Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology – Apparatus – Bioreactor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-09
2001-12-25
Beisner, William H. (Department: 1744)
Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology
Apparatus
Bioreactor
C071S008000, C004S484000, C004SDIG001
Reexamination Certificate
active
06333190
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a method for collecting and composting night-soil and other biodegradable material, in which method the material to be composted is delivered to a space in which a starting bed has been spread out in order to accelerate the breakdown of the delivered material, which is dropped down onto the starting bed, and liquid is separated off from the material and conveyed out from the space for separate processing. The invention also relates to an arrangement for use in implementing the method.
Composting arrangements of the type specified above have long been well known and, from the environmental point of view, represent a much better alternative, for management of biodegradable material, than the water-flushing systems which are commonly used today and which cause serious and increasing damage to the environment. No detailed description of the breakdown process employed will be given here, as this is well documented in, among other places, the patent literature.
If composting arrangements of this type, which can deal not only with night-soil, but also with other degradable domestic waste, are to have wider practical application, it will be necessary for the arrangements to be easy to operate, for their capacity to be increased and adapted to different requirements and conditions, and for them to permit simple rectification of operating disruptions, for example after sabotage or incorrect use.
In earlier composting arrangements of this type, the material is broken down in a fixed container, in which case the compost earth formed is removed via a lower hatch. This arrangement functions well in many cases but can be improved in several respects. This applies, inter alia, to raking out the compost earth, which is done by opening the hatch and raking the earth out into an open container. This may not be altogether acceptable, especially in those cases where the container is placed in a dwelling area or the like.
Removing and replacing the compost bed with a new one, for example after sabotage or incorrect use, where, for instance, an agent intended for a chemical toilet has been poured down into the compost and brought the biodegradation process to a standstill, is a time-consuming and unpleasant task, as the old bed has to be raked out into an open receptacle. Corresponding problems may arise in the event of accidental overloading of a toilet installation, which means that the container has to be emptied before the material has had time to break down. Alternatively, the composting arrangement has to be closed down for a time until the biological process has been able to catch up.
The same problems also arise in the event of temporary use of composting arrangements of this type in, for example, refugee camps or at other locations where large numbers of people gather for an indefinite period of time. When a camp of this kind is to be disbanded, the compost containers also contain fresh night-soil, which has to be dealt with. In this case, there are also serious risks of spread of pathogenic bacteria.
Also, when the owner of a house or apartment equipped with a composting arrangement is moving, it may also be desirable to be able to remove the old composting material and set up a new compost bed.
An object of the present invention is to make available a simple and inexpensive composting arrangement which solves, among other things, the abovementioned problems relating to the management of compost earth, and composting material in the process of breaking down, with minimum risk of spread of infection.
Another object of the invention is to substantially increase the capacity of composting arrangements of this type, among other things by accelerating the breakdown of the delivered material and rendering this breakdown more efficient.
The invention is based on the recognition that, when composting, a volume reduction of 95-98% of the solid material is obtained after complete breakdown to compost earth. This means that a composting container can be used for a long time without needing to be emptied or replaced, on condition that the volume of the entire container can be utilized for composting purposes.
Thus, if a simple and inexpensive container can be found, it will be possible to let the composting take place in the container and, when the latter is full after a long period of use, to replace the entire container with a new one. This avoids the need for continuous raking of the compost earth that has formed, with consequent risks of infection upon contact with incompletely broken down faecal matter.
According to the present invention, this is achieved by the fact that the composting is allowed to take place in a container lined with an inner layer of a flexible, liquid-impermeable material, forming a sack-like container, open at the top, for the composting material.
By means of the fact that the composting can take place in the sack-like container, which also encloses the material upon replacement of the container with a new one, all contact with the material, and thus the risk of infection, are avoided.
By replacing previously known, fixed containers with simple, inexpensive containers consisting of a support structure and an inner tight and flexible lining, it is possible, upon temporary overloading of a composting arrangement, to replace the flexible, sack-like container with a new one and to leave the exchanged container to rest until the biological process has been able to catch up, at which point it can be reinserted into the installation. Alternatively, because of the low cost, the sack-like container can be transported away to a final collection depot for subsequent composting until all the material has been converted to compost earth.
In order to increase the capacity of a composting container and to heighten the efficiency of the breakdown of the delivered material, a further development of the invention provides that the arrangement is designed in such a way that it can be moved between different positions under an opening through which material is delivered to the container. In this way, the delivered material can be distributed across the entire compost bed in the container, which affords a more rapid breakdown as a result of, on the one hand, a larger contact surface with the bacteria-containing and maggot-containing starting bed, and, on the other hand, a greater surface area exposed to the atmospheric oxygen. In addition, the volume of the container can be utilized to the maximum.
According to the invention, this is achieved by the fact that the sack-like container is open at the top and is designed in such a way that it can be pressed in different positions against a ceiling or lowered false ceiling arranged under the floor of an overhead toilet, which ceiling or false ceiling thus forms the cover of the container during the collection period. In this way, the capacity of the arrangement can be multiplied compared to an installation with a container which is fixed in a defined position.
The specific characteristics of a method and an arrangement for collecting and composting night-soil and other biodegradable material are stated in claims
1
and
6
, respectively. Further features of the invention will be evident from the subclaims which refer to the respective independent claims.
By means of the fact that the composting takes place in a sack-like container, all the composting material, both old and fresh, can simply be removed as and when required, for example if the breakdown process has come to a standstill. Thereafter, a new container with a functioning composting bed is inserted. All manipulation of the composting material thus takes place with the latter in a closed, sack-like container, which among other things prevents the spread of pathogenic bacteria, or of eggs from parasite organisms, such as, for example, Schistosoma mansoni, bilharzia. The closed container can also be managed without difficulty in dwelling areas. In addition, the sack-like container can be inserted in any space and does not require any costly, specially manufac
Beisner William H.
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
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