5Kw |
| FD5 | 15kw*2 | 2.2kw | 0.75kw | 1.5Kw |
| FDT3 | 7.5kw*2 | 1.5kw | 0.75kw | 1.5Kw |
| FDT4 | 11kw*2 | 1.5kw | 0.75kw | 1.5Kw |
| FDT5 | 15kw*2 | 2.2kw | 0.75kw | 1.5Kw |
Equipment Operation Methods
1) Pre-Trial Run Inspection
1. Check that the reducer and all lubrication points have sufficient lubricating oil.
2. Check the power supply voltage. The rated voltage is 380V. The voltage must not be lower than the voltage regulation range during equipment operation; otherwise, the equipment cannot be started.
3. Check that the connections of the motor and electrical components are secure, and ground the motor with a wire for safety.
4. Check that all connections and bolts are secure. Tighten any loose connections.
5. Check the material accumulation height.
2) No-Load Trial Run
1. First, run the turning equipment. If the rotation direction is reversed, stop immediately and change the three-phase circuit connection.
2. While the equipment is running, listen for any abnormal noises from the reducer.
3. Touch the bearings to check if their temperature is within the specified range.
4. Observe whether the rotating stirring blades rub against the ground.
3) Load Trial Run
1. When starting the turning equipment, start the winch or hydraulic lifting device and slowly lower the turning roller to the bottom of the fermentation tank.
2. Depending on the ground level, if the overall level error of the same ground is less than 15 mm, the blades of the turner can be controlled at approximately 30-50 mm off the ground.
3. If the fermentation tank ground level cannot reach this level, the turning blades can only be controlled at approximately 50 mm off the ground.
4. After adjusting the position of the turner roller off the ground, adjust the equipment to the working walking speed for turning.
5. During the turning process, observe carefully. If the blades hit the ground, lift the turner roller immediately to avoid damaging the equipment.
6. During the load test, the transmission components should operate smoothly without abnormal noise.
7. The electrical control system should operate stably, start and stop sensitively, and act accurately.
8. If the turner blades are found to be obstructing the motor during the turning process, to avoid overloading the equipment and damaging the motor, before shutting down the equipment, check whether there is any accumulated material in front of the turning roller, and then raise the turning roller above the highest accumulation point of the material in the tank.
4) Safety Precautions
1. No one should pass in front of or behind the turner during production. Warnings should be given before starting the machine, and personnel should stay away from the machine to prevent accidents.
2.No maintenance or lubrication is allowed during production.
3.When turning or turning the pile, always follow the specified speed; do not exceed the speed limit.
4.No one other than the machine operator may operate the machine.
5.Operators must not operate the turner if they have consumed alcohol, are unwell, or are not well-rested.
6.For safety, all tracks of the turner must be grounded.
7. Power must be disconnected when replacing cable trays or cables.
8.Always observe the hoist when raising or lowering it to prevent the drum from being lowered too low and damaging the blades, and to prevent over-extension, which could damage the hoist shaft and bearing housing.
9.Replace the hoist wire rope immediately if it is frayed or has more than 7 broken wires.
Common Equipment Problems and Solutions
| Fault System | Fault Phenomenon | Possible Causes |
|---|---|---|
| Compost Turning System Fault | Difficult compost turning | Excessively thick material layer; severe deformation of cutters & shaft or winding of foreign matters; foreign matters stuck on transmission gear or gear damage |
| Uneven compost turning | Improper roller rotating speed; mismatched traveling speed; worn mixing blades | |
| Blades scraping ground | Too low ground clearance of roller; uneven ground surface | |
| Materials wrapped around roller | Overlong materials; excessive weeds | |
| Traveling System Fault | Unstable traveling | Foreign matters inside traveling sprocket or rack; bent transmission shaft |
| Abnormal noise or overheating of reducer | Lack of lubricating oil; worn bearings; foreign matters jammed inside | |
| Track wear | Long-term operation; uneven track installation | |
| Electrical System Fault | Difficult or failed motor startup with buzzing noise | Excessively worn or damaged bearings; deformed & bent reduction shaft; too low or too high voltage |
| Malfunction of electric control system | Damaged contactor; short circuit of circuit; faulty limit switch | |
| Soft starter failure | Improper parameter setting; overload operation | |
| Hydraulic System Fault (FPY Type) | Slow lifting speed | Insufficient or deteriorated hydraulic oil; internal leakage of oil cylinder |
| Shaking during lifting process | Air bubbles mixed in oil liquid; air suction caused by poor sealing | |
| Complete failure of lifting | Hydraulic pump failure; stuck solenoid valve; failed oil cylinder sealing | |
| Automatic descending after lifting | Worn piston sealing ring of oil cylinder; failed hydraulic lock |
Comprehensive Maintenance Strategies
1. Key Component Monitoring: Easily damaged parts such as turning tools, chains, and bearings should be prioritized for monitoring, and replacement records should be established.
2. Environmental and Site Management: Keep the work area clean, removing stones, metal debris, and other hard objects; optimize pre-treatment of compost materials and control moisture content.
3. Technological Upgrades and Intelligent Transformation: Install sensors to monitor parameters such as temperature and vibration in real time to achieve fault early warning.
4. Establish Fault Records: Record the time, cause, and handling method of each fault, and analyze the root causes of common problems.
Application of Equipment in Organic Fertilizer Production Lines
The trough-type compost turner is the only core equipment in the fermentation section of an organic fertilizer production line. The entire organic fertilizer production line is divided into a raw material pretreatment section, a trough-type aerobic fermentation section, and a post-treatment granulation section. The compost turner connects these stages:
1. Upstream Support: After crushing and mixing with a batching mixer to adjust the carbon-nitrogen ratio and moisture content, the raw materials are transported to the fermentation tank, where the compost turner completes the composting process in about 20 days.
2. Core Fermentation Section: The compost turner repeatedly turns and tosses the compost, completing the harmless treatment and stabilization of the organic materials, and killing insect eggs, pathogens, and weed seeds inside the compost pile.
3. Downstream Support: The fully composted organic raw materials are transported to a crusher and a drum screener. After screening, they are divided into powdered organic fertilizer products for direct packaging. If granulated organic fertilizer is required, the material is sent to the granulation section for further processing.
Fermentation Process of the Equipment
1. Aerobic Fermentation Process Flow
Raw Material Pretreatment: Mix livestock and poultry manure with straw powder and other auxiliary materials in a certain proportion, adjust the moisture content to 50-65%, and the C/N ratio to about 25:1.
Inoculation with Microorganisms: Add a special organic fertilizer fermentation agent.
Pile Construction and Feeding: Feed the mixture into the fermentation tank using a loader, ensuring the pile height does not exceed the turning depth.
Turning and Fermentation: Use a trough-type turner to turn the pile regularly, generally every 2-3 days.
Temperature Monitoring: The pile temperature rises to 50-65℃ and is maintained, with the high-temperature period lasting 5-7 days.
Relocation and Pushing: Each time the pile is turned, push the material backward by 0.2-1 meter, gradually moving the material from the feeding end to the discharge end.
Post-Ripe Aging: After the temperature drops below 40℃, the aging stage begins.
Discharge: The fully decomposed material reaches the end of the fermentation tank and is discharged by a loader to proceed to the next process.
2. Key Control Parameters for Fermentation
| Parameter | Control Range | Regulation Method |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon-Nitrogen Ratio (C/N) | Around 25:1 | Adjust by adding straw, rice husk and other carbon-rich materials |
| Moisture Content | 50%–65% | Adjust by adding dry materials or spraying water |
| Aeration Oxygen Content | 8%–18% | Controlled by compost turning frequency |
| Fermentation Temperature | 50–65℃ (Ideal: 60–70℃) | Adjust by compost turning for heat dissipation or heat preservation measures |
| pH Value | 6–9 | Adjust by adding lime or acidic raw materials |
| Compost Turning Frequency | Once every 2–3 days | Adjust according to fermentation temperature and material condition |
| Turning Depth | 0.6–1.5 m | Adjust via lifting / hydraulic system |
3. Fermentation Cycle
High-Temperature Fermentation Period: 7–10 days (temperature 50–65℃)
Transfer Fermentation Period: Material is gradually moved from the feed end to the discharge end
Post-Ripe Aging Period: 7–10 days
Total Fermentation Cycle: Usually 15–25 days, depending on the tank length and turning frequency
4. Advantages of Tank Fermentation
Tank fermentation has become the main production method for organic fertilizer production enterprises in my country due to its low construction cost, simple management, and large processing capacity. Turners can break up clumps and stir the compost, allowing deep compost to contact with air and improving fermentation uniformity.
Summary of Equipment Advantages and Features
1) Advantages Compared to Other Types of Compost Turners
| Comparison Item | Trough Compost Turner | Crawler Compost Turner | Walking Compost Turner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site Requirements | Precast fermentation trough required | No trough construction, operates on ground | Flat and hardened ground required |
| Processing Capacity | Large (100–450m³/h) | Medium (50–150m³/h) | Small (30–80m³/h) |
| Automation Level | High | Medium | Low |
| Floor Space | Small (deep trough design) | Large | Medium |
| Infrastructure Investment | Fermentation trough construction required | No infrastructure needed | Low |
| Operation Cost | Medium | Medium-Low | Low |
| Applicable Scale | Medium & Large Scale | Large Scale | Small Scale |
2) Core Competitive Advantages
1. High Efficiency: Stable operation, uniform turning, and large processing capacity
2. High Automation: Centralized control cabinet, enabling manual or automatic control
3. Compact and Stable Structure: Advanced technology, no slippage or jumping
4. Long Service Life: Durable and robust teeth, capable of crushing and mixing materials
5. Small Footprint: Deep trench and long working distance design saves composting area
6. Strong Adaptability: Can be used with solar fermentation chambers, fermentation tanks, and transfer machines, etc.
7. Multi-Trench Function: Can achieve multi-trough function when used with a transfer machine
8. Smooth Start-up: Equipped with a soft starter, resulting in low impact load during startup
9. Safe and Reliable: Limit switches provide safety and limit functions
10. Low Cost: Reasonable design, easy to use, low cost, and wide application.
The trough-type compost turner, as a core piece of equipment in the fermentation section of medium-to-large-scale organic fertilizer production lines, has become the preferred fermentation equipment for organic fertilizer plants, compound fertilizer plants, sludge and waste treatment plants, and button mushroom cultivation plants due to its compact structure, high efficiency, high degree of automation, small footprint, and low cost. Its trough-type aerobic fermentation technology can convert organic raw materials such as livestock and poultry manure and agricultural waste into high-quality organic fertilizer within 15-25 days, achieving the dual goals of resource utilization and environmental protection.
The trough-type compost turner can evenly mix livestock and poultry manure and inoculants, and effectively crush clumps in the fermentation material, increasing aeration. Under the transport of the traveling mechanism, the high-speed rotating turning wheels pile up and scatter the fermentation material, allowing for full contact between the material and air, resulting in better fermentation. With the action of the shifting machine, composting production can be transformed from single-trough to multi-trough fermentation, and the machine can be arbitrarily switched between multiple troughs for turning, realizing multi-trough use with a single machine.
During the selection and use of this machine, users should choose the appropriate model (standard/lifting/hydraulic lifting type) based on the actual fermentation tank size, raw material quantity, site conditions, and budget. Strict adherence to operating procedures and maintenance requirements is crucial to ensure safe, efficient, and long-term stable operation of the equipment. This machine features a reasonable design, high efficiency, low energy consumption, high automation, ease of use, low cost, and wide application, making it a popular and efficient model among users.
Whether you need a fermentation compost turning machine or plan an entire fertilizer production line—from fermentation turning and crushing to granulation, drying, cooling, screening, and packaging—we can provide you with a one-stop solution.
