421-210 Environmental Engineering - Basics

An introduction to structure, function and reproduction of living cells, tissues and organisms. Plant physiology. Microbiology and its application to waste treatment.An introduction to heat transfer in the natural and built environment.Techniques for problem definition in environmental engineering; nature of environmental engineering systems and their sub-systems; conceptual modelling of systems; conceptual design and creative thinking; planning methodology; function; performance, failure and reliability, communication by reports plans. Economy and life-cycles costs.

At the end of this subject, students should be able to:

• converse on a professional, interdisciplinary level with biological scientists and practitioners

• use rate equations to describe microbiological treatment of wastes

• describe heat energy flows and apply heat transfer equations to solve one dimensional problems

• apply simplified mass and energy balance equations to the soil and water environment to assist in identifying the processes influencing the environment

• apply a range of design tools to solve engineering problems of limited scope and complexity

• Problem solving; group work skills development; and making site visit observations

One end of semester examination 2-hours (60%); Three in-class conceptual design group reports over the first 8 weeks of semester (10%); One mid semester test of 1 hr (15%); Up to three on-line quizzes totalling less than 1 hour in the latter third of semester (5%); three practical reports of no more than 500 words each spread over the semester (10%). Attendance at excursions is compulsory.