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[Delmar]

I am trying to make something that will automatically aerate a compost bin from inside the pile.

You will have a stationary drill and need to make new material move to the auger. The person in the video is manually drilling a hole, and repeatedly moving the auger to the stationary material.

Otherwise lay a grid of aeration tubes under the mound. Instead of moving the compost to add air, move the air to the compost.

 

[DASH]

2. Augers typically require more torque to start, and less torque to run. Meaning moving the auger through the pile, and not motor surge current which is a whole different subject.
My $0.02 USD is to install a battery and dual-repeat timer to run the auger at preprogrammed intervals.

Otherwise use a rotating compost bin that will be much easier to turn.

The beginning power surge can be substantial. With a proper battery, You could provide power (temporarily) several times that which could be done with solar alone.

 

[boondox]

Otherwise lay a grid of aeration tubes under the mound. Instead of moving the compost to add air, move the air to the compost.

Interesting idea, I'll have to look into that. Any handy links to projects like that?

I find that most of the problem that people have with getting their compost to cook of isn't so much aeration as lack of greens in the compost mix. I have a large garden and only turn my compost once or twice a week at most and have no problem getting it to cook off and ready for use.

 

[Fred S]

For aeration, I wonder if you could use plastic drip-watering tubing with very small holes drilled say every 12", and a VERY small air source. Or, aeration hose may work ok, but I'm not sure if that would leak so much that most of the supplied air would escape over a very small area. Chances are, someone has done this, but I didn't check.

If you stick with the auger approach, perhaps a compromise wouldn't be too bad, where someone would move an apparatus containing the drill and auger back and forth while augering. The apparatus could be a drill+auger bracket with a handle, attached to the end of a horizontal steel pipe. This pipe would slip inside another pipe to provide longitudinal motion. The outer pipe could be fixed at the end away from the compost pile, allowing it to horizontally pivot from that end, maybe 4' off the ground. The other end of this outer pipe could rest and slide back and forth on top of a tall sawhorse next to the pile. The drill/auger at the end of the inner pipe would sweep an arc, and slide in and out of the outer pipe, and so could move in 2D over the area of the pile. Use the bracket handle to move the assembly and rotate it to any angle. (But if you wanted to prevent the inner pipe from rotating inside the outer pipe, you could use square tubing instead of pipe.)

Anyway, this would take less muscle than free-handling the drill and auger. The hardest part would be to build the bracket. Whatever you come up with, I hope it works out!

 

[Hedges]

"Go big or go Home"
I think it is more practical at scale:

Using Small Tractors to Improve Composting Systems in Communities | TractorExport.com

Composting systems for treatment of wood, fiber, food, animal, and other wastes is an important contributor to mitigating the negative effects of climate change. By composting, we sequester more carbon to the soil, reduce the amount of methane released into the atmosphere by alternative waste...

tractorexport.com

Windrow Turners vs Front End Loaders

By Susie Solbrandt - GCM Enviro Many composting sites consider turning compost with a front-end loader as effective enough and don’t see the need to invest in specialised compost turning machinery. Investing in composting equipment which is less versatile can be a costly process, and one not to...

www.gcmenviro.com

Maybe get an old diesel front loader (diesel equipment is being forced out by California) and put in an electric motor.
A Bobcat with forklift batteries would be nice.

But for a small setup, as someone said, cement mixer. Maybe stucco mixer. Best to put epoxy paint on metal interior parts first.

 

[Delmar]

You had to get us started…now look what you’ve done.

Here is my patent pending idea for large scale rotary composter. Get a long length of sewer pipe (30ft ish?) and mount onto a powered roller frame.



Locate the composter on a hillside. Feed compost into the open uphill end of the pipe. As the compost tumbles it will naturally move by gravity to the downhill end where its ready for use. Basically a crude cement mixer.

 

[Fred S]

Very nice!

 

[Deleted member 165]

That's pretty sweet Delmar. I wonder if a rubber drive wheel using friction to turn the drum would simplify things a bit?

 

[Delmar]

Here is my patent pending idea for large scale rotary composter. Get a long length of sewer pipe (30ft ish?) and mount onto a powered roller frame.

For the record the rotary composter image is not mine and was taken from the internet. Nor do I possess anything that can be considered a green thumb. My apologies, and I cannot go back and edit the earlier post.

However the elongated continuous composter concept is my idea, and that I have dedicated my career to continuously processing poor flowing materials like compost. And battery paste.