Possible degrees for fuel cell implementation
Possible degrees for fuel cell implementation
(OP)
Hello. I have posted a couple of questions before regarding some potential engineering career options and I have one final question for you guys. I have started looking at fuel cells and alternative energy sources and I was wondering what are the engineering specialties that are most in contact with this kind of work. I was thinking about being an electrical engineer and finding ways to harness the fuel cell power to get our mass transit and cars running more efficiently. Any thoughts on which areas of engineering are most geared toward this effort? Any help is appreciated.





RE: Possible degrees for fuel cell implementation
Do what you want, but personally I wouldn't bet on fuelcells as a long-term career option. Until we've derived all our stationary power needs from renewable resources, hydrogen as a fuel source for transportation won't be sensible. It makes no energetic sense to generate hydrogen from a fossil fuel source merely because you can use it in a fuelcell- there's just not enough efficiency gain in the fuelcell to compensate for all the energy losses in the process of making, distributing and storing the hydrogen.
Fuelcells are a useful but massively OVER-HYPED technology. Right now the "industry" makes no profit and is entirely fueled by government subsidy and stock market speculation, with some car company money thrown in as a distraction. Far easier to tout the dollars spent on this research and "development" than to spend the money convincing customers to actually pay more for less powerful, lighter and smaller but more fuel-efficient IC hybrid vehicles- much less to tax fuel consumption and spend the money on better public transit so that more cars can be parked.
Fuelcells will be a future industry for sure, but not the size of the present internal combustion engine industry. Don't bet your future locking yourself up as a specialist in this area.
RE: Possible degrees for fuel cell implementation
RE: Possible degrees for fuel cell implementation