Water Treatment and Environmental Engineering Lab - Department of Ocean Operations
Water and Environmental Engineering Laboratory
The water and environmental engineering laboratory focuses on Water Quality Assessment, Water and Wastewater Treatment, Pipe Hydraulics and Stormwater Management, and Digitalization and Simulation of Water Systems.
The facilities in the laboratory are used for both research and education:The laboratory is primarily used by the bachelor programmes in Water and Environmental Engineering, and Construction.
Water Quality Assessment
This laboratory is equipped with facilities for sampling and analysis of water and wastewater for different physical, chemical and microbial parameters including:
- PH
- Temperature
- Turbidity
- Dissolved oxygen
- Conductivity
- Phosphorus
- Nitrogen
- COD
- E.coli/coliform bacteria
Some of the equipment in the laboratory include:
- Spectrophotometer HACH Lange DR3900
- TurbiQuant 1500 IR
- Membrane Filtration System
- Microbiological Incubator
Brusdalsvatnet Lake, which is the main source of drinking water for Ålesund, is used as a research station for both teaching and research activities related to water quality assessment. The water quality and assessment group is currently involved in projects financed by the Research Council of Norway and the Commune of Ålesund.
All the water quality analyses are undertaken in Room 046 in the laboratory building of NTNU in Ålesund.
Water and Wastewater Treatment
The main activities in this laboratory is the assessment of existing water/wastewater treatment technologies, as well as development of new treatment technologies.
- A labscale pilot water treatment plant is being procured for teaching and research on different water treatment unit processes.
- Filtration unit for research on filtration dynamics for water and wastewater treatment.
- Jar-test facility for the teaching and research on chemical coagulation-flocculation processes.
The current research activities linked to the group is on-site greywater treatment processes, and the development of appropriate models to assess the health impacts such systems in collaboration with industry.
Pipe Hydraulics and Stormwater Management
The hydraulic laboratory has the following planned and installed facilities:
- A vacuum pipe system with automated flushable toilets for the study of wastewater flow and dynamics in a typical vacuum toilet system.
- A Microfluidics-set up for the study of fluid flow and dynamics at a small scale, particularly in the study of biofilm formation in drinking water pipes as well as corrosion in pipes and prevention.
- A hydraulic bench for the study of fluid flow, pressure variations and friction in pipes of different materials.
The hydraulics lab is located in room 061 in the laboratory building at NTNU in Ålesund.
Digitalization and Simulation
The focus of this laboratory is the development of smart water systems for the effective operation, maintenance and overall management of drinking water and wastewater systems.
The laboratory is installing equipment within its Brusdalsvatnet research station for the collection, collation and transmission of large data on hydrology as well as water quality parameters for real-time hydrodynamic modelling.
Sensors are also being planned for installation in the wastewater/stormwater pipe network in Ålesund for the study of the real-time simulation of wastewater and stormwater flow; as well as development of appropriate measures for mitigating the impacts of stormwater.
Another focus area is the application of advanced Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning approaches to water related data.
The group is also involved in the development of water related softwares to guide the operation, maintenance and management of water and wastewater systems. The group has already developed a software for assessment of on-site wastewater treatment plants under Norwegian conditions, which is available on Google Play Store (@Risiko).