Evaluation of a cascade artificial neural network for modeling and optimization of process parameters in co-composting of cattle manure and municipal solid waste.

The present study was carried out to improve, test, and validate the Cascade Forward Neural Network (CFNN) for co-composting of municipal solid waste (MSW) and cattle manure (CM). Composting was performed in vessel pilot-scale reactors with different CM rates for 105 days. The CFNN used 5 input variables containing CM and MSW mixture combinations, and 1 output for each of the compost quality parameters. The CFNN results were compared with Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Feed Forward Neural Network (FFNN) results. Multi-objective optimization process using Genetic Algorithm (GA), the total desirability, which has a much better value than the RSM, was obtained as 0.4455 and the CM ratio and processing time were determined as approximately 23.39% and 104.86 days, respectively. It is concluded that CFNN is a unique modeling tool, exhibiting superior modeling and prediction performance in MSW and compost modeling for CM.