John Jackman nomination for Energy Innovator 2014
I have had the opportunity over the last 10 years to work with John Jackman on several energy-related projects. My first opportunity to work with John was during the installation of an experimental power factor correction and harmonic filter. This system had been damaged twice during shipping once on the original shipment and the second time on return from repairs at the factory. John was willing to take on the challenge of repairing the device onsite and placing it into service. At that time power factor correction equipment was considered to be just this side of snake oil. The system ran for years allowing us to operate equipment typically plagued with overheating and nuisance shutdowns. Years later when the system failed John came out and trained us on the basic of power factor correction and the advances he had made in the field by integrating harmonic filtering in a stable configuration that prevented resonant frequency damage to electrical equipment.
We have installed the improved system and again are receiving the benefits of running our system at unity power factor which reduces the currant in the buss by 15% allowing a 200 HP compressor drive critical to our operation to perform without overloads and heat damage. While our original motivation was not energy savings we do receive some power savings due to the reduction of circulating currents associated with a unity power factor. This is a definite plus along with the elimination of harmonics that have the potential to damage sensitive electrical equipment. We applaud John's success in this area and respect his ability to make sense of a very difficult subject not well understood by the electrical industry.
During a recent call from John he asked me questions relating to the biofuels industry that my present employer is involved with. John was looking for information on how the biofuels are used at a refinery. Throughout the course of the conversations we have had I was amazed to see the depth of understanding and research he has done in the biofuels industry. The politics and financial side of the biofuels industry is constantly shifting with hydraulic fracturing and low oil and natural gas prices making it difficult to mount an economic case in favor of biofuels. In my opinion when the dust settles and we understand that petroleum reserves will not last forever we will be looking for John and others like him to develop the path forward. Although it is not my area of expertise I was fascinated to see how well thought out and detailed John's research on biofuels was and under the right circumstances I believe he has the right model to make a go at long-term energy independence through biofuels without sacrificing land used for food production.
It is my opinion that John is indeed an energy innovator and is laying the groundwork for technologies to benefit both electrical and biofuels industry in the future.
Keith Bourgeous
Instrument and Electrical Reliability Engineer
Holly Refining and Marking
I have had the opportunity over the last 10 years to work with John Jackman on several energy-related projects. My first opportunity to work with John was during the installation of an experimental power factor correction and harmonic filter. This system had been damaged twice during shipping once on the original shipment and the second time on return from repairs at the factory. John was willing to take on the challenge of repairing the device onsite and placing it into service. At that time power factor correction equipment was considered to be just this side of snake oil. The system ran for years allowing us to operate equipment typically plagued with overheating and nuisance shutdowns. Years later when the system failed John came out and trained us on the basic of power factor correction and the advances he had made in the field by integrating harmonic filtering in a stable configuration that prevented resonant frequency damage to electrical equipment.
We have installed the improved system and again are receiving the benefits of running our system at unity power factor which reduces the currant in the buss by 15% allowing a 200 HP compressor drive critical to our operation to perform without overloads and heat damage. While our original motivation was not energy savings we do receive some power savings due to the reduction of circulating currents associated with a unity power factor. This is a definite plus along with the elimination of harmonics that have the potential to damage sensitive electrical equipment. We applaud John's success in this area and respect his ability to make sense of a very difficult subject not well understood by the electrical industry.
During a recent call from John he asked me questions relating to the biofuels industry that my present employer is involved with. John was looking for information on how the biofuels are used at a refinery. Throughout the course of the conversations we have had I was amazed to see the depth of understanding and research he has done in the biofuels industry. The politics and financial side of the biofuels industry is constantly shifting with hydraulic fracturing and low oil and natural gas prices making it difficult to mount an economic case in favor of biofuels. In my opinion when the dust settles and we understand that petroleum reserves will not last forever we will be looking for John and others like him to develop the path forward. Although it is not my area of expertise I was fascinated to see how well thought out and detailed John's research on biofuels was and under the right circumstances I believe he has the right model to make a go at long-term energy independence through biofuels without sacrificing land used for food production.
It is my opinion that John is indeed an energy innovator and is laying the groundwork for technologies to benefit both electrical and biofuels industry in the future.
Keith Bourgeous
Instrument and Electrical Reliability Engineer
Holly Refining and Marking