Skycrapper: an above-ground aerobic and solar-assisted composting toilet. Final report

Technical Report · Tue May 10 04:00:00 EDT 1983

OSTI ID:5061654

The Skycrapper is a waterless alternative to the flush toilet: it is a simply built aerobic and solar-assisted composting toilet. The structure can be built by one person using common carpenter's tools and from materials available at most building supply stores. The particular architectural style of this prototype cost approximately $1500 in new materials and took 323 hours of design/construction time. Construction was completed in April 1981 and the toilet has been in use since, with the first cycle of composted products having been removed in January 1982. Solar heating data show that in the winter months at this 39/sup 0/N. latitude the interior daytime temperatures rose to an average 50/sup 0/F above the outdoor temperature; while at night the indoor temperatures remained 15/sup 0/ to 20/sup 0/F above the outdoor temperatures. The resulting final composted product comprised of a beginning mix of approximately 2/3 sawdust and 1/3 excrement plus paper was without any visible sign of either paper or feces, its appearance being that of a dark crumbly sawdust/humus mix. Never throughout the entire cycle were any foul odors detected associated with anaerobic decomposition. Laboratory analysis for coliform bacteria indicative of raw feces revealed a dramatic reduction in their number from a mid-cycle sample to a final composted product. Further experiments and fine-tuning of the composting process in this toilet are continuing.

• Research Organization: Elley (H. Douglas), Jamestown, MO (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: FG47-79R701033
• OSTI ID: 5061654
• Report Number(s): DOE/R7/01033-T1; ON: DE84007742
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140900* -- Solar Thermal Utilization
COMPOSTING
CONSTRUCTION
HEATING
MANAGEMENT
PERFORMANCE
PROCESSING
SOLAR HEATING
TOILETS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING