The Student Chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) at Unicamp won first place nationally in the Chem-E-Car Competition, held during the Brazil Student Regional Conference (BSRC) 2026, at the State University of Maringá (PR), between August 24 and 28. The group of students from the Faculty of Chemical Engineering (FEQ) also finished second in the Chem-E-Jeopardy competition and third in the Chem-E-Car Poster category.
In the Chem-E-Car competition, the challenge involves a small car, an unknown distance, and a single chance to stop it in the right place. There's no remote control or driver to correct the trajectory: once the vehicle is set in motion, competitors must rely on carefully planned chemical reactions to get it as close as possible to the finish line.
Bruno Bianchessi Zago, one of the team's directors, compares the dynamics of the race to a game of bocce. “I really like this analogy. You release the cart and it has to move and stop autonomously as close to the mark as possible,” he explains. The distance to be covered, between 15 and 30 meters, is only known to the team an hour before the race, which requires the system to be calibrated for different possibilities.
In this year's edition, the distance drawn was exactly 15 meters, and the Unicamp team's car stopped about 18 centimeters from the mark. "It was incredibly precise, a result that would easily guarantee us a top 10 globally," emphasizes Zago, who leads the group with his colleague Rafael Lima Rodrigues. "He is the team captain and a key player in the project along with me."
To power the vehicle, the team used a hydrogen fuel cell. This year, there was an important change in the project: instead of producing the gas from household reagents, as before, the students began producing hydrogen through water electrolysis.
In addition to adapting existing technology for the small scale of the project, the group designed its own reactor that generated the car's fuel. According to Zago, they used three-dimensional modeling software to develop the equipment and then sought out a machining company to produce the parts.
Hands-on engineering
Professor Raphael Suppino from FEQ, advisor to the AIChE Unicamp Student Chapter, explains that the vehicle's autonomy is an essential part of the challenge. The students themselves, Suppino explains, develop the project, design, and assemble the car. According to the professor, the experience allows them to apply, in a concrete project, knowledge that is part of their Chemical Engineering training. “It's a hands-on engineering project development. We, as professors, ensure they have a good path, but they are the ones who make the decisions, assemble, and decide what and how they will do it.”
The experience also extends beyond the classroom and the competition itself. By participating in events, visiting other universities, and presenting the project to the public, the students take with them the knowledge produced at the University. "It's not just about winning first place, but the importance of taking the knowledge generated by Unicamp to the outside world," he emphasizes.
The victory in Maringá secured the team's qualification for the international competition, which will be held in Minneapolis, United States, between November 6th and 9th. Last year, when Unicamp hosted the competition, the team was the national runner-up in the Chem-E-Car competition. This year, in addition to first place in the car test, the group achieved more results and will be in the international stage in two more challenges: the question and answer competition, inspired by the traditional Jeopardy format from American TV, and the poster presentation about the car project. In the international Jeopardy competition, the team will defend Unicamp's title, won in Boston at last year's conference.
Created in 2021 by the students themselves, the AIChE Unicamp Student Chapter currently has around 40 members involved in different projects. The team competing in Chem-E-Car consists of eight students, in addition to other members who collaborate on the project's development. Last year, the Student Chapter earned recognition as an Outstanding Student Chapter, a title awarded to outstanding student chapters within the organization.
To spark interest.
The experience also goes beyond the limits of competition. The project, which was presented during the Unicamp Open Doors (UPA) event in August, will be taken to schools as part of extension activities and will be present at the Paulínia Technological Turnaround, from September 17th to 19th. "One of our main motivations is precisely this, to spark the interest of high school students," says Zago.
According to the advisor, the project demonstrates that university education can also happen through experimentation. "Study time is important, but it can also be used for practical activities, making theory applicable in a playful and rewarding way," he emphasizes.
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