WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES AND RELATED METHODS
A toilet sub-system of a wastewater management vehicle includes a toilet and a housing. The housing is associated with the toilet and includes a macerator pumping arrangement having a macerator and a pump. The macerator includes a plurality of macerating knives. The pump is an air pump providing positive pressure in a macerator chamber to pump waste from the macerator chamber. The sub-system further includes at least one motor for driving the pumps and the macerator. The macerator pumping arrangement is operative in a macerating mode and a pumping mode, such that in the macerating mode the first motor first drives the macerating knives to macerate the waste and subsequently in the pumping mode the waste is pumped out of the macerating chamber by positive pressure.
1 - 59 . (canceled)
60 . A toilet sub-system of a wastewater management system, the toilet sub-system comprising:
a toilet; and
a housing associated with the toilet, the housing including a macerator pumping arrangement including a macerator and a pump, the macerator including a plurality of macerating knives, the pump being an air pump providing positive pressure in a macerator chamber to pump waste from the macerator chamber; and
at least one motor for driving the pumps and the macerator,
wherein the macerator pumping arrangement operative in a macerating mode and a pumping mode, such that in the macerating mode the first motor first drives the macerating knives to macerate the waste and subsequently in the pumping mode the waste is pumped out of the macerating chamber by positive pressure.
61 . The toilet sub-system of claim 60 , further comprising a controller for alternating a speed of the macerator pump between the macerating mode and the pumping mode to thereby reduce noise.
62 . The toilet sub-system of claim 60 , further comprising a sieve that prevents large waste particles from entering the outlet of the macerator chamber.
63 . The toilet sub-system of claim 60 , further comprising a narrowing in the outer shape wall of the housing that prevent waste from flowing upwards due to a centrifugal force of the maceration of the waste.
64 . The toilet sub-system of claim 60 , further comprising a small diameter hose in fluid communication with the macerator chamber for discharging macerated waste from the macerator chamber, the small diameter hose having an internal diameter of less then 25 mm.
65 . The toilet sub-system of claim 60 , wherein the housing includes an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion being generally cylindrical and elongated along an axis B, the lower portion elongated along an axis C and having a circular cross section in a plane perpendicular to the axis C.
66 . The toilet sub-system of claim 65 , wherein the axis B and the axis C enclose an obtuse angle less than 180°.
67 . The toilet sub-system of claim 60 , wherein the plurality of macerating knives are driven by a first motor and the air pump is driven by a second motor.
68 . A method of controlling the toilet sub-system of claim 60 , the method comprising:
driving the first motor to macerate the waste;
driving the second motor to pump the macerated waste through a conduit having an internal diameter of less then 25 mm.
69 . The method of claim 68 , wherein the second motor is driven to pump the waste after the first motor completes maceration of the waste.
70 . The method of claim 68 , further comprising automatically controlling the sub-system with a controller to first operate the first motor and subsequently operate the second motor in response to a single user initiated flush command.
71 . The toilet sub-system of claim 60 , wherein the small diameter hose has an internal diameter less than 20 mm.
72 . The toilet sub-system of claim 60 , wherein the small diameter hose has an internal diameter less than 16 mm.
73 . The toilet sub-system of claim 66 , wherein the obtuse angle is between 60 and 80 degrees.