Funding provider: Welsh Water Dŵr Cymru
Subject area: Chemical Engineering
Project start date: 01/10/2021
Length of studies: 3 years
Project description:
The devotion of the UK water industry to achieve zero-carbon emissions and circular economy will require new approaches in operating the treatment processes and managing resources and residues. Thus, a shift from a commonly adopted linear model based on Take-Use-Discharge strategy to a circular approach is timely, required, and offers opportunity for commercial advantage. Resources reuse and valorisation of water treatment residues are key for the transition to a low carbon economy and a circular water industry.
Large volumes of sludge are generated as part of the purification process of potable water. In the UK alone, more than 130,000 tonnes (dry basis) of water treatment works sludge are produced yearly. This sludge is becoming increasingly difficult to manage not only because of the high volumes produced but also due to the limited disposal options available. Currently, about 80% of sludge generated from potable water treatment plants in the UK is recycled to land. However, such sludge contains huge amounts of valuable materials that could be recovered and reused either within the water and wastewater treatment processes or externally by other industries. Land banks used for sludge disposal are also diminishing, which will put pressure on the land disposal route. Thus, there is a need to find new cost-effective and sustainable ways of managing water sludges by releasing the value of sludges while reducing wastes and producing useful products from the sludge.
This PhD programme is funded by Dŵr Cymru (Welsh Water) to explore new separation and reactive techniques based on new filters combined with hydrothermal and oxidation processes to release the value of materials in water sludges. The recovered materials could be ferric, aluminium, humic materials, phosphorous and trace metals. By using these products as raw materials rather than using the disposal route will align with Dwr Cymru’s Strategic Response 18: Promoting a Circular Economy and Combatting Climate Change as part of the company’s Water 2050 Vision. This project will have access to state-of-the-art facilities in the Water and Resources Recovery Research Lab and across the Faculty of Science and Engineering. Particularly, this project will have access to facilities supported by the recent Circular Economy Capital Fund received from the Welsh Government.
Project supervisors: Dr Chedly Tizaoui
Available resources/facilities: Key resources for this project are available and funding will be provided for research costs (e.g. consumables, water analysis, and travel).
Eligibility
Candidates should hold a minimum of an upper second class (2:1) honours degree (or its equivalent) in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Chemistry or closely related disciplines. Candidates holding an MSc in a relevant subject area are strongly encouraged to apply for this scholarship.
Experience in hydrothermal processes or water treatment is desirable.
English Language requirements: If applicable – IELTS 6.5 overall (with at least 5.5 in each individual component) or Swansea recognised equivalent. Details on the Swansea University English Language entry policy can be found here.
Candidates of any nationality are eligible to apply for this scholarship.
Funding
UK applicants: The scholarship will cover the full cost of UK tuition fees.
EU and international applicants: The scholarship will cover the cost of UK/Home tuition fees only. Applicants may apply for the PGR EU Transitional Bursary to cover the difference between UK and international tuition fees.
An annual stipend of £16,081.95 payable for three years will also be provided. Additional funds of up to £8,200 will be available for research expenses.
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