Computer tool for composting process site design and cost estimation
2001
Das, K.C. | Governo, J.D. | Thompson, S.A.
Waste management planners and engineers are sometimes faced with questions of how much land, equipment, labor, and investment is required for a proposed composting operation. The numerous factors that impact process design and costs such as type of materials composted, location of facility, cost of labor, etc. make it tedious to make these assessments quickly. To address this situation, a user-friendly computer program was developed which can be used to design a composting operation based on current scientific and regulatory recommendations. The program uses critical user-inputs such as types of feedstocks, types of equipment, number of workers, and location of the facility, to develop a preliminary design of the composting process and facility, and an estimate of capital and operating costs. The user can quickly generate many different design scenarios that can be used to estimate the feasibility of composting as a waste management option. This article covers a description of the design program, its limited validation, and an application case study. The program was used to evaluate feasibility of a proposed mixed waste composting operation in southwest Georgia. Results of validation showed that predictions matched the actual design with a high degree of accuracy in sizing and capital costs, and to a lesser level in operating costs.
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