Human Waste Propulsion System

Abstract

A hydraulic propulsion system for disposing of human waste. The system includes a toilet having a bowl, and a base below the bowl. The base is secured to the chassis of a vehicle, or to a remote sanitation facility. The system also comprises a hydraulic flushing mechanism associated with the toilet, and a fluid receiving chamber that receives water and human waste when the flushing mechanism is actuated. The human waste is directed through a sewage ejection pipe and into a black-water tank or a municipal sewer system. The human waste propulsion system further comprises a pneumatic line. The pneumatic line is in fluid communication with the fluid receiving chamber proximate the bowl. The pneumatic line receives compressed air which is delivered when the hydraulic flushing mechanism is actuated. Additionally, the human waste propulsion system has a controller.

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         17 . A plurality of portable toilet units in side-by-side arrangement, wherein each portable toilet comprises:
 a toilet having a bowl, and a seat residing above the bowl;   a hydraulic flushing mechanism associated with the toilet;   a fluid receiving chamber fluidically connected to the toilet below the bowl, with the fluid receiving chamber being configured to gravitationally receive human waste that passes through the bowl;   a pneumatic line in fluid communication with the fluid receiving chamber below the bowl;   a source of compressed air configured to supply air to the pneumatic line under pressure;   an air valve residing along the pneumatic line; and   a controller configured to open the air valve when the hydraulic flushing mechanism is actuated, and direct a pulse of compressed air into the pneumatic line, thereby moving human waste through the fluid receiving chamber;   
       and wherein the toilet units are placed in side-by-side relation forming a closed, or substantially closed, geometric configuration; and 
       a fluid manifold is provided proximate the geometric configuration to receive the human waste when the hydraulic flushing mechanism associated with each portable toilet is actuated; 
       and wherein the fluid receiving chamber comprises:
 a flush valve below the bowl; 
 a point of connection with the pneumatic line below the flush valve; 
 a U-shaped profile below both the flush valve and below the point of connection with the pneumatic line, wherein the U-shaped profile comprises:
 an upper receiving end at an upstream side of the U-shaped profile; 
 a sewage ejection pipe extending from at a downstream side of the U-shaped profile and configured to expel the human waste when the hydraulic flushing mechanism is actuated; and 
 a reducer residing between the upper receiving end and the downstream sewage ejection pipe; 
 
 
       and wherein:
 a diameter of the upper receiving end is twice the size of a diameter of the downstream sewage ejection pipe; 
 the reducer is eccentric, such that the downstream sewage ejection pipe connects to the reducer at a bottom end of the U-shaped profile; and 
 an interior volume of the fluid receiving chamber matches a water volume for one flush of the toilet. 
 
     
     
         18 . The plurality of portable toilets units of  claim 17 , wherein each portable toilet further comprises:
 a fluid processing unit, wherein the fluid processing unit comprises:   a water line configured to receive water from a source of water;   a water valve residing along the water line, wherein the water valve is normally-closed, but opens in response to a signal from the controller when the hydraulic flushing mechanism is actuated; and   a black water receptacle configured to receive the human waste from the fluid receiving chamber when the flushing mechanism is actuated and the human waste is expelled;   and wherein the fluid manifold comprises a sump pump configured to move human waste to the black water receptacle.   
     
     
         19 . The plurality of portable toilet units of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the source of compressed air is an air tank holding compressed air, or an air compressor;   the source of water is a municipal water line, or a water pump configured to move water from a potable water tank into the bowl of the toilet when the flushing mechanism is actuated; and   the black water receptacle is a public sewer line, a septic tank, a sewage tank truck, or a black water tank;   and wherein the pneumatic line injects air into the fluid receiving chamber in a direction that is orthogonal to a flow plane of the human waste.   
     
     
         20 . The plurality of portable toilet units of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the portable toilet units share a common source of water, source of compressed air, and a common controller; and   each portable toilet unit has a profile of an isosceles trapezoid.   
     
     
         21 . The plurality of portable toilet units of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 a vent tube fluidically connected to the fluid receiving chamber proximate the pneumatic line.   
     
     
         22 . The plurality of portable toilet units of  claim 20 , wherein:
 the water valve in fluid communication with the source of water;   the air valve is normally closed;   the water valve is normally open;   the flush valve is normally closed; and   the controller is programmed to (i) open the water valve and the flush valve when the hydraulic flushing mechanism is actuated, then (ii) close the water valve and the flush valve, and then (iii) open the air valve to deliver the pulse of air into the fluid receiving chamber to expel the human waste.   
     
     
         23 . The plurality of portable toilet units of  claim 22 , wherein:
 the sewage ejection pipe extends to a height above the seat.   
     
     
         24 . The plurality of portable toilet units of  claim 23 , wherein:
 the toilet in each of the portable toilet units further comprises a base;   each of the air valve and the water valve is a solenoid valve;   the hydraulic flushing mechanism is a foot pedal residing along the base or a push-button residing above the seat; and   the water valve remains open after the hydraulic flushing mechanism is actuated (i) for so long as the hydraulic flushing mechanism is actuated, or (ii) for a pre-selected time.   
     
     
         25 . The low-flush portable toilet system of  claim 23 , wherein:
 the geometric configuration of the pod comprises a utility closet; and   the utility closet holds the source of compressed air, a water pump, and the controller.   
     
     
         26 . The low-flush portable toilet system of  claim 23 , wherein the geometric configuration of the pod is a decagon, and wherein the decagon comprises a blank slot where a portable toilet unit would otherwise be placed. 
     
     
         27 . A low-flush portable toilet system comprising:
 at least two pods, wherein each pod comprises a plurality of portable toilet units in side-by-side arrangement, with each portable toilet unit having a profile of a polygon;   wherein each portable toilet comprises:   a toilet having a bowl, and a seat residing above the bowl;   a hydraulic flushing mechanism associated with the toilet;   a fluid receiving chamber fluidically connected to the toilet below the bowl, with the fluid receiving chamber being configured to gravitationally receive human waste that passes through the bowl;   a pneumatic line in fluid communication with the fluid receiving chamber below the bowl;   a source of compressed air configured to supply air to the pneumatic line under pressure;   an air valve residing along the pneumatic line; and   a controller configured to open the air valve when the hydraulic flushing mechanism is actuated, and direct a pulse of compressed air into the pneumatic line thereby moving human waste through the fluid receiving chamber;   and wherein the toilet units of each pod are placed in side-by-side relation forming a closed, or substantially closed, geometric configuration for the pod;   a fluid manifold residing proximate each pod configured to receive the human waste when the hydraulic flushing mechanism associated with each portable toilet is actuated;   a trunk line; and   a drain tube extending from each fluid manifold configured to feed the human waste to the trunk line.   
     
     
         28 . The low-flush portable toilet system of  claim 27 , wherein each portable toilet further comprises:
 a water line configured to receive water from a source of water;   a water valve residing along the water line, wherein the water valve is normally-closed, but opens in response to a signal from the controller when the hydraulic flushing mechanism is actuated; and   a black water receptacle configured to receive the human waste from the fluid receiving chamber when the flushing mechanism is actuated;   and wherein the fluid manifold comprises a sump pump configured to move human waste into the drain tube.   
     
     
         29 . The low-flush of portable toilet system of  claim 28 , wherein:
 the source of compressed air is an air tank holding compressed air, or an air compressor;   the source of water is a municipal water line, or a water pump configured to move water from a potable water tank into the bowl of the toilet when the flushing mechanism is actuated;   the portable toilet units of each pod share a common source of water, a common source of compressed air, and a common controller; and   each portable toilet unit has a profile of an isosceles trapezoid.   
     
     
         30 . The low-flush portable toilet system of  claim 29 , wherein:
 the fluid receiving chamber of each of the portable toilet units comprises:
 a flush valve below the bowl; 
 a point of connection with the pneumatic line below the flush valve; 
 a U-shaped profile below the point of connection; and 
 a sewage ejection pipe extending from the U-shaped profile and configured to deliver the human waste into the black-water tank when the hydraulic flushing mechanism is actuated. 
   
     
     
         31 . The low-flush portable toilet system of  claim 30 , wherein:
 the water valve is in fluid communication with the source of water;   the air valve is normally closed;   the water valve is normally open;   the flush valve is normally closed; and   the controller is programmed to (i) open the water valve and the flush valve when the hydraulic flushing mechanism is actuated, then (ii) close the water valve and the flush valve, and then (iii) open the air valve to deliver the pulse of air into the fluid receiving chamber.   
     
     
         32 . The low-flush portable toilet system of  claim 31 , wherein:
 the geometric configuration of each of the at least two pods comprises a slot for a utility closet where a portable toilet unit would otherwise be placed; and   each utility closet holds the source of compressed air, a water pump, and the controller.   
     
     
         33 . The low-flush portable toilet system of  claim 31 , wherein the geometric configuration of each of the at least two pods comprises a blank slot where a portable toilet unit would otherwise be placed. 
     
     
         34 . The low-flush portable toilet system of  claim 31 , wherein:
 the fluid receiving chamber of each of the portable toilet units comprises an upper receiving end upstream of the U-shaped profile;   the sewage ejection pipe resides primarily downstream of the U-shaped profile; and   a diameter of the upper receiving end is approximately twice the size of a diameter of the sewage ejection pipe.