• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.238-243
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• 2001

Mass reduction and physicochemical properties of the produced compost were investigated during composting domestic food wastes without additive. A small composter used in this study had the height of 15 cm from the center of bottom half circle (diameter 24 cm) up to under the lid, the side length of 50 cm and the horizontal lid angle of $50^{\circ}$ and was operated at the heating unit temperature of $85^{\circ}$. It was mixed by the rotating arm for two minutes in every half hour while supplied with air flow at 3 L/min for 10 minutes in every half hour. This condition was found in a preliminary experiment as optimal for keeping the water content of composting material in the optimal range without adding any bulking materials. The domestic food wastes were added into the composter at the rate of 1 kg/day without additives during composting. The results were as follows; during the composting process, water content maintained in the range of $51.0{\sim}53.5%$. Hemicellulose and lignin contents did not show any tendency, but cellulose content decreased. During the composting process, $NH_3-N$ and $NO_2-N$ were not detected due to nitrification. The contents of inorganic compounds did not increase during the composting process. They were in the range of $1.32{\sim}1.71%\;P_2O_5$, $1.29{\sim}1.48%\;CaO$, $0.41{\sim}0.49%\;MgO$, and $0.38{\sim}0.74%\;K_2O$. For 20 days, weight reduction rate was 67.5% in wet basis, and decomposition rate was 48% in dry basis. Concentration of heavy metals (Cu, Cr, Cd, Pb, Zn, Hg, As) was less than the limiting value of the compost. Maturity of the produced compost was 3 grade through reaching maximum temperature of $46{\sim}48^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.217-222
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• 2011

This study was carried out in order to reduce the amount of underground water which is used in the double layered single span plastic greenhouse for retaining heat. For this research, two plastic green houses of the double layered single span plastic greenhouse were installed. There was equipped of internal small tunnel for keeping warm air in the interior of the house. Then the internal small tunnel for keeping warm air was fitted with PVC duct of 50 cm in diameter filled with subsurface water. The surplus solar energy in the greenhouse was stored in the water in the PVC duct. Four FCUs (Fan Coil Unit), which has the capacity of 8,000 kcal per hour, were installed in the middle of the house, and a circulation motor in heat storage water tank was operated from 10:30 a.m. to 16:00 p.m. in order to circulate water between the water tank and the FCUs. Consequently about 5 degrees celsius could be maintained in the interior of the internal small tunnel for keeping warm air with the external temperature of lower than minus 5 degrees celsius. It appeared that the alteration of an internal temperature of the house was flexible depending on the sunlight during daytime. To prevent the water freezing, mixing antifreezing liquid in the water or operating FCU continuously was needed. Also, in order to use the surplus solar thermal energy on plastic green house of water curtain system efficiently, storing the surplus heat during daytime simultaneously finding a method of using water curtain systematic underground water happened to be important. As a result of this research, when the house's interior temperature is below zero the operation of FCU appeared to be impossible. Considering the amount of water used in the house with water-curtain-heating system is 150~200 ton per day, using the system mentioned in this research showed that reducing the underground water more than 80% in order to maintain the internal temperature as the level of 5 degree celsius at the extreme temperature of minus 5 degrees celsius.