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Rensselaer Students Compete in National Chemical Car Competition The Rensselaer Student Chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) placed fifth nationally and qualified to compete internationally in the recent "Chem-E-Car" competition, held in conjunction with the AIChE 2004 annual meeting. The Rensselaer students were one of 31 university teams competing to design a car powered by a chemical energy source, capable of carrying a specified load over a given distance and then coming to a stop.
According to AIChE rules and regulations, each car was required to carry a container capable of holding up to 500 ml of water without spilling. All components of the car had to fit into a shoebox, and the cost of the contents of the "shoe box" and the chemicals could not exceed $1,000. One hour before the competition, the students were told how much weight in water the car had to carry and the exact distance the car had to travel, ranging anywhere from 50 and 100 feet. Jennifer Weiser, a Rensselaer student and member of Rensselaer’s "Chem-E-Car" team, said the team’s car used a battery to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen and oxygen were stored in tiny tanks, and the weight of the hydrogen was used to calibrate the car. After generating the proper amount of hydrogen, Weiser said they wired the cell to convert the hydrogen and oxygen into water, a process that produces electricity. The electricity was used to power the motor causing the wheels to turn. In addition to Weiser, the Rensselaer team included fellow chemical and biological engineering majors Jeff Bouchard, Jerome Covey, Megan Mason, Chris Mazur, Lauren Speciner, and Eric West. Following their victory at the Austin, Texas, national competition, Rensselaer’s team is now qualified to compete in the international competition to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, in July 2005. The team was invited to the "Chem-E-Car" national competition after placing first in a regional competition held earlier this year. The American Institute of Chemical Engineers is a professional organization that promotes leadership and advancement in chemical engineering. Members of the Rensselaer Student Chapter of AIChE participate in philanthropic, social, and professional events throughout the school year. These events encourage comradery among fellow students and faculty, as well as social networking opportunities. To learn more about Rensselaer’s Student Chapter of AIChE, visit http://www.rpi.edu/~masonm/ProfWeb/aiche.html. |
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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), 110 8th St., Troy, NY 12180. (518) 276-6000 |