Abstract:Aerobic composting is effective for processing various organic wastes, such as kitchen scraps, domesticated animal manure, and agricultural straw, commonly found in rural areas. However, maintaining a stable small-scale household aerobic composting system outdoors during winter in cold regions poses significant challenges, and there is a lack of a suitable ventilation strategy. An aerobic composting system tailored for rural households in the cold regions was designed, integrating solar thermal storage and power supply, double chambers, and an insulated thermal storage tank. The temperature rises and composting characteristics during the aerobic composting process across different ambient temperatures were studied, while exploring optimal ventilation and odor reduction strategies. The results showed that the design effectively maintained stable temperatures in the composting chamber throughout the day and night, while also achieving preheating of the ventilation air, ensuring the stable operation of aerobic composting. The actual temperatures inside the composting chamber reached 21.9~45℃, 15.7~32.4℃, and 13.5~23.8℃ under ambient temperatures of 15~30℃, 0~15℃, and -25~0℃, respectively. A continuous ventilation rate of 25L/(m3·min) proved optimal during the first 11d, with maximum temperatures in the compost pile reaching 62.3℃, 56.4℃, and 55.2℃ at ambient temperatures of 15~30℃, 0~15℃, and -25~0℃, respectively. For low-temperature environments below 0℃ after the initial 11d, implementing a dynamic ventilation strategy with a rate of 25L/(m3·min) and maintaining oxygen concentrations between 14% and 17% proved beneficial. By the end of the 21d aerobic composting at an ambient temperature from -25℃ to 0℃, the germination index reached 89.89%. In addition, the aerobic composting process incurred no electricity costs. Straw effectively purified the ammonia in the exhaust from aerobic composting, achieving a removal rate from 80% to 95%. The findings can serve as a foundation for enhancing the stable operation of aerobic composting and improving the ecological environment for rural households in cold regions.