Urine Feces Separation System with Microalgae Culture and Electrogenerated Membrane
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rural areas face challenges in utilizing manure as fertilizer due to low efficiency and inconvenient processes, leading farmers to adopt chemical fertilizers.
Innovation Solution
A resource treatment system for urine and feces separation and recovery in urine diversion dehydration toilets, comprising a urine-faeces division toilet, a urine and gray water treatment system, and a fermentation and biodegradation fecal system, which includes a microalgae culture device and a metal-based electrogenerated dynamic membrane for efficient processing and recycling of waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If urine and feces are mixed and treated together, then the treatment process is simpler, but the fertilizer efficiency and resource utilization are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides fecal waste treatment into two separate streams: urine is collected and treated separately through evaporation and microalgae cultivation, while feces undergo fermentation and biodegradation. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific recovery pathway, maximizing nutrient extraction efficiency while maintaining manageable process complexity through modular design.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional manure treatment is used, then the process is simple, but the fertilizer efficiency is low and the process is inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs self-sustaining biological processes where microalgae in the culture column naturally absorb nutrients from urine through photosynthesis and cellular metabolism, converting waste into biomass. Similarly, the fermentation bed uses natural microbial decomposition and the biodegradation chamber utilizes earthworms and insects to break down organic matter, eliminating the need for external energy input or complex mechanical intervention while producing high-value fertilizer products.
3Productivity
If chemical fertilizers are used instead of manure, then the fertilizer efficiency is higher, but the environmental pollution increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system transforms harmful fecal waste and urine into valuable resources through controlled biological processes. The fermentation bed converts human feces into organic fertilizer, while the microalgae culture column converts urine into protein-rich biomass for fish and shrimp feed. This approach eliminates environmental pollution from waste discharge while producing high-efficiency natural fertilizers that replace chemical alternatives, turning a harmful waste problem into a beneficial resource recovery system.
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 effectively recycles urine and feces, producing valuable resources like microalgae for fish and shrimp farming, reducing environmental pollution, and creating an ecological agriculture industrialization chain, thereby promoting green integration of toilet and agricultural systems.
Implementation Method 1
The microalgae culture device can well utilize the carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus elements
Implementation Method 2
The aeration device is configured to aerate the liquid
Implementation Method 3
The metal microfiltration membrane is configured to collect microalgae
Implementation Method 4
a metal-based electrogenerated dynamic membrane includes a metal microfiltration membrane, a stainless-steel mesh and a power supply
Implementation Method 5
The fermentation bed ferments the mixture
Implementation Method 6
a first stage is a fly maggot degradation chamber, a second stage is an earthworm degradation chamber, and a third stage is a black soldier fly degradation chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A resource treatment system for urine and feces separation and recovery in urine diversion dehydration toilets, includes a urine-faeces division toilet, a urine and gray water treatment system, and a fermentation and biodegradation fecal system. The urine-faeces division toilet is configured to separate and recover urine and feces discharged by users. The urine and gray water treatment system includes an adjusting pool, a microalgae culture device and a metal-based electrogenerated dynamic membrane. The adjusting pool is configured to receive the urine in the urine-faeces division toilet and domestic sewage, and adjust a urine-to-domestic sewage ratio. The metal-based electrogenerated dynamic membrane includes a metal microfiltration membrane, a stainless-steel mesh and a power supply. The fermentation and biodegradation fecal system includes a collection and adjusting device, a fermentation bed and a biodegradation chamber.