THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, MALAYSIA

Bangunan Ingenieur, 60/62 Jalan 52/4, Peti Surat 223, Jalan Sultan, 46720 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. Telephone: 03-79684001/4002 Fax: 03-79577678 Home Page: http://www.myiem.org.my E-mail: sec@iem.org.my

7TH MALAYSIAN CHEM-E-CAR COMPETITION RULES

1. Eligibility The competition is open for all undergraduates in Malaysia (public universities and private universities) and international universities. This includes students who are studying in diploma, or bachelor degree in any discipline. Objective To design and construct a car that is powered with a chemical energy source that will carry a certain load to a given distance and stop. The car will be judged based on the combination of completion of a defined task, design creativity and issues related to safety, environment and health as the model car handles chemical fuel.

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POSTER PRESENTATION 3. Presentation Board A poster board (dimension: 1m x 1m) must be displayed with the autonomous vehicle on the day of the competition. Content of Presentation Short and brief presentation (limited to 2 minutes) should be given by the team members during judging. Questions will be asked on topics outlined in the objective (limited to 3 minutes). The following criteria will be judged: Description of the chemical reaction / power source / stopping mechanism (20%) Design creativity and unique features of the vehicle (20%) Environmental and safety features (20%) Economic aspects (20%) Quality of the poster and team member presentations (20%)

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COMPETITION RULES 5. Distance and Load Each car will be given two opportunities to traverse a specified distance carrying a certain additional load. The required load and distance which would vary in the two opportunities would be announced just prior to the start of each opportunity. The distance will be between 15 and 25 m 0.005 m and the load will be between 0 and 500 ml of water. A judge will measure out the prescribed water for each team. Teams may not add or remove any "load" (or other inert items) to adjust their vehicle weight once the poster session has concluded. Teams are allowed to adjust "fuel" or reactants used in the car's chemical reaction.

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Load Container The car must carry a container that holds up to 500 mL of water without spilling. An example container is a Nalgene Low-Density Polyethylene Narrow-Mouth Bottles (500 mL) Nalge No. 38-430 20039016 or Fisher Cat. No 02-923-11G. At the competition, only the water will be supplied, thus each car must already have its own container. Dimension of Model Car All components of the car must fit into a shoebox of dimensions no larger than 40 cm x 30 cm x 18 cm. The car may be disassembled to meet this requirement. If the judges are uncertain whether the car will fit inside the box when dissembled, they may request that the team demonstrate that they can do this. Starting and Ending Lines The car will start with its front end just touching the designated starting line. There will be a designated finish line. The distance will be measured with respect to the front most point of the car. The goal of the competition is to have the model car stop closest to the specified finish line (in bounds) while carrying the specified load. The course should be wedge shaped with a starting line and the prescribed distance clearly marked in an arc of constant distance from the starting point. The physical site will dictate the exact course layout. See Figure 1 for an example of the course layout.

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15m 25m

Side lines

Figure 1 9. Measuring distance and Scores Within Bound The score obtained is the distance where the model car stops from the end line. Out of Bound Should the car exceed the boundary, the distance measured would either be the one where it crosses the boundary or where it stops whichever is longer. The score is the distance plus a penalty of 3.00m. 10. Announcement Prior to the Commencement of the Competition A Chem-E-Car Competition judge (or Emcee) will announce to each team prior to the start of their run. The team then has one (1) minute to get to the starting line. Each team will be asked to introduce their entry to the audience (university name and briefly mention the propulsion system). If the team is unable to get ready within the time mentioned above, the next team in the predetermined sequence will be asked to run their car. The team, that is unable to run their car when the particular round ended, will have their opportunity for that particular round forfeited. A particular round would end 15 minutes after the last team is announced.

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Numbers of opportunities and Duration for each Opportunity Each car will have two (2) opportunities to complete the course in two rounds. There will be one opportunity in each round, each opportunity lasting no more than two (2) minutes. Allowance of one (1) minute is allowed upon judges approval. If the car is still moving after the stipulated time, it will be disqualified. The best score of these two opportunities will be used in the judging. The next team to compete should be ready and at the starting area at least five (5) minutes before their anticipated run time. In the event a team fails to show up on the start line, or the vehicle fails to start, the next team on the competition order list will be announced and requested to proceed to the starting line. In the first round of competition the order of the teams will be by random drawing. At the completion of the first round, there will be a short break before the second round begins. Winner The team that has the lowest score (refer to item 9 for score) in either one opportunity is the winner. It is however compulsory that the winning team scored a minimum of 70% in the poster competition. In the event of a tie, the winner will be decided by the best average from the two runs completed. If the average is the same, the prizes will be combined and divided equally among the teams. A special prize (RM500.00) will be awarded to the team that demonstrates consistency in both runs. Consistency would mean the team where the average error from each trial is the lowest. The formula to calculate the winner for the special prize will be as follows:

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where En=error of trial n. The overhead bar indicates the averaged value of the errors from two runs. Specifically, the error is calculated as:

where L=actual length (in meter) that the car traverses and D=designated distance (in meter). So, the team with the least score will be the winner. PROHIBITION AND CAUTION 13. No Remote Control or Mechanical Starting The car must be an autonomous vehicle and cannot be controlled remotely. Pushing to start the vehicle or a mechanical starting device is not allowed.

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No Mechanical Force No mechanical force can be applied to the wheel or ground to slow or stop the car (e.g. no brakes). However, stopping mechanism that is based on chemical engineering principles is allowed (e.g. colour changes during neutralization). There can be no mechanical or electronic timing device(s) to stop the chemical reaction or stop the car. For example, a stop switch consisting of a liquid draining out of a vessel would be considered a mechanical timing switch and would not be allowed. No Liquid Leakage The car must be designed to avoid any liquid discharge. Any liquid on the vehicle must be contained and not allowed to discharge from the car. Vehicles that intentionally spray liquids will be disqualified. Given the general public's lack of understanding of general chemistry, anything that is visibly left behind may well be construed as chemical pollution, and even hazardous. No open Flame or Emit Smoke All cars are restricted from having any open flames or emitting any smoke. The Chem-E-Car Competition judges reserve the right to ask any vehicle for a "test" run prior to the contest (possibly during, or just after, the poster judging phase) to insure that all safety rules are met by all participating teams. Caution for Pressurized Container An entry that is pressurized must have evidence of proper/adequate pressure testing. [CAUTION: It happened that soda bottles, or PVC vessels explode when pressurized!!!] Safety Instruction for Corrosive / Hazardous Chemicals Any entry using or producing a corrosive / hazardous chemical(s) must have the chemical(s) sealed in a close container (i.e. a container with a cover / lid). Chemicals must have external redundant containment (i.e. double container) as a component of the vehicle to prevent spillage. No Open and/or Improperly Secured Containers All containers on the vehicle containing chemicals must be securely attached to the vehicle to prevent the container from tipping over during the competition. The lid to this container must also be securely attached to the container and must be capable to preventing spillage of the chemical during the competition. Chemical Preparation and handling at the Starting Line Chemical preparation must be done only at the designated area. During the competition, it is suggested that a small holding tank with a valve or a syringe be added to the vehicle to add the chemical at the starting line. The chemical can be added either by using a syringe or by gravity flow through the valve. All containers at the starting line with chemical must be properly labeled, with a lid and must be properly managed to prevent spillage.

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SAFETY 21. Personal Protection Appropriate personal protection (particularly safety glasses) must be worn by those team members operating the vehicle. Material Safety and Data Sheet (MSDS) MSDS for all chemicals used must be made available upon request. Transportation and Disposal of Chemicals Participants are responsible for transportation of the chemicals to the competition sites. Safe transportation protocols must be followed. Students are also responsible for arranging for the disposal of their chemicals and wastes. Hazardous chemical protocols must be followed and reported on the poster. If obvious safety violations have occurred, the judges have the discretion to disqualify the entry. Safe Operation All cars must safely operate inside a building. If a car is deemed unsafe, then the judges may disqualify it.

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GENERAL 25. Statement of Agreement The students working on the project must also sign a statement saying they have abided by the rules. This statement must be included (or be available) at the poster competition. At least Two Team Members from Chemical Engineering Multi-disciplinary teams are also encouraged. Unless a special waiver is obtained, the team must have at least two students from chemical engineering. It should be noted that Inter-Varsity teams are not allowed. Maximum Size of Team The maximum team size is four (4) participants. All team members are to be present during the competition.

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PRIZES 28. Prizes

1st Category (Model Car) 1st prize : RM3,000 + Certificate + Trophy 2nd prize: RM2,000 + Certificate 3rd prize: RM1,000 + Certificate 1st prize: RM500 + Certificate 2nd prize: RM300 + Certificate 3rd prize: RM200 + Certificate RM500.00 + Certificate

2nd Category (Poster Presentation)

Special Award

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