Required in stage
Optional in stage
First term
Second term
Both terms
Not organised
This year
Next year
Alternating years
External
Prerequisites
Language of instruction
Duration
Identical coursesWaste Water Treatment Technology (B-KUL-H09E7A)
Cannot be taken as part of an examination contract
Van der Bruggen Bart (coordinator) | Smets Ilse | Van der Bruggen Bart Aims
This course provides an overview of contemporary wastewater treatment practice (based on biological, physical and physico-chemical principles).
General objective of primary wastewater treatment part:
- Having acquired qualitative and quantitative insight into pre-treatment methods used in wastewater treatment.
Specific objectives of primary wastewater treatment part:
- Having acquired knowledge of Flemish legislation in the field of industrial wastewater in comparison with household wastewater.
- To be able to estimate the required dimensions of existing primary techniques.
General objective of secondary wastewater treatment part:
- Having acquired a critical attitude regarding research in and applications of biological wastewater treatment.
Specific objectives of secondary waste water treatment part:
- To be able to reproduce the definition and analysis method of the effluent quality and process-related parameters in biological waste water treatment.
- Critically evaluate existing process configurations and associated operations to remove carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in a classic way, separately and / or jointly
- To be able to propose a process configuration and associated operational management in order to be able to biologically remove carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, separately and / or jointly.
- To be able to design a secondary sedimentation tank.
- To know the basic principles of anaerobic sludge digestion.
- To know when which advanced nitrogen removal operations may apply based on its definition and its advantages and disadvantages.
- To be able to propose or interpret remedies for bulking sludge sedimentation problems on the basis of the causes and consequences that are currently scientifically researched.
- To be able to translate a given (simple) process configuration into mass balance equations.
- To Explain and discuss in your own words existing (i.e., discussed in class) models with emphasis on linking them to the biological or physical processes they attempt to model.
General objective part of tertiary waste water treatment:
- Insight into (selection of) techniques that can be used for tertiary (and quaternary) waste water treatment.
Specific objectives for part of tertiary wastewater treatment:
- To know the possibilities of membrane technology as a purification technique, including application in membrane bioreactors.
- To have insight into techniques that are possible for thorough purification of wastewater.
- To have acquired the knowledge of disinfection techniques used in wastewater treatment.
- To be able to estimate possibilities to reuse waste water.
Previous knowledge
Basic knowledge of chemistry, reactor engineering and microbiology is a prerequisite
Is included in these courses of study
- Master of Chemical Engineering (Leuven) (Chemical and Biochemical Process Engineering) 120 ects.
- Courses for Exchange Students Faculty of Engineering Science (Leuven)
Activities
2.2 ects. Waste Water Treatment Technology : Lecture (B-KUL-H09E7a)
Content
In this course wastewater treatment is discussed in all its details, ranging from primary (pre)treatment over biological secondary techniques to more advanced tertiary techniques.
After an introduction to the domain specific terminology and the legal framework, pretreatment (i.e., primary) techniques are introduced, i.e., screening and the removal of non soluble, non biodegradable components (sand, fat and oil).
Subsequently, techniques for biological wastewater treatment (i.e., the secondary techniques) are detailed. The focus lies on activated sludge systems since they are the most representative biologically based treatment systems. Traditionally such a system comprises reactors for biodegradation and sedimentation. In the biodegradation tanks, a mixture of predominantly bacteria (the so called activated sludge) breaks down the polluting components in the wastewater in a sequence of anaerobic, anoxic and/or aerobic tanks. Carbon, as well as nitrogen and phosphorus removal is explained, all of them from a biological as well as a modeling/design view point. To accomplish the separation of the purified water from the activated sludge, gravitation is exploited in the sedimentation tanks. Both the physical concepts behind and the state-of-the-art sedimentation models are introduced. As for (waste) activated sludge treatment, anaerobic sludge digestion passes in review. Furthermore, more recent trends and problems such as integrated ways to remove nitrogen and sludge sedimentation failures are discussed. Whenever possible, guest lectures are organized to ensure an up-to-date vision on the currently implemented practices.
As for the tertiary techniques, special attention is devoted to physicochemical techniques like adsorption, pressure drive membrane techniques and membrane bioreactors, neutralization, precipitation methods, ion exchange and disinfection. For each technique it is indicated which water quality can be reached. On the basis of the introduced tertiary techniques, the avenues for water reuse are explored. Amongst other examples, the coupling of source and intended use of the water, the risks introduced when reusing water and the required water quality in view of its use are highlighted. Some relevant case studies are discussed.
Course material
Handouts of the slides used in the lecturers
0.8 ects. Waste Water Treatment Technology : Exercises and Excursions (B-KUL-H09E8a)
Content
In this part, the theory of the lectures is further illustrated through exercise sessions and excursions.
Course material
Handouts of the slides used in the lecturers
Evaluation
Evaluation: Waste Water Treatment Technology (B-KUL-H29E7a)
Explanation
Written (closed book) exam with oral defense. During the exam, the students are evaluated on primary and tertiary water treatment techniques (Prof. Van der Bruggen) and on secondary wastewater treatment techniques (Prof. Smets). All details are communicated through toledo.
The relative importance of each part of the exam is proportional to the credits assigned to the lectures of each part.