The invention of the internal combustion engine changed human history, giving us automobiles, highways, and increased mobility. Unfortunately, the environmental costs of fossil fuels have become difficult to ignore, and a "clean" alternative is needed. With his team at Ballard Power Systems, Bill Logan, 32, an Instrumentation and Test Technologist, is working on fuel cell technology to create a cleaner, more efficient energy source.


Fuel cell technology has many applications, and offers numerous ecological advantages. In a fuel cell, hydrogen and oxygen combine to produce electricity, and the process's only by-product is water. Bill works as a Test Technologist with other members of Ballard's Stationary Stack Engineering Group to develop "Power Plants". Connected cells called "stacks" can provide energy for anything from homes to household appliances, and from hospitals to cars.

High production costs affect fuel cell viability, despite its proven value and effectiveness. As Bill explains, his job is to change this fact. "Making fuel cells practical is the big push right now. The majority of my job is to bring costs down by implementing new, cheaper materials."

Bill tests fuel cells in a lab, using "test stations" to control the operating variables of the hydrogen and oxygen gases that energize the fuel cell. Roughly the size of a large refrigerator, these test stations "control temperature, pressure, flow rate, flow velocity, and the humidity of the gases that go into the stack." The test station can emulate the conditions that a stack works in, or determine which conditions are required to get the best energy results.

Bill collaborates with other team members, reporting test results either formally in a report, or via discussion. He also plays an active role in the redesign phase of the project. Working at Ballard Power Systems suits Bill perfectly. "I really like what I do, I love being out in the lab, I love testing. I get a real thrill out of the new products. There's a bit of an adrenaline high."