A couple months ago, I started working on a full stack web app for hydrogen systems with an emphasis on liquid hydrogen. The goal was to provide an online resource to learn, strategize, design, analyze, develop, build, operate, and manage these systems.
Above are some screen shots from the current development version after more than 150 hours of effort. Have learned a great deal about modern software-as-a-service development in the process. However, progress has been slower than planned which prompted me to take a step back and consider alternative approaches.
In only a half day, I was able to replicate everything represented in the first image above in a new page on my website. Another half day was required to produce the Python code for several convection heat transfer conditions and associated calculations. It will take a bit more time to put together a display for the code results, but far less than the full stack web app approach.
Of course, there's much more built into the web app version (e.g., client/server coordination, APIs, hosting service, account management, payment transactions, navigation, user guide, community forum, terms of service, privacy policy, etc.). But is the effort and time to implement all these advanced features a common case of the engineer's dilemma: "perfect is the enemy of good enough"?
So, I'm at a bit of a crossroads about what best serves the intended goal. A more polished web app, or a simpler approach that deploys much faster? Below is a link to the latter for comparison - feedback appreciated.
Author Bio
Matt Moran is the Managing Member at Moran Innovation LLC, and previous Managing Partner at Isotherm Energy. He's been developing power and propulsion systems for more than 40 years; and first-of-a-kind gas, slush, and liquid hydrogen systems since the mid-1980s. Matt was also the Sector Manager for Energy & Materials in his final position at NASA where he worked for 31 years. He's been a cofounder in seven technology-based startups; and provided R&D, engineering, and innovation consulting to several hundred organizations. Matt has three patents and more than 50 publications including his online Cryogenic Fluid Management guide and Decarbonizing Mobility with Liquid Hydrogen SAE report. He has created and taught liquid hydrogen courses, webinars, and workshops to global audiences.
