To,
Mr. Carol

hydroclone was the clone copy of aquatron, but Mr. thammarat doesn't know about aquatron. it is like "two minds one thought"
i also don't know much about the system. but by looking at pictures and his videos i get know that he uses septic tanks for treatment. hydroclone only reducing the time for settling solid and liquid in septic tank by separating them. so its very similar to our aquatron.

Our Company director from Hyderabad, using this in his own house as he know about aquatron already. later he suggested to yashoda nursing home in Hyderabad and he succeed in. this is how aquatron started in India. and now we are leading actor in early decomposition of fecal matter since we bagged first price in an event called "Swatch-a-thon 1.0" in over 229 contenders worldwide alone for this category. and now looking forward to spread all over India. since you using this already then no need to tell you about the system.

i am new in this field and now handling all work for aquatron in Maharashtra state, India alone with the help of our company director from Hyderabad.

thanks,
Akshay

Thanks. My question is what is Thammarat's "hydrocyclone" system?

I know a lot of prototype technologies were created in response to the Gates Foundation funding, despite those technologies already being in existence on the market or not appropriate for the target context (impoverished villages).

I used to sell Aquatron and still own the centrifuge. I know how it works.

Steven, to save money, buy just the centrifuge and an ultra-low flush toilet, even a Thetford micro-flush toilet. Or a Wostman Eco-Flush toilet from Sweden. Then, as they do at CAT, install a make-it-yourself composter.

I am surprised to hear these are installed in India. I see no photos but I did skim the article on the theoretical value of installing these in India.

Carol

To,
Steven Sugden

Thanks for your upfront and honest feedback.

The request you are making on slashing the prices by 90% isn't practical or logical. There is a certain cost of years of research, of manufacturing (which is done in Europe and not China or any other Asian Countries), of raw materials, taxes, duties and transportation; to arrive at the cost of product.

You seem to be looking at the cost of the unit which you have to pay upfront. But this unit is essentially free considering the way it functions and bare minimum operating costs. In a country like India, even after paying 40% duties, the cost of one unit is easily recovered within the first year itself. So will it be for other Asian countries. I hope you are aware that each Small Aquatron unit can suffice minimum 10 toilets for a period of 50 years.

There are ways of coming down on the cost of the overall unit, which we can discuss if you are open. But if you want to shun away the best possible practical and workable solution to the major issue of managing waste coming out of toilets, I can't help it. We are open to discussions on how to get costs lower.

Hope we can work together and provide good hygiene in countries you are working across the world!

Regards,
Akshay (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

To,
Carol Stienfeld.

I would like to clear your confussions. Please share with me i will clear it with my experties and knowledge about this system.

Thanks,
Akshay.

Dear Elisabeth,

Thanks for the given information about the aquatron and hyderoclone. As per Mr.thammarat's given video i got to know that he was working with VIT, Pune. Which is walking distance from my place. I will have visit there regarding the same. Your given link has solved so many personal questions were in my mind. And thank you so much for gaining my knowledge.

Thanks,
Akshay

Yes, thanks for mentioning the hydrocyclone project by AIT.
This was discussed here on the forum (note the thread goes over two pages):
forum.susana.org/forum/categories/variou...it-thailand?start=12

There was some discussion whether it was the same or different to the 30-year old product called Aquatron separator. The last post by Thammarat about this was from 2014, so it would be interesting to hear an update if they developed it further or abandoned it.

Elisabeth

Reading those old threads, I see a lot of confusion about what is the Aquatron.

The centrifugal separator is what the company makes.

The toilets and composters are made by other companies.

It is a good system when it works.
Like all systems, it needs monitoring.

I did not see Thammarat's "hydrocyclone" separator. I only see his solar-warmed three-stage septic prototype.

No matter.

Akshay, if you are interested in the Aquatron then be sure to also read carefully over this forum thread which spans over two pages:
forum.susana.org/106-user-interface-tech...ish-company-aquatron

It was called: "Hydrocyclone separator flush toilet for on-site sanitation (Swedish company Aquatron)"
and entailed some very interesting discussions.

Elisabeth

P.S. Oh and in the SuSanA project database we also have one new project that comes up when you search for Aquatron (it was added by Shobana recently):
www.susana.org/en/knowledge-hub/projects...base?search=aquatron

Aquatron is based on toilet stools from Ifö Sanitar and composters from Vera and other sources.
The part that the company makes is the centrifugal piece that is installed under the toilet stool to separate solids and liquids. The idea is the solids fall into the composter and the liquids drain to a tank or planted system.
We sold them in the United States long ago, but they are such a specialty item that they never sold in any great volume.
We even have one centrifugal separator in our stockroom now.

These are made for composting toilet systems with water-flush toilets.
They are best for situations where someone doesn't mind checking the centrifugal piece to make sure nothing is snagged in it.

For developing countries not using water or much water in toilet stools, there is no reason to use this.

The composters they use are both batch-based Carousels and sloped-tank Clivus Multrum-like composters. You can make similar systems.

I was interested in buying an Aquatron and I like the idea of a vortex separating the solids from the liquids. I have even seen one in action in CAT in Wales. I then looked at the price and quickly changed my mind. Any technology designed for use in a poor household setting has to be low cost and be very good value for money. Profits have to be made by selling large volumes with low margins rather than low volumes and high margins. Look at Sato-pan, which contains about the same amount of plastic, and how can be made, transported and installed in rural Uganda household for around $8. Drop your prices by 90% and it may be a product worth thinking about. I have an design of urban latrine for India in which it would be great incorporate an Aquatron - but only at the right price or the idea will never scale.

so this forum is for healthy sanitation systems and everyone is giving their opinions. some seeking for new solutions and some are with the one they having. sanitation is the department or field you can say where people refuse to work. "not in my backyard" kind of attitude of people making this field a issue. but those are with this attitude also need to poop every morning, and the sludge management is becoming worst day by day. there's some of technologies like STP, Biological Toilets, Automatic Toilets. increasing population day day by day those technologies are not enough and we need to find some other solutions or need to expand whatever we have. as per my studies regarding this sanitation field STP's are too costly to installed by any typical or normal users. so here i come with the new technology called aquatron sanitation system which helps us to separate solid and liquid coming out from the toilet within first 5-7 seconds. so it reduce the chance of black water generation and so the sewage. this will be much better technology in rural area's since aquatron does not require any electricity and mechanical parts. the solution was in nature itself and the inventors of aquatron succeed in. the technology is in work since 25 years in Sweden and now 7 years in India. intentions are to write this is that i don't know the exact source from where i can start from. if anyone is interested in the same, feel free to contact.