Compost Engine Update 2022

Compost Engine Update 2022

The bioreactor and watertank

Adding in the beer-through the "IV" port on the water entry shaft.

Adding in the cola through the "IV" port on the water entry shaft.

Fresh Grass and Brown leaves

A soaking layer of the reagents and manure

The Parterre Gardens in April 2022

I added an automated system for injecting water and reactants into the compost engine

I decided to provide a compost engine update 2022 at Mezzacello. The compost engine (formerly the BioReactor - a universally unpopular name here on earth and amongst insurance underwriters - is humming along quite nicely. A key modification is the addition of a port to add the beer, cola and ammonia on the side to inject it right into the water flow.

Rick offered to go to the store and buy more beer, soda, and ammonia for this phase of the project. I had to laugh! He meant well; though he missed the memo on cheap and pure.

When you send your husband to buy the bare necessities. LOL!

A secondary automated pump system for removing the liquids after the 100 L threshold is reached in the base of the compost chamber. That piece will be coming online this spring as well. The best part is that the idea for this sprang from my 17-year old intern.

Borrowing Inspiration

I borrowed the idea of an IV injection port he developed for the biodome enclosed ecosystem project. I thought it was very clever and it seems to work like a charm on the compost engine.

So I will add three carboys of cheap beer, cola and ammonia to the tower's north side. Then I'll add servos that open up a spigot on the carboy on a regular basis and add just the right amount of mixture to the equal ratio of water. The next step is a proper distribution system for the slurry.

Making It Rain

Maybe it can be as simple as a sprinkler activated by the gravity fed pressure from the water from above. I will also need to add a sensor for the water levels in the upper water tank. Last year I added the reactants right to the water and they become less and less effective over time.

The other issue is that I can't use the water anywhere else. Time to adapt and modify! My intern is going to be sharing that water with the biodome.