Prototype for Moulding Poultry Litter

Abstract

This study presents the possibility of using poultry litter as an effective soil fertilizer, fattening ruminants, and energy production. But fresh poultry litter typically has high moisture content and high volume per unit weight. Therefore, the transportation of large volumes at low bulk densities over long distances is difficult and expensive. Furthermore, its nutrient composition is not constant, and it cannot be safely used as a feed ingredient because it contains pathogens. The main aim of this research is to solve all these problems by developing a prototype that moulds poultry litter to the desired shape and weight by compression and formation to enhance storage, transportation, and off-site utilization. Also, this research aims to determine the effects of moisture content on some physical-mechanical properties of moulded poultry litter. The moulding prototype consists of a power transmission unit, a mixing unit, and a formatting unit. The working principle of the moulding prototype is that the mixture of poultry litter will be formatted under mechanical pressure by rammers fitted into compaction moulds to increase the density of the mixture while converting it into blocks. The results show that the bulk density of poultry litter blocks decreased with increasing moisture content. Durability, rupture force, and decomposition are also affected by moisture content. Moulding increases the bulk density of poultry litter. Therefore, this process is more economical for transporting poultry litter to distant areas. The processed blocks retain their shape during storage and distribution.