Pneumatophore inspired biomimetic approach to design an energy neutral aerator for application in composting

Abstract

An aerator prototype that can potentially be used in composting and other applications was designed and partially validated both qualitatively and quantitatively. The design was inspired from the gross structural features of the pneumatophores namely the lenticels, the airways and the metabolic activity of the tissues to passively facilitate the diffusion of air. There was significant improvement in oxygen diffusion when compared with the control. A 22 fold increase in the DO (Dissolved Oxygen) was achieved using the aerator. When employed in a small scale composting experiment (15 Kg of feedstock) there was a marked qualitative change in the odor reduction and compost texture over a period of 7 days.