TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Components: In (A), a circumferential directional width of the longitudinal slats is larger than a radial thickness of the slats, where the radial thickness of the longitudinal slats is greater than half an inch (preferably greater than 1.5 inches), and where the circumferential gaps between slats are less than half the circumferential direction width of the longitudinal slats. The entrance cap and the exit cap are provided with many expansion attachment members, where the expansion attachment members comprise a spring element that is placed in a higher energy state when the fuselage member expands due to a thermal expansion. The longitudinal slat members are operatively configured to reduce the heat transfer to an outer metallic shell of the fuselage member. The exit cap comprises an adjustable exit passage. The entrance cap comprises an interior wear pad, where the interior wear pad is provided with first and second sections that are operatively configured to be positioned within the interior chamber region, assembled to an operative orientation and attached to an interior region of the end cap. The longitudinal axis of the fuselage member is horizontal, and is greater than 2 degrees from the entrance portion to the exit portion of the fuselage member. (A) is operatively configured to be controlled such that the temperature within the interior chamber of the fuselage member is maintained at 130-160 degrees F when the rotary composter is in operation. The longitudinal slats are comprised of plastic. (A) further comprises an entrance passage and an exit passage of the entrance cap and end cap respectively, which are positioned in an upper portion of the entrance and exit cap, where the upper portion of the entrance cap and the exit cap are located in the upper 50% region of the fuselage member. In (A), 70% of the volume of the interior chamber is filled with composting material when in operation. The drive mechanism is configured to rotate the fuselage member a rate of at least 6 rotations per hour. The lower portion of the exit passage is in the upper region of the exit cap. The center of the opening of the exit passage is positioned in the upper region of the exit cap. The exit and entrance caps are fixedly and removably attached to the base frame by way of an expanding attachment system, where the expanding attachment system allows a prescribed amount of longitudinal expansion of the fuselage member. In (B1): the entrance portion is provided with a feed mechanism to insert material to be composted in the fuselage member at a height beneath an upper surface of the composting material, and an air convection unit provided with communication to the interior chamber above the upper surface of the material to be composted; the entrance cap is rotatably attached to the fuselage member providing an entrance port positioned in and upper portion of the entrance cap; and the entrance cap is fixedly attached to the fuselage member. In (C1): the interior body is comprised of many longitudinally extending slats spaced apart from one another at a distance less than the circumferential width of the slats, hence providing a chamber region between two adjacent longitudinally extending slats; the entrance cap is rotatably attached to the fuselage member providing an entrance port positioned in an upper portion of the entrance cap, where the entrance port is positioned beneath a level of material to be composted in the fuselage member; and the fuselage member has an air exit port located at the entrance portion and an air inlet port located at the exit portion of the fuselage. Preferred Method: The method further comprises the step of providing an air convection member in communication with the interior chamber to force air into the interior chamber.