2014 highlights
Milestone 1: First Zn-Air battery produced by the team (Jan. 10)
Milestone 2: Powering a motor with our Zn-Air cells (Feb. 19)
Milestone 3: Fully built car, new electronics using PCBs, EDP package (Mar. 21)
Milestone 4: Placed 1st at AIChE Pacific Northwest Regional Chem-E-Car Competition with a distance of 39.5 cm. Qualified for National competition. (Apr. 26)
Milestone 5: Successful recruitment of a new team (Sept. 2)
Milestone 6: EDP for National Chem-E-Car Competition (Oct. 1)
Milestone 7: Placed 8th out of 36 teams from around the world (Nov. 16)
2013 highlights:
January:
Team comes back from co-op.
February:
Design and manufacture of new pressure cylinder
March:
– Glass reactor vessel broke, all is lost
– Joel joins team, lifts spirits
– Team works night and day last two weeks in March to get car to competition
April:
– Team works fiercely to get car to competition.
– Team travels to Bozeman, Montana and places 2nd securing a spot at the AIChE Nationals in fall.
May:
– Team website up and running.
– Design phase to reduce physical variability and increase operating ease for National Car.
– Research into a more consistent iodine clock reaction.
– Timeline set for National competition.
– Attended an open house for newly accepted students – lot’s of interest from the new students!!
– New team members: Daniel Paterson (Mechanical grad advisor), Clarin Houle (Chemical Engineering), Chris Lo-Pryke (Mechanical Engineering)
June:
– Car design near completion.
– Partnered with AMS Sustainability to raise funds to get the project off the ground.
– Testing for iodine clock reaction. Aim: to obtain a decrease the transition time from clear to black solution. Results: improved reaction within 3 seconds without stirring – near instant when stirred.
July:
– Funding arrived from AMS Sustainability.
– Parts ordered for hydrogen flow.
– Further improvements on the iodine clock reaction.
August:
– More parts ordered.
– Layout of fabrication schedule (lacked funding to start fabrication).
September:
– Fabrication of vehicle.
– Troubleshooting and testing.
– EDP document completed.
– Video made for National Competition.
October:
– Further adjustments of car to meet regulations sent back by EDP reviewers.
– Testing & Troubleshooting
– Fuel Cell lost power on Oct. 31.
November:
– Attend AIChE National Conference.
– Start researching Zinc-Air batteries.
December:
– Exams & Christmas (month off)
UBC Chem-E-Car 