Retractable Cover Traps Methane In Compost Pit

Retractable Cover Traps Methane In Compost Pit ENERGY Alternative Fuels 34-1-28 This retractable compost cover was created to meet a challenge from a customer for a retractable cover 20 ft. wide and half a mile long covering a 10-ft. deep trench that held manure. The airtight cover allows all odors and gasses, including methane, to be pulled off for processing. When the compost needs to be turned, the cover retracts temporarily. "We have a unique design that causes the cover to flex upward when it seals," explains Mike Curry. "Aluminum trusses in the cover arch upward like a bow pulled back when the cover is deployed. Without the arch, condensing moisture tends to pull the cover down into the compost." To seal the cover, Curry installed plastic channels on the walls. As the plastic cover is unrolled, a æPoly Fasteners' insert strip snaps the film into place and creates a tight seal. The covering itself is a poly weave material with a polyethylene coating on both sides. It forms an airtight layer resistant to ammonia gas and odors. Once in place, the arched poly cover creates a more uniform temperature, speeding composting time as well as sealing in gasses. The retraction system can be powered by gas or electric motors. Covers can be produced in widths from 3 to 30 ft. "While we are marketing the concept to compost producers, we think a big market will be biogas production," says Curry. "It also has application anywhere an elongated opening needs a retractable cover, whether horizontal or vertical surfaces. For example, it could be used inside greenhouses to automatically unroll shade cloth or plastic to hold in heat on bedding plants." Every system is custom designed with a base price range of $2 to $3 per linear foot with a 20-ft. span. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Curry Industries, 19 Burnett Ave., Winnipeg, Man., Canada R2G 1C2 (ph 204 661-1729; toll free Canada 800 538-0008; toll free U.S. 877 337-8700; curryind@mts.net; www.curryindustries.com).

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