NTU scientists create toilet which turns poo into electricity - Polidicks

[quote] SINGAPORE: Scientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have developed a new toilet system that converts human waste to electricity and fertiliser. Dubbed the "No-Mix Vacuum Toilet", the system has two chambers which separate liquid and solid wastes. It also reduces the amount of water needed for flushing by up to 90 per cent, compared to current toilet systems in Singapore. The conventional water closet uses about four to six litres of water per flush. With the vacuum suction technology, only 0.2 litres of water is needed to flush liquids, and one litre of water to flush solids. NTU Assistant Professor Chang Wei-Chung from the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering said the system has many benefits. "The new system will not only save water, but the most important thing is we can convert the natural human waste into something very useful, such as the fertilisers, the biogas, energy and electricity as well. So that is its biggest advantage," he said. It is not just toilet waste that can be turned into useful material. Used water from the laundry and shower can also be released back into the drainage systems. Leftover food wastes can also be sent either to the bioreactors or turned into compost and mixed with soil. Scientists have been working on the system since 2010. "Singapore has been relatively clean over the last few decades, but we can still improve a little bit," said Associate Professor Wang Jing-Yuan, director of NTU's Residues and Resource Reclamation Centre. "In Singapore, we don't have natural resources, that's why we've been thinking, 'can we use all these waste materials?' To me, all these waste materials, they are resources." Asst Prof Chang added: "We'll try to create a seamless experience, so that the user will probably not feel the differences. Except for the vacuum. The vacuum will create noise levels, which is very similar to the vacuum system you use in the airplanes. But we believe we are trying hard from the technology side to lower these barriers." There are now plans to carry out a six-month trial, starting in July. Prototypes will be installed in two toilets in NTU and will be used by some 500 students. Talks are also underway to test bed the project in a new town in two years' time. Scientists hope to commercialise the system and export it to other countries in the future.[/quote] [img]http://www.channelnewsasia.com/components/display_image.php?id=499553[/img] [url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/video/index.php?vidfile=w120626_sg_pooloo.flv]Explanation video[/url] [url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1209934/1/.html]Source[/url]

Oh god that canister...

The scientists who created this have way, [b]WAY[/b] too much time on their hands.

That's a shit hot idea. (oh god they're coming)

This is how McDonald's make their chocolate milkshake

[QUOTE=TheBatman;36522060]Oh god that canister...[/QUOTE] Looks like the scientists self tested their invention :v:

[QUOTE=TheBatman;36522060]Oh god that canister...[/QUOTE] THE FOAM AND RESIDUE ON THE TOP

The shit spun the fan

and then we create a massive power station where people are hired to eat taco bell and use the toilet all day

[QUOTE=Andokool12;36522355]THE FOAM AND RESIDUE ON THE TOP[/QUOTE] Makes you wanna pop it open and take a great big swig of it, doesn't it? ...what?

Sounds like some real [B]power[/B]ful [b]shit[/b]

It pains me to think conventional toilets swallow 5 liters of fresh water per flush... ice-cold fresh water is my fave drink, and to hear so much of it going to waste really chaps my hide.

I thought the japanese invetion which turned poop into food was much more spectacular.

[QUOTE=Hullu V3;36522764]I thought the japanese invetion which turned poop into food was much more spectacular.[/QUOTE] [url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/16/scientist-poop-burger-video_n_878210.html]Delicious sewage burgers[/url]. The Japanese and Singaporeans should merge minds on this toilet project.

Just give me a fiery vindaloo and i can power Great Britain until about 2035

i was drinking tea thanks

[QUOTE=MendozaMan;36522461]Makes you wanna pop it open and take a great big swig of it, doesn't it? ...what?[/QUOTE] Makes you just wanna stick a big ol' straw in and take a hearty gulp

In Norway we use waste to generate power in some neighborhoods. We also have some [URL="http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/01/oslos-buses-to/"]poop-powered buses[/URL].

I'm not entirely sure how the hell they expect just one liter to handle turds. Maybe they have really easy to flush shits in Singapore? Plausible given Taco Bell isn't as big there. Still, one liter? I wouldn't want one in my house. I don't think it could handle the load.

[QUOTE=MajorMattem;36522078]The scientists who created this have way, [b]WAY[/b] too much time on their hands.[/QUOTE] Yeah, these dicks need to stop dicking around with ways of producing clean, sustainable energy already, we've got plenty of oil.

[QUOTE=just-a-boy;36522721]It pains me to think conventional toilets swallow 5 liters of fresh water per flush... ice-cold fresh water is my fave drink, and to hear so much of it going to waste really chaps my hide.[/QUOTE] The water doesn't really go to waste. It gets purified and cycled right back in. That ice cold fresh water you love to drink likely has been in a toilet numerous times over the millions upon millions of years it has existed. [editline]27th June 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=~ZOMG;36523426]Yeah, these dicks need to stop dicking around with ways of producing clean, sustainable energy already, we've got plenty of oil.[/QUOTE] I somehow doubt a turd-munching genset is going to be powering all that much, and getting power out of poo is anything but clean. Highly sustainable near fast food joints though.

[QUOTE=MajorMattem;36522078]The scientists who created this have way, [b]WAY[/b] too much time on their hands.[/QUOTE] Why does this occur to you with THIS invention? Why do theoretical AIDS and cancer cures, hyperspeed wireless technology, and methods of landing rovers on Mars become valid scientific researches, yet an efficient and power-generating toilet is the work of men with "too much time on their hands"?

I can imagine having a shit then eating a burger made out of my own shit that is created using the electricity generated from my shit.

I guess the faeces separate into layers over time in the canister and different layers can be used for different things like they do with crude oil.

[QUOTE=TestECull;36523425]I'm not entirely sure how the hell they expect just one liter to handle turds. Maybe they have really easy to flush shits in Singapore? Plausible given Taco Bell isn't as big there. Still, one liter? I wouldn't want one in my house. I don't think it could handle the load.[/QUOTE] One liter flush is completely feasible, it's just the fact that most western toilets are shit and use the simple "dump water on it until it goes in the pipe" assembly.

[QUOTE=DireAvenger;36523671]One liter flush is completely feasible, it's just the fact that most western toilets are shit and use the simple "dump water on it until it goes in the pipe" assembly.[/QUOTE] I've never seen a toilet that doesn't. :v:

dip your head in the canister

Why does the canister need to be clear?

The day it ruptures.. or has some kind of mechanical short causing the vacuum to become a blower.

This is how you waste energy.