System demonstration
From residual to field: one connected, hypothetical scenario.
Change the residual, the drying decision, the recovery route or the end use and watch mass, heat, nutrients, risks and missing evidence respond together. It shows how the questions connect, not what any real operation would achieve.
This is a hypothetical scenario built from user-editable assumptions. Nothing here is a measurement, a recommendation, a design, or a statement about any real plant, product or permit.
Stage 1
Residual characteristics
Stage 2
Treatment decision: drying
Stage 3
Product, ledger and end use
Stage 4
Scenario controls
Every number on this page recalculates from the inputs. The same calculation functions drive the four tools on the Methods page.
Material and nutrient flow
| Step | Mass in (t) | Mass out (t) | Residual or unaccounted | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residual as received | 100 | 100 | dry solids 20 | Input |
| Drying | 100 | 25 | water removed 75 | Mass balance, dry solids conserved |
| Product formed | 25 | 25 | none assumed | No change |
| Sent to land | 25 | 20 | held in stock 5 | Share input |
| Area at stated amount (ha) | 20 | 4 ha | Amount / rate | |
Mass check: water + product + converted material equals the wet residual (closes).
| N | P | K | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In residual | 800 | 400 | 60 |
| In product | 800 | 400 | 60 |
| Not in product (fate unmodelled) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total applied per ha | 160 | 80 | 12 |
| Assumed plant-available per ha | 32 | 40 | 9.6 |
- Heat to evaporate water
- 282 GJ
- Truckloads: wet vs dried
- 4 vs 1
- Closing product stock (dry t)
- 4
- Verified final reuse
- Not verified
Heat uses the latent heat of water and the stated efficiency only. Energy for transport is not modelled. The scenario ledger is a model, so reuse is not verified.
Dependencies
- Water removed depends on starting and target dry solids.
- Heat depends on water removed and dryer efficiency.
- Product nutrient concentration depends on what the route retains.
- Area and loading depend on the amount sent to land and the stated amount per hectare.
- Any end-use statement depends on contaminant, grade and soil evidence that this page does not hold.
Assumptions
- All starting values are hypothetical and user-editable.
- Dry solids are conserved in drying (no losses).
- Latent heat of water is taken as 2.26 GJ per tonne.
- Plant-available fractions are user assumptions, not measured.
- Chemical, biological and contaminant behaviour is not modelled.
Risks flagged
- No PFAS result: no statement about land application or product use can be made.
- Contaminant or treatment-grade data missing: product classification is unknown.
- No receiving-soil or water data: nutrient loading cannot be judged against need or limits.
What follows qualitatively
These consequences are not calculated. Each cites the Atlas relationship it comes from and the kind of basis that relationship has. None has direct supporting evidence registered.
- Contaminant profile constrains product qualification and lawful use. This model holds no contaminant data, so it cannot say which uses are open. R17Editorial systems synthesis
- Total nutrient content is not the same as plant-available nutrient or crop response. Only a controlled agronomic comparison can separate them. R20Editorial systems synthesis
- Product specification and buyer requirements affect whether production has a destination. Not modelled. R32Editorial systems synthesis
How each result was obtained
Open any row to see inputs, formula, assumptions, source, limitations, uncertainty and the evidence needed for a site-specific result. All are illustrative calculations, not measurements from an operating facility.
Dry solids: 20 t calculated
- Inputs and units
- Wet residual 100 t; dry solids 20 %
- Formula or method
- dry solids = wet mass x (dry-solids % / 100)
- Assumptions
- The entered dry-solids percentage describes the whole residual.
- Source or derivation
- Definition of dry-solids fraction (mass balance).
- Limitations
- Illustrative calculation from user-entered hypothetical values. Not a measurement from any operating facility.
- Known uncertainty
- Equals the input uncertainty; real dry-solids measurement has its own error, not modelled.
- Evidence needed for a site-specific result
- Laboratory dry-solids measurements on representative batches.
Water removed: 75 t calculated
- Inputs and units
- Dry solids 20 t; target dry solids 80 %
- Formula or method
- mass after = dry solids / (target % / 100); water removed = wet mass - mass after
- Assumptions
- Dry solids are conserved. No volatile losses, no added solids.
- Source or derivation
- Conservation of mass (mass balance).
- Limitations
- Illustrative calculation from user-entered hypothetical values. Not a measurement from any operating facility.
- Known uncertainty
- Exact for the stated inputs. Real drying can lose volatile solids.
- Evidence needed for a site-specific result
- Measured inlet and outlet masses and dry-solids values for the actual dryer.
Heat to evaporate water: 282 GJ calculated
- Inputs and units
- Water removed 75 t; efficiency 60 %
- Formula or method
- heat = water removed x 2.26 GJ/t / (efficiency / 100)
- Assumptions
- Latent heat of vaporisation taken as 2.26 GJ per tonne. Sensible heating of the material and dryer losses beyond the stated efficiency are ignored.
- Source or derivation
- Latent heat of vaporisation of water (about 2.26 GJ/t near 100 degrees C), a standard physical constant. No citation is registered in this site.
- Limitations
- Illustrative calculation from user-entered hypothetical values. Not a measurement from any operating facility. Understates heat for a real dryer.
- Known uncertainty
- Efficiency is a user assumption. The constant varies slightly with temperature.
- Evidence needed for a site-specific result
- Measured fuel or electricity use of the specific dryer, and its energy source.
Truckloads wet vs dried: 4 vs 1 calculated
- Inputs and units
- Mass 100 t and 25 t; payload 25 t
- Formula or method
- truckloads = ceiling(mass / payload)
- Assumptions
- Payload is by wet mass and is the same in both cases.
- Source or derivation
- Arithmetic.
- Limitations
- Illustrative calculation from user-entered hypothetical values. Not a measurement from any operating facility. Ignores volume limits, return trips and road rules.
- Known uncertainty
- Rounded up to whole loads.
- Evidence needed for a site-specific result
- Actual vehicle payloads, routes and haul distances.
Product mass: 25 t calculated
- Inputs and units
- Mass after drying 25 t
- Formula or method
- product = mass after drying
- Assumptions
- No change to the material other than water removal.
- Source or derivation
- Mass balance.
- Limitations
- Illustrative calculation from user-entered hypothetical values. Not a measurement from any operating facility.
- Known uncertainty
- Exact for the stated inputs.
- Evidence needed for a site-specific result
- Measured product mass.
Nutrients in product: N 800, P 400, K 60 kg calculated
- Inputs and units
- Dry solids 20 t; N/P/K 40/20/3 kg per t dry solids
- Formula or method
- nutrient in product = dry solids x kg per t dry solids x retention
- Assumptions
- All nutrients are retained in the product.
- Source or derivation
- Mass balance.
- Limitations
- Illustrative calculation from user-entered hypothetical values. Not a measurement from any operating facility. Total nutrient, not plant-available.
- Known uncertainty
- Equals input uncertainty.
- Evidence needed for a site-specific result
- Laboratory nutrient analysis of the product, per batch.
Nutrients applied per hectare: N 160, P 80, K 12 kg/ha total; available N 32, P 40, K 9.6 kg/ha (assumed) calculated
- Inputs and units
- Amount 5 t/ha as applied; nutrient per tonne of product from the step above; assumed available fractions 20/50/80 %
- Formula or method
- applied kg/ha = product t/ha x (kg nutrient / t product); available = applied x assumed fraction
- Assumptions
- Available fractions are user assumptions, not measured. No irrigation or soil nutrients are included.
- Source or derivation
- Arithmetic on the entered values.
- Limitations
- Illustrative calculation from user-entered hypothetical values. Not a measurement from any operating facility. Not an application rate. Not compared against any limit.
- Known uncertainty
- Availability fractions are unknown for the specific product, soil and crop.
- Evidence needed for a site-specific result
- Product and soil analyses and a controlled agronomic comparison for the site.
Area at the stated amount: 4 ha calculated
- Inputs and units
- Sent to land 20 t; amount 5 t/ha
- Formula or method
- area = tonnes sent to land / (t/ha)
- Assumptions
- Single application over the whole area.
- Source or derivation
- Arithmetic.
- Limitations
- Illustrative calculation from user-entered hypothetical values. Not a measurement from any operating facility. Land availability and approvals are not considered.
- Known uncertainty
- Exact for the stated inputs.
- Evidence needed for a site-specific result
- Identified receiving land, soil data and approvals.
Closing product stock (dry basis): 4 t calculated
- Inputs and units
- Opening 0 t; production 20 t; sent to land 16 t
- Formula or method
- closing = opening + production - reuse
- Assumptions
- Dry-tonne basis. Sending to land is counted as reuse in the model only; it is not verified.
- Source or derivation
- Stock-flow reconciliation (Methods tool 02).
- Limitations
- Illustrative calculation from user-entered hypothetical values. Not a measurement from any operating facility.
- Known uncertainty
- Exact for the stated inputs.
- Evidence needed for a site-specific result
- Weighbridge and stockpile records.
Outstanding evidence requirements
5 of 5 items are not declared available. Until they are, the scenario above can describe mass and nutrient arithmetic only.
- OutstandingPFAS results for this residual exist.Relevant context: PFAS and emerging contaminants (domain H); PFAS NEMP 3.1 for national context.Decision affected: Whether any land application or product use can be considered at all.
- OutstandingMetals and other contaminant results exist.Relevant context: Contaminant grading (domain H); EPA Victoria Publication 943 for Victorian context.Decision affected: Which product grade and which end uses are open.
- OutstandingStabilisation or treatment grade is documented.Relevant context: Treatment grade under the relevant guideline.Decision affected: Pathogen and vector-attraction treatment, and so permitted use.
- OutstandingA product specification for the end use is identified.Relevant context: Product requirements for the intended use (domains J, K, P).Decision affected: Whether the dried or char product can be marketed or used at all.
- OutstandingReceiving-soil and water analyses exist.Relevant context: Receiving-land analyses (domain K).Decision affected: Whether nutrient loading per hectare is appropriate for the site.