Slide background

School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering

Now offering two distinct diplomas: Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering

Municipal Solid Waste: System Management and Design

1. COURSE INFORMATION:

School Chemical and Environmental Engineering
Course Level Undergraduate
Direction Environmental Engineering
Course ID ENVE 338 Semester 7th
Course Category Required
Course Modules Instruction Hours per Week ECTS

Lectures and Laboratory assignments

5
T=3, E=1, L=2/2

5
Course Type Scientific area
Prerequisites  
Instruction/Exam Language Greek
The course is offered to Erasmus students Yes
Course URL https//www.eclass.tuc.gr/courses/MHPER161/  (in Greek)

 

2. LEARNING OUTCOMES

Learning Outcomes

The course refers to qualitative and quantitative analysis of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), main management methods and design of processes for MSW treatment.

The student will emphasize and learn about integrated waste management systems in accordance with their characteristics.

Initially, the MSW is classified based on its characteristics and properties. It is presented the main management methods like collection, transportation, recycling, treatment, and final disposal. The methods are compared (composting, thermal treatment, landfilling), and advantages and disadvantages are presented along with decision making criteria. Mass and energy balances are presented for specific topics like waste-to-energy methods.

Specific systems are analyzed for waste collection: temporary storage, design parameters (bins, storage capacity of collection trucks), collection and transportation system (design of collection routes, evaluation of trucks, capacity, annualcollection and transportation cost, designing examples), transfer station of MSW (operation system, designing system and decision criteria, urban planning, yearly cost, financial assessment of transfer station). Estimation of landfill capacity or integrated waste management facilities for specific cases. Landfill design criteria, and potential construction sites. Biological and chemical degradation of waste. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of degradation products (leachate, biogas).

The student will learn:

  • Basic principles on integrated solid waste management, and apply the best approach based on waste characteristics.
  • Design collection and transportation systems of MSW.
  • Estimate the landfill size or treatment facilities for specific case studies.
  • Determination of physicochemical characteristics of degradation products (landfill leachate, biogas).
General Competencies/Skills
  • Autonomous work
  • Team work
  • Project design and management

3. COURSE SYLLABUS

  1. Solid waste characteristics, proximate and ultimate analysis. Solid waste types. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)
  2. Qualitative and quantitative analysis. Solid waste composition in Greece and abroad.
  3. Recycling and recovery of materials. Basic principles. Recycling rates. Recycling materials. Packaging waste. Mechanical and Biological Treatment.
  4. Aerobic process. Types of aerobic processes. Aerobic process stages. Physical and Chemical parameters. Products of aerobic process. Mass balances. Quality requirements.
  5. Anaerobic process. Anaerobic degradation process and systems. Anaerobic degradation stages. Physical and Chemical parameters. Biogas production and management. Advantages and disadvantages of systems.
  6. Thermal treatment. Incineration-Combustion. Pyrolysis. Gasification. Plasma technology. Pollutant emissions. Formation mechanism of hazardous pollutants.
  7. Process balances. Mass balances. Pollutant balances.
  8. Planning of sanitary landfilling. Basic criteria of landfill construction.
  9. Sanitary landfilling. Leachate landfill production and characteristics. Biogas. Aftercare period. Landfill restoration
  10. Liner systems, leachate collection and management. Leachate production. Hydraulic conductivity and movement of leachate in vadose zone. Liner materials. Leachate leaks.
  11. Collection and control of biogas. Biogas prediction amount.
  12. Sustainable landfilling. Movement from landfilling to residual landfilling. Mass balances.
  13. Estimation of landfill environmental impacts. Strategies for sustainable landfilling.

4. INSTRUCTION and LEARNING METHODS - ASSESSMENT

Lecture Method Direct (face to face)
Use of Information and Communication Technology Power point presentations; E-class support
Instruction Organisation Activity Workload per Semester
(hours)
- Lectures 39
- Tutorials 13
- Lab assignments 13
- Lab reports 13
- Autonomous study 47
Course Total 125

Assessment Method

I. Written final examination (70%).
- Questions of theoretical knowledge.
- Theoretical problems to be resolved.

ΙΙ. Lab work (30%).

  • Four lab exercises
    • On-the-spot multiple choice questions: 25% of the lab grade
    • Team reports: 25% of the lab grade
  • Final lab exam: 50% of the lab grade 

5. RECOMMENDED READING

  • Tchobanoglous G., Kreith F. (2002) Handbook of Solid Waste Management (2nd Ed.). McGraw-Hill, USA.
  • Chandrappa R., Das D.B. (2012) Solid Waste Management: Principles and Practice. Springer, Germany.
  • Unnisa S.A, Rav S.B. (2012) Sustainable Solid Waste Management. Taylor & Francis, USA.
  • Christensen T.H. (2011) Solid Waste Technology and Management. Wiley, UK.

6. INSTRUCTORS

Course Instructor: Assistant Professor A. Giannis (Faculty- ChEnvEng)
Lectures: Assistant Professor A. Giannis (Faculty- ChEnvEng)
Tutorial exercises: Assistant Professor A. Giannis (Faculty- ChEnvEng)
Laboratory Exercises: E. Kastanaki (LTS - ChEnvEng), Dr. A. Papadopoulou (LTS - ChEnvEng)