Cool People – Xihuan’s Story

Dr. Xihuan Hao, a Cryogenic Research & Development Engineer at Bluefors Syracuse, joined the company in February 2020. With a Ph.D. in Cryogenic Engineering and over 15 years of experience in the industry, Xihuan has been at the forefront of developing innovative cryogenic solutions. But developing new products is never a straightforward task – it involves negotiating obstacles and challenges. How does Xihuan handle these hurdles, and what got him into cryogenics in the first place?

Discovering Cryogenics

From an early age, Xihuan dreamt of becoming a scientist. The bigger question for him was which field to pursue. “I was very confused about what I could do and what I wanted to do when I was a teenager,” Xihuan recalls. His interest in cryogenics was sparked when he met his soon-to-be Ph.D. mentor, Professor Yonglin Ju from SJTU. “He introduced his cryogenic research to me. I was very impressed with the cryogenic technology, its wide applications, and its critical roles in advanced scientific research,” Xihuan says. Following these instincts, in 2000, Xihuan began his studies in refrigeration and cryogenic engineering.

Today, Xihuan’s role at Bluefors Syracuse involves developing new Cryomech cryocoolers and upgrading existing models. Prior to joining the company, during his time as a Ph.D. candidate, Xihuan was a customer of Cryomech. “We used two AL300 Gifford-McMahon cryocoolers for the dark matter detector in our lab. The cryocoolers were very reliable and energy efficient!” Already then, Xihuan had a strong interest in the products, which eventually motivated him to apply to Cryomech.

Xihuan joined Cryomech in February 2020, just three weeks before the pandemic shutdown. “There were a lot of uncertainties, and everything slowed down,” he recalls. Fortunately, despite the challenges, product development at Cryomech continued uninterrupted. “In fact, one of our most popular products, the PT425 4 K two-stage pulse tube cryocooler, was successfully developed and launched during that time.”

Turning Challenges into Opportunities

Xihuan has always enjoyed the challenge of developing new products. “I always want to challenge myself in my life. It’s what keeps me moving forward,” Xihuan says. Highlighting the importance of pushing boundaries to stay competitive, Xihuan adds, “By constantly challenging ourselves and advancing, we are able to maintain our position as industry leaders.”

While developing the world’s largest 4 K pulse tube cryocooler, Xihuan and his colleague Brent Zerkle (Director of Prototype at Bluefors Syracuse) encountered their fair share of challenges. “The first test results were far from our design targets. It was frustrating, but we didn’t give up.”

“These technical challenges provided a lot of new knowledge, which greatly benefited our other designs and improvements. Now, we’ve finally succeeded, and the PT450’s cooling performance far exceeds our original design targets.”

The product development process is ongoing and never-ending, making it crucial to sometimes stop and identify the next area of focus. “Brent and I always ask ourselves: What improvements have we achieved today, and what can we achieve tomorrow? We have faced and will continue to face challenges in our work. The most important thing is what we learn from them. Challenges also present new opportunities.”

Better Collaboration, Better Products

Xihuan highlights that development requires efficient communication and collaboration, as success can’t be achieved without support from the whole team. He emphasizes that collaboration should extend beyond your own departmental boundaries – because you can learn from everyone. He himself has gained valuable insights from many colleagues across the company.

“Collaboration between teams is crucial for effectively improving and upgrading designs,” Xihuan says, pointing out that factors such as cooling performance, reliability, energy efficiency, and cost are not the only considerations when developing a new cryocooler. “We gather a lot of feedback, recommendations, and even concerns from our R&D, Engineering, Manufacturing, and Marketing teams, as well as from customers. This helps us understand customers’ real needs and how to design a new product that meets those needs while also being easier to manufacture, install, service, and maintain.”

Join the Team

When asked about personal development, Xihuan feels that he has developed his communication and teamwork skills most. “We recently have successfully launched several new products, however, that’s not my personal contribution alone. I can’t deliver success without working well in a team.”

At Bluefors, we foster development through collaboration and continuous learning — we’re cool for progress, just like Xihuan. Turning challenges into opportunities is the core of everything we do.

Are you motivated by challenges and finding new solutions, like Xihuan? Find out more about our open positions, explore our cool locations, or leave an open application – become part of our team of passionate professionals!