AEESP Environmental Engineering and Science

ideas must take shape in reality in order for students to fully visualize natural and engineeredsystems. We believe that an introductory course in environmental engineering affords the student manyopportunities to grow intellectually, especially in the understanding and visualization of these 3-d systems. Thisposter will identify and present several models that we use or are currently under development to visuallypresent topics in a traditional water-based introduction to environmental engineering course. With the assistance of conference attendees we will assess current and anticipated use of classroomenhancement tools in undergraduate environmental engineering education. Our goal is to synergize ourclassroom enhancement activities with other environmental engineering programs. This conference provides thatvehicle. We will present several enhancements in the poster session. We have developed a web-based instructionalsupplement to enhance understanding of the Streeter-Phelps Dissolved Oxygen Sag Model, which we willintroduce at the conference and make available in the public domain on the external web. We have alsodeveloped a web-based instructional enhancement tool to depict carbon-adsorption break-through. Using 3-dconstructed models we demonstrate the sequence, relative size, loading rates, design parameters and geometryof a conventional drinking water treatment plant employing rapid mixing, flocculation, gravity sedimentationclarification and rapid sand filtration – all important unit processes discussed in our course. We are alsodeveloping a model septic system for an individual residence and a detailed conventional rectangularsedimentation tank. Septic tank systems are used by millions of homes and small commercial activities acrossAmerica. Learning about them presents an opportunity to link discussion of physical, chemical and biologicalprocesses. We feel that the scale model sedimentation tank, currently under development, is a particularlyeffective tool in helping the cadets decipher the various design parameters such as weir loading rate, horizontalvelocity, surface overflow rate and see the relative geometry and dimensional analysis in actual 3-d.