They may not be as big as SUVs or as stylish as Corvettes, but the cars designed by our Chemical Engineering students perform at an award-winning level.

While other students were soaking in sun over spring break, our students took their Chem-E Car to the Southern Regional AIChE Conference in New Orleans and placed first in a competition that tested their abilities to uniquely power a car. The victory came on the heels of a second-place finish in the national competition.

Victory is sweet, say Chemical Engineering students and faculty, from left, back: Venkat Subramanian (faculty advisor), Mike Hicks, Robyn Rawlings, Crystal Childers, Ricardo Chang and Jenny Bollig; front:Jonathan Phillips, Richard Lawson, Regan Chandler and Nate Johnson.

“These students are stellar ambassadors of our program, and needless to say we are extremely proud of this milestone for the department,” says Pedro Arce, chairperson of Department of Chemical Engineering.

The Chem-E Car competition required students to design a car powered by a chemical energy source. Before they began, teams were informed about the specific distance their car must travel while holding a specified load of water. Teams were asked to power their car just enough to travel the desired distance, stopping as close as possible to the finish line, which was 63 feet away.

TTU’s car, powered by a zinc-air battery and equipped with a stopping mechanism made from a chemical fuse that used the reaction of hydrochloric acid with aluminum, took first place. It finished within seven feet of the finish line and hauled 310 milliliters of water.

The conference featured two additional competition categories, the Chem-E Car Poster Competition and the Paper Competition. Our team earned first place for its poster after being judged on originality and quality.

"Being on the Chem-E-Car team has been beneficial because the experience has helped me learn how to be effective as a member of a team in real-world situations that could be applied to industry,” says senior Robyn Rawlings. “Being awarded first place is an honor that will be more memorable in years to come than academic achievements."

Three TTU seniors individually presented their undergraduate research in the Paper Competition, with Rawlings placing second in her section.