title: Resistance to forced airflow through layers of composting organic material.
abstract: The objective of this study was to adjust equations to estimate the static pressure gradient of airflow through layers of organic residues submitted to two stages of biochemical degradation, and to evaluate the static pressure drop of airflow thought the material layer. Measurements of static pressure drop in the layers of sugarcane bagasse and coffee husks mixed with poultry litter on day 0 and after 30 days of composting were performed using a prototype with specific airflow rates ranging from 0.02 to 0.13 m(3) s(-1) m(-2). Static pressure gradient and specific airflow rate data were properly fit to the Shedd, Hukill & Ives and Ergun models, which may be used to predict the static pressure gradient of air to be blown through the organic residue layers. However, the Shedd model was that which best represented the phenomenon studied. The static pressure drop of airflow increased as a power of the material layer thickness and showed tendency for decreasing with the biochemical degradation time of the organic material.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Avenida PH Rolfs, Campus Universitário, Viçosa 36570-000, Brazil. Electronic address: teixeiraleocadio@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Denis Leocádio
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Avenida PH Rolfs, Campus Universitário, Viçosa 36570-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antonio Teixeira
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: de Matos
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Avenida PH Rolfs, Campus Universitário, Viçosa 36570-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Evandro de Castro
authors.initials: Ede C
authors.lastname: Melo
mesh_terms: D000392:Air Movements; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011312:Pressure; D059027:Recycling; D012987:Soil; D018505:Waste Management / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D012987:Soil
keywords: Aeration; Aerobic process; Organic solid waste; Static aerated pile; Static pressure drop