Kaiser Aerospace & Electronics Corp.

Lawrence M Grills

Eugene F Colditz

A non recirculating, low volume toilet system for aircraft includes a interim storage tank connected to the toilet bowl. A waste drain leads to a gate valve which opens to a vacuum assisted luid gas separator. The separator is connected to the main waste tank. In a first embodiment, the main waste tank is a non pressurizable vessel and is maintained within a pressurized portion of the aircraft. The separator is alternatively connected to the exterior environment and the pressurized interior. When the toilet is utilized, the flushing operation uses a very small amount of flushing fluid to clean the bowl and transfer the contents to the interim tank. Opening the gate valve subjects the bowl and the interim tank to a pressure differential which transfers the flushing liquid and waste matter to the separator. The gate valve is closed and the separator is permitted to reach pressure equilibrium with the main waste tank at which time the contents of the separator are transferred to the main waste tank. A partial vacuum is again drawn in the separator, awaiting the next flush operation. In an alternative embodiment, the main waste tank can be a pressure vessel in the pressurized portion of the aircraft and can be maintained at the exterior pressure. In this embodiment, the separator is then maintained at the same pressure as the main waste tank at all times.

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Viejo, CA, United States of America

Lawrence M Grills