A waste-to-energy conversion apparatus comprising a primary combustion chamber capable of holding a load of waste, and the primary combustion chamber further comprises a heat source to heat the waste and generate a syn gas stream, grates, within the primary chamber, capable of supporting the load of waste during heating, a mixing chamber wherein the syn gas is mixed with additional combustion gas, a multi-chambered secondary combustion chamber for combusting the mixture of syn gas and additional combustion gas, and an energy extraction system for extracting the heat energy generated by the combustion of the mixture of syn gas and additional combustion gas.

A compact waste combustion system deployed within a portable toilet has a burn chamber that includes a processor, a burner, a trapdoor mechanism configured to seal an entrance to the burn chamber when the compact waste combustion system is operated in a first mode and a waste receptacle configured to feed waste material to the burn chamber through the trapdoor mechanism in a second mode of operation. The processor may be configured to detect presence of a waste in the waste receptacle, configure the system to operate in the second mode and to pass waste into the burn chamber, configure the compact waste combustion system to operate in the first mode after the waste has passed into the burn chamber, and activate the burner when the compact waste combustion system is operated in the first mode and the waste is located in the burn chamber.

A bulk material comprising at least one substance to be removed from the bulk material is treated. The method includes introducing the bulk material into a heating chamber. The heating chamber is in a partial vacuum. The method further includes heating the bulk material in the heating chamber and in the presence of the partial vacuum to cause the at least one substance to vaporize. The method further includes extracting the bulk material, with the at least one vaporized substance separated therefrom, from the heating chamber.

A bulk material comprising at least one substance to be removed from the bulk material is treated. The method includes introducing the bulk material into a heating chamber. The heating chamber is in a partial vacuum. The method further includes heating the bulk material in the heating chamber and in the presence of the partial vacuum to cause the at least one substance to vaporize. The method further includes extracting the bulk material, with the at least one vaporized substance separated therefrom, from the heating chamber.