Development and testing of solar thermal dryer technologies for the treatment of faecal sludge from onsite sanitation facilities

Abstract

Solar thermal energy could be a cost-effective solution to supply the heat required for thermal drying. However, this type of technology has not been enough deployed for the treatment of faecal sludge from onsite sanitation facilities. The current project aims at developing pilot-scale solar thermal driers for faecal sludge drying, namely a greenhouse-type solar dryer and a screw conveyor. The prototype testing confirmed that solar drying in a thermal system is an interesting, cost-effective faecal sludge treatment. Drying occurred relatively fast if the weather conditions were favourable and with the correct operation of the ventilation, mixing and scraping systems