Job Details
Sector(s)
Component Manufacturing and Research & Development; Project Development
Median Pay
$93,370 per year
$44.89 per hour
Job Type
Entry to Mid-Level
Typical Entry-Level
Education and Work
Experience
Requirements
Bachelor's degree; little to no experience required
Alternate Titles
Fluid dynamist and hydrodynamicist.
Brief Job Description
Hydrodynamic engineers design and maintain fluid-based mechanical systems. They find ways to design systems to improve the energy efficiency and structural integrity of devices in complicated air, water, or other fluid flow environments.
Education and Training Level Description
Hydrodynamic engineers must have a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Employers often require coursework, such as fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, turbomachinery, or computational fluid dynamics, as well as experience with computer-aided design (CAD) software. Employers also value experience, so prior experience as an electrician or participation in internships or university cooperative education programs focused on fluids are a plus. To be hired into a formal engineering role, hydrodynamic engineers generally need to acquire a Fundamentals of Engineering license by passing the Fundamentals of Engineering exam.
With a Fundamentals of Engineering license and 4 or more years of work experience, hydrodynamic engineers can take a test to acquire a Professional Engineer license. Hydrodynamic engineers with a Professional Engineer license can be a technical specialist within the hydrodynamic engineering discipline, oversee other engineers, and develop designs and specifications. An advanced degree, additional work experience, and a Professional Engineer license can lead to more job opportunities in the research and development sector, training and education fields, and managerial roles, as well as increased opportunity for career advancement.
Job Profile
Because the marine energy industry is still in the early stages of research and development, much of a hydrodynamic engineer's work involves modeling and analysis to understand how different designs can better withstand and harness the energy of different ocean environments. Ocean and near-shore environments often have complex tides, currents, waves, and ocean floors that make marine energy engineering challenging.
The modeling and analysis hydrodynamic engineers perform helps improve the design and structure of marine energy technologies to make them more adaptable to a wide range of frequently changing conditions. Specifically, hydrodynamic engineers develop analytical and computational fluid dynamics models to analyze fluid machinery designs, including energy production and structural integrity across different designs and environments. They use the results of this analysis to suggest ways to optimize the design and document the performance of marine energy arrays.
Hydrodynamic engineers typically:
- Design and improve technologies that function in and withstand ocean environments using CAD software
- Develop analytical and computational fluid dynamics models to analyze marine energy designs and recommend ways to optimize the design and predict performance
- Use modeling design tools, such as MATLAB/Simulink/Simscape, Advanced Design Technology, and Dyrobes, to analyze and optimize energy conversion system designs
- Conduct wave resource characterization studies and develop system designs that are compatible with the local bathymetry and resource conditions
- Develop validation test plans and work closely with the testing team to confirm and validate model predictions. Use commercial and open-source software to process test data and draw physics-based insights and inputs for models
- Conduct structural analysis using commercial tools, such as SolidWorks and ANSYS Mechanical.
Job Skills
Hydrodynamic engineers typically need:
- Communication skills. Hydrodynamic engineers must give clear instructions and explain complex concepts when developing complex marine energy conversion systems.
- Math skills. Use the principles of calculus, trigonometry, advanced physics, and other advanced topics in math for analysis, design, and troubleshooting in their work.
- Analytical skills. Hydrodynamic engineers would need to conduct structural analysis using software, like SolidWorks and ANSYS.
More Information, Job Opportunities, etc.
For more information on hydrodynamic engineer jobs, see:
- STEMWorks: Hydrodynamic Engineer Example
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook: Marine Engineers and Naval Architects.