Mathematical Modeling and Simulation of the Stabilization of Organic Matter during the Composting Process

Abstract

Due to insufficient understanding of the complex nature of the composting process, there is a need to provide a useful tool which can help to enhance the prediction of its performance. This work focuses on modeling the stabilization of organic matter during composting, based on coupled mass transfer equations, including biological reactions and heat. Once established, the aforementioned balance equations were solved using the sixth order Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg method and implemented under Python. During the process, the model tended to predict the state variables values (temperature, carbon dioxide production, organic matter degradation and microorganisms growth). This study shows that the obtained results are consistent with previous literature. Carbon dioxide and temperature were the most accurately predicted dynamic state variables.