Trough Compost Turning Machine

Equipment Overview

The trough-type compost turner, also known as a trough-type turner, is a specialized mechanical device for processing solid organic waste and is a core piece of equipment in composting and fermentation plants. This equipment is mainly used for fermenting and turning organic waste such as livestock and poultry manure, sludge, sugar mill filter mud, pomace, and straw sawdust. It is widely used in organic fertilizer plants, compound fertilizer plants, sludge and waste treatment plants, horticultural farms, and mushroom cultivation plants for fermentation, composting, and moisture removal.

The trough-type compost turner is suitable for aerobic fermentation and can be used in conjunction with solar fermentation chambers, fermentation tanks, and transfer machines. When used with a transfer machine, it can achieve multi-tank functionality. The fermentation tanks it is paired with can discharge continuously or in batches, offering high efficiency, stable operation, durability, and uniform turning.

The compost turner is the core equipment for aerobic dynamic composting, replacing manual labor and loader turning, and is an important product influencing the development trend of the composting industry.

Equipment Structure

The trough-type compost turner mainly consists of the following major systems:

Key Structural Features:

1. The electric motor directly transmits power to the cycloidal pinwheel reducer, then via a sprocket to the turning drum.

2. The stirring blades on the drum are spirally distributed, capable of turning and moving the material in the fermentation trough to a distance of 0.2–1 meter.

3. The bearing seats of the turning device are fixed to the turning machine frame, and the two main shafts are fixed in the bearing seats.

4. Several turning shafts arranged at a certain distance and staggered at a certain angle are welded onto each main shaft, and each turning shaft is welded with a turning plate.

5. The turning device is connected to the traveling device via a pin shaft.

6. Equipped with a soft starter, resulting in low impact load during startup.

7. Limit switches provide safety and limit functions.

Applications of the Equipment

The trough-type compost turner is one of the main supporting equipment in fertilizer machinery units. Suitable for trough-type fermentation, it is a core piece of equipment for the industrial-scale harmless treatment of livestock farming, municipal waste, and municipal sewage sludge. Specific applications include:

This equipment features a reasonable design, high efficiency, low energy consumption, high degree of automation, ease of use, and low cost, making it widely applicable. The trough-type compost turner is typically motor-driven and can be used in environments ranging from -20℃ to 50℃. The length of the fermentation trough can be customized according to the user's site conditions, typically ranging from 50 to 200 meters.

Working Principle of the Equipment

The working principle of the trough-type compost turner is based on aerobic fermentation technology. The core mechanism is as follows:

1) Power Transmission Principle

The electric motor directly transmits power to the cycloidal pinwheel reducer, which then drives the turning drum via a sprocket. The turning shaft and turning plates welded to the main shaft cut and turn the material under high-speed rotation.

2) Turning and Composting Operation Principle

1. Longitudinal Movement: The entire machine moves longitudinally along the tracks on both sides of the fermentation tank.

2. Drum Rotation: The turning drum rotates at high speed, and the stirring blades are spirally distributed.

3. Material Turning and Composting: The material in the fermentation tank is turned and stirred, and then moved backward by 0.2–1 meter.

4. Aeration and Oxygen Supply: The material is fully in contact with air during the turning and composting process.

5. Crushing and Mixing: The clumps in the fermentation material are effectively crushed, increasing permeability.

3) Aerobic Fermentation Principle

Through regular turning and composting, the temperature of the pile quickly rises to 50–65℃ (ideal range is 60–70℃). Under this high temperature condition:

1. Pathogens, insect eggs, and weed seeds are effectively killed.

2. Microorganisms fully decompose organic matter.

3. The fermentation cycle is shortened.

4. The oxygen content of the pile increases, and moisture evaporates.

5. Problems such as odor and seedling burn caused by anaerobic fermentation are avoided.

4) Continuous Fermentation Process

Under the transport of the longitudinal and transverse moving mechanisms, the rotating turning and composting teeth throw the fermentation material up, scatter it, and create a certain displacement. Every day, the fermented material is removed from the end of the fermentation tank, and the space freed up in the tank is replenished with new fermented material, thus forming a continuous fermentation process.

Operating Procedures and Precautions

1) Start-up Procedure: Check (fasteners, lubrication, wiring) → Start the turning equipment → Travel operation.

2) Key Precautions:

1. No-load test run: Check the rotation direction of the drum (adjust phase if reversing), listen for abnormal noises from the reducer, and check if the blades are rubbing against the ground.

2. Loaded operation: Start the lifting device to slowly lower the drum to the bottom of the trough. If the ground flatness error is within 15mm, the blade clearance should be controlled at 30-50mm; if uneven, it should be controlled at around 50mm.

3. Shutdown prevention: Before shutting down, check for any accumulated material in front of the drum and raise the drum to its highest point to prevent excessive starting load.

Common Equipment Problems and Solutions

Based on experience with common equipment malfunctions and troubleshooting, the main problems are as follows:

Application of the Equipment in the Production Line

The trough-type compost turner is a core fermentation device in a complete organic fertilizer production line. In a complete organic fertilizer production line, this equipment is located at the front-end fermentation stage of the process.

I. Typical Organic Fertilizer Production Line Process Flow:

Fermentation (Trough Turner) → Crushing → Mixing → Granulation → Drying → Cooling → Screening → Packaging

II. Specific Working Process:

1. Feeding into the Fermentation Tank: Add the fermentation materials (livestock manure, straw, etc.) to the fermentation tank according to the specified ratio, and evenly sprinkle in microbial agents.

2. Turning and Fermentation: The trough turner travels back and forth along the track of the fermentation tank, turning the material daily, and simultaneously moving it to the other end of the fermentation tank (usually about 3 meters per day), achieving the purpose of moisture regulation and uniform mixing.

3. Fermentation Cycle: Generally requires 10–15 days (12–15 days for some processes).

4. Discharging from the Tank: After the fermentation cycle is completed, the material is discharged from the tank and proceeds to the next process.

III. Functions of the trough turner in the fermentation stage include:

1. Evenly turning the fermented material to ensure full contact with air.

2. Removing some moisture.

3. It can crush large pieces of material and grind small pieces into powder, functioning as a pulverizer.

IV. Multi-tank mode: Using a transfer vehicle (transfer machine), one trough-type compost turner can switch between multiple fermentation tanks, achieving multi-tank operation and significantly improving equipment utilization and return on investment.

Trough-type compost turners offer high cost-effectiveness, simple operation, and low cost, making them suitable for open-air fermentation in small to medium-sized factories with ample space.

Complete Aerobic Fermentation Process in a Trench

1) Overall Process Flow:

Raw material collection → Solid-liquid separation (high-moisture manure optional) → Auxiliary material mixing (straw, microbial agent, recycled material) → Fermentation trough covering → Trench-type compost turner for timed turning and fermentation → Mature compost discharge → Crushing and screening → Powdered organic fertilizer packaging / Granulation deep processing

2) Fermentation Cycle and Turning Frequency Standards:

1. Total fermentation cycle: 15~25 days;

2. Heating stage (1~5 days): Turn over every 2~3 days to quickly raise the pile temperature to 55~65℃;

3. High-temperature harmless treatment stage (5~12 days): Maintain the pile temperature above 55℃ for no less than 7 days, turn over every 3 days to fully kill harmful microorganisms;

4. Cooling and stabilizing stage (12~25 days): The pile temperature drops below 40℃, turn over every 4~5 days, and the organic matter is completely degraded and matured;

3) The core technological roles of the compost turner in fermentation:

1. Oxygen supply: Maintaining an aerobic environment within the compost pile and preventing anaerobic fermentation and foul odors;

2. Temperature control: Releasing excess heat from the compost pile and preventing high-temperature carbonization of organic matter;

3. Homogenization: Mixing materials to achieve a balanced fermentation process and prevent localized raw material accumulation;

4. Dehydration: Accelerating moisture evaporation from the compost pile, reducing the moisture content of the composted material, and decreasing energy consumption for subsequent crushing and drying.

Target Customers for the Equipment

The main target customers for trough-type compost turners include:

1. Large-scale Livestock Farms

Large-scale pig farms, chicken farms, cattle farms, sheep farms, etc., need to process large quantities of livestock and poultry manure. Trough-type compost turners can effectively process pig manure, chicken manure, etc., achieving harmless treatment and resource utilization of manure. The national standard "Trough-type Compost Turner for Manure Utilization in Large-scale Pig Farms" is specifically designed for this application scenario.

2. Organic Fertilizer Production Enterprises

Organic fertilizer plants are the core user group for trough-type compost turners. From small plants with an annual output of 10,000 tons to large plants with an annual output of over 200,000 tons, different specifications of trough-type compost turners can be selected according to capacity requirements.

3. Compound Fertilizer Plants

Compound fertilizer production enterprises that require organic raw material fermentation treatment.

4. Sludge Treatment Plants/Wastewater Treatment Plants

Environmental protection enterprises that need to harmlessly treat and utilize municipal sludge.

5. Sugar Mills/Food Processing Plants: Production enterprises that need to process industrial organic waste such as sugar mill filter mud and distiller's grains.

6. Horticultural Farms/Landscape Companies: Horticultural enterprises that need to process greening waste such as fallen leaves and branches.

7. Button Mushroom Cultivation Farms: Edible fungi cultivation enterprises that need to ferment and prepare mushroom culture media.

8. Environmental Engineering Companies/EPC General Contractors: Engineering companies and general contractors that undertake organic solid waste treatment projects.

9. Agricultural Cooperatives/Modern Agricultural Parks: Large-scale agricultural operators engaged in circular agriculture and ecological agriculture.

The trough-type compost turner, as the core equipment for aerobic composting of organic solid waste, boasts significant advantages such as reasonable structure, high efficiency, low energy consumption, high degree of automation, ease of use, and low cost. Working in conjunction with fermentation tanks, transfer machines, and other supporting equipment, it achieves the harmless, reduced-volume, and resource-based treatment of organic waste.

Compared to disc compost turners, trough-type compost turners offer better cost-effectiveness and simpler operation, making them suitable for small to medium-sized plants with ample space. From small production lines with an annual output of 10,000 tons to large production lines with an annual output of 200,000 tons, trough-type compost turners provide reliable fermentation solutions. Whether it's the treatment of manure from livestock and poultry farms, the harmless disposal of municipal sludge, or the large-scale production of organic fertilizer plants, trough-type compost turners play an irreplaceable core role.

Whether you need a compost turner or plan an entire fertilizer production line—from fermentation and turning, crushing and mixing, to granulation, drying and cooling, screening and packaging—we can provide you with a one-stop solution.