Fuel Cells 2000 : Article: Jim Pabis

Careers In the Fuel Cell Industry

by Shannon Baxter

You may be wondering how to begin a career in the fuel cell industry. There are several different paths, depending on what you like to do. As you read the descriptions, remember that there is some crossover of abilities of the different fields. These crossovers depend on the specialization of the education system as well as the specialization within a given profession.

Electrochemical Engineering and Electrochemistry

Electrochemical engineering and electrochemistry are closely related. These are the scientists who most fully understand the inner workings and are improving the individual fuel cells and stacks as a whole. They perform the diagnostics that determine which parts of the fuel cell or stack need improvement and which parts perform well. Electrochemical engineers also model the system to account for changes in heat losses, reactants, products, and power.

Mechanical/Automotive Engineering

Mechanical engineers design fuel cell “systems”. They design the piping and sizing of the system to fit the fuel cell and all its needed components into a certain configuration. Automotive engineers incorporate the fuel cell system into a car, deciding the size of the system and the power requirements for cars, buses, and heavy-duty equipment.

Physicists/Chemist

Physicists and chemists determine the behavior of reactants at the atomic level given their knowledge of molecular structures and different types of bonding. This understanding allows scientists to explain why some catalysts are better than others and to determine which elements or alloys will make the best catalysts.

Polymer Engineering

Polymers are plastics and are the basic building block of paints, rubbers, and synthetic fibers. Polymer engineers design the chain structures of the polymers and attaching distinct chemical compounds that give the polymer special characteristics. For example, the Nafion membrane used in PEMFCs has sulfate ions attached to the chains. These ions promote the passage of protons (H⁺).

Material Science

Material scientists design and develop better catalysts, more conductive membranes, and lighter, stronger, and less corrosive stack components. For example, methanol is a corrosive fuel that dries-out rubber parts in a system (o-rings, hoses, gaskets), causing them to fail. Material scientists fabricate materials that will perform the same functions as the old parts but withstand the effects of methanol.

Ceramic Engineering

Ceramics are usually thought of in terms of tiles and china but they also include glass, graphite (carbon), cement (concrete), and applications of oxides. Ceramic engineers understand the properties of ceramics and can design them with more desirable characteristics for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs).

Fluid Flow Engineering

A fuel cell's reactants (fuel, oxidants) need to evenly access the electrode catalyst. A fluid flow engineer can map the fuel pathway in a fuel cell stack, using predictions of pressure gradients, to make sure that the fluid path is “optimal” – minimizing the waste of fuel.

Controls Engineering

Not only must the flow of fuel be carefully controlled to obtain the best performance, the cell and fuels must be maintained at specific temperatures. Chemical and mechanical engineers determine the flowrate and the temperature settings and specify the type of control system, while electrical/computer engineers design hardware, write software, and program the remote controls of the system.

The fuel cell industry is growing and there are many roles a person can play, depending on your specialization and creativity. One of the great things about being a scientist or engineer is that your skills are versatile and you can easily cross over into another field once you have an understanding of certain basic principles. It's all out there for anyone who is interested—you just have to provide the determination and the perseverance.


	Careers In the Fuel Cell Industry by Shannon Baxter You may be wondering how to begin a career in the fuel cell industry. There are several different paths, depending on what you like to do. As you read the descriptions, remember that there is some crossover of abilities of the different fields. These crossovers depend on the specialization of the education system as well as the specialization within a given profession. Electrochemical Engineering and Electrochemistry Electrochemical engineering and electrochemistry are closely related. These are the scientists who most fully understand the inner workings and are improving the individual fuel cells and stacks as a whole. They perform the diagnostics that determine which parts of the fuel cell or stack need improvement and which parts perform well. Electrochemical engineers also model the system to account for changes in heat losses, reactants, products, and power. Mechanical/Automotive Engineering Mechanical engineers design fuel cell “systems”. They design the piping and sizing of the system to fit the fuel cell and all its needed components into a certain configuration. Automotive engineers incorporate the fuel cell system into a car, deciding the size of the system and the power requirements for cars, buses, and heavy-duty equipment. Physicists/Chemist Physicists and chemists determine the behavior of reactants at the atomic level given their knowledge of molecular structures and different types of bonding. This understanding allows scientists to explain why some catalysts are better than others and to determine which elements or alloys will make the best catalysts. Polymer Engineering Polymers are plastics and are the basic building block of paints, rubbers, and synthetic fibers. Polymer engineers design the chain structures of the polymers and attaching distinct chemical compounds that give the polymer special characteristics. For example, the Nafion membrane used in PEMFCs has sulfate ions attached to the chains. These ions promote the passage of protons (H⁺). Material Science Material scientists design and develop better catalysts, more conductive membranes, and lighter, stronger, and less corrosive stack components. For example, methanol is a corrosive fuel that dries-out rubber parts in a system (o-rings, hoses, gaskets), causing them to fail. Material scientists fabricate materials that will perform the same functions as the old parts but withstand the effects of methanol. Ceramic Engineering Ceramics are usually thought of in terms of tiles and china but they also include glass, graphite (carbon), cement (concrete), and applications of oxides. Ceramic engineers understand the properties of ceramics and can design them with more desirable characteristics for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Fluid Flow Engineering A fuel cell's reactants (fuel, oxidants) need to evenly access the electrode catalyst. A fluid flow engineer can map the fuel pathway in a fuel cell stack, using predictions of pressure gradients, to make sure that the fluid path is “optimal” – minimizing the waste of fuel. Controls Engineering Not only must the flow of fuel be carefully controlled to obtain the best performance, the cell and fuels must be maintained at specific temperatures. Chemical and mechanical engineers determine the flowrate and the temperature settings and specify the type of control system, while electrical/computer engineers design hardware, write software, and program the remote controls of the system. The fuel cell industry is growing and there are many roles a person can play, depending on your specialization and creativity. One of the great things about being a scientist or engineer is that your skills are versatile and you can easily cross over into another field once you have an understanding of certain basic principles. It's all out there for anyone who is interested—you just have to provide the determination and the perseverance.