MAE Seminar: An Anteater’s 43 Years in Environmental Engineering - from the Opposed Jet Combustor to Food Waste Recycling

Zoom Link: uci.zoom.us/j/94902382859

Abstract: Mark McDannel, M.S. will present the highlights of his career. He worked for 20 years in consulting where he focused on combustion, NOx control, and emissions measurement, then switched to public service at Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts where he is manager of the Energy Recovery Section. The presentation will include an overview of the breadth of environmental challenges he has worked on, and go into technical depth on select topics such as mercury emissions from combustion and food waste recycling. The importance of regulatory and commercial issues on almost every technical project will be discussed. McDannel will also be available for a students-only session following the presentation to cover questions on both technical and career-related issues.

Bio: Mark McDannel is manager of the Solid Waste Department’s Energy Recovery Section at the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts. The section is the in-house developer for the Districts' food waste recycling program, operates two landfill gas-to-energy plants that generate over 30 MW of electricity, and buys and sells energy and related attributes for the agency. Prior to joining the Districts, McDannel worked in air quality and combustion consulting for 20 years. He specialized in NOx control, emissions measurement research and development, and quantification and control of air toxic species including mercury. He holds an M.S. in environmental and mechanical engineering from UC Irvine, where he conducted graduate level research on combustion chemistry at the UCI Combustion Lab. He is a licensed mechanical engineer and a board certified environmental engineer.