Design Competition
Competition Overview
"Present your optimized air quality improvement system with performance data, cost analysis, and a compelling case for real-world deployment."
Competition Categories
Best Overall Performance
Highest weighted score across all criteria. The design that best meets the original design brief.
Best Cost-Effectiveness
Lowest cost per CFM of CADR delivered. Maximizes air cleaning impact per dollar spent.
Most Innovative Design
Creative approach to solving the problem. Novel features or applications of technology.
Best Documentation
Most thorough and reproducible documentation. Could be built by others from the documentation alone.
Scoring Rubric
| Criterion | Weight | Metrics |
|---|---|---|
| CADR Performance | 25% | Measured CADR (CFM) |
| Cost Effectiveness | 20% | Total cost / CADR ($/CFM) |
| Energy Efficiency | 15% | Power consumption / CADR (W/CFM) |
| Noise Level | 10% | dBA at 1m on high speed |
| Build Quality | 10% | Durability, safety, appearance |
| Documentation | 10% | Completeness, reproducibility |
| Presentation | 10% | Clarity, professionalism, Q&A |
Required Deliverables
1. Physical Prototype
- Functional air cleaner ready for demonstration
- Safe for operation in classroom
- Clearly labeled with team name
2. Technical Report (5-8 pages)
- Design brief and specifications
- Bill of materials with costs
- Construction documentation with photos
- Testing methodology and results
- Performance analysis and comparison to specifications
- Design iterations and lessons learned
3. Presentation (10 minutes + 5 min Q&A)
- Problem statement and design approach
- Live demonstration of prototype
- Performance data visualization
- Cost-effectiveness analysis
- Real-world deployment scenario
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
Total Cost of Ownership (5 years)
TCO = Initial Cost + (Annual Filter Cost x 5) + (Annual Energy Cost x 5)
| Cost Component | Calculation |
|---|---|
| Initial cost | Bill of materials total |
| Annual filter cost | Filter price x replacements per year |
| Annual energy cost | Watts x hours/day x 365 x $/kWh / 1000 |
Key metric: 5-year TCO per CFM of CADR allows direct comparison between designs.
Presentation Guidelines
Structure (10 minutes)
- Introduction (1 min): Team, problem, approach
- Design (2 min): Key features, why they matter
- Demo (2 min): Show it working, highlight performance
- Data (3 min): Test results, comparison to specifications
- Cost analysis (1 min): Cost-effectiveness comparison
- Conclusion (1 min): Deployment scenario, impact
Tips for Success
- Lead with your strongest performance metric
- Use visuals - graphs are more compelling than tables
- Anticipate questions and prepare answers
- Be honest about limitations and tradeoffs
- Practice the demo to avoid technical difficulties
Judging Criteria Detail
Technical Excellence
- Meets or exceeds design specifications
- Sound engineering decisions
- Proper testing methodology
- Accurate data analysis
Practical Value
- Realistic for actual deployment
- Affordable for target setting
- Easy to build and maintain
- Safe for intended users
Unit Summary
This engineering design unit has taken you through the complete cycle from problem definition to functional prototype. You have learned to translate qualitative goals into quantifiable specifications, evaluate competing technologies, build and test prototypes, and iterate based on data. The competition showcases not just the final product but the engineering process itself. These skills - systematic problem solving, evidence-based decision making, and clear communication of technical work - transfer to any engineering domain.