Nimbus Power Systems
Fuel-cell design and fabrication, with earlier internship work building test equipment and improving laboratory capabilities.

Nimbus Power Systems · Current work · May 2023–Present
Design
I designed an optimized a 4 fluid hydrogen fuel cell balancing electrical resistance, pressure drop, fluid distribution, manufacturability, and cost under a tight schedule.
Through the use of the Solidworks flow simulation I rapidly iterated flow channels in order to increase flow uniformity. In this example which is fuel the difference between highest channel utilization and lowest channel utilization went from over 20% to below 2% this allows you to push the fuel cell much harder without damaging its proton exchange membrane.
Manufacturing
I designed and fabricated this custom vacuum chuck and dust collection system which allowed us to fabricate porous graphite parts without the use of cutting fluid (contaminant). Custom tool paths reduced machining time from 45 minutes per plate to 7.5 minutes per plate. Automatic swapping of dull tools and multi part fixturing reduced down time and human time per part.
Scaling
I coordinated with multiple domestic and international suppliers to ensure parts made to spec with numerous challenging supply chain and manufacturing issues. Our shop went from making one to two 3 cell stacks per month to making a 240 cell stack every month.
Testing
I helped design and assemble the testing apparatus for the engine keeping in mind safety for pressurized flammable gasses and 1000 VDC. Many modifications were made, components communicate mostly over CAN, Wiring is mostly Deutsch connectors, plumbing is mostly Swagelok. The image to the right shows the engine scale fuel cell on top of the test cart.

Nimbus Power Systems · Engineering Internship · May–August 2022
Skills Developed
LabView
I programmed external heaters and an oxygen sensor, filtered noisy measurements, and added a safety-mode interlock to the LabVIEW test software.
Wiring and Plumbing
I wired power distribution, relays, CAN connections, and instrumentation, and plumbed test equipment using several connector and fitting types.
Documentation
I created bills of materials, wiring diagrams, instructions, and checklists, including documentation for previously undocumented equipment.
Projects
New 20 Cell Cart
Power Distribution Unit
8020 Frame
Hydrogen Safety System
Load Bank Cart
I designed, sourced, built, wired, and tested a cooling loop for a 12 kW load bank, including its radiator, shroud, fans, and pump.
Safety Tag System
I introduced visible orange flags for components and temporary jumpers that needed to be removed before particular test operations.
5 Cell Test Cart Improvements
Oxygen Sensor
Hydrogen Sensor
Heater
Feet
Insulating Jacket
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