Senior Reaction Controls Engineer

About Mainspring Mainspring Energy manufactures and delivers fuel-flexible, low-emissions local power solutions that rapidly add new capacity and deliver reliable, affordable, and sustainable electric power. The company began commercial shipments of its Mainspring Linear Generators in 2020 and today has hundreds of megawatts in advanced development and field operations for leading Fortune 500 companies, data centers, and utilities. Mainspring also partners with global energy leaders including AEP, NextEra Energy Resources, Schneider Electric, and more. The core values that ground our work, guide our decisions, and connect us together: Pragmatic Optimism Excellence without Ego Proactive Collaboration Job Overview

Do you love thermodynamics and dynamic system control? Have you thought about thermodynamic cycles as both continuous and discrete dynamic systems? As other industries convert their thermodynamic machines to electromagnetic machines and electrify their platforms, would you like to help generate that clean electricity?

Linear generators are a new platform that take advantage of mechanically unconstrained piston motion to cleanly and efficiently oxidize a variety of environmentally friendly fuels with disparate properties (like biogas, hydrogen, and ammonia). The linear generator reaction is close to an ideal Otto cycle, so knowledge and intuition of engine control, thermodynamics, and reaction kinetics are applicable here.

Mainspring has a high-impact opportunity for a Senior Controls Engineer on our reaction control team to help optimize the system performance by incorporating physics-based models with modern control algorithms to improve reliability, prolong service intervals, and increase power and efficiency.

Responsibilities

Implement models, algorithms, and continuous-integration (MIL, SIL, PIL) tests in C++

Develop novel fuel, air, compression ratio, and cooling automation and control strategies to improve performance, reliability, and expand the capabilities of the generator to address customer needs

Design, execute, and analyze experiments using Python on virtual or real generators to realize the impact of your work on real generators

Collaborate with other controls engineers on designs and architectures

Debug sensors, actuators, and subsystems for noise and disturbances and assist in calibration, verification, and validation. Communicate algorithms with block-diagrams, pseudo-code, code, etc.

Analyze complex thermodynamic-mechatronic systems with experimental data and create representative plant models

Support reliability and manufacturing testing of systems under control

Analyze data to assess performance capabilities and inform requirements and design decisions

Support fleet generator operation to enhance reliability and performance

Qualifications

Driven and self-directed enthusiastic contributor

Excellent communicator with demonstrated collaboration across multidisciplinary teams

Multiple years of experience designing, implementing, and testing algorithms in thermodynamic machines - experience with engines is a plus

BS + 5 years relevant experience, MS + 3 years, or Ph.D. in mechanical engineering or related degree

Does your experience not meet all of our posted requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to positions unless they meet every listed requirement. At Mainspring, we are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, flexible, and collaborative environment, so if you want to help us transition the world to clean and affordable electricity, and don’t meet all posted requirements for a particular role, we’d still love to hear from you. Mainspring can sometimes be flexible enough to shift responsibilities for the right person, or otherwise identify open or upcoming roles that may better fit your professional background. In more traditional words, Mainspring Energy, Inc is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. This compensation and benefits information is based on Mainspring Energy's estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future. We generally do not negotiate on salary once we have made an offer. The level of pay within the range will depend on a variety of job-related factors that may include location, relevant prior experience and/or education, or particular skills and expertise. New hires joining the company tend to be paid within the starting base pay range noted above, with opportunities to increase pay over time based on development of additional skills, competencies, and company-specific knowledge.