Heating with compost. New trend: using compost for heating and water heating. Advantages of underfloor water heaters
In this article you will learn how you can heat your home using a compost heap, the so-called de Payne mound. This design was invented by French farmer Jean Payne in 1970. The heat received from this mound is enough to provide hot water throughout the year.
The video below shows at an accelerated pace how the mound described below is built
This video shows the same process, only on a more global scale.
The total thermal energy output over 18 months is approximately 1.5 GW. After the fermentation cycle is completed, the mound is used as high-quality fertilizer.
Location and foundation
The mound should be located as close to consumers as possible hot water. Please note that you will need access from one side of the mound for equipment (tractor or cart). Construction begins with creating a level of aerated foundation surface by pouring a circle of dry coarse wood chips, approximately 60 cm thick and 1.5 m in diameter larger than the mound itself.
To improve the ventilation of the lower/central part of the mound, it is recommended to lay perforated pipes from the outside of the mound to the center, laying them on a foundation (wooden chips), rolling them in a circle. Flexible corrugated 4-inch perforated drainage pipe - perfect solution, but, for lack of a better one, any large-diameter perforated pipe will do.
The pipes can be rolled into a circle under the bottom cut of the foundation layer, or they can pass straight through, but the top of the pipes must be covered with wood chips. If you have 30-40 cubic yards (about 23 cubic meters) of "hot mix" (bark mulch or a mixture of mulch, wood chips, sawdust, manure). The diameter of the bottom of your mound should be 16-18 feet (about 4.8-5.5 meters) and the diameter of the foundation 20-22 feet (about 6-6.7 meters).
Center and perimeter. Measurements
Mark the center of your mound with a stake. Tie a rope to it, the length of which is equal to the radius of the foundation of your mound. Have your helper walk in a circle while you mark the perimeter with pegs. future design. Do not remove the center peg. After this, mark the diameter of the base of your mound (as written above, it should be 1.5 m less than the foundation). Place a 60cm layer of hot mix, or bark mulch, on top of the foundation, forming the base of the mound. Distribute the material as evenly as possible, avoiding compaction.
Power pipes.
Next, you need to lay the “supply” pipes (hot water will flow from the mound to consumers) and “return” ( cold water will come from consumers to the mound). The “supply” pipe must be laid from the consumer through the center of the mound. Temporarily tie this pipe to the central stake, leaving 3 meters of margin so that you can connect it to the pipe in top layer embankments.
Return
The authors recommend using 90 m polyester pipe reels.
Leave the end of the return pipe next to the pipe leaving the hot water consumers. Begin laying the pipe in a circle, wrapping it around the center peg, towards the outer edge, avoiding kinks in the pipe. (60 cm for the first central section of the coil). Unwinding the pipes gradually, lay them around the first ring of the coil, maintaining a distance of 15-20 cm between the pipes. Use cinder blocks or stones to hold the coils of the coil on the base.
For a 4.8m base you should make 7 turns of the coil, this will be approximately 36 meters of tube. The first (outer) turn of the coil should be half a meter from the outer edge of the “hot mixture”. Once you have finished laying the first layer of coil, place the coil outside on the foundation.
Hot mix."Hot Mix"
Pour several cubic meters of “hot mix” over the top of the first coil, leveling it with a rake until it is level with the cinder blocks. Cinder blocks are needed so that the coil turns do not move during installation and as a level for the mixture, and it is easier to determine the thickness of the layer. Once you have spread the mixture to be level with the top edge of the cinder blocks, remove them and fill the remaining voids with the mixture. To avoid compaction of the “hot mix,” spread it with a rake while standing on the foundation.
Repeat the previous two steps for layers 2 and 3. Because the mixture will crumble from the outer turns of the coil, and the mound will begin to narrow. This means that you will need to reduce the distance between the coil turns (from 20-25 cm to 15) to get 270 m of coil, based on a mound with a volume of 22 cubic meters. You will get 7-8 layers of spiral coil. For layers 4 and 5, you will have to reduce the number of coil rings from 7 to 6. For layers 7 and 6, the number of rings will decrease from 6 to 5, while maintaining the distance between coils of 15 cm and the distance from the edge of the embankment to the outer coil of the coil equal to 25 cm.
When you have laid all the layers of the coil, the top/last layer must be connected to the “supply” pipe that you left earlier. The authors use a propane torch for these purposes. Then cover the last section of the coil with at least 40 cm of the mixture. Do not forget that when laying each section of the coil, you should, if possible, try to avoid compacting the mixture, and use cinder blocks to measure the thickness of the layer and temporarily fix the coil.
External thermal insulation.
When you finish building the main part of the mound, laying a heat exchanger coil inside, you will need to make breathable thermal insulation of the interior. To do this, you need to cover the mound with a layer of wood chips or unpressed hay. This will provide air access, with passive ventilation, to the bacteria inside and increase productivity in winter period. The thermal insulation layer should be 30-60cm thick.
After completing the construction of the mound, it is necessary to connect the pipes to hot water consumers. You can install tanks to store hot water, or distribute it to consumers using collectors. It is necessary to install a pump that will pump hot water into the reservoir, from which, in turn, the greenhouse and heated floor of a residential building will be powered. Any competent plumber can design a similar water distribution system for you.
Your compost mound should be producing water at a temperature of 50-60 degrees within 10 days of completion. If the mound is excessively wet during construction due to rain, this process may take 3-4 weeks until the mixture dries out. 1.5m thermometer probes are an excellent tool to measure mound temperatures in various locations.
Once the temperature of your mound reaches 50-70 degrees, you can fill the system with water. Make sure there are no air jams. It is necessary to flush water through the system until it is completely filled. You can then calculate the thermal performance of your system. The easiest way is to measure the temperature of the water entering the mound, then measure the temperature and flow rate of the water leaving the mound. A 22 cubic meter embankment with a 270 meter coil should provide a stable outlet temperature of 45-60 degrees, with a flow rate of 1-4 liters per minute with an incoming water temperature of 7 degrees. By increasing the water flow rate from 1 to 4 l/min until the temperature begins to decrease, you will know the performance of your system. Testing must be done within an hour. For this test, you can use flow meters, thermometers, which are used for measurements in solar collectors.
Once you know the outlet temperature and measure the water flow, you can calculate the approximate thermal output of your embankment. For example: if your water flow is 3 l/min with an incoming water temperature of 10 degrees and an outlet temperature of 55, then the delta-t is 45 degrees with a water flow of 180 l/hour. Next, we calculate the thermal power using the formula Q=V*(1.16*T). Where Q is the power in kilowatts, 1.16 is the heat capacity of water, and V is the water flow rate (cubic meters per hour). In this example, the result is 9.3 kW/h. This turns out to be 38,000 kW/h in 6 months. You can search on the Internet how to convert these numbers into kilograms of coal, firewood or cubic meters of gas. Please note that your mound will last 12-18 months.
Such a mound, with a small tractor, 5 assistants and all the materials, can be built in 8 hours. True, laying the coil, filling it with mixture, and leveling it with a rake is hard work.
The authors are experimenting with various options mixture to get more heat for more long term. Hard wooden materials can give more heat than soft ones. But hard wood produces heat over a shorter period of time than soft wood.
It is important that part of the mixture consists of crushed wood chips to provide air access for bacteria and create the necessary area for their reproduction. A mound made only of wood chips will give a temperature of 35-45 degrees in summer, spring and autumn, but will cool down in winter. Bark mulch will give a temperature of 50-60 degrees if it is not contaminated with industrial waste. Rot-resistant wood varieties will not produce heat and should not be used. Pine can be used in small quantities. Wood chips mixed with sawdust or manure will also work. The heat output and the value of the resulting humus will depend on the quality of the raw materials after your mound stops generating heat. The humidity of the mound is also important; with high humidity, water will fill the gaps between the chips and sawdust and reduce the access of oxygen. At low humidity, the biological activity of bacteria will decrease. Optimal humidity 30-50%. Breathable thermal insulation will keep the mound cool in winter. The pipes can be reused, which will reduce the cost of subsequent buildings. When laying pipes, mark their location, this will avoid difficulties when you tear down the mound
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March 7, 2015Imagine that you can heat water and heat your house using the energy obtained from compost without buying or burning fuel, and at the same time producing a bioproduct, a ton of which costs more than a ton of coal. Modern innovations based old idea made compost energy available to many people.
You might think that getting energy from compost involves bad smells and manure, but that's not true. In fact, the system of generating heat from compost, on the contrary, reduces the odors of the rotting process, and this is its additional advantage.
IN recent years a surge in agriculture in Western countries encourages investment in increasing the production of high-quality compost. Rising costs and supply disruptions in conventional fertilizers such as potash are driving demand for quality compost. In addition, increased requirements for plant products prohibit the use of conventional chemical fertilizers for their production.
Investments in compost production have in turn spurred various innovations in the area of generating heat from compost. As a result, several viable methods for producing heat from compost in a controlled manner have emerged.
Today there are many examples of households, greenhouses and farms that use heat and hot water obtained from compost energy systems, eliminating or reducing the need for conventional combustion fuels. Such systems range from simple low-tech installations that produce energy from sawdust and shavings, to large engineering installations on farms and compost plants.
An engineered system for generating heat from compost was developed by Agrilab Technologies and Acrolab Ltd. It is known as Isobar. This installation moves the hot humid air from the compost to the heat exchanger. In this case, the water in the heat exchanger is heated to 50 – 60 °C. The Isobar pays for itself in less than five years and is ideal for compost plants and farms with 100 cows or more, or similar farms with similar amounts of manure produced, feed stocks, food residues or forest residues.
A few words about how heat is released in compost. In short, any biomaterial, given a sufficient amount of thermal mass, air and moisture, will undergo a natural thermophilic process of composting, in other words, rotting.
The microbes that produce heat during the composting process need food, air, and moisture just like any other living organism. Even aside from the ability to use that heat, there are many other benefits to the process, such as killing pathogens in soil production.
French farmer Jean Payne developed a simple method of using heat and heating water from compost wood chip piles in the 1970s, but his method was forgotten after his death in 1981. And 10 years ago, a group of enthusiasts brought his method back to life.
There are now several Isobar installations that are successfully operating and produce 0.3 kWh per ton of compost over an eight-month cycle. On average, a ton of compost produces 410 kW of thermal energy, equivalent to $45 in fuel savings. Forty-five dollars per ton of compost is a lot of money, since a ton of high-quality coal costs $40.
Keywords: hot water, water heaters
With the coming summer season, many families (or rather part of the families, consisting of grandparents and children - grandchildren) move to dachas, villages, etc.
Fresh air, nature, fresh vegetables “from the garden” and all the other advantages of countryside life are simply delightful. But separation from urban comfort is also perceived as an inevitable price to pay for all these pleasures. And among these losses is the lack of “constant” hot water. Sometimes it's just depressing! It’s not normal for you to wash your face in the morning, or to wash yourself in the evening, or to wash the dishes, or... In short, hot water is not a luxury, but a norm of life! Let's look at ways in which we can “get” hot water in a dacha (village), and preferably without much effort. Methods like “heat in a kettle” or “heat with a boiler in a bucket” are immediately rejected as “emergency”. We will consider only those that solve the problem once and for all, and the result of the solution is a faucet from which hot water flows. Anytime you want. Like in a city apartment. So:
Electric water heaters
There are two types - flow and storage. Flow-through heaters heat water directly as it flows through the heater. Since heating must occur quickly (albeit of a small volume of water), the heater power is rarely less than 1.5-2 kW. Moreover, hot water does not flow in a stream, but flows in a trickle. So high power heater is a serious obstacle to their use in country conditions. Here the transformers are not very good, and the wiring... And even in the event of a power outage (which is not uncommon in rural areas) everything turns into a useless toy. It is also difficult to use, for example, in the evening, when there is a peak increase in the load on the network. In general, it is not known what such a heater has more advantages or disadvantages.
A storage type heater is nothing more than a container of 20-30-50-100 liters, with a built-in electric heater with a power of up to 0.5-1 kW and placed in a thermal insulating casing that allows you to retain heat for a long time, for example, several days. One-time hot water consumption high temperature(75-85 degrees) is unlikely to exceed several tens of liters (even if we are talking about a bathhouse), so there is no point in installing a heater with a capacity of more than 50-100 liters.
The small relative power of the heater (usually combined with a thermal relay) allows you not to “force” electrical network. And in 10-20 hours the heater calmly heats the water to a high temperature and enters standby mode. As the water is consumed, a new portion of cold water enters the container, which slightly dilutes the hot water and the heater turns on again. Storage heaters require a permanent connection to a water source in the form of a water supply or storage tank, from which it feeds the heater. Otherwise, the heater may fail. This also introduces some inconvenience. Even if you have your own well or well, at a minimum you need to install a mini-water tower or install an automatic pump with a receiver that maintains pressure in the water supply. On the other hand, installing your own water tower for 1-2 tons of water (plastic tanks for 800-1000 liters is not a problem at all now) solves many water supply problems at once. There is no need to constantly run the pump; it is enough to pump fresh water into the tank once a week.
You can make a storage-type water heater yourself by ordering a 50-100 liter stainless steel tank from a metal workshop, embedding a heater with a thermal relay into it and placing the tank in a box with a heat insulator (sawdust, mineral wool, polystyrene foam).
Solar water heaters
As is known, in middle lane Russia for every square meter surface, perpendicular sun rays, 750-1000 Watts of energy drops in 1 hour. That is, approximately 1 kW/hour. If you learn how to “collect” it and force it to heat the water, then you will be provided with warm water from April to October. You just need to arrange the “right” one solar water heater.
The vast majority of summer residents have only progressed as far as a black-painted barrel placed on the roof summer shower. At this point, work on the “exploitation” of the Sun is considered completed. And such barrels stick out next to the houses, like monuments to stupidity. The water in them is heated to a hot state at most 10-15 times per season. Meanwhile, by carrying out the simplest modifications to even such a heater, you can significantly (manifold!) increase its efficiency and be hot water almost constantly. And these works will not require large amounts of labor or expenses. What needs to be done?
Please note that the barrel is on the roof “as is”. That is, completely “naked” and almost always open at the top, that is, without a lid. Now pay attention to how much of the surface is illuminated by the sun - at most 20% of the surface of the barrel can be considered “approximately perpendicular” to the rays. What about the rest? 50% of the surface is simply in the shade, i.e. it does not absorb solar energy, but on the contrary - it emits heat! Because as soon as it warms up above the ambient temperature, the barrel immediately turns into a heat emitter - you can’t fool nature. The same radiation occurs at the ends of the barrel. Now add almost constant wind blowing over the barrel. Complete calm is a rare occurrence. And every 10 meters per second is guaranteed to reduce the surface temperature by 10 degrees! So what do we end up with? Those pitiful crumbs of heat that the water in the barrel receives from a narrow strip of the surface of the barrel, located perpendicular to the sun, are immediately dissipated by back side barrels are carried away by the wind.
Therefore, if you want to really make the Sun work for you, you need to do this kind of work. The barrel must be placed in a box. The side of the box that will be facing the sun has walls either made of glass or made of durable polyethylene film. And the half of the barrel that is in the shade should be covered with a heat insulator. For example, you can put sawdust in a box, wrap the barrel with a soft heat insulator such as polyurethane foam, etc. In other words, the barrel must be placed in a special greenhouse and additionally insulated so as not to radiate heat. And of course it is necessary to exclude the wind blowing the barrel. Do this, and on the second day you will take care of the supply of cold water, because the water in a thermally insulated barrel will heat up not to a measly 30-40 degrees sometimes, but to 60-70 and almost always. And such water will already need to be diluted cold water for use.
An even more advanced solar water heater can be made if you equip a real solar collector. Since we cannot increase the power of the Sun, we can increase the amount of heat received only by increasing the surface area. To do this, two pipes are connected to the barrel. One as close to the bottom as possible, the other higher. The collector itself is connected to the nozzles using thermally insulated hoses. The collector can be, for example, a flat metal container. The simplest collector is a black hose, carefully rolled into a spiral and placed in a flat box, covered with glass or film. The inside of the box is lined with household foil.
The main requirement for the operation of such a collector is the absence of air locks in the system and the possibility of constant circulation of water. That is, as water is consumed, its supply in the barrel must either be replenished, or the upper pipe must be arranged in such a way that the flow of water is not interrupted and water plugs do not form. The barrel itself, of course, must also be thermally insulated.
The operation of such a collector is based on the simple law of nature that cold water is denser than warm water and tends to sink down. The water in the collector is heated and displaced by colder water from the barrel, supplied through a hose from the lower pipe.
But the Sun is the Sun, but this is still the mercy of nature. And sometimes the weather is cloudy for a week or two. So what then? And then it is better to supplement the system with other types of heaters.
Catalytic heaters
For those who are seriously involved in work on summer cottage and prepares compost, this phenomenon is probably known. If you take about half a cubic meter (or more) of grass, straw, and other small plant debris, pour it thoroughly with water, and compact it, then this debris begins to “burn.” Not with an open flame, of course, but to rot, releasing a large amount of heat. Moreover, the temperature at the “epicenter” exceeds 100 degrees or more. There are numerous cases of spontaneous combustion of stacks of raw hay and stacks of straw. And the operation of such a reactor lasts for several weeks, regardless of the weather and external temperature. And you can always replenish the supply of “fuel” by mowing a bag of other weeds. Why not use this heat to heat water? Yes, easily.
Of course, you will need a thermally insulated barrel, again with two pipes and hoses. But here you will need a more complex collector than a solar one. Firstly, only metal, and secondly, with flexible hoses. For example, a pipe - a heated towel rail - is suitable as such. You can buy several meters copper tube and connect adapters to standard 3/4″ or 1/2″ threads to its ends. The tube can be bent in the form of a “snake” or a spiral.
The "reactor" itself is wooden box approximately 1?1 meter (it can be arranged in the shade of the most summer shower, bathhouse or kitchen). After placing approximately 1/3 of the existing grass in the box, place the collector and the remaining grass. Water it generously and trample it down. Then the box is closed plastic film. After 1-2 days, the process of rotting begins in the box and it begins to “give out” almost boiling water.
After 2-4 weeks, when a significant part of the raw material burns out, this can be seen by the settling of a pile of grass and a decrease in temperature, the reactor is dismantled and the fuel supply is replenished.
What is especially valuable about such a heater is that it does not require any maintenance, works on its own and, in addition to heat, also produces compost - the most valuable organic fertilizer. Moreover, without weed seeds - they are simply digested there, unlike, for example, manure. In addition, in combination with a solar collector operating on the same capacity, it is possible to build an “indestructible” water heating system. I don't know what would have to happen for you to be left without hot water.
This heater is good if you always have the opportunity to mow 2-3 bags of grass. If this is not possible, then you can arrange a “samovar” in the rear of the shower.
Wood heater
At one time, water heaters were very common. They looked like a potbelly stove, only small in size, with an oblong container mounted on its pipe. They fulfilled their task, although the small size of the stove firebox caused a lot of trouble when preparing firewood.
Meanwhile, such a design as a samovar has long been known. The firebox, as you know, is located inside the water tank itself, which makes the efficiency of such a water heater quite high. And most importantly, such a firebox is absolutely indiscriminate in fuel. Anything can serve them. From cones to fairly long sticks - as long as it fits into the pipe (fuel is loaded into the samovar through a pipe).
If there is a welder in the area, a workshop, or you “know how to do it yourself” - make such a collector - a samovar, repeating its standard design one to one, only making a container of 20-30 liters and connecting it to a storage barrel with heat-insulated pipes. A few logs of firewood will be enough to provide hot water for the whole family to take a shower. The shower is a light structure. It will be enough to turn on hot water in it for a minute, and it will warm up all over, so there is no need to heat it itself. It will be heated by falling hot water. During the period from May to September inclusive, this is quite enough.
Like this in simple ways You can easily get hot water at the dacha and constantly.
The method of generating heat from compost was developed by the Frenchman Jean Payne in 1970, and this technology has not lost its relevance today. This method is actively used in European countries and is called Biomeiler. Biomailer is a system for obtaining heat from a special compost heap (biomass).
The process of cellulose fermentation by aerobic bacteria is accompanied by the release of carbon dioxide and heat, as well as various other substances that are of little interest to us within the framework of our topic (more about the process). At this stage we are interested in heat. Let’s immediately clarify that if the compost contains, in addition to cellulose (branches, leaves, tops and other plant waste) there will be components containing nitrogenous bases (for example, animal droppings, manure, organic waste), then some other bacteria will come into play and our newly made bioreactor will also begin to release methane, which can be used as a source of fuel for gas stove, and, with sufficient quantity, for heating. But for now let's talk about the heat we get from plants.
During the composting process, aerobic bacteria convert organic matter (such as shredded branches and plant debris, corn and beet tops) into heat and carbon dioxide. This process occurs around us constantly and everywhere: on the earth and in the soil. This heat can be used for space heating and hot water; the temperature inside the compost heap reaches 60°C.
Biomailer is very simple system. It only requires pipes, water and the warmth of the compost. The only moving part of the system is the standard circulation pump central heating. This simple design reduces maintenance costs and risks of breakdown.
The biomailer requires oxygen to operate, so you should not place this pile of organic matter in an underground bunker - the fermentation process will not stop, but will slow down greatly, which will affect the amount of heat that can be taken from the pile. I really like the idea of hot water supply “for the lazy” - 3-4 days of work and 6-8 months you can wash your hands in warm water.
A compost heap in which several “floors” of heating pipes are buried. Pipes in horizontal rows absorb more heat, but it is more difficult to disassemble the pile after rotting. The tubes on the core are much easier to remove, but produce less heat. From the point of view of the duration of operation of the heat exchanger, the water should be softened.
In order to provide your home with hot water, you will need a lot organic waste(biomass), most often these are grass clippings, fallen leaves, small branches, sawdust, straw, shredded paper and food waste. At first glance, nothing complicated, but as always there is a fly in the ointment - all this material will be needed at a specific time, so to speak, “in one day” and this creates some complexity. But why are there no such difficulties? If you study the method and prepare in advance, it is quite possible to solve the problem. To fully understand the essence of the water heating technique, it is necessary to highlight several details that are worth considering.
Aeration of the compost heap.
The compost heap must have sufficient size to prevent rapid loss of heat and moisture and ensure effective aeration throughout the entire volume. When composting material in heaps under natural aeration conditions, they should not be stacked more than 1.5 m in height and 2.5 m in width, otherwise the diffusion of oxygen to the center of the heap will be difficult. In this case, the heap can be stretched into a compost row of any length.
For larger piles, a hollow cylinder is inserted into the center of the pile to allow air to pass through. This will allow the pile to aerate from the inside as well. That's why it's a compost heap and not a pit. And that is why the frame is a mesh (or a frameless pile) - no walls, partitions, etc. - this impairs air exchange.
Air exchange also improves if the pile is piled on top of a couple of layers of pallets or on thick layer thick branches and dead wood - air can pass from below. The compost heap is regularly “pierced” with a crowbar in all directions - channels are created for air penetration. But it makes holes neatly, since pipes with coolant are buried in the pile.
Based on the above, we need to provide in advance ways to aerate the compost mass in order to obtain a sustainable fermentation effect. In addition to forming the heap in a favorable shape, you can use additional means:
- insert aeration pipes into the compost;
- add septic tank bacteria to compost;
- place the compost on an air cushion
The ratio of nitrogen and carbon in compost for heating water.
The nitrogen to carbon ratio is also important for composting. The “green” part of the compost is grass, leaves, eggshell, fruit and vegetable waste, etc. - contain much more nitrogen. The “brown” part - branches, twigs, sawdust, etc. contain more carbon. If there are a lot of nitrogenous components, then the temperature rises faster. However, a lot of ammonia (a nitrogen-containing compound) is released, which kills bacteria. And the heap may “die.”
The optimal proportion is approximately 25% “green” compost and 75% “brown”. Mix them thoroughly to avoid rotting areas. That is why the heap is not made of grass, but mainly of chopped branches.
Heat transfer management in Biomailer technology.
The composting temperature depends on the composting stage:
- The initial stage when low-temperature bacteria work. Depends on air access and water availability.
- The second stage is a rise in temperature. Bacteria that can withstand high temperatures come into play. They multiply, the temperature rises. From temperature environment up to 45-50°C.
- The third stage is the maximum temperature. Value - 65-70°C. Only bacteria that can withstand this temperature work. At this stage, rapid dehydration of the compost occurs. And at the same time - very fast consumption of organic matter. The more active this phase is, the faster the next one comes.
- The fourth stage - the temperature is again about 40°C - when there is little food left for bacteria and water.
The question is how long each stage lasts. It depends on many factors, and the spread can be almost 10 times. But speed can be influenced, and primarily by water. The most critical and high-temperature stage, which would be nice to slow down (after all, it sometimes lasts only a week) is the third stage.
The optimal humidity of compost is 60-70%. Obviously, the lower the humidity, the slower the decay (and the lower the temperature). And, on the contrary - more water, the higher the temperature, the compost heating will last less time.
Therefore, you need to decide
- what temperature of water is needed
- How long
And react accordingly by watering or lack thereof to rising temperatures.
The composting temperature can also be influenced by cooling.
The mechanism is simple: heat from the compost heap in the Biomailer technology is taken through a heat exchanger and goes into the house. Consequently, it is necessary to intensively withdraw water - the heat exchanger cools, the heating circuit in the humus pile cools down, and the compost also cools down.
So, everything is simple - but not so simple as to lie with your belly up, as in central heating. But then - independence from external sources energy that is in modern conditions relevant.
But let's move from theory to practice.
Design options There can be a large variety of biomailers, it all depends on the complexity of the design, which in turn can be made from a primitive heap to a high-tech installation. Based on the above, we can talk about the construct biomailer. The design of this facility largely depends on the availability of space and, moreover, on the availability of the amount of biomass. Therefore, we need to think about a more high-tech method of manufacturing a biomailer:
- Obviously requires the use of a boiler indirect heating water, where a separate circuit will extract heat from the biomailer heat exchanger;
- Myself biomailer can be designed in the form of several compact installations. For example, use Eurocube containers, cutting technological holes in them at the top for loading biomass;
- Provide the necessary aeration and moistening of the biomass by installing pipes into the compost for these purposes;
- Organize thermal insulation biomailer, for example wrap mini- biomailer mineral wool or other insulation;
Key question: How much hot water do we get from the biomiler? Here is the answer from the German site
A Biomeiler with 50 tons and 120 m³ of compost (a pile of approximately 5 meters in diameter and 2.5 m in height), with 200 meters of pipe inside the compost, produces constantly 4 liters of water per minute at about 60 degrees Celsius (with an initial water temperature of 10 degrees). This is equal to 240 liters of water per hour = 10 kW (about the same as with 1 liter liquid fuel). A 50-ton pile operates for 10 months or more.
By the way, a nuance: you can use 2 lines in compost heap. One of water pipes, for heating water. And the second is an air duct for heating the air (organization air heating). In the “air” case, a heat exchanger is not needed; the pipe picks up cold air from the floor and returns it hot.
You also need to take into account: a pile of more than 50 tons practically does not react to winter frosts. Mini biomailers “freeze” for the winter, and in the spring they start working again if you do not provide thermal insulation for the biomailer.
Biomeiler calculation (from the site http://native-power.de/en/native-power/calculate-size-your-biomeiler):
| Round base | |||||||
| Diameter | Height | Square | Layers | Volume | Energy output | ||
| m | m | m² | pieces | m³ | kW | ||
| 4 | 2.1 | 13 | 2 | 20 | 1.1 | ||
| 5 | 2.8 | 20 | 3 | 40 | 2.6 | ||
| 6 | 2.8 | 28 | 3 | 60 | 4.2 | ||
| 7 | 3.5 | 37 | 4 | 100 | 7.9 | ||
| 8 | 3.5 | 50 | 4 | 145 | 11.3 | ||
Conclusion
In the given examples and calculations of the biomailer, heating is taken into account running water, with an incoming temperature of +10°C and an output temperature of +60°C, this is the work of a real reactor, because the temperature must be raised by +70°C, while the incoming water will constantly cool the reactor. But in fact, we do not need a reactor of such power. It is enough if the biomailer generates (continuously) a temperature of 40-60°C, through which we will pump coolant from the indirect water heating boiler. This circulation will be constant and around the clock, in connection with this, at the entrance to the biomailer there will be water with a positive temperature, which will need to be raised by 10-20 ° C, and this is not so difficult task. For example, in cloudy weather, a solar collector heats the coolant to only 40°C, and this is enough to heat water in an indirect heating boiler to 80°C.
These facts suggest that it is quite possible to make a mini-biomailer at home, in any individual household, and use it not only in warm time year, but also in winter and not only for heating water, but also for heating the house with a water heated floor system.
