NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: Photos are available at http://www2.egr.uh.edu/~aiche/chemE%20car.html.
High-resolution versions are available by contacting Lisa Merkl.
FUTURE CHEMICAL ENGINEERS RACE FOR FINISH
LINE WITH FUEL CELL CAR
Two UH Students First to Go National, Place High in Competition
HOUSTON, Dec. 17, 2004 – Putting the pedal to the metal,
two University of Houston chemical engineering students tested their
mettle with the creation of a fuel-cell-driven car in the national
“Chem-E-Car” competition. The pair placed 13th among
nearly 40 teams from across the country.
Testing their classroom knowledge by building shoebox-sized cars
powered by chemical reactions, Mansour AbdulBaki and Adrian Morales,
senior chemical engineering students and members of UH’s student
chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE),
became the first-ever UH students to participate at the national
level. After capturing a second-place finish at the regional competition
during the Spring ’04 semester, AbdulBaki and Morales were
pleased with their national debut at the sixth annual competition
this fall in Austin.
Since no one from UH had ever participated before, the students
agreed that they had to initiate the process themselves, along with
financial sponsorship from the UH AIChE student chapter. Successfully
applying their knowledge to construct a winning racecar that took
the better part of a year to build, the students were required to
construct a vehicle that carried a predetermined weight a particular
distance before stopping. AbdulBaki and Morales’ miniature
car obtained its energy from a fuel cell reaction, making it more
environmentally friendly.
“We started off using a chemical battery, but it performed
poorly and we eventually moved to the idea of a fuel-cell-powered
car,” said Morales, current vice president of the UH chapter
of AIChE.
The competition requires students to use controlled chemical reactions
in designing and operating shoebox-sized cars. Making things more
challenging, the students are given the payload and distance that
their vehicles must carry and travel only an hour before the race
begins. In this case, their racecar needed to transport 400 milliliters
of water 75 feet. Students also include a poster presentation demonstrating
their understanding of the chemical reactions used and their attention
to safety. Facing new obstacles to overcome and generating new ideas
proves challenging, but the competitors have an invaluable opportunity
to apply ideas learned from coursework.
“We are proud to have achieved our goals,” said AbdulBaki,
former president and current Web master of UH’s AIChE. “We
wanted to earn recognition for UH and our highly ranked, but relatively
underexposed, Department of Chemical Engineering and to start a
tradition of competition and achievement in our department and the
UH AIChE chapter.”
The next round of competitions is scheduled to begin in March and
April for all nine regions throughout the nation, and the upcoming
generation of UH chemical engineering students has already begun
design preparations for next year’s competition with a new
team currently being formed.
AIChE is a professional association of more than 46,000 chemical
engineers in 92 countries that use their knowledge of chemical processes
to develop safe and useful products for the benefit of society.
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research
and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers
and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate,
civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university
in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and
service with more than 35,000 students.
About the Cullen College of Engineering
UH Cullen College of Engineering has produced five U.S. astronauts,
ten members of the National Academy of Engineering, and degree programs
that have ranked in the top ten nationally. With more than 2,600
students, the college offers accredited undergraduate and graduate
degrees in biomedical, chemical, civil and environmental, electrical
and computer, industrial, and mechanical engineering. It also offers
specialized programs in aerospace, materials, petroleum engineering
and telecommunications.
For more information about the Cullen College of Engineering, visit
www.egr.uh.edu
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For more information about UH visit the universitys Newsroom at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.
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