ADVANCED ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Full programme
- Delivery method
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
The basic concepts of Environmental Engineering, Inorganic and Organic Chemistry are intended to be established and the concepts of Environmental Impact Assessment and Hydraulic in a Bachelor Degree in the Environmental Sector are recommended (but not mandatory).
In order to assess the learning outcomes, a final oral exam will be carried out, on the various topics covered in the course, which include carrying out sizing exercises or verification of one or more treatment units. The answers will positively evaluate both the completeness and the synthesis in the topic presentation, also using graphic schemes. Passing the exam is linked to the positive evaluation of 18 out of thirty. The topics dealt with during any seminars, exercises and technical visits are included in the exam topics only for the parts dealt with in the classroom for the theory lessons.
AIM OF THE COURSE The course constitutes a deepening and completion of the concepts of Environmental Engineering and, in particular, of pollution control systems. The course aims to refine the knowledge and skills necessary for the activity of a technician in the field of wastewater and solid waste treatments, dedicating a specific module to each of these topics. LEARNING OUTCOMES At the end of the course, the student will be able to: 1. know and describe the concepts needed to critically tackle a process of wastewater or waste classification and management 2. design the plants necessary for the treatment of wastewater and solid waste, including the most innovative technologies, and to verify its dimensional adequacy in relation to the functionality requirements 3. compare and evaluate treatment design alternatives, with the aim of recovering materials and energy and reducing the environmental impacts generated by the various types of plants 4. know the regulatory references and be able to consult them 5. describe the administrative management of wastewater and solid waste 6. set up a treatment chain possibly aimed to recovering wastewater or solid waste and minimizing the final residues and the generated environmental impact 7. participate in the environmental monitoring of real systems
The covered topics are listed below. Technical visits can be organized. WASTE • Reference legislation, waste classification • European Waste Catalogue (CER) • Waste collection and transport • Waste pretreatments • Waste Biological treatments • Waste thermal treatments • Industrial waste management WASTEWATER • Water characterization, reference legislation and genaral processes for the treatment of sewage • Qualitative water characterization (physical and organoleptic parameters, chemical and biochemical parameters, microbiological parameters, sampling and water quality) • Quantitative water characterization (flow rates) • General characteristics of wastewater treatment processes • Conventional purification processes: criteria and dimensioning methods • Other innovative processes • Hydraulic profile of a treatment plant • Calculations for sizing and functional verification • Charging of discharges • Re-use of treated water • Environmental impacts related to a treatment plant • Energy saving Apart from the description of the calculations for sizing and functional verifications, which the course will focus more attention on (about 8 hours), all the other topics will have a rather equivalent treatment of about 3 hours. The theoretical part of the module will last 72 hours, while the practical part, based on calculations and technical visits to wastewater treatment plants, will last 36 hours.
WASTE • Reference legislation • Waste classification and CER codes • Urban waste and special waste • Waste analysis and management options • Collection and transport • Waste pre-treatment and automatic selection • Composting • CSS production, biodrying and biostabilization • Anaerobic digestion and biomethane • Thermal waste treatments • Landfill • Industrial waste management WASTEWATER • General description of the wastewater treatment cycle. • Calculation of the flow rates Activity title: Qualitative characterization of waste water • Mechanical treatments: lifting, screening, sand-de-oiling, sedimentation. Theoretical aspects, calculations for sizing and verification • Basic elements of biological wastewater treatments: process conditions. Biological systems with suspended biomass • Activated sludge system: theoretical aspects and sizing • Removal of nutrients. Nitrification, denitrification and dephosphating: description of processes and sizing • Process variants: MBBR, MBR, SBR, prolonged aeration, pure oxygen systems • Innovative systems for wastewater treatment • Other biomass processes: percolating beds, biodiscs. Mixed systems, biological filters. Theoretical aspects and sizing calculations • Finishing systems in water treatment: tertiary phase, filtration, disinfection. Theoretical aspects and sizing calculations • Variants for small communities, lagoon systems, constructed wetlands, biological ponds. Theoretical aspects and calculations • Sludge treatment line: general description and purpose of the treatments. Thickening, chemical stabilization of sludge, aerobic and anaerobic digestion: theory and calculations for sizing • Dewatering and drying of sludge • Reduction of the quantity produced, reuse and disposal of sludge For each of the topics listed above, approximately 2 hours of theoretical lessons will be required to which must be added, as previously indicated, the hours to be devoted to determining the criteria and formulations for dimensioning and verifying the treatment phases.
The course is based on frontal theoretical lessons (36 hours of theoretical lessons and the remaining hours for classroom exercises or at treatment plants, as far as possible). Classroom activities also include the drawing up of real projects, elaborations and simulations, team work and other projects, done through technical slides and videos, too. As indicated above, compatibly with the availability of the managers, technical educational visits will be carried out at some treatment plants. If this is not possible, further classroom exercises will be carried out regarding specific problems relating to plant management.
Students can meet with the professor in his office by previous phone or email appointment (e-mail: vincenzo.torretta@uninsubria.it, phone number: 0332218782).