Board toilet
As on-board toilet is called a toilet on board of vehicles ( aircraft, ships, road vehicles such as mobile homes, coaches or rail vehicles). Initially, open systems were ( downpipe system, marine toilet, for example ) which derive the feces into the environment. With increasing environmental awareness almost exclusively closed systems are now used to provide effective disposal of feces. In addition to fixed tank systems also removable tank or cassette toilets are used. Different types of sewage treatment ( Hacker, washing systems, chemical additives) are present in order to facilitate storage within the vehicle. Despite given in all cases of application availability of environmentally neutral systems, however, still partially polluting systems ( chemical toilet ) can be used. Future developments go even beyond the environmental neutrality: By onboard ( pre-) clarification may even be a burden on the environment can be realized.
- 2.1 cassette toilet 2.1.1 cassette toilet with chemical additives ( chemical toilet )
- 2.1.2 cassette toilet with vent and filter
- 4.1 Water Protection
- 4.2 Marine toilet
- 4.3 Holding Tank
- 4.4 treatment plant on larger vessels
Aircraft
In aircraft, closed systems are used which are optimized for the lowest possible storage volume and weight, however, provide sufficient capacity for the duration of flight. Commercial aircraft have on-board toilets as a locked room ( cabin). In aircraft is understood to be the entire board toilet built for the respective aircraft lavatory. Add fighter jets with a wide range and thus long flight time toilets are also installed, but have no cab form.
Vacuum toilet
The toilet in airplanes works with water and vacuum. The water is used to dissolve the adhesive material coated with Teflon toilet bowl and to ensure the transfer into the central collecting tank. The negative pressure for transport is made on the ground and at low altitude by a fan at a higher altitude, the differential pressure of the pressurized cabin is sufficient. This provides a minimum storage amount is achieved in a larger and further away from the toilet bowl tank arranged. This is emptied at the destination, and is supplied to the contents of the local disposal. By chemical additives, adhesion of the stored material is prevented in the tank and a residue-free emptying the tank allows.
Toilet cubicle
Due to the different fuselage cross -sections, the toilets are another structurally different. Common to all is the fact that they are rarely designed for disabled people. Today's board toilets show by red or green light to passengers, whether they are free or busy. This light is mounted so that the passengers can see this from their seats. In -board toilets usually are ready sink, mirror and paper towels.
Environmental aspects of the aircraft toilet
The hard tank storage used the faeces together with relatively little flushing water requires the addition of small amounts of decay -reducing chemicals (usually colored blue ). In a technical failure may occur uncontrolled discharges during the flight. The result is the so-called "blue ice " on the aircraft exterior. During the landing approach, the aircraft comes into warmer air layers, which could begin to defrost the ice block and thus falls. This usually happens near major airports and can cause by the low fall damage. If people hit by the several pound blocks of ice can cause serious injury.
Some aircraft cabin equipment suppliers have experimented with building small treatment plants that are beyond the sewage water and so to achieve a wastewater circulation. Although the water had a better quality than the stored, some testers refused to use it. With the development of ever larger aircraft and longer and longer flight times, this idea came to the attention of some engineers. The idea to build in even showers in aircraft, had to be at least partially taken advantage of it. The treatment of toilet waste was excluded due to the acceptance problems. As a compromise, the gray water of the shower each person was treated and so the water requirement per passenger decreased significantly at least for the showers.
Road vehicle
In road vehicles ( caravan, mobile home, bus) the on-board toilet fixed refueling systems are less common due to more frequent emptying facilities. Most therefore exchange tank systems are used which allow an individual installation in individual washrooms.
Cassette toilet
The cassette toilet implements a removable tank in the form of a removable cartridge feces. Here, the faeces are stored with a very small amount of rinse water in an arranged under the toilet cassette directly in the use. The cassette will be opened only for toilet use and discharge of appropriately mounted tuners and is otherwise sealed. To empty the cartridge can be removed from the outside of the toilet system of the vehicle and emptied through the corresponding opening with spout. A contact with the feces is avoided even when emptying the cassette.
Due to the design of the cartridge in the base of the toilet bowl, the cassette size is limited.
A special design of the cassette toilet is the mobile toilet, which is a portable unit with a flush tank in the toilet bowl top and a faecal cassette in the lower part.
For the proper discharge of the cartridge special sinks for cassettes are available (provided at campsites almost always, on spaces for recreational vehicles frequently, often even at gas stations or of the communities available ). Against the emptying of cassettes without chemical additives not intended for public toilets probably speak no environmental concerns; but these do not have the necessary hygienic reasons ancillary equipment to remove contaminants ( splashing ).
To avoid odors during operation of the cassette toilet are two systems in use:
Cassette toilet with chemical additives ( chemical toilet )
In the empty cassette a chemical liquid is added before use, which is to prevent the putrefaction process. The odor in the cassette opening should be avoided. However, certain chemical additives allow the feces to be hazardous, which may impair the operation of wastewater treatment plants very serious ( disposal as special waste ).
However, there are becoming more biodegradable additives in liquid and solid form by (partly with "Blue Angel" label), but which require more frequent emptying of the container. Not infrequently, additives according to their own recipes are added ( of vinegar until soft soap).
The chemical additives themselves and, where appropriate chargeable disposal ( especially when using umweltunverträglicher products ) can cause operating costs.
Cassette toilet with vent and filter
Here, an electric fan is turned on by the opening of the cassette for use of the toilet, which is derived present in the cassette putrefaction gases by an odor filter ( activated carbon filter) to the outside. This prevents odors that seep into the interior of the vehicle. A bad smell to the outside is largely prevented by the carbon filter. The odor filter should be replaced after extended periods of use ( depending on the intensity of use ).
Environmental aspects of the cassette toilet
Aggressive, strong biocidal chemical additives (such as bronopol or formaldehyde) have come into disrepute. Your disposal is problematic only to a limited extent and is not always carried out properly. This is particularly serious if smaller biological sewage treatment plants set by chemical additives to function. It should therefore be avoided on the products offered everywhere, environmentally friendly.
Zwangsentlüftete cassette toilets are currently still relatively rare. The improved environmental performance, the simpler and more common given disposal option of additional - free toilet cassette and the absence of costs for chemical additives can justify the currently higher procurement costs ( retrofitting of forced ventilation ).
Track vehicle
In ( European) rail vehicles exclusively downpipe toilets were over a hundred years built, realized the disposal of faeces from a moving train on the tracks, with sometimes significant effects on adjacent to the railway land (eg in the use during the crossing of bridges ). Such vehicles have not yet been fully withdrawn from circulation. In particular railway administrations peripheral European countries ( UK, Netherlands) continue to use such vehicles, but also in Germany are still trains with downpipe toilets in operation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (2010) is a simple closed toilet system. The negative pressure for the aspiration and conveying of the black water is generated by means of a single or multi-stage ejector. Gray water and black water is collected in a common tank (usually every 3 days) must be emptied in short cycles.
To prolong the emptying cycles on up to 3 months a closed toilet system is in new trains with a bioreactor installed (eg DTZ RABe514, FLIRT, integral). The waste water passes through a filter that is mounted inside the solid reservoir and the solids retaining. For installations inside the mechanically treated wastewater seeping gravitationally into the underlying liquid reactor. By Belüfterröhrchen air into the liquid reactor and flows through the so-called fixed-bed zone, on which a biofilm is grown. After a defined residence time, the biologically treated liquid is fed into a downstream thermal Hygienisierungseinheit. By heating pathogens are destroyed. The reconstituted liquid is dispensed in defined batches while driving on the track body. A liquid outlet at vehicle standstill is avoided thereby, but the toilet use is unrestricted.
Ship
Water Protection
In the international Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships ( MARPOL), the dumping of ship waste water is covered in Appendix IV. Accordingly, the introduction of sewage from ships is prohibited. Exceptions apply if the vessel has its own sewage treatment plant has, or at a minimum distance of 12 nautical miles to the nearest coast. Sewage and faeces must be collected in a recovery tank or holding tank and may only be disposed of on the high seas.
In inland waters the dirt water discharge is prohibited.
Increasingly seas are put under protection and the discharge of waste water generally prohibited:
Sewage and faeces must be collected in a recovery tank or holding tank. You must only be disposed in the port via a special fecal suction. Such systems can be found in the Baltic Sea to the German coast in every port and most marinas.
Marine toilet
For decades, the so-called marine toilet is used, a toilet with hand pump which delivers via a suction sea water as wash water, and this, together with the pumped sewage directly into the sea. About a valve is switched between "flushing and pumping " ( the feces continuously pump out ) and " Only - pumping " ( around the basin to empty completely and close the Spülwasserzufluss ). Problems are greater amounts of toilet paper or tampons and sanitary napkins, they can quickly lead to a blockage. For safety reasons, both the supply line for sea water, as well as the thicker sewer is provided directly to the ship's side, each with a seacock. These valves are closed when driving and leaving the ship in port to prevent possible with a hose break the water inlet and thus the sinking of the ship.
Holding Tank
Modern ships are equipped with an additional holding tank ( tank), are collected in the waste water and sewage. Between the on-board toilet and the holding tank a switching valve is installed on can be selected whether the sewage is pumped into the holding tank, or into the sea. A charcoal filter between the holding tank and overboard vent located prevents unpleasant odors.
On inland waters to recreational craft with toilet must be equipped with a holding tank and a closed drainage system. A forced conversion for old pleasure boats is currently only on inland waters.
The faeces are pumped out via a fecal suction at the port and discharged into the public sewer system.
The problem is the limited space in a ship's hull, which often provides no room for the additional tank installation. Therefore, the tank is dimensioned as small as possible, or the amount of flush water reduces possible. A vacuum toilet, as it is also used in aircraft, reduces the water demand drastic but needed an electric drive, which in turn consumes the limited electric power on sailing ships.
Treatment plant on larger vessels
Is on larger vessels - in addition to the above-mentioned systems - in many cases also have their own sewage treatment plant exists that clarifies the feces out of the tank and supplies the recycled water after the clarification process into the sea. Here there is no environmental damage.