CVEN20030 Environmental Engineering Fundamentals

Academic Year 2021/2022

This module is designed primarily for engineering students intending to focus in the area of environmental engineering. The module lays a foundation for more intensive modules in later stages by introducing concepts about, among other things, environmental ethics, engineering calculations, and the fundamental biological, chemical and physical processes used in environmental engineering. Applications of these concepts to developing engineering solutions for several contemporary environmental problems are also examined. This module will cover the following topics: Sustainability, Units for Environmental Measurements, Physical, Chemical and Biological Principle, Engineering Approximations, Hydrology, Pollution Transport Processes, Solid Waste Management, Ethics, Environmental Laws and EU Regulation.

Show/hide contentOpenClose All

Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this module, students will demonstrate an ability to:
1. Describe the role of engineers in environmental protection;
2. Explain the fundamental ethical considerations on which environmental engineering is based;
3. Perform basic engineering calculations involving physical, chemical and biological principles.

Indicative Module Content:

• Introduction
• Sustainability
• Units for environmental measurements
• Physical principles (mass + energy balances)
• Chemical principles (stoichiometry, laws, equilibria, kinetics, chemical reactors)
• Ethical dilemmas
• Ethics and EU regulation
• Biological principles (ecosystems, population dynamics)
• Water quality (biochemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen)
• Engineering approximations
• Pollution transport processes (advection, dispersion, sedimentation, flow through porous media)
• Hydrology (precipitation, runoff, groundwater)
• Waste management
• Risk and decision making

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

15
Tutorial

10
Autonomous Student Learning

95
Online Learning

5
Total

125
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
1. Lectures
2. Group work
3. Problem-based learning
4. Case-based learning
5. Presentations and discussions 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Requirements:

Differential calculus
Linear algebra
Integral calculus and differential equations

Learning Recommendations:

Fundamental chemistry and biology


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Class Test: Short in-class tests via Brightspace Quiz. Tests will assess learning of specific topics at various stages in the trimester. Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded No

40
Assignment: Assignment Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded No

40
Group Project: Group task Varies over the Trimester n/a Graded No

20

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring Yes - 2 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Online automated feedback

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Textbook:
1. Environmental Engineering: Fundamentals, Sustainability, Design, Mihelcic & Zimmerman, 2010, John Wiley & Sons.

Suggested reading:
1. Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering: Reible, 1999, CRC Press.
2. Environmental Engineering, Kiely, 2006, McGraw Hill.