SUBSURFACE REMEDIATION LABORATORY

The Subsurface Remediation Laboratory has been developed jointly by the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Department of Geological Engineering and Sciences. This laboratory facility is one component of a collaborative research and curriculum development project to explore innovative technological solutions to subsurface remediation problems using physical, chemical, and biochemical approaches. Funding by the National Science Foundation, the Michigan Research Excellence Fund, and industrial sponsors has established nearly $250,000 in state-of-the-art research equipment and instrumentation.

The SRL is housed within a 3,500-square-foot building, featuring a high-bay laboratory to handle large-scale processes. Vessels for conducting subsurface remediation experiments include several temperature-controlled glass columns, a two-dimensional flow visualization cell, and a unique three-dimensional stainless-steel physical model for simulating field-scale subsurface environments and processes in a controlled laboratory setting.

This type of equipment is seldom found at other academic institutions and presents a rare opportunity to graduate students interested in subsurface research and education. Experiments are highly automated with computer-controlled data acquisition and monitoring.

The research environment is highly collaborative and involves the separate Departments of Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Geological Engineering and Sciences, and Biological Sciences. Students can participate in one or more graduate research groups, including the Fate and Transport Research Group, the Fluids Research Oriented Group, and the Bioremediation Research Group.

Strong ties with industrial and national laboratory collaborators have already been established. A panel of experts from industry, academia, and federal laboratories have evaluated the research and curriculum development efforts annually. This collaboration has resulted in additional research projects to beconducted on campus and will likely lead to graduate student internship opportunities at remote field sites.
 

This page was last updated on 11/05/04 09:16:57 PM

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