title: Conceptual energy and water recovery system for self-sustained nano membrane toilet.
abstract: With about 2.4 billion people worldwide without access to improved sanitation facilities, there is a strong incentive for development of novel sanitation systems to improve the quality of life and reduce mortality. The Nano Membrane Toilet is expected to provide a unique household-scale system that would produce electricity and recover water from human excrement and urine. This study was undertaken to evaluate the performance of the conceptual energy and water recovery system for the Nano Membrane Toilet designed for a household of ten people and to assess its self-sustainability. A process model of the entire system, including the thermochemical conversion island, a Stirling engine and a water recovery system was developed in Aspen Plus®. The energy and water recovery system for the Nano Membrane Toilet was characterised with the specific net power output of 23.1 Wh/kgsettledsolidsand water recovery rate of 13.4 dm3/day in the nominal operating mode. Additionally, if no supernatant was processed, the specific net power output was increased to 69.2 Wh/kgsettledsolids. Such household-scale system would deliver the net power output (1.9-5.8 W). This was found to be enough to charge mobile phones or power clock radios, or provide light for the household using low-voltage LED bulbs.
authors.affiliation: Combustion and CCS Centre, Cranfield University, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, UK.
authors.forename: Dawid P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Hanak
authors.affiliation: Offshore Renewable Energy Engineering Centre, Cranfield University, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, UK.
authors.forename: Athanasios J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Kolios
authors.affiliation: Offshore Renewable Energy Engineering Centre, Cranfield University, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, UK.
authors.forename: Tosin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Onabanjo
authors.affiliation: Bioenergy and Resource Management Centre, Cranfield University, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, UK.
authors.forename: Stuart T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Wagland
authors.affiliation: Power Engineering Centre, Cranfield University, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, UK.
authors.forename: Kumar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Patchigolla
authors.affiliation: Bioenergy and Resource Management Centre, Cranfield University, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, UK.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fidalgo
authors.affiliation: Combustion and CCS Centre, Cranfield University, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, UK.
authors.forename: Vasilije
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Manovic
authors.affiliation: Cranfield Water Sciences Institute, Cranfield University, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, UK.
authors.forename: Ewan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McAdam
authors.affiliation: Cranfield Water Sciences Institute, Cranfield University, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, UK.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.affiliation: Competitive Creative Design Centre, Cranfield University, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, UK.
authors.forename: Leon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Cranfield Water Sciences Institute, Cranfield University, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, UK.
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tyrrel
authors.affiliation: Cranfield Water Sciences Institute, Cranfield University, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, UK.
authors.forename: Elise
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cartmell
keywords: Energy recovery; Nano Membrane Toilet; Non-sewered sanitary systems; Process modelling; Reinvent the Toilet Challenge; Thermochemical conversion