Solar-Powered Toilet Turns Human Poop Into Fuel


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poop-fuel-toilet.jpg

 

 

A group of researchers at the University of Colorado has designed a new toilet that transforms human poop into fuel. This magical toilet was made as part of the Gates Foundation?s ?Reinvent the Toilet Challenge,? and this toilet has been in the works since 2011.

 

Apparently, this toilet uses mirrors to direct sunlight onto fiberoptic cables to heat up the poop to 600 degrees Fahrenheit, which then turns the poop into charcoal-like substance that can later be used as fertilizer or fuel.

 

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So its sounds a good technology for an interplanetary craft to say Mars where what to do with waste would be a problem.

 

http://sustainablog.org/2014/03/biochar-poop-cu-boulders-new-solar-powered-waterless-toilet/

?Tests have shown that each of the eight fiber-optic cables can produce between 80 and 90 watts of energy, meaning the whole system can deliver up to 700 watts of energy into the reaction chamber, said Linden. In late December, tests at CU-Boulder showed the solar energy directed into the reaction chamber could easily boil water and effectively carbonize solid waste.?

The efforts of the CU Boulder team are funded in part by the Gates Foundation?s ?Reinvent the Toilet Challenge,? which seeks to create and develop a ?next-generation? toilet that can sterilize the liquid and solid waste from the toilet, while also producing a useful product from the waste. The current prototype developed at CU Boulder is designed to handle the wastes of a single family (4 to 6 people), but the team is working on a larger version that could be used by multiple households and still cost less than five cents per day per user (a target set by the Gates Foundation).

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Hmm, interesting. It definitely wouldn't work in certain countries such as my own due to the lack of sunlight.

can always replace sunlight with something say a bicycle paddle to generate heat. paddle and poop, anyone?

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can always replace sunlight with something say a bicycle paddle to generate heat. paddle and poop, anyone?

No, I think I'll just stick to my current toilet. :laugh:

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If only they could turn poop into chocolate. :p

You already can - just leave it in the fridge for a few days and you're good to go.  :shiftyninja:

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