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ETHICAL DILEMMAS OF HYDROGEN FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGY
Wesley Keck ([email protected])
eliminate the expulsion of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas,
into the earth’s atmosphere. The implications are incredible,
as global temperatures would return to normal ranges and the
amount of carbon dioxide in the air would decrease.
With this being said, HFCVs sound almost too good to be
true. In a way, this is true. In order to procure the hydrogen
for the vehicles in today’s industry, fossil fuels must be
burned. In other words, some hydrogen can be produced
through sustainable methods like hydroelectricity, but for the
most part we rely on burning coal and other non-renewable
fuels to make usable hydrogen. While this process produces
significantly less carbon dioxide, it still produces some.
Hydrogen fuel, like gasoline, is extremely flammable. In
order to maintain large ranges of up to three hundred miles
without having excessively large fuel tanks, hydrogen must
be compressed and stored under very high pressure [2]. The
problems with these high pressure tanks are that they are fairly
large, heavy, and expensive to manufacture. Were a small
crack to form in the fuel tank, a leak of hydrogen gas could
ignite and be potentially devastating to the surrounding
people, vehicles, and buildings.
Engineers are bound by the codes of ethics to investigate
and resolve these issues before releasing any form of HFCV
to the public. Engineers must determine an efficient and cost
effective way to produce hydrogen fuel tanks that can resist
the impact of potential automobile accidents and increasing
internal pressure while also being lightweight and compact.
These issues are investigated in detail in the following ethical
dilemma.
INTRODUCTION
As agents of change responsible for the future, engineers
must constantly weigh the benefits of a technology with its
potential shortcomings. Potential flaws could ultimately
impact consumers negatively and the fallout could end up
costing more than a preventative recall would. Engineers
struggle with questions like these every day. In order to
adequately assess situations involving ethical dilemmas,
engineers are required to consult and follow specific codes of
ethics pertaining to their specific fields of engineering. With
these ethical codes in place, engineers’ actions are kept in
check, and consumers receive products or services of the
highest, safest quality.
Engineers are held to high standards when creating new
technology and innovations in order to “hold paramount the
safety, health, and welfare of the public” [1]. Engineers must
constantly keep in mind the lives of the potential millions of
people that will be using their technology. One mistake due
to a lapse in ethical judgment could have devastating
implications on the population and on the engineering firm.
Credibility could be lost, not to mention countless lives. So
ethics are put in place to refine, rather than limit, what an
engineer can do. By refining engineers’ actions, these codes
promote a higher level of critical thinking and reasoning that
results in the promotion of welfare and health of society.
Within the field of alternative energy exist a few potential
ethical dilemmas. We are reaching the point in time in society
where alternative fuels are no longer simply a side project of
engineers. The world is at a tipping point when it comes to
obtaining energy, and fossil fuels are being consumed at ever
increasing rates. With this issue comes the need for a new fuel
source to replace fossil fuels when they finally run out.
Engineers are on the right track towards non-fossil-fuel
alternatives, but with every new innovation come glitches that
must be worked out. It is up to engineers to follow the codes
of ethics to determine the proper way to deal with said
dilemmas and discover a new, efficient, environmentally
friendly method of producing energy.
ETHICAL DILEMMA
I am a mechanical engineer at Honda working on a new
prototype hydrogen fuel cell vehicle with my team. It is
expected to be unveiled to the public in the next month. We
are having issues designing a fuel tank that can withstand the
pressure of the compressed hydrogen within. The tanks we
have already successfully designed are either too heavy to
allow for an acceptable driving range or too large to fit within
a compact body design. Last week my boss told us that the
vehicle was to be ready by the end of the month. The issue
lies not within the design of the body of the vehicle, but with
the structural stability and integrity of the fuel tank. The only
tanks we have fabricated to my boss’s specifications have not
stood up to the pressure of the hydrogen gas within or to the
impact tests of simulated accidents. This presents us with
several ethical problems. Firstly, we have a strict deadline by
which to have the HFCV ready. Secondly, if we put the
current design out for consumers, we risk deadly accidents
pertaining to crashes and impacts. If the fuel tank is punctured
or perforated, the hydrogen could potentially ignite, causing
HYDROGEN FUEL CELL INNOVATION
This is where the recent innovation in hydrogen fuel cells
comes into play. Ideally with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles
(HFCVs), no fossil fuels are required to produce clean electric
energy. Hydrogen fuel is used by the HFCVs and converted
to electricity that the vehicle uses to operate the electric
motor. The only byproducts of the chemical reaction are water
and heat. By limiting exhaust down to only these products, we
University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering
2015-11-03
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Wesley Keck
an explosion of a significant radius. What is the ethically
responsible thing to do? My team of engineers and I can
consult the Code of Ethics for Engineers of the National
Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) as well as the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). There
are two roads we can choose to go by when approaching this
ethical dilemma: the ethically responsible way, or the
ethically irresponsible way.
cracks and leaking hydrogen into garages, I would be directly
risking the lives of a countless number of people. Both the
ASME code of ethics as well as the NSPE code of ethics
include the canon, “Engineers shall hold paramount the
safety, health, and welfare of the public” [1,3]. With this in
mind, I would certainly be violating this canon in both codes
of ethics, as well as the canon, “Engineers shall issue public
statements only in an objective and truthful manner” [1]. By
releasing a vehicle under false claims of quality and security,
I would be deceiving the public, while simultaneously
decreasing the competence of the engineering profession [3].
From this ethically irresponsible approach, we can see that
by breaking the first canon of the NSPE and ASME codes of
ethics, several other canons are broken as well. For example,
by reporting untruthful information to the public, I am, in turn,
engaging in deceptive acts, not conducting myself honorably,
and certainly not holding paramount the health and welfare of
the public [1]. In his article on ethics, engineer Leland
Teschler states that in the U.S. organization the Order of the
Engineer, “when someone joins the organization, they agree
to be bound to a code of ethics that, in part, says they will
‘participate in none but honest enterprises’ and ‘pledge to
practice integrity and fair dealing, tolerance, and respect’” [7].
If we were to export such a faulty product to the public simply
for the sake of preserving our employment, we would
certainly not be engaging in honest enterprises. Clearly, this
is not the correct way to go about such a serious problem, as
it would violate most, if not all, of the canons in the NSPE
and ASME codes of ethics.
The Ethically Irresponsible Approach
In order to meet the deadline for the unveiling of the new
Honda HFCV, we can choose to rush the production and
design process and fabricate a hydrogen fuel tank that
inadequately meets the required specifications of storing
hydrogen fuel. This tank would just barely be able to hold the
hydrogen fuel, and any serious collision or impact could cause
the tank to rupture. By approaching the problem from this
angle, we would be fulfilling our boss’s wishes and, for the
moment, saving our jobs. According to the Code of Ethics of
the ASME, engineers should be “striving to increase the
competence and prestige of the engineering profession” [3]
This temporary solution to the ethical dilemma would not be
upholding the ASME code of ethics. By exporting a faulty
product, we would, if anything, be decreasing the competence
and prestige of engineering. Taking shortcuts to release a
product in a timely fashion upholds neither the integrity nor
honor and dignity of the engineering profession [3].
Additionally, in the long term, this decision would negatively
impact our company. A case of an HFCV exploding or
leaking harmful gas into the air would come back and eat
away at the credibility of Honda and the engineers who
represent it. A recall would have to be initiated and the loss of
money and integrity would be catastrophic. In a case detailing
air bags in the late 1980s and early 1990s, engineers were able
to apply ethical codes to assess the faults in the then-current
air bags and fabricate new, safe air bags, thus largely reducing
the number of air bag fatalities by the year 2000 [4]. Had those
engineers remained like the ones who designed the original
air bags, countless more lives surely would have been lost. It
is in this way that this approach to the hydrogen fuel tank
dilemma is unethical and irresponsible. This is exemplified in
a quote by James Dempsey, a teaching fellow at the InterDisciplinary Ethics Applied Centre at the University of Leeds,
“How far would you go to do the deals you need to do?” [5].
This really begs the question of my team of engineers and me,
would we be willing to risk the lives of countless others
simply to meet a deadline and keep our jobs? If we chose to
go this path, we would not be holding the welfare of the public
over all else [1].
In an article on the safety issues of hydrogen in vehicles,
author Frano Barbir states that, “The greatest potential risk to
the public appears to be a slow leak in an enclosed home
garage, where an accumulation of hydrogen could lead to fire
or explosion…” [6]. If I were to release an HFCV to the public
with a structurally unsound fuel tank, capable of developing
The Ethically Responsible Approach
According to the Code of Ethics of the ASME, engineers
shall enforce the integrity of the profession of engineering by
“using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement of
human welfare” [3]. In the previous solution to the scenario,
several canons of the NSPE and ASME codes of ethics were
broken, potentially resulting in catastrophic loss of life, as
well as the credibility of Honda and its engineers. As such, a
new, ethically responsible approach would be favorable. As I
see it, there are only two ethically responsible approaches to
this dilemma.
The first solution to this scenario would be to approach
my boss, tell him the issues we are having with developing an
adequately strong fuel tank, and our concerns for the welfare
of the public in the event of a premature release of the HFCV.
This approach would be used in an attempt to push back the
deadline of the release of the vehicle. By doing this, I would
be being true to myself and upholding the codes of ethics of
the NSPE and ASME. This approach would prevent a
potentially catastrophic sequence of events related to the
release of a faulty product. I would be thinking about the
safety of the public and its interests [1]. It would be of the
utmost importance that I respond to this dilemma in a timely
manner. By taking too long, it might be too late to prevent the
issue before the vehicle was released to the public. In a
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Wesley Keck
comparable case, engineering consultant Jonathan
Turnbuckle was able to prevent a catastrophic collapse of a
clock tower by responding quickly and making all of the
ethical decisions regarding the safety of the workers and
public around the tower. He promptly traveled to the site,
assessed the issue, and contacted all of the right people.
Additionally, Turnbuckle was able to provide a contingency
plan, should it have been too late to prevent the collapse of
the clock tower. In the end, the collapse was prevented and
none of the workers were sued. The construction was delayed
several days, but this was a much lower price to pay than if
the tower had collapsed. In this way, Turnbuckle took an
ethically responsible approach to the problem and was able to
solve it, while sticking to the code of ethics [8]. In conclusion,
I would be ethically responsible to approach this dilemma in
a timely fashion and request a delay in the deadline in order
to appropriately assess the fuel tank and produce an
acceptable, safe alternative. I would thereby be enforcing the
codes of ethics.
The second solution to this scenario would include the
first solution. I would approach my boss with concerns about
the project and request the deadline to be pushed back. In the
event that my boss refused to acknowledge the potential
dangers of the structurally unsound fuel tank and refused to
push back the deadline, I would have no choice but to opt out
of the project and hope for the best. It is better to not be a part
of something so unethical and immoral, and potentially lose
my job than to endanger the lives of all of the consumers of
the HFCV. Clearly the first solution is favorable, but in order
to enforce the NSPE and ASME codes of ethics, I would be
required to not participate in the actions listed above in the
unethical approach.
best interests of the public. I would advise all engineers facing
ethical dilemmas to stand true to the codes of ethics when
making decisions. By referring to these codes engineers will
make strong, wise, informed decisions, ultimately impacting
society and engineering positively.
REFERENCES
[1] (2015). “NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers.” National
Society of Professional Engineers. (Online code of ethics).
http://www.nspe.org/resources/ethics/code-ethics
[2] (2011). “Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles.” Climate
TechBook.
(Online
Article).
http://www.c2es.org/docUploads/HydrogenFuelCellVehicles
.pdf
[3] (2015). “ASME Code of Ethics of Engineers.” American
Society of Mechanical Engineers. (Online code of ethics).
https://www.asme.org/getmedia/9EB36017-FA98-477E8A73-77B04B36D410/P157_Ethics.aspx
[4] (2013). “Air Bags, Safety, and Social Experiments.”
Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science. (Case
Study)
http://www.onlineethics.org/Resources/Cases/AirBag.aspx
[5] Saini, Angela (2012). “On-Site Ethics.” Engineering and
Technology.
(Online
Ethical
Article).
http://content.ebscohost.com/ContentServer.asp?T=P&P=A
N&K=74034373&S=R&D=aph&EbscoContent=dGJyMNH
X8kSeqa84zdnyOLCmr02ep7BSr664SbeWxWXS&Content
Customer=dGJyMO7f8oy549%2BB7LHfi%2B4A
[6] Barbir, Frano. “Safety issues of hydrogen in vehicles.”
Energy
Partners.
(Online
Article).
https://courses.engr.illinois.edu/npre470/web/readings/Hydr
ogen%20safety%20issues.pdf
[7] Teschler, Leland (2012). “Where did ethics go?” Machine
Design.
(Online
Ethical
Article).
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?sid=b235af86
-0bb0-4403-99c5dbb4fb238cf9%40sessionmgr4003&vid=12&hid=4214&bda
ta=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=79966502
&db=aph
[8] (2014). “The Leaning Tower: A Timely Dilemma.” Texas
Tech
University.
(Case
Study)
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/murdoughcenter/products/cases.ph
p
THE USE OF ETHICS IN ENGINEERING
It can be seen that ethics play an integral role in the lives
of engineers. It is how we choose to interpret these ethics that
result in the promotion or hindrance of the welfare and safety
of the general public. The various codes of ethics associated
with the different fields of engineering serve to clear up any
potential discrepancies in interpreting the ethics and morality
of a specific dilemma. In this way, ethics are absolutely
necessary to judging the degree of an issue and appropriately
handling it.
Without codes of ethics, engineers would be making
judgment calls for their entire careers. Since everyone thinks
differently, some of those calls are bound to be wrong, and
the lives of the public would be put on the line.
In my opinion, codes of ethics serve as an outline for
assessing and solving the problems that arise in the field of
engineering. If I follow the code of ethics pertaining to my
field, I am guaranteed to make the correct decision and ensure
and promote the safety, health, and welfare of the public [1].
In turn, I would be being true to myself and have a clear
conscience to make the necessary decisions that pertain to the
ADDITIONAL SOURCES
J. López Cascales, M. Juan-Segovia, J. Ibáñez Molina, J.
Sánchez Vera, P. Vivo Vivio. (2014). “Environmental impact
associated with the substitution of internal combustion
vehicles by fuel cell vehicles refueled with hydrogen
generated by electrolysis using the power grid.” Renewable
Energy.
(Online
Article).
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph
&AN=103727252&site=ehost-live
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Wesley Keck
(2013). “Public Health and Safety – Delay in Addressing Fire
Code Violations.” National Society of Professional
Engineers.
(Case
Study).
http://www.nspe.org/sites/default/files/BER%20Case%20No
%2013-11-FINAL.pdf
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank the people who helped me with the
development and improvement of this paper. I would first like
to thank Jennifer Chickola, my freshman engineering
recitation instructor and mentor, for providing insight and
answering any of my questions pertaining to this assignment.
Secondly, I would like to thank the people at the writing
center for providing extremely useful feedback on my paper
and allowing me to refine this assignment. Finally, I would
like to thank my writing instructor, Amanda Brant, for
providing useful feedback on the last assignment, allowing
me to improve upon my writing in this assignment.
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