Dublin City University www.DCU.ie is a young, ambitious and vibrant University, with a mission ‘to transform lives and societies through education, research, innovation and engagement’. Known as Ireland’s ‘University of Enterprise and Transformation’, it is committed to the development of talent, and the discovery and translation of knowledge that advances society and the economy. DCU is the Sunday Times Irish University of the Year 2021.
DCU is based on three academic campuses in the Glasnevin-Drumcondra region of north Dublin. It currently has more than 18,000 students enrolled across five faculties – Science and Health, DCU Business School, Computing and Engineering, Humanities and Social Sciences and DCU Institute of Education. DCU is committed to excellence across all its activities. This is demonstrated by its world-class research initiatives, its cutting-edge approach to teaching and learning, its focus on creating a transformative student experience, and its positive social and economic impact. This exceptional commitment on the part of its staff and students has led to DCU’s ranking among the top 2% of universities globally. It also consistently features in the world’s Top 100 Young Universities. DCU is placed 84th in the world, in the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings.
The School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering has been at the forefront of Teaching, Learning, Research and Innovation in engineering since its establishment in 1987. Current programmes include Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and Mechatronics. The School is a research-intensive school that is home to key researchers affiliated to the research centres listed above and also to ESIPP, MEDeng and the Water Institute, and has particular strengths in Biomedical Engineering, Advanced Manufacturing and Sustainable Systems and Energy. At postgraduate levels the school offers taught Master’s programmes with Majors in Sustainable Systems and Energy.
The treatment and distribution of water throughout respective national water networks is energy intensive. It is estimated that around 8% of the global energy generation is used for water production and distribution. Around 80% of the costs of municipal water processing and distribution is attributed to electricity. It is apparent that there is a significant economic and environmental burden associated with Ireland’s national water management systems. In 2018, Ireland experienced one of its worst droughts in over 50 years, which led to significant financial losses in the agricultural sector. Extreme weather events such as this one are to become more frequent as global temperatures continue to rise, leading to greater water insecurity on the whole of the island. It is, therefore, incumbent on all of society to explore measures that will help alleviate pressures on water stocks, and reduce the energy associated with water delivery. Wastewater reuse is one measure that has the potential to address both of these challenges.
NexSys is a newly established All Island Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Strategic Partnership Programme focussed upon the transition to a net zero carbon energy system. It is a unique partnership bringing together a multidisciplinary research team, industry, and policy makers to tackle fundamental research questions to be addressed as part of the transition to net Zero. Hosted by UCD Energy Institute, NexSys brings together academics from nine institutions across the Island of Ireland (UCD, TCD, DCU, ESRI, Maynooth University, UCC, NUI Galway, Ulster University and Queen’s University Belfast) to work together to meet the unprecedented scale and complexity of the challenges associated with the energy transition. The Programme for the Government of Ireland highlights the potential of developing green hydrogen as a fuel to support decarbonisation across several sectors including power generation, manufacturing, energy storage and transport.
Project details
There is a reluctance in the Irish F&B industry to reuse wastewater in any context because of the risk of product contamination. While some level of apprehension is to be expected, it is not always rational, and in many cases, risk mitigation is not based on scientific evidence but on ill-defined probabilities of a risk event occurring. Risk mitigation measures can be overly burdensome from an operational cost perspective, and in the case of water reuse, from an environmental perspective also. Wastewater can be treated to potable quality, which is the quality required by the legislation for the F&B industry. This research would provide evidence of the efficacy of WW reuse, and provide risk management with scientific evidence of safety for the relevant risk models. The objective of this research project is to demonstrate that reusing treated WW is as safe, if not safer in some cases that using mains water supply. This will be done by building a WWT rig and treating WW samples from the F&B industry. The treated water will be tested alongside the mains water from the site. Following the testing period, a risk assessment model will be developed and included in a whole life cycle assessment model for the F&B sector.
Duties include:
- Review the literature to assess current practice regarding wastewater reuse in industry with particular focus on the F&B industry
- Review current risk assessment models and industry standards for WW reuse
- Review the state-of-the-art in wastewater treatment systems (WWTS) for potable water standards
- Design and develop a lab-scale WWTS and test system with wastewater samples gathered from the F&B industry
- Conduct life cycle assessment and life cycle cost analysis of scaled up design
- Develop a risk assessment model for industry based on scientific principles
- Present your work at national and international conferences
Skills and Responsibilities
- Strong problem-solving abilities.
- Liaise with industry partners and your own network and global networks to gather knowledge or insights.
- Analyse and summarise key characteristics arising from your work
- Present relevant, tailored, communications to all target audiences for the project’s results.
- Prepare reports and papers to publish in high impact open-source journals.
- Participate in general DCU & UCD activities, including industry showcases, annual reviews and industry and agency visits to the Insight labs.
- Other tasks relevant to successfully implementing the project’s and the Research Centre’s research programme.
- Carry out administrative work associated with the programme of research as necessary.
- Be available & on time for meetings and video calls.
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