Search result: Catalogue data in Spring Semester 2020
Environmental Engineering Master  | ||||||
 Majors | ||||||
| Major Resource Management | ||||||
| Compulsory Moudules | ||||||
| Ecological System Design | ||||||
| Number | Title | Type | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 102-0348-00L | Prospective Environmental Assessments Prerequisite for this lecture is basic knowledge of environmental assessment tools, such as material flow analysis, risk assessment and life cycle assessment. Students without previous knowledge in these areas need to read according textbooks prior to or at the beginning of the lecture. | O | 3 credits | 2G | S. Hellweg, N. Heeren, A. Spörri | |
| Abstract | This lecture deals with prospective assessments of emerging technologies as well as with the assessment of long-term environmental impact caused by today's activities. | |||||
| Learning objective | - Understanding prospective environmental assessments, including scenario analysis techniques, prospective emission models, dynamic MFA and LCA. - Ability to properly plan and conduct prospective environmental assessment studies, for example on emerging technologies or on technical processes that cause long-term environmental impacts. - Being aware of the uncertainties involved in prospective studies. - Getting to know measures to prevent long-term emissions or impact in case studies - Knowing the arguments in favor and against a temporally differentiated weighting of environmental impacts (discounting) | |||||
| Content | - Scenario analysis - Dynamic material flow analysis - Temporal differentiation in LCA - Systems dynamics tools - Assessment of future and present environmental impact - Case studies | |||||
| Lecture notes | Lecture slides and further documents will be made available on Moodle. | |||||
| Groundwater | ||||||
| Number | Title | Type | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |
| 102-0448-00L | Groundwater II | O | 6 credits | 4G | M. Willmann, J. Jimenez-Martinez | |
| Abstract | The course is based on the course 'Groundwater I' and is a prerequisite for a deeper understanding of groundwater flow and contaminant transport problems with a strong emphasis on numerical modeling. | |||||
| Learning objective | The course should enable students to understand advanced concepts of groundwater flow and transport and to apply groundwater flow and transport modelling. the student should be able to a) formulate practical flow and contaminant transport problems. b) solve steady-state and transient flow and transport problems in 2 and 3 spatial dimensions using numerical codes based on the finite difference method and the finite element methods. c) solve simple inverse flow problems for parameter estimation given measurements. d) assess simple multiphase flow problems. e) assess spatial variability of parameters and use of stochastic techniques in this task. f) assess simple coupled reactive transport problems. | |||||
| Content | Introduction and basic flow and contaminant transport equation. Numerical solution of the 3D flow equation using the finite difference method. Numerical solution to the flow equation using the finite element equation Numerical solution to the transport equation using the finite difference method. Alternative methods for transport modeling like method of characteristics and the random walk method. Two-phase flow and Unsaturated flow problems. Spatial variability of parameters and its geostatistical representation -geostatistics and stochastic modelling. Reactive transport modelling. | |||||
| Lecture notes | Handouts | |||||
| Literature | - Anderson, M. and W. Woessner, Applied Groundwater Modeling, Elsevier Science & Technology Books, 448 p., 2002 - J. Bear and A. Cheng, Modeling Groundwater Flow and Contaminant Transport, Springer, 2010 - Appelo, C.A.J. and D. Postma, Geochemistry, Groundwater and Pollution, Second Edition, Taylor & Francis, 2005 - Rubin, Y., Applied Stochastic Hydrology, Oxford University Press, 2003 - Chiang und Kinzelbach, 3-D Groundwater Modeling with PMWIN. Springer, 2001. | |||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Each afternoon will be divided into 2 h of lectures and 2h of exercises. Two thirds of the exercises of the course are organized as a computer workshop to get hands-on experience with groundwater modelling. | |||||
| 701-1240-00L | Modelling Environmental Pollutants | O | 3 credits | 2G | M. Scheringer, C. Bogdal | |
| Abstract | Modeling the emissions, transport, partitioning and transformation/degradation of chemical contaminants in air, water and soil. | |||||
| Learning objective | This course is intended for students who are interested in the environmental fate and transport of volatile and semi-volatile organic chemicals and exposure to pollutants in environmental media including air, water, soil and biota. The course focuses on the theory and application of mass-balance models of environmental pollutants. These models are quantitative tools for describing, understanding, and predicting the way pollutants interact with the environment. Important topics include thermodynamic and kinetic descriptions of chemical behavior in environmental systems; mechanisms of chemical degradation in air and other media; novel approaches to modeling chemical fate in a variety of environments, including lakes and rivers, generic regions, and at the global scale, and application of mass balance modeling principles to describe bioaccumulation of pollutants by fish and mammals. | |||||
| Content | Application of mass balance principles to chemicals in a system of coupled environmental media. Measurement and estimation of physico-chemical properties that determine the environmental behavior of chemicals. Thermodynamic and kinetic controls on the behavior of pollutants. Modeling environmental persistence, bioaccumulation and long-range transport potential of chemicals, including a review of available empirical data on various degradation processes. Current issues in multimedia contaminant fate modeling and a case study of the student's choice. | |||||
| Lecture notes | Material to support the lectures will be distributed during the course. | |||||
| Literature | There is no required text. The following texts are useful for background reading and additional information. D. Mackay. Multimedia Environmental Models: The Fugacity Approach, 2nd Ed. 2001. CRC Press. R. P. Schwarzenbach, P. M. Gschwend, D. M. Imboden. Environmental Organic Chemistry. 2nd Ed. 2003, John Wiley & Sons. M. Scheringer. Persistence and spatial range of environmental chemicals: New ethical and scientific concepts for risk assessment. 2002. Wiley-VCH. | |||||
| Waste Management | ||||||
| Number | Title | Type | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |
| 102-0338-01L | Waste Management and Circular Economy | O | 3 credits | 2G | M. Haupt, U. Baier | |
| Abstract | Understanding the fundamental concepts of advanced waste management and circular economy and, in more detail, on biological processes for waste treatment. Application of concepts on various waste streams, including household and industrial waste streams. Insights into environmental aspects of different waste treatment technologies and waste economy. | |||||
| Learning objective | The purpose of this course is to study the fundamental concepts of waste management in Switzerland and globally and learn about new concepts such as Circular Economy. In-depth knowledge on biological processes for waste treatments should be acquired and applied in case studies. Based on this course, you should be able to understand national waste management strategies and related treatment technologies. Treatment plants and valorization concepts for biomass and organic waste should be understood. Furthermore, future designs of waste treatment processes can be evaluated using basic process understanding and knowledge obtained from the current literature. | |||||
| Content | National waste management Waste as a resource Circular Economy Assessment tools for waste management strategies Plastic recycling Thermal waste treatment Emerging technologies Organic Wastes in Switzerland Anaerobic Digestion & Biogas Composting process technologies Organic Waste Hygiene Product Quality & Use Waste Economy and environmental aspects | |||||
| Lecture notes | Handouts Exercises based on literature | |||||
| Literature | Deublein, D. and Steinhauser, A. (2011): Biogas from Waste and Renewable Resources: An Introduction. 2nd Edition, Wiley VCH, Weinheim. --> One of the leading books on the subject of anaerobic digestion and biogas, covering all aspects from biochemical and microbial basics to planning and running of biogas plants as well as different technology concepts and biogas upgrade & utilization. We will be using selected chapters only in this course. Lohri, C.R., S. Diener, I. Zabaleta, A. Mertenat, and C. Zurbrügg. 2017. Treatment technologies for urban solid biowaste to create value products: a review with focus on low- and middle-income settings. Reviews in Environmental Science and Biotechnology 16(1): 81–130. Haupt, M., C. Vadenbo, and S. Hellweg. 2017. Do We Have the Right Performance Indicators for the Circular Economy?: Insight into the Swiss Waste Management System. Journal of Industrial Ecology 21(3): 615–627. Schweizerische Qualitätsrichtlinie 2010 der Branche für Kompost und Gärgut: Link More information about biowaste treatment in Switzerland (www.cvis.ch) and Europe (www.compostnetwork.info and www.ecn-qas.eu) | |||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | There will be complementary exercises going along with some of the lectures, which focus on real life aspects of waste management. Some of the exercises will be solved during lessons whereas others will have to be dealt with as homework. To pass the course and to achieve credits it is required to pass the examination successfully (Mark 4 or higher). The written examination covers all topics of the course and is based on handouts and on selected literature | |||||
| Water Resources Management | ||||||
| Number | Title | Type | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |
| 102-0468-00L | Watershed Modelling | O | 3 credits | 2G | P. Molnar | |
| Abstract | Introduction to watershed modelling with applications of GIS in hydrology, the use of semi- and fully-distributed continuous watershed models, and their calibration and validation. The course contains substantive practical modelling experience in several assignments. | |||||
| Learning objective | Watershed Modelling is a course in the Master of Science in Environmental Engineering Programme. It is a practical course in which the students learn to (a) use GIS in hydrological applications, (b) calibrate and validate models, (c) apply and interpret semi- and fully- distributed continuous watershed models, and (d) discuss several modelling case studies. This course is a follow up of Hydrology 2 and requires solid computer skills. | |||||
| Content | - Introduction to watershed modelling - GIS in watershed modelling (ArcGIS exercise) - Calibration and validation of models - Semi-distributed modelling with PRMS (model description, application) - Distributed watershed modelling with TOPKAPI (model description, application) - Modelling applications and case studies (climate change scenarios, land use change, basin erosion) | |||||
| Literature | - Lecture presentations - Exercise documentation - Relevant scientific papers all posted on the course website | |||||
| 102-0488-00L | Water Resources Management | O | 3 credits | 2G | P. Burlando | |
| Abstract | Modern engineering approach to problems of sustainable water resources, planning and management of water allocation requires the understanding of modelling techniques that allow to account for comprehensive water uses (thereby including ecological needs) and stakeholders needs, long-term analysis and optimization. The course presents the most relevant approaches to address these problems. | |||||
| Learning objective | The course provides the essential knowledge and tools of water resources planning and management. Core of the course are the concepts of data analysis, simulation, optimization and reliability assessment in relation to water projects and sustainable water resources management. | |||||
| Content | The course is organized in four parts. Part 1 is a general introduction to the purposes and aims of sustainable water resources management, problem understanding and tools identification. Part 2 recalls Time Series Analysis and Linear Stochastic Models. An introduction to Nonlinear Time Series Analysis and related techniques will then be made in order to broaden the vision of how determinism and stochasticity might sign hydrological and geophysical variables. Part 3 deals with the optimal allocation of water resources and introduces to several tools traditionally used in WRM, such as linear and dynamic programming. Special attention will be devoted to optimization (deterministic and stochastic) and compared to simulation techniques as design methods for allocation of water resources in complex and competitive systems, with focus on sustainability and stakeholders needs. Part 4 will introduce to basic indexes used in economical and reliability analyses, and will focus on multicriteria analysis methods as a tool to assess the reliability of water systems in relation to design alternatives. | |||||
| Lecture notes | A copy of the lecture handouts will be available on the webpage of the course. Complementary documentation in the form of scientific and technical articles, as well as excerpts from books will be also made available. | |||||
| Literature | A number of book chapters and paper articles will be listed and suggested to read. They will also be part of discussion during the oral examination. | |||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Suggested relevant courses: Hydrologie I (or a similar content course) and Wasserhaushalt (Teil "Wasserwirtschaft", 4. Sem. UmweltIng., or a similar content course) for those students not belonging to Environmental Engineering. | |||||
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