The Chem-E-Car Competition is an annual college competition for students majoring in Chemical Engineering.
According to the competition's official rules, students must design small-scale automobiles that operate by chemical means, along with a poster describing their research. During the competition, they must drive their car a fixed distance (judged on how close the car is to the finish line) down a wedge-shaped course in order to demonstrate its capabilities. The exact distance (15-30 meters) and payload is revealed to the participants one hour before the competition. The size of designed cars cannot exceed certain specifications and cars must operate using "green" methods, which do not release any pollution or waste in the form of a visible liquid or gas, such as exhaust. The dimensions of the car are to be within 20x30x40 cm. This competition is hosted in the United States by the AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers), and winners of the competitions receive various awards, depending on how they placed.
Awards
Regional Competition Awards (funded by AIChE)
Poster Competition
Ribbons for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place
Ribbon for Most Creative Drive System
Ribbon for Most Creative Vehicle Design
Performance Competition
1st place: $200 and Ribbon
2nd place: $100 and Ribbon
3rd place: Honorable mention and Ribbon
Ribbons for 4th and 5th place finishers
Ribbon for Spirit of Competition
National Competition Awards (funded by Chevron)
1st place: $2,000 and a trophy. 2nd place: $1,000 and a trophy. 3rd place: $500 and a trophy. Best Use of a Biological Reaction to Power a Car - $1,000 Prize: Sponsored by the Society for Biological Engineering SAChE Safety Award for the best application of the principles of chemical process safety to the Chem-E-Car competition. Most Consistent Performance - This award is based on the best average score for the two runs that the vehicle makes. It has been created to recognize the team that has designed and most understands the performance of the reaction that powers the vehicle. Award consists of a plaque. Spirit of the Competition - This award is given to the team displaying the most team spirit as decided by a panel of judges. Award consists of a plaque. Most Creative Drive System - Recognition is awarded to the team that has designed and installed the most creative propulsion system. The winner is decided by a panel of judges during the poster competition. Award consists of a plaque. Golden Tire Award - In 2002, Northeastern University team members created this award to recognize the team with the most creative vehicle design. The national committee has adopted this as an annual award. The winning entry is decided by a ballot cast by each team entered in the competition. Award consists of a plaque.
Past National Performance Competition Winners
2022 - University of Toledo
2021 - University of Toledo
2020 - Virginia Tech
2019 - Virginia Tech
2018 - Georgia Institute of Technology
2017 - Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember
2016 - Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) 2015 – Cornell University and McGill University (tie) 2014 - University of Utah 2013 - University of Tulsa 2012 – Cornell University 2011 – University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez 2010 – Cornell University 2009 – Northeastern University 2008 – Cornell University 2007 – Cooper Union 2006 – University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez 2005 – Tennessee Tech University 2004 – University of Tulsa 2003 – University of Dayton 2002 – University of Kentucky, Paducah 2001 – Colorado State University 2000 – University of Akron 1999 – University of Michigan
Rules
The competition has various rules: The only energy source for the propulsion of the car is a chemical reaction. No liquid discharge is allowed. No obnoxious odor discharge is allowed. No commercial batteries are allowed as the power source. The stopping mechanism has to be controlled by a chemical reaction. No brakes, mechanical or electronic timing devices are allowed. All components of the car must fit into a box of dimensions no larger than 40 cm x 30 cm x 20 cm (shoebox-sized). The car may be disassembled to meet this requirement. The cost of the contents of the "shoe box" and the chemicals must not exceed $2,000. The vehicle cost includes the donated cost of any equipment. The time donated by university machine shops and other personnel will not be included in the total price of the car. It is expected that every university has equal access to these resources. The cost of pressure testing is also not included in the capital cost of the car.