- Research or develop emerging microelectromechanical (MEMS) systems to convert nontraditional energy sources into power, such as ambient energy harvesters that convert environmental vibrations into usable energy.
Occupations with related tasks Save Table: XLSX CSV
- Characterize component or fuel cell performances by generating operating maps, defining operating conditions, identifying design refinements, or executing durability assessments.
- Manage fuel cell battery hybrid system architecture, including sizing of components, such as fuel cells, energy storage units, or electric drives.
- Design fuel cell systems, subsystems, stacks, assemblies, or components, such as electric traction motors or power electronics.
- Integrate electric drive subsystems with other vehicle systems to optimize performance or mitigate faults.
- Plan or conduct experiments to validate new materials, optimize startup protocols, reduce conditioning time, or examine contaminant tolerance.
- Provide technical consultation or direction related to the development or production of fuel cell systems.
- Plan or implement fuel cell cost reduction or product improvement projects in collaboration with other engineers, suppliers, support personnel, or customers.
- Conduct fuel cell testing projects, using fuel cell test stations, analytical instruments, or electrochemical diagnostics, such as cyclic voltammetry or impedance spectroscopy.
- Analyze fuel cell or related test data, using statistical software.
- Conduct post-service or failure analyses, using electromechanical diagnostic principles or procedures.
- Define specifications for fuel cell materials.
- Recommend or implement changes to fuel cell system designs.
- Validate design of fuel cells, fuel cell components, or fuel cell systems.
- Read current literature, attend meetings or conferences, or talk with colleagues to stay abreast of new technology or competitive products.
- Prepare test stations, instrumentation, or data acquisition systems for use in specific tests of fuel cell components or systems.
- Develop fuel cell materials or fuel cell test equipment.
- Fabricate prototypes of fuel cell components, assemblies, stacks, or systems.
- Design or implement fuel cell testing or development programs.
- Write technical reports or proposals related to engineering projects.
- Simulate or model fuel cell, motor, or other system information, using simulation software programs.
- Identify or define vehicle and system integration challenges for fuel cell vehicles.
- Calculate the efficiency or power output of a fuel cell system or process.
- Coordinate fuel cell engineering or test schedules with departments outside engineering, such as manufacturing.
- Authorize release of fuel cell parts, components, or subsystems for production.
- Evaluate the power output, system cost, or environmental impact of new hydrogen or non-hydrogen fuel cell system designs.
- Develop or evaluate systems or methods of hydrogen storage for fuel cell applications.
- Characterize component or fuel cell performances by generating operating maps, defining operating conditions, identifying design refinements, or executing durability assessments.
- Manage fuel cell battery hybrid system architecture, including sizing of components, such as fuel cells, energy storage units, or electric drives.
- Design fuel cell systems, subsystems, stacks, assemblies, or components, such as electric traction motors or power electronics.
- Integrate electric drive subsystems with other vehicle systems to optimize performance or mitigate faults.
- Design or coordinate design of photovoltaic (PV) or solar thermal systems, including system components, for residential and commercial buildings.
- Design or develop vacuum tube collector systems for solar applications.
- Conduct engineering site audits to collect structural, electrical, and related site information for use in the design of residential or commercial solar power systems.
- Create plans for solar energy system development, monitoring, and evaluation activities.
- Provide technical direction or support to installation teams during installation, start-up, testing, system commissioning, or performance monitoring.
- Create electrical single-line diagrams, panel schedules, or connection diagrams for solar electric systems, using computer-aided design (CAD) software.
- Perform computer simulation of solar photovoltaic (PV) generation system performance or energy production to optimize efficiency.
- Review specifications and recommend engineering or manufacturing changes to achieve solar design objectives.
- Develop design specifications and functional requirements for residential, commercial, or industrial solar energy systems or components.
- Develop standard operation procedures and quality or safety standards for solar installation work.
- Create checklists for review or inspection of completed solar installation projects.
- Perform thermal, stress, or cost reduction analyses for solar systems.
- Test or evaluate photovoltaic (PV) cells or modules.
- Design or coordinate design of photovoltaic (PV) or solar thermal systems, including system components, for residential and commercial buildings.
- Design or develop vacuum tube collector systems for solar applications.
- Develop systems that produce electricity with renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, or biofuels.
- Integrate electrical systems with renewable energy systems to improve overall efficiency.
- Design electrical systems or components that minimize electric energy requirements, such as lighting systems designed to account for natural lighting.
- Design, implement, maintain, or improve electrical instruments, equipment, facilities, components, products, or systems for commercial, industrial, or domestic purposes.
- Oversee project production efforts to assure projects are completed on time and within budget.
- Direct or coordinate manufacturing, construction, installation, maintenance, support, documentation, or testing activities to ensure compliance with specifications, codes, or customer requirements.
- Perform detailed calculations to compute and establish manufacturing, construction, or installation standards or specifications.
- Operate computer-assisted engineering or design software or equipment to perform engineering tasks.
- Confer with engineers, customers, or others to discuss existing or potential engineering projects or products.
- Investigate or test vendors' or competitors' products.
- Inspect completed installations and observe operations to ensure conformance to design and equipment specifications and compliance with operational, safety, or environmental standards.
- Investigate customer or public complaints to determine the nature and extent of problems.
- Prepare technical drawings, specifications of electrical systems, or topographical maps to ensure that installation and operations conform to standards and customer requirements.
- Compile data and write reports regarding existing or potential electrical engineering studies or projects.
- Prepare specifications for purchases of materials or equipment.
- Estimate labor, material, or construction costs for budget preparation purposes.
- Plan or implement research methodology or procedures to apply principles of electrical theory to engineering projects.
- Supervise or train project team members, as necessary.
- Assist in developing capital project programs for new equipment or major repairs.
- Develop software to control electrical systems.
- Plan layout of electric power generating plants or distribution lines or stations.
- Conduct field surveys or study maps, graphs, diagrams, or other data to identify and correct power system problems.
- Collect data relating to commercial or residential development, population, or power system interconnection to determine operating efficiency of electrical systems.
- Develop systems that produce electricity with renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, or biofuels.
- Integrate electrical systems with renewable energy systems to improve overall efficiency.
- Design electrical systems or components that minimize electric energy requirements, such as lighting systems designed to account for natural lighting.
- Apply nanotechnology to improve the performance or reduce the environmental impact of energy products, such as fuel cells or solar cells.
- Provide scientific or technical guidance or expertise to scientists, engineers, technologists, technicians, or others, using knowledge of chemical, analytical, or biological processes as applied to micro and nanoscale systems.
- Supervise technologists or technicians engaged in nanotechnology research or production.
- Conduct research related to a range of nanotechnology topics, such as packaging, heat transfer, fluorescence detection, nanoparticle dispersion, hybrid systems, liquid systems, nanocomposites, nanofabrication, optoelectronics, or nanolithography.
- Synthesize, process, or characterize nanomaterials, using advanced tools or techniques.
- Prepare reports, deliver presentations, or participate in program review activities to communicate engineering results or recommendations.
- Design or conduct tests of new nanotechnology products, processes, or systems.
- Create designs or prototypes for nanosystem applications, such as biomedical delivery systems or atomic force microscopes.
- Write proposals to secure external funding or to partner with other companies.
- Generate high-resolution images or measure force-distance curves, using techniques such as atomic force microscopy.
- Develop processes or identify equipment needed for pilot or commercial nanoscale scale production.
- Provide technical guidance or support to customers on topics such as nanosystem start-up, maintenance, or use.
- Engineer production processes for specific nanotechnology applications, such as electroplating, nanofabrication, or epoxy.
- Identify new applications for existing nanotechnologies.
- Design or engineer nanomaterials, nanodevices, nano-enabled products, or nanosystems, using three-dimensional computer-aided design (CAD) software.
- Design nano-enabled products with reduced toxicity, increased durability, or improved energy efficiency.
- Coordinate or supervise the work of suppliers or vendors in the designing, building, or testing of nanosystem devices, such as lenses or probes.
- Design nano-based manufacturing processes to minimize water, chemical, or energy use, as well as to reduce waste production.
- Design nanosystems with components such as nanocatalysts or nanofiltration devices to clean specific pollutants from hazardous waste sites.
- Prepare nanotechnology-related invention disclosures or patent applications.
- Reengineer nanomaterials to improve biodegradability.
- Integrate nanotechnology with antimicrobial properties into products, such as household or medical appliances, to reduce the development of bacteria or other microbes.
- Develop catalysis or other green chemistry methods to synthesize nanomaterials, such as nanotubes, nanocrystals, nanorods, or nanowires.
- Design nanoparticle catalysts to detect or remove chemical or other pollutants from water, soil, or air.
- Develop green building nanocoatings, such as self-cleaning, anti-stain, depolluting, anti-fogging, anti-icing, antimicrobial, moisture-resistant, or ultraviolet protectant coatings.
- Apply nanotechnology to improve the performance or reduce the environmental impact of energy products, such as fuel cells or solar cells.
- Develop solar power sources for lasers used in fiber optics.
- Maintain clean working environments, according to clean room standards.
- Compute or record photonic test data.
- Adjust or maintain equipment, such as lasers, laser systems, microscopes, oscilloscopes, pulse generators, power meters, beam analyzers, or energy measurement devices.
- Set up or operate assembly or processing equipment, such as lasers, cameras, die bonders, wire bonders, dispensers, reflow ovens, soldering irons, die shears, wire pull testers, temperature or humidity chambers, or optical spectrum analyzers.
- Document procedures, such as calibration of optical or fiber optic equipment.
- Perform diagnostic analyses of processing steps, using analytical or metrological tools, such as microscopy, profilometry, or ellipsometry devices.
- Assist engineers in the development of new products, fixtures, tools, or processes.
- Mix, pour, or use processing chemicals or gases according to safety standards or established operating procedures.
- Assist scientists or engineers in the conduct of photonic experiments.
- Assemble fiber optical, optoelectronic, or free-space optics components, subcomponents, assemblies, or subassemblies.
- Set up or operate prototype or test apparatus, such as control consoles, collimators, recording equipment, or cables.
- Test or perform failure analysis for optomechanical or optoelectrical products, according to test plans.
- Assemble or adjust parts or related electrical units of prototypes to prepare for testing.
- Recommend optical or optic equipment design or material changes to reduce costs or processing times.
- Monitor inventory levels and order supplies as necessary.
- Repair or calibrate products, such as surgical lasers.
- Monitor mechanical factors, such as turbine load or strain information.
- Terminate, cure, polish, or test fiber cables with mechanical connectors.
- Design, build, or modify fixtures used to assemble parts.
- Splice fibers, using fusion splicing or other techniques.
- Optimize photonic process parameters by making prototype or production devices.
- Build prototype optomechanical devices for use in equipment such as aerial cameras, gun sights, or telescopes.
- Assemble components of energy-efficient optical communications systems involving photonic switches, optical backplanes, or optoelectronic interfaces.
- Lay out cutting lines for machining, using drafting tools.
- Fabricate devices, such as optoelectronic or semiconductor devices.
- Build photonics tools to be applied to electrical grids to detect hot spots, such as failing insulators or conductors.
- Assemble devices or equipment to be used in green technology applications, including solar energy, high efficiency solid state lighting, energy management, smart buildings, or green processes.
- Fabricate sensors to be used to control wind turbines.
- Perform laser seam welding, heat treatment, or hard facing operations.
- Develop solar power sources for lasers used in fiber optics.
