CSA recently solicited input from our members and readers about their experiences working in cryogenics and superconductivity. As the responses show, our membership represents a diverse group of professionals involved in many exciting projects and business endeavors. We’re proud of their accomplishments and the role they have played in making advances in important fields. Below are their answers to our survey questions.
Vincent Grillo, Cryofab, Inc.; Dennis Howland, DH Industries; Peter Kittel, ret. NASA Ames; Dick McNamara, Bürkert Fluid Control Systems; Jim Missig; David-John Roth, Cryoco LLC; Eric Rottier, Taylor-Wharton International; Brian Smithgall, Montana Instruments; John Swartz, Lake Shore Cryotronics; Zuya Zhao, Vice President and Principal Scientist, Janis Research Company; Alexander Zhukovsky, retired MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, visiting
scientist
1. How did you get involved in cryogenics?
Howland: “My first job out of college in 1962 was at a rocket engine test facility. I got to be the ‘Valve Guy.’ I never got very far from valves and the cool stuff for the next 50 years.”
Kittel: “My first exposure to cryogenics was as an undergraduate reading ‘The Quest for Absolute Zero’ by Kurt Mendelssohn. It did not make a great impression on me. I didn’t set out to work in cryogenics; it just became the easiest path. After my junior year I went to La Jolla and spent the summer working in the lab of Bernt Matthias. I was a lab assistant to a couple of graduate students in superconductivity. After finishing my undergraduate degree in engineering at Berkeley, I went back to UCSD as a graduate student in the Physics Department and became a research assistant in John Goodkind’s low temperature physics lab. After receiving a masters, I went to the University of Oxford to work with Nicholas Kurti, whose lab was near Kurt Mendelssohn’s office. After receiving a DPhil in physics, I had post docs at the University of Oregon (physics), Stanford University (radiology) and with the National Science Foundation (at NASA). This resulted in a job in cryogenic engineering with NASA.”
McNamara: “Working for a major cryogenic valve company. I was the R&D supervisor and involved in testing and design of the cryogenic product.”
Missig: “I graduated from the University of Dayton with an associate’s degree in mechanical technology and started my cryogenic career at Argonne National Laboratory in 1961 as a research technician. I was introduced to liquid nitrogen for use in a cold trap on a helium mass spectrometer leak detector. We also used dry ice and acetone in bakeout cold traps. This equipment was used to support the construction of a large stainless steel ultra-high vacuum chamber for the 12.5 BeV Zero Gradient Synchrotron (ZGS), a large particle accelerator at Argonne. Upon completion of the vacuum chamber project in early 1963, I was assigned to the Midwest University Research Association (MURA) 30-inch liquid hydrogen bubble chamber being assembled at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. I helped conduct the initial cooldown of the chamber to liquid nitrogen temperature. This is where I met physicist Dr. Graham Walker and cryogenic engineer John Mark.”
Roth: “As an undergraduate at Colorado School of Mines in December 1985, I was assigned as a student lab assistant/worker to Dr. Thomas M. Flynn and he became my mentor in the field of cryogenics.”
Rottier: “I studied mechanical engineering at the University of Minnesota and began as an engineering intern at Minnesota Valley Engineering, Inc. (now Chart Industries, Inc.) in their Cryogenics New Product Development laboratory. I am now the CEO of Taylor-Wharton Cryogenics, LLC and have been in the industry for nearly 22 years.”
Swartz: Dr. Swartz’s path to cryogenics led through the Ohio State University and a Columbus OH startup company in the early 1960s. His work on a fast neutron dosimeter for measuring radiation from atomic bombs and a recommendation by Dr. Marlin Thurston, a consultant to Battelle’s Solid-State Physics Division and Dr. Swartz’s academic advisor at OSU, led to his involvement with Continental Electronics. Later, the company was renamed Phylatron, and his older brother, David Swartz, took over as its president. Dr. Swartz obtained his PhD in 1965, and at that time, he thought his career would be as a professor at Ohio State. “Then, in 1967, my brother asked me if I could make a gallium-arsenide diode that would cover the temperature range from 1.5 to 300K—and I did. We then sold 35 of these to the Argonne National Lab in Chicago and decided to start a company.” The brothers named it Lake Shore Cryotronics, a name that pays homage to their years raised on the shore of Findley Lake NY.
Zhao: “I was a graduate student at the physics department of Northwestern University–Evanston from 1983 to 1990. I wanted to do condensed matter experimental physics; more specifically, I wanted to work with Prof. J.B. Ketterson on superlattice. He did not have additional money for more students in that field, but he did need students working in the ultra-low temperature group. I accepted his offer and have been an ultra low temperature guy since.”
Zhukovsky: “In 1971, after 12 years of working as a mechanical engineer and a researcher in the Soviet Union, I decided to develop my career and begin working in cryogenics, a new field for me. The Soviets all the time followed the US technical innovations and development. That time they began working on the development of a 300 MVA superconducting electric turbogenerator after GE and Westinghouse. I was involved in that Soviet program working as a senior scientist at the scientific department of the Electrosila Corporation in Leningrad (Saint Petersburg). Later, both US and SU scientific SC generator programs were canceled (after I left the SU), but I got a very interesting initial experience in cryogenics.
2. Was there an individual or event that influenced your career direction?
Howland: “Mostly it was just getting a job. The attraction of the rocket engine with the extreme noise and unbelievable power was the initial draw and the remote facility with all the secret activities was frosting on the cake.”
Kittel: “A number of people have been influential in my career. These were Nicholas Kurti, John Wheatley, Olli Lounasmaa, Russell Donnelly and Bill Fairbank. They helped me to see the broad applicability of cryogenics. The most interesting aspect of my work has been the continual learning experience from taking on new and unusual tasks.”
Swartz: “Getting involved in a small company as a graduate student. I could have stayed at Ohio State and taught. I was a tenured professor and not too many of those leave—but I did.”
McNamara: “My father, also a special products/sales engineer for the same company.”
Missig: “My father, who was an entrepreneur, one of my brothers, who was also in cryogenics, and I grew up in the car business as mechanics. Cryogenics, a new, exciting technology, was in my blood. I missed the challenge to build a cryogenic product and make a profit with it. I left the lab in 1969 to work for Liquid Carbonic in the cryogenic equipment development group.”
Roth: “He [Dr. Flynn] was involved in the X-30 hydrogen slush technology program and he asked me to join him in working for the US Air Force and NASA Edwards AFB on that program.”
Rottier: “Ron Stark, then international vice president for MVE, was extremely influential early in my career. Ron has continued in the industry and is now a senior executive with Airgas.”
Smithgall: “In my interview for my first job out of school, I was posed with some questions on how I might go about reducing vibrations on a cryocooler, which was creating all kinds of challenges for the operation of a new defense-related technology at 4K. Being new to cryogenics, my initial solutions to the problem were laughable looking back today, but nevertheless, I did get hired that day, and was given a lot of freedom to explore new innovative ways of solving problems at low temperatures. Probably the greatest blessing of working as a scientist and engineer in my first job is that I developed an intimate understating of the challenges that scientists face every day in working at low temperatures. We bought the cryogenic equipment that was available on the market and everything was just hard to use, aside from the fact that many sensitive applications were not even possible due to vibrations. One day the question came to mind, I wonder how many people like me are out there that are struggling with the same challenges? I suppose that was the twinkle in the eye moment which would eventually grow into a passion which is shared at Montana Instruments to ‘make cold science simple.’”
Zhao: “Professor J. B. Ketterson at Northwestern University and Professor Ike Silvera at Harvard University.”
Zhukovsky: “First I should mention my father, Valentin S. Zhukovsky, and my uncle Alexander A. Guchman, who were prominent scientists in the field of thermodynamics and heat transfer in the Soviet Union. After ten long years of being denied an exit visa (I was a ‘refusnik’ in the USSR), my emigration from the Soviet Union to the US gave me a unique opportunity to continue my career as a cryogenic engineer at a much higher level than in the SU.”
3. Did you have a mentor?
Grillo: “Dear ol’ Dad [George Grillo, founder of Cryofab].”
Howland: “Initially no, but after a few years in the valve business at Anderson Greenwood, I learned a great deal from my boss Walter Powell and much later gained a great deal of knowledge from our old friend Glen McIntosh, who was a part owner in the company I went to work for in 1974. Both of these men are great engineers and dedicated to their design and fabrication disciplines.”
McNamara: “Again, my father, who convinced me to apply for the position of R&D supervisor, and the cryogenic product manager at this company.”
Missig: “John Mark was my mentor. John moved to Argonne where we reassembled the MURA 30 bubble chamber and fabricated the support facilities. The chamber was used to conduct major physics experiments at the ZGS particle accelerator.”
Roth: “Dr. Thomas M. Flynn mentored me through 25 years of some of the most prestigious military, industrial and NASA space and ground programs from every aspect of cryogenic hands-on engineering. We visited numerous facilities and participated in many programs, giving me valuable insight as well as the benefit of his knowledge base.”
Rottier: “Ron Stark mentored me and gave me stretch career opportunities that taught me to take on roles that were beyond my comfort zone. I learned more through these assignments as I had to work harder and learn faster than if I had comfortable career advancements and promotions.”
Swartz: Dr. Marlin Thurston, who was chairman of the OSU Electrical Engineering Department and Dr. Swartz’s adviser during graduate school. “He got me involved in semiconductor physics. He ended up being department chairman, and I ended up taking over the program and teaching graduate-level semiconductor physics courses at Ohio State.”
Zhukovsky: “When I started working at MIT in the Plasma Science and Fusion Center and the Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory, I learned a lot from John Williams and Yuki Iwasa.”
4. What do you like most about your work?
Grillo: “Traveling and meeting new people. Making new friends. Getting to see interesting places and scientific innovations.”
Howland: “There’s something new every day and a lot of interconnection with others in the industry and with clients in surrounding industries, usually clients we are able to assist in their everyday design issues.”
Kittel: “Looking back, the part I enjoyed the most was working at NASA. The group I was in, IR detector and cryogenics development, was deeply involved in the revolution in space-based IR astronomy and Earth observation. These went from missions with a few discrete detectors in short-lived stored cryogen systems to arrays of thousands of detectors and long-lived pulse tube coolers.”
McNamara: “Developing new product and working from a sales standpoint with the customer to fulfill their requirements.”
Missig: “The most interesting aspect of cryogenics is the challenge of applying cryogenic techniques to unique situations. This is usually to solve a problem, speed up a process or save money. Cryogenics is a service industry that has many new applications in our world of technology.”
Roth: “I love the challenges and the ability to apply the basic principles of physics, math and fabrication/manufacturing, which I have been privileged to be a part of over the years.”
Rottier: “I love the customers, technology and people at Taylor-Wharton and that cryogenics is improving the quality of life and the environment.”
Smithgall: “From Montana Instruments’ humble beginnings to today, we as a team have embraced some principles which guide us and make what we do an exciting privilege. Everything we do is looked at in terms of ‘How does this best serve the customer?’ so when we look for opportunities we focus on areas where there is a significant need that has not been met. For us this is more important than finding opportunities where maybe there is a lot of attention in the industry or a lot of money can be made. When we create value our priority is on solving a significant need, and at the end of the day, this is what makes our work enjoyable.”
Swartz: “I like the challenge of trying to do something better than what’s been done before.”
Zhao: “Get good physics done as well as good publications. Achievements and developing novel and challenging systems (in particular those first time in the world) to serve the physics communities.”
Zhukovsky: “In my practice a lot of cryogenic equipment, in the design of which I was involved, didn’t work as it should have worked at the very beginning. There were many reasons for it, like some mistakes in a design, always using cheap vendors with not the best quality of work due to the lack of financial support, poor supervision by vendors and so on. I needed to do some inventive modifications in the design and operation of the equipment to force it to work according to the requirements. When it began working as it should have worked—this was the biggest satisfaction for my work.”
5. What were some of the challenges in building the business?
Grillo: “Staying competitive. Creating new products. Staying relevant.”
Howland: “Money, money and money…! It just takes awhile to get enough inertia to carry one through the dips and to establish a reputation and get everyone’s attention that you are a viable resource. Most of the folks in our own immediate industry have been extremely helpful, supportive and loyal, but there are a few that are less than scrutible and you just need to learn to ignore them.”
McNamara: “I have always worked for a manufacturer who strove to meet customer requirements. Developing and engineering new systems to meet today’s changing markets is always a challenge.”
Missig: “To build a business, one needs to understand management’s vision and be able to develop a method or equipment to economically achieve that goal.”
Roth: “The greatest challenge has always been the budgetary constraints in most industries to mature the basic technology and implement a higher degree of product integration.”
Rottier: “Recruiting and developing talent is always the toughest task. Specific to our products, we have always been challenged with commercializing the next game-changing applications. Sometimes the customers do not know what they want in the future so we have to sell the value of our inventions.”
Zhao: “Janis is ‘young’ in the ULT business. Make the team more motivated, efficient and work harder.”
Zhukovsky: “As usual—the lack of money and a high level of competition.”
6. What are some of the challenges today?
Grillo: “Keeping products in the pipeline. Being profitable without the luxury of arbitrarily raising prices. Finding ways to improve efficiency.”
Howland: “Containing expenses is always a joy but we find the increase in government requirements and specifications, both domestic and international, to be challenging and maybe even a little annoying.”
McNamara: “Meeting the stringent requirements of NASA, major gas producers, delivering solutions to new systems.”
Missig: “Research in present-day technology must take a very narrow focus to achieve scientific breakthroughs. Some individuals have a unique ability to take a look at many disciplines and assemble the correct items and adapt this knowledge to be successful. They need to build machines that accomplish specific goals that are marketable and make a profit in the marketplace.”
Roth: “The challenges of today are incorporating cryogenic technology at a cost and simplicity to match a customer’s need for safety, low maintenance and ease-of-use.”
Rottier: “Keeping up with growth in LNG applications. Our demands change every quarter and the future has so many opportunities that we need to closely maintain our priorities and not overcommit. In addition, there is more global competition than ever and cost is always a challenge.”
Zhao: “Cost.”
Zhukovsky: “I think that they are mostly the same as usual. In the field of application of superconductivity for plasma fusion, most of the financial resources are going to the ITER project. It is killing the US programs in this field.”
7. What are some notable achievements in our field?
Howland: “Just staying alive has been pretty notable and working out product lines to accommodate client requirements another. We have learned that flexibility is a sales tool. Give the client what he/she wants…even if you disagree with the approach.”
McNamara: “Development of full flow switching valves for stationary storage tanks, operation of colliders, space exploration.”
Missig: “Higher temperature and higher current capacity superconductors are in the forefront. I believe light emitting diodes (LED) and lasers offer great promise for cryogenic cooling. Cooling these systems to make them more effective and efficient could be a major accomplishment.”
Rottier: “Cryopreservation technology for storing biological samples. LNG as a replacement to diesel. Advancements in semiconductor production. MRI. Cryo-treating materials. Hydrogen applications as a rocket fuel and for refining low sulfur fuels. Replacing high pressure cylinders with MicroBulk.”
Swartz: In 1969, Lake Shore received its first IR 100 Award [now called R&D 100 Awards] for the development of the TG-100 Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) Cryogenic Thermometer. Then, in 1972, the company received the second IR 100 Award for its CS Series Capacitance Temperature Thermometer. Its third award came in 1975 for the development of a cryogenic dispensing level controller system. Later, in 1990, Lake Shore introduced the world’s first autotuning temperature controllers. Then in 1992, the company introduced its CernoxTM sensors, thin-film resistance sensors that offered significant advantages over comparable bulk or thick-film resistance sensors. Cernox sensors also have been proven very stable over repeated thermal cycling and under extended exposure to ionizing radiation.
Zhukovsky: “The wide usage of cryocoolers and cryogenerators in cryogenics results in the use of so-called “cryogen free” devices and devices with zero consumption of cryogenic liquids (due to re-condensation). The industrial application of superconducting magnets in a medical proton therapy.”
8. What advice would you give young people entering the field today?
Howland: “Listen to your clients and peers and, as the old sayings go, ‘never give up’ and ‘keep your cool.’”
McNamara: “Become involved with organizations like CSA and CGA. Look for that mentor to help bring you through the early years of cryogenics.”
Roth: “Pay good attention to your computer skills for analysis and the reasoning of how to correctly interpret those results.”
Rottier: “Cryogenics is an exciting global growth industry. We are on the verge of a mega-trend with LNG. The field encompasses hard-core engineering disciplines in mechanical design, pressure, flow, thermodynamics, electronics and chemicals. There is an opportunity to improve our society with our products and being in cryogenics makes for interesting conversations with our friends and family. Come join the fun!”
Smithgall: “Start at the bottom and serve. I see an increasing number of young graduates who are pre-occupied with getting into the highest position possible, with the most pay right out of school. While these are not bad goals to have, they can take your focus off of better things. Instead focus on what really gets you excited and on finding out what you are brilliant at. Everyone is brilliant somewhere and many never discover it. Instead of pursuing a position and a salary, allow yourself freedom to experiment with some jobs that interest you and don’t be afraid to start at the bottom. Focus on serving and creating value for those around you, wherever you are,
and you’ll find there is no shortage of opportunity.”
Swartz: “Certainly, if you’re in an entry-level job, the way to get noticed is to do a better job than the people around you. Make the effort. I used to get in trouble because I kept asking for more and more responsibility.”
Zhao: “More work and less play in college and graduate school—learn as much (physics, etc.) as you can when you are a student because you will have very little time to learn anything systematically after you start working. Practice as much as possible, i.e. get involved in real projects. Keep learning and being innovative all the time. Develop good connections.”
Zhukovsky: “Work hard!”
9. How do you see the future of cryogenics and/or superconductivity?
Howland: “We keep learning about ways to use and handle the cold stuff, better insulation material and techniques, more applications like food freezing, food processing, superconductivity, environmental test, oil well treatment and even into special effects. I think the industry is as viable and has as much potential as it ever has.”
Kittel: “The future? It always seems that cryogenics is about to have a large impact on society (high speed computing, energy storage and transmission, etc.), but improvements in ambient temperature technology and the high cost of cryogenics slows its adoption. With improved efficiency, new materials and new techniques, the prospects are good. In the short term, the shortage of both 3He and 4He are challenges.”
McNamara: “Based on the current needs of cryogenics through either space programs, superconductivity, or electronics, there appears to be a great need for new and experienced engineers to enter this field.”
Missig: “The cornerstones of new developments are upgraded materials and sensors. One must stay current with new material and sensor technology for use in cryogenics. New materials and sensors, coupled with computers, tend to keep improving processes in performance and efficiency in many fields including cryogenics. In the future, I believe there will be more breakthroughs in technology and more applications for cryogenics.”
Roth: “I see the applications of cryogenic technology being closer and closer to the consumer market in the supply of bulk LNG for fuels and the energy market as a whole.”
Rottier: “The future looks outstanding! LNG demand is growing exponentially. Cryopreservation applications continue to grow faster than the industrial segments and is normally counter-cyclical during recessions. As the developing economies grow, their demand for industrial gases will be at multiples of their GDP.”
Swartz: “Most scientists are always going to measure some sample parameter as a function of temperature, normally reciprocal temperature using the Kelvin temperature scale. By going down to cryogenic temperatures, the scientist can easily obtain data covering three orders of magnitude (or more) in reciprocal temperature. Conversely, by going above room temperature, the scientist cannot even reach one decade change in temperature on the Kelvin scale. So I would say that the future of cryogenics will continue to be bright.”
Zhao: “Never dying, just evolving—so you must keep learning, keep moving and keep the leading position to survive.”
Zhukovsky: “I think that there will be the development of more powerful and reliable cryocoolers, the decreasing of liquid helium consumption and the wide industrial application of superconducting electrical cables. I see much more usage of superconductivity (and cryogenics) in medical treatment and research (not only for MRI and NMR).”
