While I am having the time of my life here in Belgium, the days are winding down and the trip will soon be over. I’ve learned a lot about sustainability through lectures and field trips.
Since my last blog post, I have learned about Biocatalysis, Algae and Plant based Waste Water Treatment Systems, Waste Water Management, the economics of sustainability and finally, packaging. As an industrial much of it can be hard to understand but many of the aspects pertaining to the lessons could benefit from the use of an industrial engineer. Of the last few lessons that we learned, the economics and packaging aspects were my favorite. I felt most comfortable during those lessons because I was able to use what I’ve learned previously as an industrial engineer and apply it to aspects of sustainability, such as finding the optimal size of a waste water system based on the net present value of the system. I also learned about ways that packaging is developed and how we can reduce the amounts of unrecyclable plastics to make a more circular economy. Of the field trips we have gone on, the cacao lab and the delirium brewery were my favorites. The processing of making chocolate from start to finish is so interesting and the end product is quite amazing also! The brewery we visited was my absolute favorite most of all though. The brewery is still family owed and contained many aspects relating to sustainability and industrial engineering. The whole plant contained parts for which the beer, fermentation, bottling, and storage. The bottling factory contained multiple conveyor lines for which the bottles were processed such as filling, capping, labeling, and storing. Through the conveyor lines, many parts contained sensors could pick out bottles that were not labeled correctly. For each bottle that was detected to be mislabeled, the bottle was kicked out to another conveyor. A worker would come by those rejected bottles and some bottles would be put back on the line and the wrongly labeled ones were taken somewhere else. An industrial engineer using signal detection theory could be used to find the probability that the bottle actually had a problem since most had nothing wrong with them but were still rejected. The robot used to produce the kegs was also an aspect that is applicable to industrial engineers as we are trying to reduce non value-added movements to produce more efficient processes. The sustainable aspects of the brewery included wind and solar energy sources to run the brewery and the reuse of waste water in the brewery. The left over draft was also re-used to serve as feed for cattle. Overall, the brewery incorporated many aspects that all production facilities should also try to adapt.
In addition to the many educational lessons about sustainability, I have also learned so much about the culture here in Gent. Many of the people are reserved and on the shy side. A small smile or wave is usually always returned with a confused look and that is the only response. I have only seen one water fountain here and the beer is cheaper than water. The bathrooms are also a bit strange, but very sustainable. Each bathroom is in one room with a stall for each gender and the sink is shared. This was a little strange for me and honestly, I am not sure if I will ever be able to get used to it. Overall, the weather has been a bit colder than I would have thought, but this past week has been amazing. The top of the belfry was gorgeous and put into perspective just how big the city really is. Although the people of Gent may be a little shy, I have loved getting to know all of my classmates and their interests.
I don’t ever want to leave!!!
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My name is Dasher Smith and I am from Tulsa, Oklahoma. I am a current junior at the University of Arkansas studying Industrial Engineering. I am one of seven children in my family and the first to study abroad!!!
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Industrial Engineering major Dasher Smith is spending the May intersession 2018 in Belgium with our U of A Faculty-Led: Sustainability in the Euro Food System with the help of our our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship and the College of Engineering Study Abroad Grant.
Read more from Dasher at sites.uark.edu/ds021
Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/
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| Delirium Brewery |
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| Bottling |
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| View from the Hostel |
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My name is Dasher Smith and I am from Tulsa, Oklahoma. I am a current junior at the University of Arkansas studying Industrial Engineering. I am one of seven children in my family and the first to study abroad!!!
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Industrial Engineering major Dasher Smith is spending the May intersession 2018 in Belgium with our U of A Faculty-Led: Sustainability in the Euro Food System with the help of our our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship and the College of Engineering Study Abroad Grant.
Read more from Dasher at sites.uark.edu/ds021
Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/
