The AIChE Foundation funds an amazing project called the AIChE Chemical Engineering For Good (ACE4G) Challenge. The organizers behind it are the Global Societal Initiatives Committee with the support of the International Committee, the Student Chapters Committee, and the Sustainable Energy Forum. Below, we announce the second round of 2021’s winners. This annual challenge is open to all U.S. and international AIChE student chapters. Learn more about ACE4G.
How chemical engineering can be applied to solve world problems on a microscale
Participants submitted technical proposals for an underutilized technology, or toolkits that others might use to select between a set of possible technical solutions. Teams competed for cash prizes ($3,000, $2,000, and $1,000 for the top three teams).
- Five teams from around the world submitted entries, including four international student chapters. Teams were provided a tutorial on economic, cultural, and technical sustainability concerns for international projects. The AIChE student chapters were also encouraged to collaborate with other organizations, such as Engineers Without Borders (EWB), that have experience in executing these types of projects, and many did.
- Proposals included a wide range of solutions, including energy storage, pipeline installation, water management, and solar dehydration systems.
The winners
1st Place: Universidad Nacional de Colombia sede Bogotá
Low-cost Solar Convective Food Dehydrator
These students came up with a method of greatly increasing the income of small farmers in Colombia by using chemical engineering and the sun to dehydrate their onions.
2nd Place: The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Repurposing Retired Electric Vehicle Batteries for Stationary Use
These students developed a very economic solution to solve two problems: solar-powered street lights in Nigeria that do not have batteries to operate at night, and used electric car batteries that end up going to the dump.
3rd Place: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Integrated Water Management: Treatment and Waste Reuse
This chapter developed a toolkit to help engineering teams working in developing nations choose the most appropriate technology to process wastewater. They evaluate biodigesters, evapotranspiration, and membrane distillation processes.
Congratulations to the 2021 winners for your efforts to apply chemical engineering to really make a difference!
Learn more about ACE4G
Submissions for the ACE4G 2022 Challenge will be accepted later this year. Check this page for regular updates.
For more information email ace4g@aiche.org.