1、Research opportunities in the Environmental Engineering Research Centre projects available to start 2009Projects shown in bold have dedicated externally-funded studentships all other projects may have funding allocated (commencing 2009) subject to the eligibility of the candidate; all awards for stu
2、dentships are made on a competitive basis.For project-specific enquiries, refer to the contact details given in the table. For general enquiries, contact Mrs Roslyn Barnes (r.barnesqub.ac.uk) in the Schools Research Support Office (+44 28 9097 4298) or refer to www.qub.ac.uk/home/Research/Postgradua
3、teOffice/PostgraduateAwards. Students who are planning on applying to the University for Postgraduate Study for 2009/10 must complete the Online Application form available at http:/pg.apply.qub.ac.uk/Closing date for applications: 27 March 2009Title of Project Project Description Supervisor(s) Quali
4、fications sought/other informationContact for further technical detailInvestigation of the hydrogeological properties of low productivity fractured bedrock aquifers in IrelandThe project will involve working in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of Geologists, Hydrogeologists, Civil Enginee
5、rs and Ecologists in characterising groundwater flow and contaminant transport rates in crystalline bedrock aquifers. The project offers considerable field-based opportunities to gain experience in practical physical and chemical hydrogeology and geophysics, as well as working with experienced groun
6、dwater modellers in synthesising field data.Dr. Raymond Flynn a foundation in Geophysics, Hydrogeology and /or Hydrology is advantageous; all EU citizens eligible4-year position available from May 2009 as part of Poorly Productive Aquifer Research Programme, sponsored by the Griffith Geoscience Rese
7、arch Awards in the Irish Governments National Development Plan (co-ordinated by the Geological Survey of Ireland)r.flynnqub.ac.ukInvestigation of geochemical processes influencing the fate and transport of diffuse contaminants in Irish River Basin DistrictsThe project will involve working in collabo
8、ration with a multidisciplinary team of Geologists, Hydrogeologists, Civil Engineers and Ecologists. The researcher will investigate the role of sediment in affecting the health of aquatic ecosystems in Irish River Basin Districts and how sediment may influence the fate and transport of diffuse cont
9、aminants (nutrients, pesticides and pathogens) to surface water bodies. The position offers considerable field-based opportunities to gain experience in practical physical and chemical hydrology and geochemistry, as well as working with experienced modellers in synthesising field data. The work will
10、 be based at Queens Dr Raymond Flynn 2i or higher honours degree in Geology, Physical Geography, Environmental Science or a related discipline; a foundation in Hydrogeology and /or Hydrology is advantageous; all EU citizens eligible3-year position available from May 2009, funded through the Irish En
11、vironmental Protection r.flynnqub.ac.ukUniversity Belfast, but will require the researcher to visit field sites around the Republic of Ireland, and partner institutions in Dublin. Agencys(EPA) Science, Technology, Research a foundation in Hydrogeology and /or Hydrology is advantageous; all EU citize
12、ns eligible3-year position available from May 2009, funded through the Irish Environmental Protection Agencys(EPA) Science, Technology, Research however being underwater they have a smaller visual footprint. The flow field that is generated by such underwater turbines has not been fully investigated
13、 and as a consequence its impact on the nearby environment has yet to be determined. It is also essential to understand the impact that this flow field has on subsequent devices that may be configured in arrays. This research topic has scope for 2 students. The first student will carry out a fully e
14、xperimental investigation of the near flow field for a 10th scale model of a typical current turbine. The study will place emphasis on the wake produced at the device. The second student will develop a CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) model of a typical device, with validation coming from an exper
15、imental investigation using a 40th scale model within the laboratory. This CFD simulation will provide the tools necessary to investigate the effect of inflow conditions on the operation of the turbine. Both projects link directly into the Dr G. A. Hamill EPSRC eligibility criteria apply (UK residen
16、ts/EU nationals only); position available from March 2009g.a.hamillqub.ac.ukstudy of the wash produced by propellers which has been carried out in the school over the past number of years.A study of bottom-hinged seabed-mounted flap-type wave energy converter arraysOYSTER is a flap type wave power d
17、evice being developed by Aquamarine Power Ltd. in collaboration with Queens University Belfast. As the development moves from single prototypes to wave-farms it is necessary that an understanding is developed about how hydrodynamic performance of an array of wave energy converters differs from that
18、of a single device. Theoretical research based on linear wave theory has shown that it is possible to increase the average power capture per device by adopting a particular array configuration; however, this increase in performance has not been demonstrated experimentally. Moreover, the sensitivity
19、of the performance increase to such factors as the device tuning, control strategy and spatial deployment accuracy have not been investigated to determine whether the performance improvements are sufficiently robust and realisable. Many of these factors are likely to be highly device specific making
20、 a generic study problematic. The limited amount of work conducted to date has been mainly confined to offshore heaving devices. Virtually no work has been conducted on shallow water nearshore arrays and surging devices arrays have not been researched at all. In order to fill this knowledge gap it i
21、s proposed to study a single device-type, the bottom-hinged seabed-mounted flap-type surging wave energy converter. This will be investigated to produce a vignette, which will describe how arrays of shallow water surging wave power devices can be analysed with a view to providing design guidance on
22、the individual units and the overall geometry of the array.Prof. Trevor Whittaker, Dr Matt FolleyAs an EPSRC/ Aquamarine Power Ltd Industrial CASE award, EPSRC eligibility citeria apply (UK residents/EU nationals only); 3 year position available from March 2009;t.whittakerqub.ac.ukEvaluating the imp
23、act of wave farms on coastal processesFor ocean wave energy to make an important contribution to the production of power from non-fossil fuel sources then it will need to be deployed in wave farms that extend a number of kilometres along the coastline and extract relatively large amounts of energy.
24、As the amount of energy extracted increases the potential for significant changes in coastal processes also increases, which will limit the acceptable amount of energy extraction by the wave farm. Currently, the impact of wave farms have been numerically modelled using a single parameter to define t
25、he wave farm characteristics. Whilst this provides an initial estimate of the impact of a wave farm it is not able to account effectively for different types of wave energy converters and the wave farm layout. Prof. Trevor Whittaker, Dr Matt FolleyInstitute of the Sustainable World - PhD Studentship
26、t.whittakerqub.ac.ukThis project involves development of the open source spectral wave model SWAN to include wave farms as modifiable absorption layers, where the energy extracted, transmitted and reflected will depend on the type and configuration of wave farm. The numerical model will be used to a
27、nalyse the effect of different types of wave energy converters and wave farm configurations on the local coastal processes. The results of these analyses will enable guidance to be provided regarding the limit of energy extract by a wave farm, together with how this is affected by the type of wave e
28、nergy converter and wave farm configuration.Sampling Theory Applied to Environmental DisciplinesBritish Standards based around site investigation often state that a representative sample should be taken. None of these standards actually provides a methodology on how to take a representive sample lea
29、ving it up to the biased judgement of the experienced sampler. Recent research at QUB has shown that a standard grab sample has an inherent fundamental error of 80% making the sample useless for further analysis and interpretation. Recent controversy in the UK around the definition of error associat
30、ed with toxicity effects of soil samples has resulted in risk must be numerate Geosciences, Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Environmental Science or related subject; must be numerate interest and experience in Geophysics, GIS/Remote Sensing, Contaminated Land adventageousu.ofterdingerq
31、ub.ac.ukAn assessment of Micro-Pollutant Impact such as endocrine disrupting compounds on Groundwater within the Belfast Metropolitan Area. In the past few years, the ubiquitous presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and their respectiv
32、e metabolites in the urban aquatic environment has become a subject of growing concern. These low concentrated but potentially harmful organic micro-pollutants mainly enter the environment through discharges to the domestic sewer system. A wide range of substances are not readily removed during wast
33、ewater treatment and thus residuals have been found in receiving waters. Furthermore, leaky sewer or septic systems are another important source of micropollutants in urban groundwater. The project will investigate the presence of selected PPCPs and EDCs in groundwater within the Belfast Metropolita
34、n Area, assessing transport pathways and potential attenuation processes. As part of the project the hydrochemical composition and environmental isotope signatures in groundwater will be investigated as indicators for compound fate and transport.Dr. Ulrich OfterdingerBEng / BSc 2(i) or higher; Hydro
35、geology, Geosciences, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science or related subject; must be numerate interest and experience hydrochemistry advantageousu.ofterdingerqub.ac.ukRemoval of Phosphorus and Co-contaminants from Constructed Wetland EffluentConstructed wetlands are increasingly being
36、used to treat storm and wastewater. Metals, N, P, trace organics, compounds with high biological oxygen demand (i.e. milk), total suspended solids, and pathogens are remediated through one or more processes of microbial respiration, chemical transformation, uptake by plants, sedimentation, and adsor
37、ption as the contaminated water moves through shallow treatment cells/ponds populated with water Dr Debra PhillipsDr Lisa ConnollyBSc / BEng 2(i) or higher in Environmental Sciences, Environmental Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Geosciences or related subject; must have d.phillipsqub.a
38、c.uktolerant plants (i.e. reeds) and comes in contact with roots, soil particles and microbes in the substrate root zone. However, some mechanisms on how constructed wetlands remove certain contaminants are still unclear and some persistent contaminants are able to escape the wetlands system at leve
39、ls higher than guidelines permit and at levels that can impact the ecology of the surrounding area. The main objective of this project will be to examine a number of materials that could be used to remove P and co-contaminants from constructed wetland effluent, and possibly within the wetland system
40、, at the Greenmount Agricultural campus in Northern Ireland. This constructed wetland system is primarily used to treat dairy wastewater. A selection of reactive and sorptive materials will be examined at bench scale and best performers will be tested at field scale to determine their efficiencies i
41、n removing P and co-contaminants from the water. Co-contaminants in the form of endocrine disruptors (EDs), such as pesticides, will also be of particular interest. The efficiency of the reactive/sorptive materials to remove EDs from the water effluent will be measured using reporter gene assays (RG
42、As) to detect low levels of these compounds. Few studies have examined the removal of EDs from contaminated water using reactive/sorptive media. This study will further the knowledge of sustainable remediation technologies, especially in the areas of reactive/ sorptive media, constructed wetlands an
43、d permeable reactive barriers (PRBs).experience and interest in Chemistry; experience in remediation would be advantageous. Investigation of the Oxygen and Hydrogen isotopic composition ofprecipitation across the island of IrelandWater plays a major role in the functioning of the ecosystem. It provi
44、des a media for the transport of essential nutrients, but also for contaminants within the environment. To address water quality and quantity problems, one needs to understand the origin and fate of water within the aquatic ecosystem. A powerful tool to study the water cycle is the use of stable iso
45、tope techniques. The primary aim of this project is to undertake a comprehensive study of the isotopic composition of precipitation across the island of Ireland. The study of surface water and groundwater dynamics commonly involves the use of precipitation data. Very limited information exists with
46、regards to the isotopic composition of precipitation across Ireland. Currently, detailed data on the isotopic composition of precipitation are only available from a single station located in the south-west of Ireland. Hence, there is a need for further sampling and analysis of precipitation across t
47、he island to assess potential differences in the isotopic composition of precipitation. Identifying possible variations in the isotopic composition of precipitation across Ireland will help to further the Dr Luc RockDr Ulrich Ofterdinger1st class or 2.1 degree in hydro(geo)logy, environmental scienc
48、e, earth sciences or related field.DEL* eligibility criteria apply (UK/EU students only).l.rockqub.ac.ukunderstanding of water dynamics on the island. Data from this project will not only be relevant to hyrdo(geo)logical studies, they also form essential background data for food authenticity and tra
49、ceability studies. This project will enable a better understanding of the potential uses and limitations of the isotopic composition of water as a tracer on the island of Ireland. The student will receive extensive training in hydro(geo)logy and stable isotope techniques.Improved food traceability and authenticity through the combined use of spectroscopic and isotopic techniquesThe safety and quality of food are major concerns in todays society. Consumers, producers, and governments want to ensure that the food being produced, tra
