ChemE Car

Northeastern has a rich history in participating in the ChemECar competition and sends a team to the national competition almost every year.

Northeastern has a rich history in participating in the ChemECar competition and sends a team to the national competition almost every year.

The main goal is to build a car which is powered by a chemical reaction and stops at a given distance. The objectives are simple; however there are some restrictions that complicate the simplicity. For instance, the team may not use any mechanical or electrical breaking. The stopping mechanism therefore much be controlled through chemical kinetics.

As the competition matured the rules have changed. Each year they need to meet new rules and design a car the fits into the rules.

The most important rule to keep in mind is the distance which is set one hour before the start of the competition. It can be between 30 and 100 feet. The car has two minutes to go this distance and stop.