New Course of ENGR I9500: Professional Seminar and Special Topics in Earth Systems & Environmental Engineering

 

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     Syllabus                      SPRING 2018

 

Course: ENGR I9500 , section L, class # 60114

Title: Professional Seminar and Special Topics in Earth Systems & Environmental Engineering

Seminar series given by: The Earth Engineering Center at City College of New York (EEC|CCNY)

Sponsored by: Earth System Science and Environmental Engineering

In collaboration with: The Department of Sanitation of New York City

 

Instructors: Professor Marco J. Castaldi; Associate Director Demetra Tsiamis, EEC|CCNY

Contact information (use e-mails): mcastaldi@ccny.cuny.edu , dtsiamis@ccny.cuny.edu   

Location: ST-312

Meetings: Tuesdays, Thursdays, 9:30-10:45 am; 01/27/2018 - 05/24/2018, Total classes: 28

Office hours: Tuesdays, Thursdays 3-4 pm, and by appointment

Pre-requisites: graduate standing (for MS students), Dean’s permission (for eligible upper-level undergraduate students)

Course description:

The Professional Seminar Series is a course on waste sustainability that will be taught by a diverse group of waste management experts in academia, industry, and government from around the world. This seminar series will serve as a unifying foundation for the ESE program by offering students a comprehensive and global education on waste sustainability, introducing research opportunities, and providing training in professional and personal skills.

Course assessment:

Attendance of lecture – 20%
Midterm exam – 15%
Final exam - 25%
Assignments – 10%
Participation during lectures – 5%
Final Report - 25%
 
5 out of 8 field trips must be attended – for each missed trip beyond 3 will result in a reduction of grade by 10%

Assignments: There will be 5 assignment submissions that coincide with field trips. The assignment deliverable will be a quantitative summary and assessment based on the lecture and associated field trip taken. E.g. if the visit is to a recycling center, then the assignment will detail, cost of recycle material per ton, percentage that is recycled based on input. Type and quantity of material recycled vs discarded. Quantitative estimate of environmental impact or benefit per unit weight of material (i.e. Co2 savings per kg, NOx savings per kg, energy savings per kg, etc). The same will be done for each submission. If you attend more than 5 trips, hopefully you attend all, you only need to submit 5 of your choosing. Assignments will only be accepted within 7 days after completion of the field trip; late submissions will not be graded. The spirit of the assignment is to quantitatively understand a waste management process. The assignment submission should not be more than 3-4 pages including all calculations, graphs, tables and analyses. They should be concisely written as if you are providing a “trip report” to a supervisor at your workplace that conveys the quantitative understanding and learning obtained. The format should reflect a professional memorandum or professional briefing. Please see the Evaluation Rubrics

Course Content & Calendar (subject to changes):

 

 

Class 1

 

 

Jan. 30

Welcome/ Intro to Waste Sustainability

Speakers:

  • Deputy Commissioner Bridget Anderson, Recycling & Sustainability, Department of Sanitation of New York (DSNY)
  • Professor Marco J. Castaldi, Associate Director Demetra Tsiamis

Description: Introduction to course/discussion of seminar series layout and logistics, waste management in New York City

 

 

Class 2

 

 

Feb. 1

Waste Management Overview

Speaker: Demetra Tsiamis, EEC|CCNY

Description: Definition of waste terminology, waste transport logistics – where does our garbage go?, overview of waste treatment technologies

 

 

Class 3

 

 

Feb. 6

Reduce & Reuse

Speakers:

 

  • Ben Rose, Senior Manager – Donations & Reuse, DSNY
  • Katherine Kitchner, Deputy Director of Policy & Programs, Bureau of Recycling & Sustainability, DSNY

Description: Definition of reuse – what items in our waste can be reused and how?,, challenges in reuse, quantification of  current reuse in NYC – NYCCMR reuse calculator,  reuse initiatives and organizations in NYC – how to get involved

 

 

Class 4

 

 

Feb. 8

Site Visit: Materials for the Arts

Site Location:

Materials for the Arts
33-00 Northern Boulvard, 3rd Floor
Long Island City, NY 11101

Description:  Learn how artists reuse materials that would otherwise be discarded

 

 

Class 5

 

 

Feb. 13

Recycle

Speakers:

  • Bridget Anderson, Deputy Comissioner, Bureau of Recycling & Sustainability, DSNY

Description: Definition of recycle– what items in New York City’s waste are collected for recycling?, material recovery facility operations, fate of recyclable items in New York City, current recycling rates and challenges in recycling, waste generator responsibility to achieve recycling targets

 

 

Class 6

 

 

Feb. 15

Site Visit: Sunset Park Material Recovery Facility

Site Location:

Sunset Park Material Recovery Facility
472 2nd Avenue (on the 29th Street Pier)
Brooklyn, NY 11232

Description:  See first-hand  the large scale operations that sort and separate recyclables in NYC’s waste stream to prepare them to be sold back into the wholesale market as recycled consumer products

 

FEB. 20

NO CLASS – CLASSES FOLLOW MONDAY SCHEDULE

 

 

Class 7

 

 

Feb. 22

Composting

Speakers:

  • Marisa DeDominicis, Co-founder, Project Manager, Earth Matter
  • Charlie Bayrer, Co-founder, Operations Manager, Earth Matter

Description: Define composting – what items in NYC’s waste stream can be composted, composting process – from kitchen to backyard, current state of composting in NYC and current challenges, how to get involved

 

 

Class 8

 

 

Feb. 27

Site Visit: Earth Matter Composting Site (TENTATIVE)

Site Location:

Earth Matter Composting Site
Governor’s Island

Description:  See first-hand composting operations of NYC’s organic waste

*Note: Since the composting site is outdoors, the site visit may be re-scheduled for a later date depending on weather conditions this day

 

 

Class 9

 

 

Mar. 1

Anaerobic Digestion and Wastewater Collection & Treatment

Speakers:

  •  Ljupka Arsova, PMP

    Senior Environmental Engineer 

    Eastern Research Group (ERG) 

  • James Roberts, Former Deputy Commissioner of Water and Sewer Operations, NYC DEP

Description: Definition of aerobic and anaerobic digestion – what items in NYC waste can be digested?, technical description of digestion process, examples and industry experience with digestion facilities in the US and abroad, current state and challenges with anaerobic digestion, wastewater collection and treatment in NYC

 

 

Class 10

 

 

Mar. 6

Site Visit: Newtown Creek Digester Eggs

 

Site Location:

Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant
329 Greenpoint Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11222

Description:  See first-hand the large scale operations that treat NYC’s wastewater as well as the state-of-the-art digester eggs

Class 11

Mar. 8

MIDTERM EXAM

 

 

Class 12

 

 

Mar. 13

Waste-to-Energy

(contribution of GWC)

Speaker: Professor Nickolas Themelis, Director, Earth Engineering Center-Columbia University; Chair, Global WtERT Council (GWC)

Description: Thermal processing of post-recycling wastes; composition of  wastes; technical description of waste-to-energy (WTE) combustion, boiler, and Air Pollution Control systems; examples of WTE facilities in the US and abroad; typical recovery of electricity, heat and metals; economics of  WTE plants;  environmental impacts; current state and challenges in the US

 

 

Class 13

 

 

Mar. 15

Site Visit: Covanta Union Waste-to-Energy Facility

Site Location:

112, 202 Blanchard St, Newark, NJ 07105

Description:  See first-hand the large scale operations of a waste-to-energy facility that converts NYC’s non-recyclable waste into electricity

 

 

Class 14

 

 

Mar. 20

Pyrolysis

Speakers:

  • Dr. Simona Ciuta,
  • Demetra Tsiamis, EEC|CCNY

Description: Definition of pyrolysis – what items in NYC waste can be pyrolyzed?, technical description of pyrolysis, fundamental research to understand pyrolysis, examples of pyrolysis facilities in the US and abroad, current state and challenges with pyrolysis technology

 

 

Class 15

 

 

Mar. 22

Recycle & Material Recovery Facility Operations

Speaker: Tom Outerbridge, General manager, Sims Municipal Recycling

Description: Learn about the technologies and processes of a material recovery facility that separates and prepares recyclable waste to be recycled and sold back into the wholesale markets

 

 

Class 16

 

 

Mar. 27

Gasification

Speaker: Professor Marco Castaldi, CCNY

Description: Definition of gasification – what items in NYC waste can be gasified?, technical description of gasification, fundamental research to understand gasification, examples of gasification facilities in the US and abroad, current state and challenges with gasification technology

 

 

Class 17

 

 

Mar. 29

Site Visit: Golden Renewable Energy Plastics-to-Oil Facility

Site Location:

Golden Renewable Energy LLC
700 Nepperhan Avenue
Yonkers, NY 10703

Description:  Take a technical tour of a pilot scale pyrolysis plant that converts non-recyclable plastics into oil that can be sold into the wholesale market for transport and heating purposes

 

APRIL 1-8

NO CLASS -SPRING BREAK

 

 

Class 18

 

 

Apr. 10

Landfilling

Speaker: Dr. Morton Barlaz, Distinguished Professor and Head of Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, NC State University

Description: Definition of landfilling – what items in NYC waste are landfilled?, technical description of landfilling, fundamental research to understand landfilling, examples of landfills in the US, current state and challenges with landfilling, environmental impact of landfills

 

 

Class 19

 

 

Apr 12

Site Visit: Freshkills Park

Site Location:

Freshkills Park
Staten Island, NY

Description:  Take a tour of NYC’s former landfill that was closed in 2001 and converted into a NYC park

 

 

Class 20

 

 

Apr. 17

Waste Management in Europe

Speaker: Christian Riber

Description: waste management policies implemented in the EU, European experience in recycling and WtE, waste infrastructure logistics in European countries, European waste generator behavior and education

 

 

Class 21

 

 

Apr. 19

Waste Management in the US and around the World

Speakers:

  • Dale Carpenter, US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)
  • United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)

Description: current state of waste generation and disposition in the US, USEPA waste materials flow methodology, waste management infrastructure and culture around the world

 

 

Class 22

 

 

Apr. 24

Waste Management in Developing Nations

(contribution of GWC)

Speaker: Dr. Athanasios Bourtsalas, Manager of WtERT  Program, EEC-Columbia; Adjunct Assistant Professor, Columbia University

Description:  waste management infrastructure and culture in developing nations, challenges in waste management in developed nations compared to the US, China, and the EU

 

 

Class 23

 

 

Apr. 26

Engineering Fundamentals and Technologies in Waste Management

(contribution of GWC)

Speaker: Dr. Stefano Consonni, Professor of Energy Systems at Politecnico di Milano, Director of WTERT-Italy

Description: thermodynamic and engineering fundamentals of thermal conversion waste management technologies

 

 

Class 24

 

 

May 1

Producer Responsibility Panel

Speakers:

  • Katherine Kitchner, Deputy Director of Policy & Programs, Bureau of Recycling & Sustainability, DSNY
  • TBA

Description: A discussion of the initiatives that manufacturers of consumer products and textiles are taking to achieve zero waste to landfill targets and improve overall waste sustainability in the industry

 

 

Class 25

 

 

May 3

The Public’s Role in Waste Sustainability

 

Speaker: Paul Davison, Managing Director, Proteus

Description: impact of waste generator behavior on current state of waste management, social and policy impact on achieving waste sustainability goals

Class 26

May 8

Site Visit: Earth Matter Composting Site

Site Location:

Earth Matter Composting Site
Governor’s Island

Description:  See first-hand composting operations of NYC’s organic waste 

Class 27

May 10

Site Visit: Wet Waste Gasification

Site Location: City College of New York, Steinman Hall, Cellar

Speaker: Mike Gillespie, Chief Technology Officer, Sustainable Waste Power Systems (SWPS)

Description:  Take a tour led by the inventor of a wet waste gasifier that is designed to treat wet organic waste and convert it to a hot syngas that can be used for electricity and heating purposes. 

 

 

Class 28

 

 

May 15

Final Thoughts

 Professor Marco Castaldi, Demetra Tsiamis

Description: Discussion of topics addressed in seminar series, final exam review

 

May 22

FINAL EXAM

 

 

FIELD TRIPS:

  • REUSE

Site Location:

Materials for the Arts
33-00 Northern Boulvard, 3rd Floor
Long Island City, NY 11101

 

  • RECYCLE

Site Location:

Sunset Park Material Recovery Facility
472 2nd Avenue (on the 29th Street Pier)
Brooklyn, NY 11232
  • COMPOST

Site Location:

Earth Matter Composting Site
Governor’s Island
  • DIGESTION

Site Location:

Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant
329 Greenpoint Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11222
  • WASTE-TO-ENERGY

Site Location:

Covanta Essex Facility
112, 202 Blanchard St, Newark, NJ 07105
  • PYROLYSIS

Site Location:

Golden Renewable Energy LLC 
700 Nepperhan Avenue
Yonkers, NY 10703
  • GASIFICATION

Site Location: City College of New York, Steinman Hall, Cellar

  • LANDFILL

Site Location:

Freshkills Park
Staten Island, NY

 

The students are required to get to facilities on their own except for Covanta Union , Staten Island and Governor’s Island facilities.  CCNY van transportation will be arranged to and from Covanta Union, Staten Island and Governor’s Island facilities.

Disabilities Statement

The AccessAbility Center (AAC) facilitates equal access and coordinates reasonable accommodations and support services for City College students with disabilities while preserving the integrity of academic standards. Please visit http://www.ccny.cuny.edu/accessability/ or contact North Academic Center Room 1/218 160 Convent Ave. New York, NY 10031 p: 212.650.5913 e: s%64%73@ccny.cuny.ed %75" rel="nofollow"> sds@ccny.cuny.edu

Academic Integrity

 Academic dishonesty of any sort is strictly prohibited at The City College of New York. Visit https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/about/integrity to download a copy of the University’s academic integrity policy handout.

Evaluation Rubrics

Evaluation

Does not meet Expectations (1)

Meets Expectations (2)

Exceeds Expectations (3)

Problem Definition: States the engineering problem clearly, provides motivation for the need for a solution

 

 

 

Literature & Previous Work: Is aware of and makes use of relevant literature and previous work in the area to frame the problem and develop the solution

 

 

 

Results: Applies advanced engineering methods and tools to solve the problem. Analyzes and interprets results and evaluates the solution

 

 

 

Quality of Written Report: Communicates project results clearly and professionally in the written report.

 

 

 

Overall Assessment: The assessment of the overall performance of the student based on the evidence in the above items.

 

 

 

 

Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

1. Demonstrate the ability to apply master’s level engineering concepts to solve a new problem or answer a novel question using engineering analysis, experimentation, and or computer simulations.

2. Write a comprehensive engineering report that clearly presents technical information and meets the expected standards for style, organization, content, and format.

 

 

Last Updated: 09/19/2022 10:57