AIChE’s signature Chem-E-Car Competition continues to test the engineering skills and creativity of chemical engineering undergraduates worldwide. It’s also a lot of fun — as was made evident by the recent China Regional Student Chem-E-Car Competition, held May 18, 2018, at Tianjin University.
The spirited event was a collaboration between AIChE, the Tianjin University AIChE Student Chapter, and The Chemical Industry and Engineering Society of China (CIESC), and welcomed contenders from 25 chemical engineering schools in China— all seeking scholastic honors and regional bragging rights.
More about the Chem-E-Car Competition
In the Chem-E-Car Competition, teams of undergraduates design and calibrate chemically powered miniature vehicles to carry a variable load over a variable distance. As prerequisites, competitors must demonstrate a commitment to safety awareness, safety planning, and safe practices.
Students receive safety training, and cars and their student operators must pass onsite safety inspections. Eligibility to participate is a benefit of AIChE student membership.
The winning teams
In China, the team from Tsinghua University (Beijing) won first prize in the performance competition. The team’s vehicle carried its payload of 380 mL of water and stopped just 7 cm from the target distance of 17.8 m.
Rounding out the top five, from second to fifth place respectively, were Northwest University, Dalian University of Technology, China University of Petroleum, and South China University of Technology.
The top five teams all recorded best performances measuring within 21 cm of the target. A team from East China University of Science and Technology received an award for most consistent performance in its two attempts at the target.
Prizes were also awarded for a related poster presentation and for excellence in design. Tsinghua University added to its performance honors by winning first prize in the poster presentation. Among additional honors, the team from Dalian University of Technology was recognized for the safety features incorporated into its car design, and the team from Tianjin University received an award for the most creative drive system.
The upcoming 2018 International Chem-E-Car Competition
The top two teams from the China competition have been invited to compete in the 2018 International Chem-E-Car Competition, to be held at AIChE’s Annual Meeting and Student Conference in Pittsburgh, PA, this October.
This year marks the 20th running of the international competition, where top performers at the recent AIChE regional student conferences will vie with winners of overseas Chem-E-Car Competitions for the annual title.
The 3rd China Regional Student Chem-E-Car Competition will be held in Nanjing, China, in 2019, and will be hosted by Nanjing University of Technology.
Check out more pictures from the event below!