Cranfield Nano Membrane Toilet

Cranfield University

The Nano Membrane Toilet is a dry-toilet that treats waste on-site without water or energy.

Snapshot
Manufacturing & delivery
Performance & use
Research & standards
Feedback

Product description Brand name and product description

Cranfield Univeristy’s Nano Membrane Toilet treats waste without water or electricity, producing recycled water for household use along with energy and ash. The system uses the membrane to separate water from the waste and gasifies solids. The energy produced can be used to sustain the membrane process and any extra energy could be used to charge electronic devices.

Target region(s) Target region for distribution/implementation (listed by country if specified)

UK and Africa (currently in Ghana)

Distributors/implementing organizations Organization(s) distributing/deploying this product directly to communities/individuals?"

Cranfield University plans to partner with local organizations is target regions to rent toilets to households.

Market suggested retail price Price per unit or service price per usage/terms (USD). Subsidies noted.

The capital cost is expected to be 750 USD.

Competitive landscape Similar products available on the market. May not be a comprehensive listing.

There are no alternative toilets that also use a nano-membrane.

SDG targeted United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targeted with this product/application/service

Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation

Target user(s) Target user/consumer base (country, income segment)

Urban households in Ghana

Manufacturing/building method(s) Detail regarding solution production or construction method (instructions, mass production capacity, custom made,etc...)

The toilet structure is made entirely of composite material and can therefore be manufactured entirely using a 3-D printer and a laser cutter.

Product Intellectual Property Open source/IP protected (note patent)/trade secret/other?

Trademarked

User Provision Model Where can the product be purchased/acquired by end users?

The proposed user provision model is for toilets to be rented by households.

Distribution to date Number of units that have been deployed, downloads or users to date

No distributions to date; the product is still in its testing phase.

Fields marked are sourced values that have been evaluated by the manufacturer or a third party, all others are design specifications.

Toilet type

Type of toilet

Toilet

Evacuation method

Method of evacuation

Dry

Storage conditions

How the fecal sludge is stored

Container Storage

Capacity (L)

The holding volume of the containment

Unknown

Time until emptying

Time until emptying is estimated to be needed

Unknown

Design specifications Component and Operation overview including power, portability, facility requirements, preventative maintenance and user training requirements

The toilet rotates the solid and liquid waste mixture to empty it from the toilet, and then sedimentation separates solids from the mixture. Pathogens and odors are removed as water is transported through the membrane walls in the vapor state, and then recycled for household use. The partly-dry solids are then transported via mechanical screw to a gasifier, which converts the waste to ash and energy. The energy produced continues to power the membrane process, and extra energy can be used to charge devices.

Product schematics Design and assembly illustrations

Additional design information can be found on the manufacturer’s website.

Technical support Technical support provided by

Support is proposed to be provided every six months by a franchised maintenance company.

Replacement components Availability of replacement components (in-country, by order,...)

The technicians would replace the membrane cartridge, bead cartridge, and the polymer.

Lifecycle Disposal and warranty

7 years (average)

Manufacturer specified performance targets Designer / Manufacturer specified targets

Designer specified performance targets include the daily operation cost being 0.05 USD/user/day, the energy recovered being 90 kW/user/day, and the water recovered being 1.5 L/user/day.

Vetted performance Findings of manufacturer evaluations or independent testing centers

Field testing of a prototype was conducted in both a semi-public institutional setting and in peri-urban households in the Republic of South Africa. Additionally, laboratory experiments were conducted to determine that the best cleaning material for wiping the toilet bowl was a silicone rubber with oil-bleed-effect.

The following study explains a new method for quantifying liquid fecal odors, which is an important aspect in promoting user acceptance of the Nano Membrane Toilet. The study also examines various membranes considered for use in the Nano Membrane Toilet.

The following study highlights the potential of slow progressive burning and fuel blending to promote combustion of human feces – an important pre-treatment step for converting feces into energy.

A performance assessment determined that a Sterling Engine within the toilet could potentially provide a net power output while simultaneously reducing harmful gas emissions.

Testing organizations Independent lab, academic research centers, etc.

Cranfield University (quantifying liquid fecal odors, combustion of human feces, and performance assessment). Cranfield University & University of KwaZulu-Natal

Safety Potential hazards / risks related to operation of this product

In the unlikely event that the toilet breaks, the hydrophobic beads pose a potential choking hazard to children.

Complementary technical systems Performance of this product is improved with another technology (eg. Cookstoves and Wind-blocking skirts)

Unkown

Academic research Academic research related to the product (e.g. published papers in peer-reviewed journals)

Hennigs, J., Ravndal, K. T., Blose, T., Toolaram, A., Sindall, R. C., Barrington, D., Collins, M., Engineer, B., Kolios, A. J., McAdam, E., Parker, A., Williams, L., & Tyrrel, S., 2019, Field testing of a prototype mechanical dry toilet flush, Science of The Total Environment, 668, pp. 419–431.

Mercer, E., Davey, C. J., Campo, P., Fowler, D., Williams, L., Kolios, A., Parker, A., Tyrrel, S., Walton, C., Cartmell, E., Pidou, M., & McAdam, E. J., 2018, Quantification of liquid phase faecal odourants to evaluate membrane technology for wastewater reuse from decentralised sanitation facilities, Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, 5(1), pp. 161–171.

Parker, A., 2014, Membrane technology plays key role in waterless hygienic toilet, Membrane Technology.

Perez Lopez, E., 2014, Design and testing of a novel human-powered generator device as a backup solution to power Cranfield’s Nano-membrane Toilet, Cranfield University.

Lieu Le, Ngoc and Nunes, Suzana P., 2016, Materials and membrane technologies for water and energy sustainability, Sustainable Materials and Technologies.

Hanak, Dawid P. et al., 2016, Conceptual energy and water recovery system for self-sustained nano membrane toilet, Energy Conversion and Management.

Kolios, Athanasios et al., 2018, Probabilistic performance assessment of complex energy process systems – The case of a self-sustained sanitation system, Energy Conversion and Management.

Compliance with regulations Product certifications and standards referenced by designer/manufacturer

Unknown

Evaluation methods Evaluation methods/protocols/guidelines referenced by designer or manufacturer.

The manufacturer cites evaluation criteria based on the amount of energy they can produce in specific environments, the environmental impact they have, and how effective they are at killing pathogens.

Other information

Cranfield University produced a video to explain how their toilet works.

Winner of the CleanEquity Monaco 2015 award.

In context photographs (0)

You can use the form below to contribute a photo of this product.

In context files & documents (0)

Feedback from users, customers & distributors

Please let us know your experience in using this product through comments below.

Snapshot

Product description Brand name and product description

Target region(s) Target region for distribution/implementation (listed by country if specified)

UK and Africa (currently in Ghana)

Distributors/implementing organizations Organization(s) distributing/deploying this product directly to communities/individuals?"

Cranfield University plans to partner with local organizations is target regions to rent toilets to households.

Market suggested retail price Price per unit or service price per usage/terms (USD). Subsidies noted.

The capital cost is expected to be 750 USD.

Competitive landscape Similar products available on the market. May not be a comprehensive listing.

There are no alternative toilets that also use a nano-membrane.

SDG targeted United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targeted with this product/application/service

Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation

Target user(s) Target user/consumer base (country, income segment)

Urban households in Ghana

Manufacturing & delivery

Manufacturing/building method(s) Detail regarding solution production or construction method (instructions, mass production capacity, custom made,etc...)

The toilet structure is made entirely of composite material and can therefore be manufactured entirely using a 3-D printer and a laser cutter.

Product Intellectual Property Open source/IP protected (note patent)/trade secret/other?

Trademarked

User Provision Model Where can the product be purchased/acquired by end users?

The proposed user provision model is for toilets to be rented by households.

Distribution to date Number of units that have been deployed, downloads or users to date

No distributions to date; the product is still in its testing phase.

Performance & use

Fields marked are sourced values that have been evaluated by the manufacturer or a third party, all others are design specifications.

Toilet type

Type of toilet

Toilet

Evacuation method

Method of evacuation

Dry

Storage conditions

How the fecal sludge is stored

Container Storage

Capacity (L)

The holding volume of the containment

Unknown

Time until emptying

Time until emptying is estimated to be needed

Unknown

Design specifications Component and Operation overview including power, portability, facility requirements, preventative maintenance and user training requirements

Product schematics Design and assembly illustrations

Additional design information can be found on the manufacturer’s website.

Technical support Technical support provided by

Support is proposed to be provided every six months by a franchised maintenance company.

Replacement components Availability of replacement components (in-country, by order,...)

The technicians would replace the membrane cartridge, bead cartridge, and the polymer.

Lifecycle Disposal and warranty

7 years (average)

Manufacturer specified performance targets Designer / Manufacturer specified targets

Designer specified performance targets include the daily operation cost being 0.05 USD/user/day, the energy recovered being 90 kW/user/day, and the water recovered being 1.5 L/user/day.

Vetted performance Findings of manufacturer evaluations or independent testing centers

The following study highlights the potential of slow progressive burning and fuel blending to promote combustion of human feces – an important pre-treatment step for converting feces into energy.

A performance assessment determined that a Sterling Engine within the toilet could potentially provide a net power output while simultaneously reducing harmful gas emissions.

Testing organizations Independent lab, academic research centers, etc.

Cranfield University (quantifying liquid fecal odors, combustion of human feces, and performance assessment). Cranfield University & University of KwaZulu-Natal

Safety Potential hazards / risks related to operation of this product

In the unlikely event that the toilet breaks, the hydrophobic beads pose a potential choking hazard to children.

Complementary technical systems Performance of this product is improved with another technology (eg. Cookstoves and Wind-blocking skirts)

Unkown

Research & standards

Academic research Academic research related to the product (e.g. published papers in peer-reviewed journals)

Parker, A., 2014, Membrane technology plays key role in waterless hygienic toilet, Membrane Technology.

Perez Lopez, E., 2014, Design and testing of a novel human-powered generator device as a backup solution to power Cranfield’s Nano-membrane Toilet, Cranfield University.

Lieu Le, Ngoc and Nunes, Suzana P., 2016, Materials and membrane technologies for water and energy sustainability, Sustainable Materials and Technologies.

Hanak, Dawid P. et al., 2016, Conceptual energy and water recovery system for self-sustained nano membrane toilet, Energy Conversion and Management.

Kolios, Athanasios et al., 2018, Probabilistic performance assessment of complex energy process systems – The case of a self-sustained sanitation system, Energy Conversion and Management.

Compliance with regulations Product certifications and standards referenced by designer/manufacturer

Unknown

Evaluation methods Evaluation methods/protocols/guidelines referenced by designer or manufacturer.

Other information

Cranfield University produced a video to explain how their toilet works.

Winner of the CleanEquity Monaco 2015 award.

Feedback

In context photographs (0)

You can use the form below to contribute a photo of this product.

In context files & documents (0)

Feedback from users, customers & distributors

Please let us know your experience in using this product through comments below.

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In context photographs (0)

In context files & documents (0)

Feedback from users, customers & distributors