Side-Opening Sleeve Valve for Waterless Waste Disposal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional toilet systems require significant water for flushing and cleaning, which can be inefficient and impractical in low-water environments, and they often struggle with odor control and effective waste disposal, especially in locations below the sewer elevation.
Innovation Solution
A waterless self-cleaning toilet system utilizing a side-opening sleeve valve and a pig cleaning technology, where a pressurized fluid system pushes a cylindrical pig through the piping to isolate and dispose of waste without the need for flush water, significantly reducing water usage and incorporating a venting system for odor management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional toilet systems use water for flushing, then waste disposal is achieved, but water consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a pigging system that uses pressurized fluid (pneumatic/hydraulic principle) to push a cylindrical pig through the piping system. The pig isolates and transports waste material from the toilet bowl through the piping to the sewer system without requiring traditional flush water volumes, achieving efficient waste disposal with minimal water consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical state and transport mechanism of waste disposal by transitioning from water-based flushing to pressurized fluid-driven pig transport. This parameter change allows waste to be moved through the piping system in a controlled manner using pressure differentials rather than volumetric water flow.
2Reliability
If a side-opening valve is used to isolate the toilet bowl, then waste disposal control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The side-opening valve employs a nested structure where an inner barrel is disposed within an outer barrel. The inner barrel can rotate relative to the outer barrel to align or misalign their respective openings, providing effective waste isolation through a compact nested configuration rather than a complex multi-component mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve mechanism uses rotational movement of the inner barrel relative to the outer barrel to dynamically control the alignment of openings. This dynamic operation allows the valve to transition between open and closed states by simply rotating the inner barrel, providing reliable waste isolation with minimal mechanical complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves at least 90% reduction in water usage, ensures sanitary operation, and allows for placement in low-elevation areas by using pressurized fluid to push waste uphill, while maintaining low odor levels through efficient waste disposal and air venting.
Implementation Method 1
a pressurized fluid system pushes a cylindrical pig through the piping to isolate and dispose of waste
Implementation Method 2
incorporating a venting system for odor management
Data Source
AI summary
A side-opening sleeve valve having an inner barrel with a shaped opening through its cylindrical wall having a longer size along the axis of the inner barrel, and a co-annular outer barrel having shaped opening through its cylindrical wall having a longer size along the axis of the outer barrel. The inner barrel is rotatable relative to the outer barrel between a first open position where the shaped openings overlap to form a side opening into the sleeve valve, and a second closed position where the shaped openings do not overlap. The side opening has an effective axial opening size and an effective lateral opening size in a ratio of at least about 2:1. The side-opening valve is useful with water-less toilet that can empty into the side-opening valve when opened, and when closed, a pigging fluid flush system pushes the waste in the side-opening valve to a sewage system.