Fuel Cell Engineer Career

Fuel Cell Engineer Career

The Real Poop

Maybe you've heard the words "fuel cell" or "green energy" tossed around lately, but you're not entirely sure what they mean. Is it the lightning bolts that come out of the Emperor's hands at the end of Return of the Jedi—no, wait, those were blue. Green (or alternative, or renewable, or sustainable) energy is that which is derived from non-combustion methods. 

Wind and solar power are the two types you've heard the most about, but hydrogen fuel cells are another big part of the so-called "Green Revolution" (source). From vehicles and transportation to residential and office use, fuel cells are being employed in a growing variety of ways. It's the responsibility of the fuel cell engineer to develop, improve, and repair these technologies—sometimes all in the same day.

 
Your Friday nights for the foreseeable future. (Source)

To excel at this career, you've got to have a great mind for science and mathematics, the ability to sort through mountains of data to find meaning, and you'll have to be able to communicate your thoughts and ideas clearly. There will also be a fair amount of independence, so occasionally you'll have to be able to work without guidance or support. 

You've got to be willing to go the extra mile. You'll likely be logging in extra hours when you're on deadline and will have to put up with the eight to ten years it takes to get through all the secondary and post-secondary education you'll need.

The rewarding part comes in the form of your paycheck. On average, a fuel cell engineer pulls in about $79,280, and even more once they move into managerial and team-lead positions (source).

This is on top of any awards, recognition, or neat scholarships you might receive for your important (and very complicated) work. If you keep a steady career and continue to push the boundaries of this technology, you'll eventually see a $100,000+ payday. Not a bad chunk of change to be a person helping to turn science fiction into science fact.

 
Or as your dad calls him, "my hero." (Source)

A fuel cell engineer (or technician) is a member of a small subset of the much larger mechanical engineering field, specializing mostly in the development, construction, and testing of hydrogen-based fuel cells. While FC engineers have a singular focus, mechanical engineering itself is a wide and diverse occupation. 

The field is home to other tinkering professionals like electric vehicle engineers, civic engineers, and that one guy who invented the recliner.

While much of what they do is performed solo (or as part of a small group), fuel cell engineers will work with other kinds of engineers as a team on various projects; this kind of coordination allows for the smooth integration of design ideas. After all, a sweet-looking, barely street-legal, alternative fuel thrill ride is still just a box of metal and paint if it doesn't have a way to power up.

Fuel cells have been around a lot longer than you might think; the first was created way back in 1839 (source). Since then, society has done as much as possible to run away from this alternate fuel source towards polluting fuels like gas, oil, and coal. There is a tale (possibly one of those tall ones) that Nikola Tesla, one of the greatest unsung inventors in modern history, built a car that ran completely on electricity back in 1931...it just never caught on. 

People have been driving combustion-engine powered (Henry) Fords for a century. It would be another eighty years before someone actually drove an electric Tesla. Now, the Great Alternative Fuel Revolution That Wasn't is picking up steam. Reliance on dirty energy has finally begun to fall and new sources are being explored as alternatives (hence the name).

Thanks to the work of fuel cell technicians, the future is bright, both literally and figuratively. The technology is moving and improving at a rapid pace; while much of the thought behind fuel cells has been "wouldn't this be nice," now it's more like "hey, let's actually build the thing." Read on and see if you have what it takes to be one of those people.