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BCI-ChemCar SilverArrow takes 4th place

Das ChemCar 2022 "SilverArrow" steht auf dem Boden vor den 6 Konstrukteuren © BCI​/​TU Dortmund
[Translate to English:] © [Translate to English:] Buthmann BCI​/​TU Dortmund
[Translate to English:]

This year, BCI faculty again participated in the ChemCar competition at ProcessNet 2022 with a newly developed vehicle.

The team with Richard Alfsmann, Julius Benke, Robin Fortmann, Nils Naß and Jan-Hendrik Seifert, supervised by the chairs REC and APT, uses a thermoelectric generator as a drive, which consists of several so-called Peltier elements. The required heat flow is generated in a system with two chambers: An exothermic reaction of calcium oxide with water takes place in the hot chamber, while ice water is present in the cold chamber. The Tollens sample is used for the stop reaction. A novelty for the ChemCar. A laser is used to detect the time-dependent mirroring of a cuvette surface. As the concept was highlighted by the jury as innovative and technically sophisticated, the SilverArrow was far ahead in the intermediate evaluation. However, the solid material used, calcium oxide, was no longer properly flowable due to the longer transport to Aachen, so that the ChemCar did not start moving. Of the original 11 teams competing, the SilverArrow was able to hold its own in 4th place.