UNIVERSITY OF MAURITIUS

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
Module Specification Sheet (MSS)

Module Title: Solid Waste Management Module code: CHE 4014Y(5) Year:2017-2018
Level Semester Module Type:
Pre-requisite module: CHE 2013Y(3) Engineering 4 1 and 2 (Yearly) Elective
Sustainability
Resource Person(s): Dr G Somaroo & Dr P Jeetah UoM Credit ECSA Weekly
Name Dr G Somaroo Dr P Jeetah Credit notional hrs:
Office Room 2.12, 2nd Floor, Phase Rm 6.2, Prof Lim Fat bld
III (Textile Building) 6 21 7
Email g.somaroo@uom.ac.mu p.jeetah@uom.ac.mu
Tel 4037824 403 7891
Consultation Office hours Office hours
Time
Module Coordinator: Dr G Somaroo Programme: E402
Office: Room 2.12, 2nd Floor, Phase III Prog Coord Dr P Jeetah
(Textile Building) Office Rm 6.2, Prof Lim Fat bld
Email: g.somaroo@uom.ac.mu Email p.jeetah@uom.ac.mu
Tel: 4037824 Tel: 403 7891
Consultation Time: Office hours Consultation Time Office hours
Academic Lecture Tutorial Practical Assignment(s)/Presentation(s) Others
activities -
Weekly Load 2 1 1 Contact hrs 30 - -
Multiplier, M 2 2 2 Type -
Classification of Mathemati Basic Sciences Engineering Design & Complementary
Knowledge areas cs (BS) Sciences (ES) Synthesis (DS) Studies (CS)
(MS)
% 50 50
Actual ECSA credit 10.5 10.5
ECSA Exit Pro Applic knowledg Investigati Engineer Profession Impact Individual, Independ Engineerin
Level ble ation e ons, in al & of team ent g
Outcomes m of Engineeri experiment g technical enginee and learning Professiona
scienti ng design s methods, communic ring multidisciplin ability lism
(marked solv
fic and and and data skills, ation activity ar
with an x if ing engine synthesis analysis tools y work
assessed) ering and IT
Knowl
edge
x
Assessment Coursework details (30%) Examination details (70%)
details: Type No % Section: No section
Test(s) 2 20 No. of questions to be answered: Any 4 out of 5
Exam: 70 % Practical(s) 2 5 Multiple Choice Questions: Nil
Coursework:
Assignments/Presentations 3 5 Compulsory Questions (if any): None
30 %
Mini-projects 0 Paper Duration: 3 hours

Prepared by Examiner Verified by Moderator/ Area Coordinator

Name Dr G Somaroo Dr P Jeetah

Signature

Date

1
 MODULE DETAILS
CHE 4014Y(5) Solid Waste Management

1. Aims

Solid waste generation and composition vary between countries, cities, and parts of cities and is also
affected by socioeconomic development, degree of industrialization, and climate. There has been a rapid
increase in urban population in Asian countries with about 35% of its total population residing in urban
areas and the annual growth in urban population has been found to be nearly 4% (Visvanathan &
Trankler, 2003). Municipal solid waste management is considered as one of the most crucial health and
environmental problems facing most governments. The urban areas of Asia produce about 760,000
tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW) per day (Urban Development Sector Unit East Asia and Pacific
Region, 1999). In 2030, the worlds urban population is expected to reach 5 billion (Cointreau, 2007)
and by 2020, it is expected that more than 50% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa will be living
in urban areas (World Resource Institute, 1998). This high rate of urbanization in African countries will
result in a rapid accumulation of refuse. In the urban regions of Africa, the daily waste generation rate
can be as high as 1.0 kg/capita. Approximately 15 million tonnes of urban waste, including both
domestic and nonhazardous industrial/commercial waste, are produced in South Africa per year (Smith,
1997). There is an urgent need to dispose this amount of wastes in a proper manner. The aims are:
Analyze local municipal solid waste (MSW) problems.
Describe technically feasible solutions to MSW problems.
Provide MSW planning information and educational programs.
Understand the legal and regulatory framework of solid waste management in Mauritius.

2. Outline Syllabus

Waste generation; Type of waste: MSW, clinical, agricultural, industrial, commercial; , Waste
collection and transport; Waste characterization; Waste properties: physical, chemical, biological;
Waste handling and separation; Materials recovery facilities; Source reduction; Re-use; Recycling;
Composting: principles of composting, windrow composting design, aerated static pile, plug, flow
vertical reactor, rotating horizontal drum; Anaerobic digestion: processes and technologies, design of
AD facilities; Incineration: basic incinerator design and calculations, other thermal treatments; Landfill:
types of landfill, site selection and assessment, landfill design, leachate treatment, gas recovery,
capping, site completion and restoration; Integrated waste management; Hazardous wastes:
identification, properties, transportation, storage, disposal.

3. Module Learning Outcomes

After completion of this module, students should be able to:

i. Classify the composition of solid wastes in terms of municipal solid wastes, clinical, agricultural,
industrial and commercial
ii. Understand the waste collection system, handling, separation and transport
iii. Characterize wastes and determine waste properties
iv. Define the different unit operations of material recovery facilities
v. Understand the concept of source separation, re-use, recycling, composting, anaerobic digestion
and landfilling.
vi. Identify hazardous wastes properties, transportation, storage and disposal.

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4. Module Map
Lecture/Tutorial/Assignment/ Knowledge Areas
Tota
lHr( Lecture Main Topics Presentation/
Week Mathematics
Basic Engineering Design & Complementary
s) Science Science Synthesis Studies
Self study

1 3 Solid waste definition, classification, composition, L x

sources

2 3 Solid Waste Characterization: Definition, direct L x

analysis, waste product analysis, material flow
method, surveys, material balance analysis

3 3 Waste properties: physical, chemical, biological L x

4 3 Presentation 1: Characterization Methodology: L x

Real Case-Studies in other countries. Students will
be required to work in groups and conduct a
group presentation of 20 minutes on the method
of characterization and the results obtained for
the different case-studies. A report will have to be
submitted in week 5.

Group 1: Direct analysis

Group 2: Waste product analysis

Group 3: Material flow analysis

Group 4: Surveys

Group 5: Material balance analysis

5 3 Solid Waste Management: Objectives, functional L x

elements, waste handling

6 STUDENTS WEEK

3
7 3 Integrated solid waste management, economic L x
instruments

8 3 Composting: Definition, process microbiology, L x

phases, parameters, benefits and uses of
compost, compost quality

9 3 Windrow composting design, aerated static pile, x

plug, flow vertical reactor, rotating horizontal
drum

10 3 Tutorial 1

11 3 Landfill: types of landfill, site selection and T x

assessment

12 3 Landfill design L x

13 3 Leachate treatment, gas recovery L x

14 3 Capping, site completion and restoration L x

15 3 Test 1 TEST

Revision

16 3 Waste collection systems: stationary collection L x

system

17 3 Waste collection systems: hauled collection L x

system

18 3 Materials recovery facilities L x

19 3 Tutorial 2 T x

4
20 3 Anaerobic digestion: Overview and steps, Process L x
parameters, Low-solids and high solids

21 3 Anaerobic technologies L x

22 3 Presentation 2: Identification of existing biogas x

plants and operation: Real Case-Studies in other
countries. Students will be required to work in
groups and conduct a group presentation of 20
minutes on the method of characterization and
the results obtained for the different case-
studies. A report will have to be submitted in
week 19.

Group 1: Batch

Group 2: CSTR

Group 3: Plug-flow

Group 4: Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket

Reactor

Group 5: Acid-Phased reactor

A group presentation of 10 minutes.

23 3 Incineration: introduction, principles L x

24 3 Basic incinerator design and other treatments L x

25 3 Presentation 3: Study of the components of x

existing incineration plants as far as possible.
Students will be required to work in groups and
conduct a group presentation of 20 minutes on
their selected existing incineration plant. A report
will have to be submitted in week 22.

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 Group 1: Rotary kiln incinerator

Group 2: Bubbling fluidized bed incinerator

Group 3: Liquid injection incinerator

Group 4: Multiple hearth incinerator

Group 5: Circulating fluidized bed incinerator

26 3 Tutorial 3 T x

Hazardous wastes: identification, properties,

transportation
L

27 Test 2 TEST x

3 Hazardous wastes: storage, disposal

28 3 Chemical Weapon Convention L x

29 3 Discussion: Types of landfills x

30 3 Revision x

L: Lecture, T: Tutorials; SL: Self-learning/self-study

Important notes:
(i) Changes may be brought to the module map during the course of study and will then be communicated to students.
(ii) All assignments have to be submitted in person to the Lecturer as stated for submission time.
(ii) Marking criteria will normally be communicated during the lectures.

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5. WRITTEN EXAMINATION/PRACTICAL(S)

Assessment Weighting
Written examination 70 % A three hour paper at the end of the academic year
Total number of questions: 5 questions set; any 4 questions to be
attempted
Continuous 30 % Class Tests - 20% - 2 class tests
assessment Maximum marks per test: 50
Practicals -5%
3 presentations to be completed (see details in Module Map)
Presentations 5%; Maximum marks per presentation: 10

Follow the writing guidelines as per University of Mauritius

(UoM) Regulations Harvard referencing system.
Note: Changes may be brought to the sub-weightings of the continuous assessment.

5.1 Practicals

Handouts will be sent. The following practical will be conducted in the Solid Waste
Laboratories:
Practical 1: Determining wastes characteristics
Practical 2: Characterization and application of compost

6. Recommended books/journals/websites

Tchobanoglous, Thielsen, Vigil (1998). Integrated Solid Waste Management. Mc Graw Hil

Deublin D., Steinhauser A., (2008). Biogas from waste and Renewable Resources. Wiley-VCH.

Supplementary materials may be provided when deemed needful.

Journals/Periodicals/Magazines

To be provided as any relevant supplementary materials when deemed needful.

7. Specific Developmental Outcomes

ECSA Exit Level Outcome (ELO) Targeted for CHE 4014Y(5) Solid Waste Management

ELO Targeted Where is outcome How is Exit level What is satisfactory

assessed Outcome assessed? performance?

3: Engineering Design Based on work and The student is required to The student should
Learning outcome: solution delivered in understand and apply a understand, interpret
Demonstrate tutorials, assignments, systematic method to: and analyse the
competence to perform class tests and final I. Identify and problem and any
creative, procedural exams formulate the numerical or
and non-procedural design problem to qualitative data
design and synthesis of satisfy user needs, provided, and
components, systems, applicable thereafter devise a
standards, codes series of coherent

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engineering works, of practice and steps to solve the
products or processes. legislation; problem in the best
II. Plan and manage and most accurate
the design manner.
process: focusses
on important The student has to
issues, recognises pass the continuous
and deals with assessment and
constraints; exams by achieving
III. Acquire and the pass mark for
evaluate the each.
requisite
knowledge,
information and
resources: applies
correct principles,
evaluates and uses
design tools;
IV. Perform design
tasks including
analysis,
quantitative
modelling and
optimisation;
V. Evaluate
alternatives and
preferred solution:
exercises
judgment, tests
implementability
and performs
techno-economic
analyses;
VI. Assess impacts
and benefits of the
design: social,
legal, health,
safety, and
environmental;
VII. Communicates the
design logic and
information.