About the position
ESS is seeking a motivated and versatile Iron Flow Stack Design Engineer to join our team. Our current program scope involves the design, development and evaluation of a new generation power module, and electrolyte management system, to characterize and improve electrolyte chemistry. The position requires a proven track record in leading stack design for high volume manufacturing and meeting the industry standards for performance, durability, and cost. The engineer will be responsible for designing, testing, and validating iron flow battery stacks, focusing on stack materials, performance, durability, and cost optimization. Additionally, the role involves collaboration with various teams to ensure manufacturability and performance optimization of the stacks.
Responsibilities
- Design, test, and validate iron flow battery stacks focusing on stack materials, performance, durability and cost optimization.
- Work with the System Integration Team on optimizing the electrical and mechanical architecture.
- Responsible for component design: FEA of mechanical stress and deformation, fluid flow, load distribution, tolerancing, and design for manufacturability.
- Develop functional requirements for stack components and materials.
- Order and inspect components for compliance with specifications.
- Design compression systems for iron flow battery stacks.
- Collaborate with manufacturing team to design for manufacturability and volume production considerations, develop inspection criteria, and evaluate component suppliers.
- Perform engineering calculations to support design concepts, including stress analysis for mechanical robustness, CFD for uniform flow and pressure distribution, and heat transfer.
- Lead GD&T and stack-up tolerancing calculations and optimizations.
- Perform FMEA, and Functional Safety processes.
- Lead activities to optimize stack performance and durability, while lowering costs for components and assembly.
- Develop robust manufacturing processes for stack assembly using DFMA - design for manufacturing and assembly.
- Understand, investigate, and address electrical efficiency losses in the stack.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to validate new materials, optimize startup protocols, and reduce conditioning time.
- Conduct experiments using fuel cell test stations and analytical instruments.
Requirements
- Master's degree in chemical, mechanical, electrical, or materials science engineering (or related discipline).
- Expertise in stack design - flow batteries, fuel cells or electrolyzers.
- Expertise with CFD, electrical, mechanical simulations software.
- Experience with flow battery technology, especially iron-based systems.
- Knowledge of electrochemical diagnostics (e.g., cyclic voltammetry, impedance spectroscopy).
- Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
- Knowledge of redox flow batteries and their operation.
- Knowledge of iron-based electrolytes for flow batteries.
- Expertise with designing stacks and stack components for batteries, fuel cells or electrolyzers.
- Expertise in mechanical, electrical, and thermal simulations.
- Expertise in a variety of materials, including thermosetting and thermoplastics materials.
- Expertise with manufacturing processes including molding, machining, forming, and joining methods.
- 5 plus years of experience designing and analyzing precision components for complex assemblies.
- Design of pressure containment devices, sealing systems, and precision components.
- Capable of working well in a multi-disciplinary team environment with a high degree of collaboration.
Benefits
- Company assisted Health insurance
- Approved PPE Reimbursement
- Medical & Dental
- Flex spending account
- 8 paid holidays
- 401K
- Competitive PTO accrual
