Competition
2026-2027

UCI ChemE Cube

UCI ChemE Cube Icon

Summary

About ChemE Cube at UCI

ChemE Cube is a national student competition hosted by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), challenging students to design a modular, one-cubic-foot plant to solve global issues. Organized through the UC Irvine chapter of AIChE, our interdisciplinary engineering team designs the chemical process, builds the physical cube, and conducts market analysis to pitch the technology to mock investors. 

Challenge and Solution:

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), global warming continues to accelerate climate change, with the U.S. alone releasing 6,343 million metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2022 . To tackle this, ChemE Cube at UCI is engineering a Direct Air Capture (DAC) and regeneration process to scrub carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere, pairing innovative engineering with a viable commercial business model. 

Key Highlights:

  • 7th Place Nationally (2025): Outperformed 50 universities to qualify as a finalist at the AIChE Annual Student Conference (ASC) in Boston, Massachusetts, earning 7th place out of 23 competitive teams.
  • 2026 Finals Bound: Qualified again for the 2026 ASC in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where the team will physically build, test, and optimize the DAC cube while expanding campus engagement and educational outreach.

Current Work / Recent Updates

2026-27 Theme:

  • Direct Air Capture and Regeneration

Project Status:

  • Building & Testing Phase

We are actively in the testing and build phase for our Direct Air Capture (DAC) modular plant, iterating on our prototype design to maximize carbon capture efficiency before competing at the national AIChE Annual Student Conference.

Sub-Team's Progress:

  • Chemical Team: Building and running a bench-scale model of our DAC chemical process. The team is conducting iterative adsorption and regeneration tests to pinpoint the optimal flow rates, sorbent capacity, and process parameters for maximum CO2 capture.
  • Systems (Electrical & Mechanical) Team: Designing, wiring, and constructing the physical 1-cubic-foot cube enclosure, integrating power monitoring, flow control, and safety cutoffs to meet strict competition specifications.
  • Marketing Team: Developing market outreach content and filming the official 1-minute video commercial ("The Ad"), a key competition submission that pitches our modular technology and value proposition to mock investors at the AIChE conference.

What to look out for:

We will be showcasing and elaborating on our work at the following events:

  • October 14th: ESC Fall Research & Design Fair
  • October 15th: Cross-ESO Symposium

We are excited to see you there!

Team Structure

Our project is divided into three core sub-teams (Chemical, Systems, and Marketing) to collaborate directly to build, refine, and present our DAC modular plant:

Sub-Team Descriptions:

Chemical:

Responsible for designing, developing, and rigorously testing the DAC chemical process.

  • Key Responsibilities: Conduct literature research, assist with bench-scale testing, evaluate sorbent reaction cycles, and analyze patent policy and intellectual property related to our chemical system.

  • Desired Qualifications: Strong research skills, wet lab/fume hood experience (preferred), and active intellectual curiosity.

Systems (Electrical & Mechanical):

Responsible for the physical architecture, structural integrity, hardware integration, and process control systems of the 1-cubic-foot frame.

  • Key Responsibilities: Design and wire all active electrical components (pumps, sensors, microcontrollers), construct the physical enclosure, and integrate competition safety cutoffs.

  • Desired Qualifications: CAD modeling experience (SolidWorks/Fusion 360), basic programming skills (Python, MATLAB, C/C++), and familiarity with Arduino, microcontrollers, PCB design, sensors, or control systems. Knowledge of fluid dynamics and materials science is a plus.

Marketing:

Responsible for market strategy, corporate communications, media production, and investor pitch development.

  • Key Responsibilities: Conduct market viability research and unit economic analyses, build the commercial presentation for the AIChE National Conference, script/film/edit the official 1-minute video advertisement, and manage team social media and documentation.

  • Desired Qualifications: Strong technical writing and public speaking skills, research capabilities, and background in videography, photography, graphic design, or social media management.