Integrating mixed microbial population dynamics into modeling energy transport during the initial stages of the aerobic composting of a switchgrass mixture

A mathematical model which integrates empirically derived microbial growth kinetics with heat and mass transfer phenomena and substrate degradation kinetics has been developed to capture the dynamics of the aerobic composting of a switchgrass and dog food mixture over a period of 64 h. The model incorporated three microbial populations of yeasts, bacteria and fungi that metabolized composting material consisting of sugars and starches, cellulose and hemicelluloses to produce heat and utilize oxygen in a static, cylindrical reactor employing forced aeration. Model predictions captured well the dynamics obtained experimentally between physical and microbial variables and the model has the potential to become a predictive tool for substrate degradation during aerobic composting processes.