Rules


 * PENNSYLVANIA** **COLLEGE** **OF TECHNOLOGY**


 * FUEL CELL CHALLENGE**


 * MAY 20, 2008**


 * Purpose of the Contest:**

Hydrogen fuel cells are among the most promising technologies of the future as an energy source. Hydrogen is one of the most abundant chemicals in the world, and a hydrogen fuel cell emits as its output only electricity, heat, and water. It holds great potential for our nation’s energy independence, while potentially providing a clean and renewable supply of electricity for all electrical needs. The technology is still very much in its developmental stages, but its potential has all of the major automobile manufacturers developing prototype hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles.

The purpose of the Pennsylvania College of Technology Fuel Cell Challenge Contest is to introduce high school students to fuel cell technology (fuel cells as a power source, hydrogen generation and fuel management), and to apply that technology to physics principles in construction of model fuel cell vehicles that will compete in a variety of performance events. The winner of the overall contest will have the opportunity to compete in a national level competition in the summer of 2008. The winner of the national contest will be given the opportunity to compete internationally. Overall winners will be chosen based on 8 individual events:

1. Written test 2. Engineering design 3. Artistic design 4. Fastest car 5. Hill climb 6. Load pull 7. Fuel management 8. Longest distance


 * General Contest Rules:**

1. The winner of the Pennsylvania College of Technology Fuel Cell Challenge will have the opportunity to compete in a national fuel cell competition in the summer of 2008. The winner of that competition will have the opportunity to compete internationally in the fall of 2008. 2. Competing schools will be allowed up to a maximum of 10 members on a team for this competition. Schools may bring more than one team to compete if they desire, or may bring additional students as spectators if they desire, but only the team members will take the test and run the cars in the heats. Each team will only be allowed to enter one car per performance contest. All of a team’s competing cars may be considered for the engineering and artistic design contests.


 * Vehicle Specifications:**

1. The vehicle must be safe to contestants and spectators, i.e., no sharp edges, projectiles, etc. 2. Energy Source: The only energy source permitted on any competing car is one fuel cell with the hydrogen that was produced from the electrolysis procedure. The fuel cell may not be modified in any way. 3. Electric Motor: The only electric motor that is permitted on any competing car is one motor provided with the fuel cell kit. The motor may not be modified in any way. 4. Construction materials: Cars may be constructed out of any materials that the team desires. 5. Fuel storage: The volume of hydrogen stored, and the design of the hydrogen storage system, may be designed by the contestants. It is not necessary to use the storage system that comes with the kit. 6. Judges will inspect each car when it is presented at the individual contests to ensure that the power supply and motor meet the contest requirements.


 * Race Conduct:**

1. Charging station: A power supply will be provided to supply the electricity needed for the electrolysis procedure. 2. Race Day Electrolysis Procedure: Before the scheduled race start for each race, teams must report to the designated charging station with their car. Distilled water will be provided at the charging station for the electrolysis process. There is no time limit on the electrolysis procedure – a team may report to the charging station as early or as late as practical; however, teams will have ONE minute to be ready to start their race at the specified time. The only energy source permitted on the vehicle is the fuel cell with the hydrogen that it produced from the electrolysis procedure. 3. Repairs: Each school will be provided with their own table that can be used to make emergency repairs or modifications to the cars. Should a car require repairs after it has been called to compete in a contest, the team will be given a time limit of 3 minutes to complete the repairs and begin the race. 4. At the start of each contest, no more than two students will be allowed in the start area. Where applicable, a team member should be placed at the finish line to catch the car. Any perceived attempt to push start a vehicle at the start of a contest, to improve performance by contact with the race surface, blowing on the car, etc., or making contact with the car while it is competing, may result in disqualification or a re-run of the heat. 5. Each car will have as many as three attempts at each of the contests. The best of the three attempts will be used to determine the order of finish of each individual contest. At any team’s discretion, they may forego one or more of their attempts. 6. At any time during the contest, a car may be inspected for adherence to the contest rules. If a car is found to not be in adherence with the rules, the car will be disqualified. 7. Challenges must be made before the race judges begin the next heat. All challenges must come from the team members who are actively competing and must be directed to the lead judge. The decisions of the race judges are final.


 * INDIVIDUAL CONTESTS**


 * Written test:**

A written test will be completed by each team. The team will be allowed to discuss the answers among themselves, and one answer sheet per team will be turned in. Test questions will be taken from the material in the book “Hydrogen - Hot Stuff, Cool Science”. The book is available on line from www.fuelcellstore.com.


 * Engineering design:**

A judge will evaluate the working design of the fuel cell cars. Hydrogen storage, hydrogen delivery, gearing, etc. will be judged in this category. The judge may interview teams to ask design questions and assess the ability of the team to answer technical questions about their car.


 * Artistic design:**

A judge will assess the overall appearance and aesthetic design of the car. Somewhere on the car, the team’s school must be represented clearly.


 * Fastest car:**

This contest will be run on a tile floor. The racetrack will be 5 meters long and 2 meters wide. Cars will be timed using a laser system from the time they cross the starting line to the time they cross the finish line. The racers must start within 3 cm of the starting line. In order for the car to break the laser beam, the racer cannot be transparent. If the car cannot break the laser beam, the team will have to add some material to the racer for the purpose of breaking the laser beam.

Each team will be given 3 runs, and the best of the 3 runs will be used to determine the order of finish. Once a car crosses the starting line, one run will have been considered to have been made, even if the car leaves the track or does not make it to the finish line.


 * Hill climb:**

This competition will be run on a 4’ x 8’ piece of unfinished plywood. One end of the plywood will be placed on the floor. The other end will be 3’ off the ground. The cars will start from the bottom of the plywood. The car that climbs to the highest point on the board will be the winner. In the event that a car climbs to the end of the board, the board will be raised 6” and the race will be repeated. If the car climbs to the end of the board again, it will be raised another 6”, until the car can no longer climb to the end of the board. At that time, the height of the board and the distance traveled at that height will be recorded.

A car must be able to climb to the end of the board at the lowest height before attempting a climb with the board at higher levels. Each team will be given 3 runs at the highest level it has achieved, and the best of the 3 runs will be used to determine the order of finish.
 * Load pull:**

This contest will be run on a table with a Formica surface. Each car in this contest must have a method with which to attach to the “Penn College Skid”. The skid is a balsam wood box with a hook attached to it 1” up from its base that will attach to the car with a piece of string. When the run begins, there can be no slack in the string. Initially, the skid will be empty. If the car pulls the empty skid one foot, the skid will have some weight added to it, and another run will be given. This will continue until the car is unable to pull the skid 1 foot.

In this contest, the car must move as it drags the skid. (It cannot be stationary, and just drag the skid forward.)

Each team will be given 3 runs at the highest weight it is able to pull, and the best of the 3 runs will be used to determine the order of finish.


 * Fuel management:**

This contest will be run on a “sport court” floor in the Penn College field house. The sport court floor is made up of tiles that are approximately 10” square. There is a very slight texture to the surface of the tiles. The gaps between the tiles are approximately 1/16” wide. The fuel management contest will be run diagonally across the floor so that narrow wheels (i.e., a CD or DVD) will not drop into the cracks.

The cars will start with all front wheels on the starting line. The course will be a sector of 45 degrees. The finish line will be an arc 10 meters from the starting line that spans the 45 degree sector. Cars must stay within the 45 degree sector during their entire run, or the run will be disqualified. The winner of the contest will be the car whose front wheels come to a stop closest to any point on the arc while staying within the sector. (If one wheel is closer than another, the closest wheel will be used for measurement.) Each team will be given 3 runs, and the best of the 3 runs will be used to determine the order of finish.


 * Longest distance:**

This contest will be run on a “sport court” floor in the Penn College field house. The sport court floor is made up of tiles that are approximately 10” square. There is a very slight texture to the surface of the tiles. The gaps between the tiles are approximately 1/16” wide. The longest distance contest will be run diagonally across the floor so that narrow wheels (i.e., a CD or DVD) will not drop into the cracks. The track will be 20’ wide at the starting line and will narrow down to a single point at the opposite corner of the field house. Distances will be measured from the starting line to the point where any wheel on the car leaves the course.

Because of the layout of the track, the winning car will be the one that can travel the farthest in a straight path.

Each team will be given 3 runs, and the best of the 3 runs will be used to determine the order of finish.

NOTE: All cars must be designed and built by the students with limited assistance from the coach or other adults. **This is a student competition!**


 * For more information on fuel cells, or to purchase additional fuel cells, motors, or other components, you may wish to visit [|www.fuelcellstore.com].**