Two Bourbon Production Engineering online courses will be offered through the University of Kentucky College of Engineering beginning on May 17.
CME 599: Bourbon Production Engineering for Chemical Engineers: May 17 - June 29, 2021
Bourbon is a key driver for Kentucky’s economy, where the industry contributes over eight billion dollars and over 17,000 jobs in the state. This course challenges chemical engineering students to apply the fundamentals of their discipline to the science and engineering aspects that control the production of bourbon in a distillery setting. Students will receive an overview of the bourbon production process, with an emphasis on the connection between chemical engineering and the bourbon industry. Throughout this overview, there will be a focus on the economics of bourbon production, with students learning to design the equipment and estimate capital and operating costs associated with each stage of the production process. Guest speakers from across the industry will share their experiences associated with the operation of different parts of the process and at small and large production scales. The course will integrate a team-based design project where students will design a bourbon production facility and estimate all processing parameters, including distillation column design, feedstock/product specifications, and product portfolio. These parameters will be used to estimate the economics of a distillery for a portfolio of bourbon products. Design reports will be presented in a culminating presentation and compiled into a distillery report. Course Pre-requisites: CME 415 (Separation Processes).
For more information, please contact Sarah Wilson, Ph.D., at s.wilson@uky.edu.
EGR 380: Bourbon Production Engineering (for non-chemical engineering majors): May 17 - June 29, 2021.
This course introduces students outside of chemical engineering to the science and engineering aspects that control the production of bourbon in a distillery setting. In the first half of the course, students will receive an overview of the bourbon production process, with an emphasis on the connection between engineering and the bourbon industry. Throughout this overview, there will be a focus on the economics of bourbon production, with students learning how to estimate costs associated with each stage of the production process. Additionally, students will learn about key design decisions that must be made and common problems that arise in the bourbon production process. Guest speakers from across the industry will share their experiences associated with the operation of different parts of the process and at small and large production scales. Over the second half of the course, students will learn basic chemical engineering concepts (material and energy balances) and how they apply to bourbon production. By the end of the course, students will understand the key decisions driving the design of both continuous and batch distillation processes.
For more information, please contact Sarah Wilson, Ph.D., Chemical & Materials Engineering, at s.wilson@uky.edu.