| Composting is generally accepted as an environmentally benign process for organic waste disposal. However, when not properly managed, composting can result in the emission of toxic and environmentally hazardous gases, including CH4, NH3, N2O and CO. Due to the potential negative consequences of composting, there is a need to gain a better understanding of the physical conditions that affect these volatile emissions in order to better control them. The objective of this project was to construct a pilot-scale compost reactor, as a platform to study the potential impact of temperature, O2 concentration, airflow rate, and moisture content on the gaseous emissions from compost. The pilot-scale reactor was able to control the temperature and O2 concentration inside of the compost using an automated control algorithm, and continually measure the concentration of CO, CO2, CH4, NH3, and N2O under time-varying temperature and O2 concentration conditions, using FTIR spectroscopy. |
