Introducing freshmen to reverse process engineering and design through investigation of the brewing process

Freshman engineering students at Rowan University are introduced to enginee ring design through a series of hands-on engineering and design projects. T hese design experiences in the first semester are incrementally progressive ; their purpose is to lead the students into the second semester and a sing le, in-depth, reverse engineering project. Previous projects have included the dissection of several inexpensive commercial products such as coffeemak ers, toothbrushes, water purifiers, and hairdryers. This paper describes ou r effort to introduce reverse engineering and design of a process into the course. The focal point is a laboratory project in which students investiga te a process for the production of beer. After a brief introduction to the brewing process and a comparative technical evaluation of commercially avai lable beers, the students set out in teams to perform a hands-on, reverse-e ngineering investigation of the fermentation process and home-brewing equip ment. Next, each team plans a commercial venture involving the brewing proc ess. The teams plan their ventures (which may range from a brewery or resta urant to a full-scale brewery and distribution network), and present their designs and a marketing plan to the other groups. The brewing process intro duces freshman students to engineering fundamentals related to material bal ances and stoichiometry, fluid flow, heat and mass transfer, and biochemica l reactions. This project, meets several educational objectives: to develop creative and critical thinking, to introduce design principles, to provide hands on experience, to develop teamwork and communication skills, and to stimulate enthusiasm for engineering.