XWT-30305 Biological Water Treatment and Recovery Technology

Course

Credits 5.00

Language of instruction:

English

Assumed knowledge on:

ETE-22306 or comparable

Contents:

In the past the main objective of industrial as well as municipal wastewater treatment was to produce an effluent that could comply with the discharge standards to surface waters. Today this objective more and more is combined with reuse of the treated water and the recovery of valuable resources from wastewater. Typical examples of such resources are organic matter to be recovered as energy, phosphorus, sulphur and nitrogen. Both objectives can be accomplished by smart combinations of microbiological conversion processes and/or microbiologically induced crystallisation processes. During this course an overview will be presented of the microbiological, thermo dynamical, and kinetic aspects of relevant biological processes. In several case studies the students will learn how this knowledge, combined with characteristics substrate properties of (multiple-component) wastewaters and environmental conditions, (1) can be used to make a technological design of a biological wastewater treatment plant, and (2) how appropriate mixed-cultures of microorganisms can be selected, which can do their job at a sufficiently high rate.

Learning outcomes:

After this course, students:
- have knowledge of the most important microbiological processes to treat wastewater and recover products from wastewater;
- have knowledge about different reactor types to accommodate these processes;
- know what wastewater characteristics and process conditions are important to apply these processes;
- can use basic kinetic, stoichiometric and/or thermodynamic data to select design and environmental parameters to obtain the appropriate mixed-cultures of microorganisms;
- are able to determine parameters which are important for design;
- can make a simple technological design of a biological wastewater treatment plant.

Activities:

Attending lectures, literature research, studying theory, working on case studies in a group.

Examination:

Written exam (50%) and case portfolio (50%).

Literature:

Lecture notes.