Researchers from Caltech have developed a solar-powered, self-cleaning toilet able to convert human waste into hydrogen and fertilizer.
Caltech’s toilet system uses the sun to power an electrochemical reactor. The reactor breaks down water and human waste into fertilizer and hydrogen, which can be stored in hydrogen fuel cells as energy. The treated water can then be reused to flush the toilet or for irrigation. The system can function off-grid and without any subsurface infrastructure.
A pump sends treated, recycled water back to a reservoir on the top of the toilet. The toilet is completely self-contained, no sewer connection required. It can run off the grid, and it can treat waste water in just three to four hours.
The project was funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to build a solar-powered portable toilet that could help solve a major health problem in developing countries.
For further details visit:
http://www.caltech.edu/content/caltech-scientist-awarded-grant-develop-solar-powered-sanitation-system