Dr. Desmond Lawler
Nassir I. Al-Rashid Chair in Civil Engineering
Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
The University of Texas at Austin
Date: Monday, February 25, 2013
Time: 1:00pm - 2:30pm
Location: Lecture Hall 3 (101 Admin)
The Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors
2013 Distinguished Lecture
Presents:
Particles, Particles, and More Particles
"Particle treatment processes are at the heart of both (surface) drinking water treatment and wastewater treatment. Many contaminants in water and wastewater are particles, are made into particles, or are removed by attaching to particles. Throughout my career, I have been pursuing the links between fundamental particle properties (particularly size distributions, but also shape, surface charge, and adsorbed materials such as natural organic matter) and the optimal design and operation of particle processes. Current work includes considering the fate of nanoparticles in conventional particle processes. Flocculation, precipitation, gravity removal processes (sedimentation, flotation, thickening), granular media filtration, and dewatering have all been the focus of my work with various Master’s and Ph.D. students. In addition, we have studied the linkages of these processes to one another in conventional water treatment plants. A few of the key insights from this work include the relative insignificance of the velocity gradient in determining the success of flocculation, the importance of flow patterns in open tanks such as flocculation and sedimentation reactors, the role of detachment in the effluent water quality from granular media filters, and a design methodology for granular media filters that could save piloting costs."
Light reception to follow
For more information contact: ughosh@umbc.edu
Event co hosted by: University of Maryland Baltimore County, University of Maryland College Park, Johns Hopkins University, and Howard University