The hydrology, hydraulics and environment research complex is a unique research infrastructure in Canada. The research complex, located outside the main campus of the University of Sherbrooke, consists of an experimental watershed and an experimental river. Covering an area of approximately 0.4 ha, the watershed is 100 m long and varies in width from 30 m at its outlet to about 50 m at its widest point. The bottom and the walls are made up of an assembly of concrete walls and geomembranes to ensure complete watertightness of the basin. The depth of the basin varies between 3 m at its outlet to almost 5 m upstream. The basin is filled with mixed soil taken from the site and made up of till, sand and gravel with spatial heterogeneities. A groundwater collection system with drainage pipes and valves is used to control the water table. A set of instruments and sensors include rain gauges, soil moisture probes, piezometers, pressure monitors, lysimeters, a weather station and a snowpack analyzer which provides a detailed portrait of the state and flux variables in the watershed.
The experimental river is made up of a dynamic river channel 3 m wide and 50 m long with an initial slope of 0.5%. The canal can wind freely in a valley 20 m wide. The corridor is filled with a mobile substrate at least 1 m thick which allows to modify the shape, the slope, the roughness and the topography. An impermeable membrane is placed under the bed and the banks of the canal to minimize water loss by infiltration. The backfill material is composed of a mixture of gravel/rounded sand. The river operates as a closed circuit system. The water, which circulates in a loop, is conveyed by two variable speed centrifugal pumps totaling 0.8 m3/s to a supply channel and a head tank and will flow into the experimental river via a weir. The depth of flow at the downstream end of the river is controlled by a flow valve, after which the water flows into a sedimentation basin and then to the pumping basin. The transported sediments are collected in the sedimentation basin and will be transported/stored upstream via the sediment recirculation system.
The infrastructure will be accessible as a priority to researchers who obtained the grant that allowed the construction, some of which are members of CentrEau, as well as to collaborating researchers. Researchers who do not collaborate with the principal investigators will also be able to use the infrastructure. Charges may apply.
L’équipe bénéficie d’un laboratoire d’analyse comprenant les appareils suivants : Absorption atomique, Analyseur de carbone, Analyseurs de chlore en continu, Analyseurs de UV en continu, Analyseurs d’azote ammoniacal en continu, Analyseurs de turbidité en continu, Analyseur de particules, Chromatographe ionique, Chromatographes gazeux à détection à capture d’électron (GC-ECD), Chromatographe en phase gazeuse avec spectromètre de masse (GC-MS), Chromatographe en phase gazeuse avec spectromètre de masse en tandem (GC-MS-MS), Chromatographe en phase liquide ultraperformance (UPLC), Équipements pour la microbiologie moléculaire, Spectrophotomètre UV, Titrateur automatique, Identificateur de colonies, Cycleurs thermiques, Robot pour la préparation d’échantillons d’eau. L’équipe opère également divers montages expérimentaux et possède différents logiciels de simulation.
The team benefits from an analytical laboratory with the following equipment: Atomic absorption, Carbon analyzer, Continuous chlorine analyzers, Continuous UV analyzers, Continuous ammonia nitrogen analyzers, Continuous turbidity analyzers, Particle analyzer, Ion chromatograph, Electron capture gas chromatographs (GC-ECD), Gas chromatograph with mass spectrometer (GC-MS), Gas chromatograph with tandem mass spectrometer (GC-MS-MS), Ultra performance liquid chromatograph (UPLC), Molecular microbiology equipment, UV spectrophotometer, Automatic titrator, Colony identifier, Thermal cyclers, Water sample preparation robot. The team also operates various experimental setups and has different simulation software.
/// Examples of applications:
- Conventional microscopy with HD video camera
/// Examples of applications:
- Preliminary and fermentation tests (biomolecules and biomass production)
- Pre-culture development for bioreactor inoculation
- Biomethanation potential tests
- Screening tests of microorganisms (wild-type or recombinant); screening tests
- Assessment tests of microbial culture media
///Features :
- Filtration system with three ceramic membrane chambers measuring 110 cm in length by 2.5 cm in diameter (microfiltration and ultrafiltration)
- Filtration capacity of 150 L to 200 L per hour; 600 L double walled tank connected to a cooling system
- Pre-filter; Pump with a maximum operating capacity of 3500 rpm (8 horse power).
/// Samples :
- Liquids (effluents, residual liquids, fluids, liquid waste, liquids resulting from chemical processes, and so on)
- Capacity to process samples of up to 1 000 L.
/// Examples of applications :
- Industrial effluent treatment; Molecule separation, concentration, and purification (organic or inorganic)
- Recycling of harmful biomass
- Extraction of recyclable organic compounds
- Recycling of waste products (polyethylene glycol, cutting fluids, essential oils, etc.)
- Separation of nanoparticles from dissolved salts in order to characterize the nanoparticle content - Nanoparticle and other nanomaterial concentration.
Equipment in the pilot:
- Pollution storage tank
- Peristaltic feeding pump
- Anoxic tank
- Mixed liquor recycling pump
- Aerobic basin
- Sludge recycling pump:
- Clarifier
- Hot circuit
- Air circuit
- Water supply
- PH adjustment
Equipment in the pilot:
1. Tanks of chemicals
2. Circulation pump
3. Dosing pumps
4. Screed separator
5. UASB reactor
6. Secondary clarifier
7. Mixing tank
8. Process diagram
9. Control cabinet
Pilot for the treatment of industrial wastewater for pedagogy and research and development. It is a flexible equipment that allows feasibility studies on different types of contaminated water. It is composed of :
- 200 L graduated polyethylene feed tank with removable lid and complete drain valve at the bottom of the tank and an isolation valve.
- Variable flow supply pump from 0 to 1 33 / h equipped with an isolation valve and pressure gauge on discharge.
- Supply flowmeter 0 to 500 Llh with bypass.
- 100 L capacity transparent PVC float with motor and scraper for the foam.
- Sludge recovery tank with a capacity of 50 liters.
- Raw water pressurization system with pressure tank with measurement of water flow (0-500 L / h) and air flow (0-500 L / h), for air regulator inlet and the stop valve.
- Flow recirculation pump 0-500 L / h with isolation valve and discharge pressure gauge.
- 200 L treated water recovery tank
Unit capable of generating a variable amount of ozone of 1-60 g of O3 / h. It uses dried air or oxygen as the service gas. It is equipped with a filter, a water supply pump to process variable flow 0-60 l/min and an automatic control.
