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Laboratory for Municipal Water Management and Waste Technology

The laboratory ("small lab") can be used for special tasks related to research and development projects. It is also used to support teaching activities. Students can conduct water, wastewater, and waste analyses with varying degrees of independence. 

 

For research projects, resources within the department and the university’s Schools can be utilized. The involvement of external institutes outside the university is necessary to ensure high quality standards. 

Laboratory and Field Tests

Wastewater - Drinking Water - Water Bodies - Solids

Laborversuch Dichtheitsprüfung Kanal mit Studiereden

Conducting a water/air leak test on a sewer pipe (in accordance with DIN EN 1610) in the Pipeline Infrastructure and Networks module.

Leak Test
Bodenverdrängungshammer Erdrakete

Pipe and cable installation using a ground-penetrating rocket. Pipe jacking and pulling a cable protection conduit. Outdoor test / test stand in the Pipeline Infrastructure and Networks module.

Ground-to-air missile test
Schülerversuch Rohrauftrieb (Archimedes)

Student experiment on buoyancy in pipes (see Archimedes' principle) using a model with various test objects (shaft structures, pipes, tanks). Theory with calculations and practical work in a water bath. 

Student Experiment
Biochemischer Sauerstoffbedarf 5 Tagen

In laboratory tests, the contamination of wastewater is analyzed. One such test involves determining the organic load, for example, as the biochemical oxygen demand after 5 days at 20°C (BOD5). 

Laboratory experiment

Laboratory Program in Teaching, Research, and Service

Laboratory analyses include testing of water samples (wastewater, drinking water, surface water) as well as solids and residues (sludge, waste, soil).

 

The following parameters can be determined:

  • Biochemical Oxygen Demand over 5 days (BOD5)
  • Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) via cuvette test; nitrogen, phosphorus, etc., via cuvette test.
  • Oxidizability (potassium permanganate consumption)
  • Oxygen content
  • pH value, acid capacity
  • Conductivity
  • Turbidity and color
  • Ca hardness, total hardness
  • Iron content, copper content (cuvette test)
  • Free chlorine and total chlorine content
  • Sulfate content, magnesium content
  • Sludge volume, sludge dry matter, sludge index
  • Water content, loss on ignition
  • Settleable solids 
  • Particle size distribution
  • ....

Portable equipment can be used for field trials. 

  • Field Laboratory for Water Analysis / Samplers 
  • Conductivity logger / Oxygen probe
  • Water Level Logger (Ex!/Sewer)  

  • Portable sewer leak tester using water and air

    ...

     

         

Measuring devices are available as

  • loggers (pressure loggers, water analysis loggers, water level loggers, temperature loggers)
  • spectral/filter photometers
  • Handheld devices (pH, oxygen, conductivity, temperature)
  • Drying oven and muffle furnace
  • Thermal imaging camera
  • ...

The following are suitable for demonstration and educational purposes:

  • analog and digital microscopes are suitable for observing activated sludge (transmitted light) and analyzing waste (reflected light). (Video: Activated sludge floc)
  • Hydrocyclone for material separation
  • Metal detector (scrap metal)
  • Soil displacement hammer (soil rocket)
  • Sewer inspection mirror and telescopic camera
  • Models of structures / components
  • ...