---
title: "The ChemE Car that Cud: AIChE ChemE Car Engineering Design Proposal"
date: 2019-05-14
cardImage: cannulated-cows
draft: false
featured: true
keywords:
  - chemical engineering
  - AIChE
  - radiation
  - rumen
  - microbial electrolysis cells
medium: thesis
authors:
  - Thomas A. Christensen II
link: "/academia/cheme-car/cud_cheme_car_web.pdf"
journal: "University of Wyoming Honors Program"
location: "Laramie, Wyoming"
---

The ChemE Car That Cud showcases Wyoming's dominant industries of agriculture
and mining by utilizing rumen fluid from a cannulated beef cow to generate
hydrogen to be used in a hydrogen fuel cell and radioactive cesium, a byproduct
of uranium that is often obtained from Wyoming's mines, to time the car's stop.
The concentration of cesium-137 source is measured using the radioactive decay
of cesium shielded by aluminum. The painted aluminum chassis was obtained from a
previous team at UW, and modified using plastic k'nex toys to adapt to the
current power source and stopping mechanism.