UMR ChemE Car heading to nationals

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On April 3, 2007

University of Missouri-Rolla students showed their chemical engineering savvy last week by placing second in chemical reaction-powered, autonomous vehicle competition held on campus. UMR’s “Miner Missile” car earned the team a return trip to the national competition set for November in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The competition was part of the two-day 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Mid-America Regional Conference hosted by the UMR AIChE student chapter. Hundreds of chemical engineering students from nine Midwest campuses were on the UMR campus for research paper and poster competitions, a hazardous materials demonstration and other events.

The ChemE Car competition challenged teams to design and build a shoebox-sized car that could carry an additional load a specified distance. UMR’s “Miner Missile” stopped 21.5 inches away from the line, just more than a foot past the University of Oklahoma’s “Windmills Work this Way” first-place team and seven inches in front of the University of Oklahoma’s “Lights OUt” third-place team. All three cars earned a spot in the national AIChE competition.

The Miner Missile is powered by a custom-built, lead-acid battery that runs an electric motor. A magnesium strip, wired inline with the motor, and an acid concentration were used to control the car’s distance. When the strip dissolved into the hydrochloric acid solution, the car came to a stop.

Team members geared down the motor nearly 25-to-1 to obtain the correct velocity. In addition, a magnetically coupled agitator was added to the sealed reaction chamber to ensure a consistent reaction.

Members of the UMR Chem-E Car Team include:

  • Kristine Brown of Kansas City, Mo., a sophomore in chemical engineering.
  • Dan Burtman of Blue Springs, Mo., a senior in chemical engineering;
  • Thomas Carnes of Independence, Mo., a freshman in computer engineering
  • Greg Eike of St. Louis, a sophomore in chemical engineering;
  • Jason Hartman of Washington, Ill., a senior in chemical engineering;
  • Matt Linderer of Ste Genevieve, Mo., a senior in chemical engineering;
  • Brent Patrick of Galena, Mo., a junior in chemical engineering;
  • Manda Richardson of Overland Park, Kan., a junior in chemical engineering;
  • Sarah Schatz of Saint Clair, Mo., a junior in chemical engineering;
  • Chad Smith of Springfield, Mo., a freshman in chemical engineering;
  • Bryan C. Solomon of St. Louis, a junior in chemical engineering;
  • Ryan Tschannen of Brookfied, Mo., a sophomore in chemical engineering; and
  • Paul Williams of Salem, Ill., a senior in chemical engineering.

Dr. Daniel Forciniti, professor of chemical and biological engineering, served as the team’s advisor. In addition, Dean Lenz, senior electronic technician for the chemical and biological engineering department, machined the car’s aluminum chassis, which supports the vehicle’s many components.

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On April 3, 2007. Posted in News