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Chain compost turner, also known as chain plate turner or chain plate turner, is a large-scale aerobic fermentation turning equipment with chain transmission mechanism as its core technology. It is designed for deep-trench aerobic composting of various organic solid wastes, including livestock and poultry manure, sludge, municipal waste, distillers' grains, pharmaceutical residues, biogas residues, cassava dregs, furfural residues, humic acid materials, fruit peels, and garden waste. The chain compost turner adopts a multi-link chain plate design, with a turning width of 3-6 meters and a depth of 1.5-2.2 meters, which can realize full-width and full-depth turning without dead angles.
The design philosophy of the chain-type compost turner centers on "deep turning, efficient aeration, and energy conservation." Compared to traditional rake-type compost turners, chain compost turners represent a significant leap forward in terms of turning depth, working width, and material mixing uniformity. It employs a chain-driven structure with rolling-support plates, resulting in low resistance, energy efficiency, and suitability for deep-trench operations. The turning plates are equipped with flexible tensioning and elastic shock-absorption systems to ensure the efficient operation and protection of the drive system and working components. Each turning plate is fitted with replaceable, wear-resistant curved teeth (totaling 390 units), providing strong crushing capabilities and excellent oxygenation of the material pile. During the turning process, materials remain on the plates for an extended period and are dispersed from a height, ensuring full contact with the air and facilitating effective moisture reduction.
Overall Structure and Core Components
The chain compost turner adopts a modular integrated design, and the whole machine is mainly composed of the following six systems: (I) Chain plate turning device: This is the core working component of the equipment, which consists of a transmission chain plate, a turning tray, and high-strength wear-resistant teeth (curved tooth cutter). The chain plates are made of 65Mn alloy steel with a wear-resistant surface treatment, offering excellent corrosion and wear resistance and a service life exceeding eight years. The turning support plates are equipped with 390 replaceable, wear-resistant curved blades, providing strong material-breaking capabilities. The chain plate assembly, fitted with high-strength tines, is driven by a hydraulic motor to circulate continuously; during operation, the chain plates rotate to scoop up material from the trough and transport it to the rear for repositioning.
(II) Travel system: This includes longitudinal travel and lateral shifting mechanisms. The main machine frame is mounted on the fermentation trough and travels longitudinally along rails installed on the trough walls. A turning carriage is mounted on the frame; through lateral and longitudinal movement, it can perform turning operations at any position within the trough. The travel speed is adjustable between 0.3 and 1.0 m/min.
(III) Hydraulic lifting system: The lifting of the turning components is controlled by a hydraulic system, ensuring smooth, safe, and efficient operation. The hydraulic system allows the turning components to slowly descend into the trough, achieving a turning depth of 1.8 to 2.0 meters. The lifting arm mechanism incorporates hydraulic cylinders, enabling the operator to choose between incremental excavation or full-depth excavation based on the resistance encountered during the turning process.
(IV) Power transmission system: The drive system utilizes a hardened-gear reducer, ensuring low noise and high efficiency. It employs energy-efficient motors with all-copper windings (power range: 15–45 kW), ensuring stable operation and low noise levels (controlled below 75 dB). The design utilizes chain transmission and a rolling-support plate structure, resulting in low turning resistance and energy savings.
(V) Frame and rail system: The machine frame is constructed from welded high-quality channel steel, ensuring structural rigidity and stability. The machine body is constructed from high-quality carbon steel and undergoes a triple-treatment process—involving rust removal, anti-corrosion coating, and wear-resistant finishing—to effectively withstand corrosive substances such as livestock manure and humic acids. The fermentation tank width ranges from 2 to 12 meters.
(VI) Intelligent Control System: Equipped with a user-friendly control panel, the system allows for intuitive adjustment of turning speed, depth, and operational paths. Remote control capabilities enable operations such as forward movement, lateral shifting, turning/aeration, and rapid reversing, thereby improving the working environment. When paired with a transfer carriage for lane switching, a single turner can service multiple fermentation lanes, resulting in cost savings.
Applicable Fields and Industry Coverage
Chain compost turners have a wide range of applications. In organic fertilizer production, they are suitable for the large-scale aerobic fermentation of livestock and poultry manure (such as chicken, pig, cattle, and sheep manure). In environmental protection, they are used for the deep-trough aerobic composting of organic solid wastes, including municipal sludge and kitchen waste. They are also applicable to agricultural waste—such as crop stalks and garden waste—and industrial organic waste, including distillers' grains, pharmaceutical residues, biogas residues, cassava residue, furfural residue, humic acid, and fruit peels. The equipment series offers specifications to accommodate various fermentation trough widths.
Operating Principles and Working Mechanisms
The working principle of the chain compost turner is based on the synergistic effect of "chain plate transmission + deep turning". Its operation consists of three core stages:
Chain-plate grabbing and lifting:The machine's main frame is positioned over the fermentation tank and travels longitudinally along rails mounted on the tank walls. When the turning carriage reaches the designated location, the hydraulic system lowers the turning assembly slowly into the tank. The turning assembly (featuring chain plates) begins to rotate continuously while moving forward with the main frame. It continuously scoops up material from the tank and conveys it diagonally to the rear of the frame, where it is deposited.
Dispersion and aeration:The deposited material forms a new pile. The material remains on the carrying plates for an extended period and is dispersed from a height, ensuring thorough contact with the air. With a vertical lifting height of up to 2 meters and prolonged exposure to the air, additional forced aeration is unnecessary. The process ensures uniform oxygen supply without dead zones, providing strong oxygen penetration into the material layer.
Shifting and cycling:After completing a pass along the tank, the hydraulic system lifts the turning assembly to a clearance height, and the main frame—along with the carriage—retracts to the starting end of the tank. For wide tanks, the turning carriage shifts laterally by the width of one chain-plate assembly to begin turning the next section of material. The number of passes required depends on the tank width; for tanks ranging from 2 to 9 meters in width, completing the full turning process requires between 1 and 5 operational passes (cycles).
Core Advantages and Performance Highlights
The chain-type compost turner offers several outstanding advantages: deep turning capability (up to 1.8–2.0 meters), making it suitable for deep-trench operations; wide turning coverage, enabling thorough turning across the entire trench width (3–6 meters) with no dead zones; high material mixing uniformity (exceeding 90%); a shortened fermentation cycle (reduced from 15–20 days to 10–12 days); significant energy savings (energy consumption reduced by over 30% compared to traditional models); stable operation (failure rate below 0.2%); low maintenance costs (material adhesion reduced by 80%, maintenance costs cut by 45%); and a high level of automation, allowing for remote control operation.
