Entry Form / Abstract Deadline:  April 15, 2015

Design Submission Deadline: May 29, 2015 

Scholarship Awards - 1st Place $6,000 ♦ 2nd Place $3,000 ♦ 3rd Place $1,500 

Task—Objective

Lab safety is one of  SEFA’s primary concerns — SEFA spells safe.®   SEFA members manufacture a range of exhaust devices for use within the laboratory environment. These include chemical fume hoods, snorkels, backdraft tables, downdraft tables, and others. However, these devices do not always match ideally with the safety needs or ergonomic requirements of particular applications. Furthermore, with more facilities offering “Green Chemistry” programs,  Lab Planners and Owners are looking for new  energy-efficient exhaust solutions.   

In light of the smaller amounts of hazardous chemicals being used in some applications, the standard fume hood which operates at a high volume of energy consumption, may often be more than what is required.  On the other hand, snorkels do not always provide the best capture. While students and researchers are using smaller/micro amounts of chemicals in some applications they are, nonetheless, using hazardous substances which require an appropriate element of  protection. 

The objective of SEFA’s 2015 Student Design Competition is to design a chemical fume containment system or device that will provide ample safety for the student/researcher while allowing them to comfortably work with their experiment in a more energy-efficient environment. 

•  The solution can be a permanent set-up or removal;
•  Solution allows students to work solo or in groups of two;
•  Experiment area may contain items such as cupsinks, water fixtures, gas fixtures, distillation racks (monkey bars), and access to electrical power as appropriate for the types of experiments for which the design is proposed. 
• Entries should include a description of the intended airflow patterns and capture–illustrated with diagrams, CFD models, animation, or other similar means.

Find the contest rules and guidlines here

Enter the competition here