Solid waste engineering
ENV-500
Media
Media
- Welcome to the Solid Waste Engineering course! (Page)
- Zoom Link 2024 - Exchange platform (URL)
- News forum (Forum)
- Web site of Prof. Ludwig (URL)
- Bibliography (Page)
- Course content / Livret de cours 2024 (File)
- MSW preface and content (File)
- Book chapters Municipal Solid Waste Management - Springer 2003 (Folder)
- Book chapters 6 and 12 (Fundamentals of Waste Technology) (File)
- Metabolism of the Anthroposphere (p 1-23) (File)
- Metabolism of the Anthroposphere (p 47-52) (File)
- Excursion inscription/unscription (URL)
- Project Groups (URL)
12.09.2024
Introduction
14:15 – 15:00 Welcome
- Expectations of students
- Further Literature
- Waste Hierarchy
- What is this course about?
(read the course booklet before you inscribe to the course)
15:15 – 15:45
- Teacher’s expectations
- mandatory activities and dates
- Program / structure of this course
After 15:45
- Questions
- Books (see also below)
- Self study of Preface and Chapter 1: Integrated Solid Waste Management
- Homework
(project hours will take place later in the course, details will be announced during the course)
Today no activity after 16:00, but teacher is available for questions and to borrow the Solid Waste Engineering books (deposit is CHF 100.-)
Homework until September 19th
- Read preface and chapter 1 of SWE
- Exercise: Have a look at the "Problems section" of chapter 1
- Have a look at the paper by Gordon et al.
- get a copy of the book (SI version is available at the Rolex Center), only a few copies are available at the library
- the teacher has reserve books, which can be used during the semester. A deposit of CHF 100.- is taken which is refunded after the course (the number is limited and especially for those who cannot afford to buy the book). If you would like to borrow a book, please contact Tobias Borgmeyer (GR A2 412) . Tobias is working at different places, so you may best contact him via e-mail in case he is not in his office.
Some documents below are only accessible with the password provided in the course. The documents are b/w copies of the preprints which later went through additional editorial steps before printing the final book. The documents are confidential and should only be used in the early stage of the course before you have organized an own official version.
- Solid Waste Engineering, Contents and Preface (File)
- Solid Waste Engineering, Chapter 1 (File)
- Gordon et al. 2004 (File)
- Slides 12.09.2024 (File)
19.09.2024
Topics today:
- Guidelines for waste treatment
- SWE Chapter 1, some aspects
- The myths of IWM
- Article by Gordon et al.
- Exercises: making some estimations
Homework
until September 26th: unscription to excursions (see link above)
until October 3rd (on September 26th we have the beach litter survey):
- Read chapters 2 and 3 in SWE (one chapter per week)
- Looking at the exercises may inspire you for developing an attractive video exercise at a later stage of the course.
- Solid Waste Engineering, Chapter 2 (File)
- MSW Chapter 2 (File)
- Slides - provided before lecture (File)
- Slides - complete set of slides after the lecture (File)
26.09.2024
This week we will do a beach litter survey organized by Roger Erismann and the Hammerdirt team. He will give an introduction to his actrivities in the class room at 14:15. Afterwards we will walk to the lake together for the hands on experience.
In case you are late and cannot find us, you can call me 079 812 01 41 or Roger Erismann 076 699 06 16.
Safety:
If you have disposable or washable gloves at home bring some with you (we will provide disposable gloves for those who do not bring their own ones)
Wear clothing which is appropriate for the weather conditions (the work is outside and takes place at all weather conditions). Unfortunately, bad weather has been announced. It is therefore advisable to have a rain jacket and/or umbrella.
Furthermore, participants are reminded:
• Don't pick up dangerous items
• Don't pick up any hazardous waste
03.10.2024
MFA
MFA Exercise
SWE 2: MSW Characterization and Quantities
SWE 3: Waste Collection
Exercises SWE 2 & 3
10.10.2024
BAREC / Thévenaz Leduc Excursion (Ecublens)
We meet at the site of the company at 14:35. BAREC is very close to EPFL. An easy way is to take the metro to the station Epenex and then walk to BAREC (see below).
Ch de la Motte 5
1024 Ecublens
I will wait for you and announce the group at the reception.
ATTENTION: It is a very busy site with a lot of trucks arriving and leaving. Please stand close together as a group and remain close in front of the entrance door of the reception when you arrive. During the entire tour please stay closely together and watch out that you do not stand in the way of any trucks or dredgers.
It is recommended to wear good solid shoes. As we stay mainly outside or in industrial halls, it can get quite cold. It is advised to wear warm clothing.
Possible connection with a ca. 15 minutes walk (there are not many parking lots, please come by bike or public traffic):
The excursion will terminate approximately at 16:30, allowing you to be back at EPFL in time.
17.10.2024
"BLUBOX" Excursion to Moudon: 17.10.2024 Bus arrival 14:05 / Return towards 17:40
Reception of the passengers. As soon as all inscribed students are present, we will leave. Therefore, please contact the teacher asap, in case you cannot join as planned. Thanks.
14.55 approx., arrival in Moudon
17.00 approx., departure and return
17.40 approx., arrival in Ecublens
It is recommended to wear good solid shoes. As we
stay mainly outside or in industrial halls, it can get quite cold. It is
advised to wear warm clothing. Follow further advice given by the staff on site.
vacation
31.10.2024
14:15
- SWE 2&3 (Finalization, key points)
- If possible start with SWE 4 (key points)
Planned breaks 15:00-15:15, 16:15-16:30
16:30 Project kick-off
17:30 -18:00 Project cont.
07.11.2024
Excursion to Ecorecyclage in Lavigny:
Route du Vignoble 101
1175 Lavigny
We will go by bus to the station "Lavigny,
Hôpital" (arrival at 15:25) and walk from there to the back entrance of
the site (see train/bus connections below).
For those who travel by private car: there is only a very small parking lot at the entrance of the company. Be there at 15:30. Make sure you do not stand in the way of trucks entering and leaving the site. I will pick you up there at around 15:35 as the group who will arrive with me by bus will wait on the other side of the site.
Consider: We will be outside most of
the time. Therefore, I advise you to wear good (but not the newest) shoes
and warm clothing. The excursion takes place at every weather condition
(take an umbrella with you if it is a rainy day). All
waste treatment sites are dangerous places as trucks, excavators or other heavy
machines are moving. Single persons, unexpected by the drivers, may not be
recognized. Therefore, always stand together as a group.
To go to Lavigny Hôpital, take the connection below, leaving
at EPFL (St-Sulpice, Pâqueret) at 14:38 (there are two different bus stations
Pâqueret, one serves the bus 31 and the other bus 701. Use the one for bus 701
located directly at the street "Route Cantonal" (the station is on
the street side of Rolex Center):
In case you need to leave later at EPFL, there is also the connection below. But in Morges you have to change fast, moreover, the train may be late (if you do not walk fast after the arrival in Morges and you also do not know where the bus 726 is leaving, you may have a good chance to miss it. I personally plan to take the connection above.
Potential return options:
14.11.2024
14:15
Biological Processes (Biological processes, with Ayush Agarwal)
15:15
Mechanical Processes (Finalization SWE 4)
16:15
Separation Processes (SWE 5)
17:15
Project work / Questions / Proposal and progress
21.11.2024
28.11.2024
15:45 - 16:00 Project work in CH B3 31 and group meetings with teacher in his office GR A2 424
15:45 Group 2, Food Waste@EPFL, room GR A2 424
16:05 Group 3, Battery Recycling, room GR A2 424
16:25 Group 4, PET Waste Management, room GR A2 424
16:45 Group 5, Recycling of Mobile Phones, room GR A2 424
17:15 - 18:00 Exam preparation, questions
05.12.2024
14:15 – 14:45 Discuss results of example test questions distributed on 28.11.2024
14:45 – 15:45 A training test
16:15 -17:15 Discuss results of training test
17:15 Project work and questions, if there are any
12.12.2024
Please leave the room once you have handed in the test.
This is a closed book exam.
Bring with you
- a simple non-programmable calculator (e.g. TI-30)
- virgin, unused writing paper and something to write
16:00-18:00 Work on project, teacher is available for questions.
19.12.2024
At noon all videos should be uploaded to the mediacom platform:
You can upload your video using the following link:
https://mediaspace.epfl.ch/epfl_submit
If you have any problems in uploading your video, make sure you use your Switch-edu account with your EPFL e-mail address as login.
I will then transfer the video to the channel to which I will give you access.
Individual group debriefing meetings:
Reflections and final thoughts about your project. We meet in office GR A2 424. Thanks to be on time to avoid delays.
All members of the group should participate. (If groups want to switch their slot, this is possible. Let the teacher know if a slot does not work for you and inform the teacher in advance about planned changes. A video call may be arranged or the debriefing moved to another day. It is important that all group members are present. Even hybrid arrangements may be possible. However, ideally we meet all in person.)
14:15 Group 2
14:35 Group 3
14:55 Group 4
15:05 Group 5
In the course room CH B3 31:
15:30 -16:10 Cinema - Video watching (part 1)
16:10 break
16:20 - 17:00 Cinema - Video watching (part 2)
17:15 - 17:30 General feedback (all)
17:30 - 18:00 For those who are interested: Last thoughts and impressions from own research (could be inspiring for a later master's thesis project):
Research on Waste Treatment and Bioenergy at EPFL / PSI
18:00 walk to Satellite, 1 drink offered to ENV-500 students by the teacher
Do not forget to submit your final report on December 20th.