Efecto de la frecuencia de volteo en el biosecado de residuos sólidos orgánicos

In this work the frequency of turning in the biodrying of three piles composed of a mixture of orange shells (56 %), mulch (25 %) and grass (19 %) inside a greenhouse was evaluated. The turning period was 10, six and three days for the piles 1 (P1), 2 (P2) and 3 (P3), respectively. In the center of P3, 26.87 % moisture was reached in 28 days, while P1 and P2 showed a similar humidity in 37 and 34 days, respectively. After 40 days of processing, the moisture content in the center and the surface of the three piles was stabilized in approximately 20 % and 10 %, respectively. P1 and P2 presented a temperature over 40 ºC in the center in 34 days, while P3 did not exceed 40 ºC after the 26th day. Then, as the dehydration in P3 became faster, the microbial activity in the thermophilic phase lasted eight days less than in the other two treatments. The combustion heat of the material in P3 was 15 852.67 kJ/kg, therefore it has the quality of waste to be combusted according to the European Union for Responsible Incineration and Treatment of Special Waste. Consequently, pile 3, which had the highest turnover frequency, presented the shortest time for the biodrying of organic waste.