Environmental Engineering Courses

Overview of specializations within environmental engineering. Expanding role of biological and environmental sciences in engineering. Analysis of selected problems. Review of professional opportunities.

Students enrolled in this course will use the Raspberry Pi computer platform to develop sensing systems that can operate autonomously based on pre-programmed software instructions.They will receive a set of hardware components and will be tasked to design and construct their own sensing systems. They will be writing their own software programs using the Python programming language. There will be an opportunity to fly the sensing systems on a drone allowing for aerial data collection.

Prerequisites: Multivariable Calculus (01:640:251); Analytical Physics IIA (01:750:227); Chemical Principles of Environmental Sciences (11:375:202) or permission by instructor

Fundamental principles of physical and chemical processes including mass and energy balance approaches, phase partitioning, reaction kinetics, mass transfer, advection and dispersion. Topics include: (1) toxicity and risk assessment; (2) systems and processes characterization; (3) chemical thermodynamics and kinetics; (4) diffusion and mass transfer; (5) continuity equations; (6) transport in surface water and groundwater systems. It emphasizes how to simplify extremely complex systems so that solutions and conceptual design can be obtained.

Prerequisites: Introduction to Computers for Engineers (14:440:127); Engineering Graphics (14:180:215) OR Introductory Computer-Aided Design and Drafting (14:180:216)

This course applies state-of-the-art environmental engineering tools in analyzing problems and creating solutions and designs. Tools include, as examples, measurement tools and techniques, programming languages and software for graphics, statistical analysis and modeling. Tools may vary with current engineering practice.

Prerequisites: Differential Equations for Engineering and Physics (01:640:244); Environmental Fate & Transport (11:117:323) OR Physical Principals of Environmental Sciences (11:375:203)

Physical and chemical processes and operations commonly applied for water and wastewater treatment, including coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, adsorption, ion exchange, membrane separation, precipitation, oxidation, and disinfection; principles of chemical reaction kinetics; modeling of ideal and nonideal batch and flow-through reactors.

Prerequisites: Biological Principles of Environmental Sciences (11:375:201), Unit Processes in Bioenvironmental Engineering I (11:117:413), or permission of instructor

Biological principles and operations for wastewater treatment, bioremediation, and energy production including: microbial ecology; energetics, stoichiometry, and kinetics of microbial growth; kinetics of pollution degradation; modeling of ideal bioreactors; design criteria for specific wastewater treatment processes; and new developments in use of microorganisms in bioenvironmental engineering.

Corequisite: Unit Processes in Bioenvironmental Engineering I (11:117:413)

Demonstration of physicochemical processes and operations used in drinking water and wastewater treatment, including reactor design and residence time distribution, coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, carbon adsorption, chemical oxidation, and oxygen transfer.

Corequisite: Unit Processes in Bioenvironmental Engineering II (11:117:414). Prerequisite: Introduction to Experimentation (01:160:171) and Elementary Organic Chemistry Laboratory (01:160:211)

Demonstration and investigation of biological processes used in the treatment of wastewater, including: natural biological processes in biotreatment ponds; biodegradability and biodegradation kinetics; activated sludge reactors; anaerobic digestion for bioenergy production; use of laboratory methods and analytical equipment to assess biological processes; and introduction to activated sludge simulation software.

Prerequisite: Physical Principles of Environmental Sciences (11:375:203)

Development of field sampling protocols and procedures, statistical analysis of field measurements, computation of sampling and instrumentation errors, design and use of environmental sensors, and development of field sampling systems to collect environmental data.

Prerequisites: Calculus II for the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (01:640:152), Biological Principles of Environmental Sciences (11:375:201), and Engineering Graphics (14:180:215)

Analysis and design of integrated solid waste management systems, including waste minimization, quantity estimates, waste characteristics, life-cycle thinking in waste management, collection, composting, materials recovery, recycling, incineration, and landfilling.

Prerequisites: Unit Processes in Bioenvironmental Engineering I (11:117:413) or permission of instructor

Engineering and process design aspects of hazardous waste management. Waste reduction and recovery, waste treatment, and site remediation. Case studies and engineering solutions to model hazardous waste problems.

Prerequisites: Fluid Mechanics (14:180:387) from Civil and Environmental Engineering or Fluid Mechanics (14:650:312) from Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Engineering design techniques for air quality control. Control of particulate and gas emissions from stationary sources. Control of mobile source emissions. Design for indoor air quality and regional air quality control.

Open only to seniors in environmental engineering. 11:117:488 prior to 11:117:489. Design morphology. Case studies and special design problems. Solutions developed using creative design processes that include analysis, synthesis, and iterative decision making. Safety and professional ethics.

Open only to seniors in bioenvironmental engineering. 11:117:488 prior to 11:117:489. Completion of bioenvironmental engineering senior design project. Evaluation. Presentation of final report.

Prerequisite: Environmental Fate and Transport (11:375:423)

Principles of groundwater hydrology and pollution. Development of mathematical formulations for describing pollutant movement in groundwater systems. Examination of control measures. Discussion of case studies. Introduction to and application of MODFLOW.

Prerequisites: Environmental Engineering Unit Processes Laboratory I (11:375:423)

Formulation and solution of mathematical models as applied to surface water quality systems. Techniques of simulation and validation using case studies.

Prerequisites: Fluid Mechanics (14:180:387) from Civil and Environmental Engineering or Fluid Mechanics (14:650:312) from Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Engineering design of land treatment systems for municipal and industrial wastewater, including spray irrigation, overland flow, infiltration/percolation, and subsurface soil adsorption systems. Facilities planning.

Prerequisite: Permission of department.

Studies of special interest in some selected area of environmental engineering.