Evaluation of the bio-drying process of municipal solid waste using rotating drums Bio-drying rotary drum

Abstract

Most of the municipal solid waste collected is disposed of in landfi lls and controlled landfi lls. However, effi cient ways of recovering these wastes have emerged, such as bio-drying. This technique uses the exothermic degradation reaction of organic matter carried out by microorganisms along with aeration to reduce the moisture of the waste. The objective of the research was to test the bio-drying technique in a rotary drum.For this purpose, three rotary drums were built, and the tested residue was synthetically produced. The aeration rate tested was 1 liter per kilogram per minute, and rotation was performed for one minute every three hours. The analyses performed on the residues were moisture content, volatile solids, calorifi c value, particle size, and temperature profi le. The residues entered the bio-drying process with a moisture content of 52%, 49%, and 54% and went out with 15%, 13%, and 10% for drum 1, 2, and 3, respectively, a reduction of more than 70%. The calorifi c value increased by 95%, 88%, and 122% for drum 1, 2, and 3, respectively. During the process, no leachate generation was observed.