As society grows more concerned about climate change and the release of CO2 into our atmosphere, chemical engineering students at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL) have started working to develop a solution.
This year the UNL American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Chapter started a new design team for a ChemE Cube competition. This competition focuses on developing and presenting a 1-cubic-foot device that performs a chemical process. The 2024 competition focused on Direct Air Capture (DAC) and regeneration through adsorption. In early 2024, Katie Kersten (Team Lead), Sam Freeze (Design Lead), and Abaigeal Aydt (Sustainability Lead) presented UNL’s design in the qualifying presentations. Out of 40 teams from universities around the world, 18 teams were selected to build and present their design at the AIChE National Conference in October of 2024. Among those 18 teams was UNL’s first ChemE Cube team.
The competition had teams develop a business pitch, a video advertisement, a poster, and compete in a duel. In the duels, teams compete head-to-head in various categories such as energy consumed, weight, and CO2 captured.
With this year’s theme focusing on DAC and regeneration, the team began designing their cube and recruiting new members. As they prepared for the competition, the team developed an understanding of the scale-up of the cube, its market and patentability, how to advertise their product, sustainability, and basic economics.
In true Nebraska spirit, the design centered around an amine-functionalized activated carbon made using corn stover or other agricultural byproducts, giving the team a unique spin on their design. Further, a larger model of the cube was investigated to integrate into ethanol plants throughout Nebraska. The team’s business pitch used this as a case study for how this design could impact a large-scale business and show why investors would want to invest in this design. Due to the corn-based nature of the cube, the team named their design “Corn on the Cube.” The team was eager to compete and share their hard work by the time the competition arrived.
At the conference in San Diego, the team enjoyed many informational events, speaking with ExxonMobil and RAPID employees, meeting teams from other schools, and presenting their work. Through this experience, they learned about the benefits of their design and areas to improve for future competitions. They had the third most overall CO2 captured, with a 100% reduction in atmospheric CO2. They also finished third in both the advertisement and poster aspects of the competition.
After the competition, the team celebrated their successes, continued to share their work through outreach events at local schools, and is working on a patent for the activated carbon adsorbent. The team is excited to prepare for next year’s competition, which will be formally announced in January 2025. The team wants to give special recognition to Marc Myers, Dr. Hunter Flodman, and our generous sponsors: Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD), the Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences Research (NCESR), Syngenta, and the Nebraska Ethanol Board. Thanks to all those who have made this journey possible!