An introduction to environmental engineering, including: environmental legislation; water usage and conservation; water chemistry including pH and alkalinity relationships; solubility and phase equilibria; environmental biology; fate and transport of contaminants in lakes, streams and groundwater; and design and analysis of mechanical, physicochemical, and biochemical water and wastewater treatment processes.
EN 541:Fate and Transport of Environmental Contaminants
Description of fundamental processes in natural and engineered systems, including intermedia transport of contaminants between environmental compartments (air, water, soil, and biota) and chemical and biochemical transformations within these compartments.
EN 345:Modeling and Simulation of Environmental Systems
Incorporation of fundamental phenomena into mass balances to describe the fate and transport of contaminants in lakes, rivers, estuaries, groundwater, the atmosphere, and in pollution control processes. Several computer projects involving numerical solutions of models are required.
A survey of biological topics concerning the environment: ecology, population dynamics, pollution microbiology, aquatic biology, bioconcentration, limnology, stream sanitation, nutrient cycles, and toxicology.
Incorporation of fundamental reaction and transport phenomena into mass balances to describe the fate and transport of contaminants in lakes, rivers, estuaries, groundwater, the atmosphere, and in pollution-control processes. Several computer projects involving numerical solutions of models are required.
Senior design courses. Complete design sequence with a required capstone project spanning two semesters. While the focus is on the capstone disciplinary design experience, it includes the two-credit core module on E 421 Engineering Economic Design during the first semester.
Senior design courses. Complete design sequence with a required capstone project spanning two semesters. While the focus is on the capstone disciplinary design experience, it includes the two-credit core module on E 421 Engineering Economic Design during the first semester.
EN 780:Nonlinear Correlation and System Identification
An investigation of tools to identify nonlinear processes and relationships. Mathematical tools covered include nonlinear regression, artificial neural networks, and multivariate polynomial regression. Applications include mass transfer correlations, prediction of drinking water quality, and modeling of wastewater treatment processes. Prerequisites: CE 679 or equivalent, and permission of instructor.
Schaefer School of Engineering & Science
Department:
Civil, Environmental and Ocean Engineering
Program:
Environmental Engineering
Research & Education
Research
Biological processes:
Control theory applied to the activated sludge process.
Modeling of compression in gravity thickening of sludge.
Nonlinear time-series analysis for system identification of secondary clarification.
Surface Water Quality:
Modeling of pathogens in surface water
Computing the Total Maximum Daily Load for streams
Resource Sustainability:
Forecasting of phosphorus production and consumption
Dynamic material flow analysis of resource usage
System Modeling:
Nonlinear time-series analysis and correlation (Multivariate Polynomial Regression, or MPR).
Modeling and optimization of complex integrated systems, including integrated modeling of bioregenerative life support systems for long-term space travel.
Education
Rutgers University, New Brunswick NJ
Ph.D. in Environmental Science (1984). Thesis: Modeling and Simulation of Compressive Gravity Thickening of Activated Sludge
M.S. in Chemical Engineering (1983). Thesis: Mean Cell Residence Time in a Nonsteady-state Activated Sludge System
M.S. in Environmental Science (1979)
B.S. in Environmental Science (1974).
Achievements & Professional Societies
Professional Societies
Water Environment Federation (Technical Practice Committees for Wastewater Biology Manual of Practice and for Instrumentation and Control)
American Academy of Environmental Engineers
Engineering Education Committee
Participation as Accreditation Visitor
American Water Works Association
Association of Environmental Engineering Professors
International Association of Water Quality (Specialist Group on Computing)
ABET Accreditation Visitor for Bachelor of Environmental Engineering and Bachelor of Engineering Technology in Environmental Engineering
ABET Alternate Representative to the Technology Accreditation Commission
International Assoc. on Water Quality USA National Committee Founders Award for outstanding paper in Water Research by an US author.
Selected Publications
Report
Vaccari, D.A. and J. Levri.. (1999). "Multivariable Empirical Modeling of ALS Systems Using Polynomials", Life Support and Biosphere Science. 6 265-271.
Cacossa, K. and D.A. Vaccari.. (Jul 1994). "Prediction of Continuous Thickening from Batch Experiments", Water Science and Technology.
Cacossa, K. and D.A. Vaccari.. (1994). "Prediction of Continuous Thickening from A Single Batch Experiment", Water Science Technology. 30 (8), 107-116.
Christodoulatos, C., D.A. Vaccari.. (1993). "Correlations of Performance for Activated Sludge Using Multiple Regression with Autocorrelation", Water Research
. 27 (1), 51-62.
Vaccari, D.A. and C. Christodoulatos.. (1992). "Generalized Multiple Regression with Interaction and Nonlinearity for System Identification in Biological Treatment Processes", Trans. Instr. Soc. Am.. 31 (1), 97-102.
Vaccari, D.A., and C. Christodoulatos.. (1989). "A Comparison of Several Control Algorithms for Activated Sludge Waste Rate", Wat. Sci. Tech.
. 21 1249-1260.
Vaccari, D.A., A. Cooper, and C. Christodoulatos.. (1988). "Feedback Control of Activated Sludge Waste Rate", JWPCF
. 60 (11), 1979-1985.
Vaccari, D.A., M. Kaouris.. (1988). "A Model for Irreversible Adsorption Hysteresis", J. Env. Sci and Health, Part A -- Env. Sci. and Engg.
. 23 (8).
Vaccari, D.A., T. Fagedes, and J. Longtin.. (1985). "Mean Cell Residence Time in a Nonsteady-State Activated Sludge System", Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 27 695-703.
Conference Proceedings
D. A. Vaccari. (Mar 24-26, 1996). "Nonlinear Analysis of Retail Performance", D.A. Vaccari, presented at the IEEE/IAFE Conf. on Computational Intelligence for Financial Engineering, New York, New York.
.
D.A. Vaccari and E. Wojciechowski.. (Jun 25-28, 1995). "Predicting Process Performance with Polynomials", WEF Specialty Conf. "Automating to Improve Water Quality", Minn., MN.
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