UMaine has Good Showing at Chem-E-Car Competition

Contact: Aimee Dolloff, (207) 581-3777; John Hwalek, (207) 581-2302

Picture of UMaine’s car is avaiable upon request — corrections include quote attribution and team leaders.

ORONO, Maine — The University of Maine placed 10th out of 29 universities that competed in last weekend’s national Chem-E-Car competition in Philadelphia, according to the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

The Chem-E-Car competition, first raced in 1999, allows students to apply their knowledge of chemical engineering principles while helping build interest and expertise in alternative fuels.

Team members design and construct a chemically powered vehicle within certain size constraints that also must be able to carry a specified cargo. The winner was determined by a combined score that includes points for traveling the correct distance and for creativity.

“We feel that UMaine had a good showing,” said team leader and UMaine junior Gregory Worster. “We experienced a few setbacks at the competition and feel that we overcame them to the best of our ability. All of the competing teams performed exceptionally this year, and we look forward to a strong showing at the next competition.”

In this year’s event, students were challenged to transport 250 milliliters of water 60 feet.~ Each team received two chances to run their cars, with their final score being their best attempt at meeting the established distance.

UMaine’s Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car originally was designed by a group of 14 students during the spring 2008 semester. This team was made up mostly of seniors who graduated in May. Starting in September, the current eight members continued with the work.

The members are: sophomores Mathew Pagurko and Jeffrey Galle; juniors Mike Subilia II, Ian Hamilton, Thomas Schwartz, and Gregory Worster (team leader); and seniors Jessica Englehart (team leader) and Sarah Hodgins.

“Fine tuning, calibration, and preparation were done almost every day between the beginning of September and the competition [on Nov 16],” Schwartz said. “In the weeks before the competition we worked long days to ready the car as well as complete our regular school work.”

UMaine’s car first competed in the Northeast Regional Competition at Massachusetts Institute of Technology last April and took first place.

The cars aren’t very large — about 24 inches long, 12 inches wide and 10 inches tall — but the technology behind them is somewhat complex. The car is powered by a proton exchange membrane Hydrogen fuel cell, which consists of 15 membranes separated by graphite plates. The hydrogen gas reacts with oxygen from the air to produce power which is sent to the motor.

“Our car was designed to be very safe, and safety is a large part of the Chem-E car competition,” Schwartz said. “The materials of construction and the design of the car were selected with safety in mind, encompassing both chemical and mechanical aspects.”

Cornell University came in first at last week’s competition and took the top prize of $2,000 with their Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car nicknamed “The Bender.”

Finishing in second place and taking home $1,000 was Louisiana State University, using citric acid and sodium carbonate.~ Taking third place and $500 was Texas A&M, which used chemicals making hydrogen gas to propel their car.

The American Institute of Engineers, which holds the competition each year, is a professional society of more than 40,000 chemical engineers in 92 countries.

Order of Finish:

Cornell Univ. — 0 inches from the finish line

Louisiana State Univ. — 10.5 in.

Texas A&M Univ., College Station– 11.5 in.

Univ. of Akron — 19 in.

Cooper Union — 21 in.

Bucknell Univ. — 24 in.

Univ. of Utah — 27 in.

Tennessee Tech — 32 in.

Univ. of California, Davis– 36 in.

Univ. of Maine –39.5 in.

Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville — 44 in.

Manhattan College — 45 in.

Univ. of Idaho — 46.5 in.

Univ. of~Oklahoma — 48 in.

Carnegie Mellon Univ. — 67 in.

Univ. of Missouri, Rolla — 67 in.

Ohio State Univ. — 80 in.

Univ. of Buffalo — 86 in.

Univ. of Michigan — 103 in.

Oklahoma State — 109 in.

Brigham Young Univ. — 116 in.

Oregon State — 142 in.

Lehigh Univ. — 153 in.

Rowan Univ. — 224 in.

Kansas State Univ. — 228 in.

Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis — 264v

Univ. of Puerto Rico, 281 in.

Univ. of Wisconsin — 599 in.

New Mexico Tech — 676 in.