| Biographical Notes on John Chubb
John Chubb, 2 Monica Drive, Pittville, Cheltenham, GL50 4NQ, UK
(Tel: +44 (0)1242 573454 Fax: +44 (0)1242 573454 email: jchubb@infostatic.co.uk)
John Chubb set up the company John Chubb Instrumentation (JCI) in September 1983 after 10 years of commercial contract research work with the UK Atomic Energy
Authority Culham Laboratory, 2 years as Manager Advanced Technical Planning with Linotype Paul and 2 1/2 years, up to 1983, as Managing Director of a small industrial company, IDB, at the University College of North Wales.
The commercial contract research work at Culham Laboratory was concerned with three main areas of activity: 1) laboratory and shipboard studies of electrostatic
ignition hazards during tank washing on large crude oil tankers, 2) development of a novel monitor for airborne asbestos fibres
3) large area computer typesetting. From 1962 to 1968 John Chubb was involved with research at Culham Laboratory into high
speed condensation pumping of hydrogen onto liquid helium cooled surfaces and with Monte Carlo computer modelling of free
molecular gas flow.
After a degree in Physics at Birmingham University (1954) and a PhD on behaviour of particles during electrostatic
precipitation (1958) John Chubb did a graduate apprenticeship at English Electric at Stafford and then lead development
of high power vacuum interrupters at English Electric until moving to UKAEA Culham Laboratory in 1962.
The business of John Chubb Instrumentation has been electrostatic measurements This incudes the development,
manufacture and marketing of instruments and test and consultancy work for customers.
Particular contributions over the years have been:
- electrode configurations for magnetic movement and electrostatic containment of arc
roots in high power vacuum interrupters. This is to enable vacuum interrupters to break currents over 10kA without the contact electrodes suffering gross melting.
- studies of the variations of sticking coefficients and vapour pressure of hydrogen condensed on liquid helium cooled surfaces.
- Monte Carlo modelling of free molecular gas flow in complex vacuum systems. This provided a more appropriate
way to examine and design vacuum systems involving high performance pumping based on condensation and getter pumping.
- concept and demonstration of novel monitor for respirable size airborne fibres. At prototype level the approach
demonstrated the ability to identify and size classify fine airborne fibres with reasonable immunity to other types of airborne particles.
- development of electrostatic 'field mill' fieldmeters which do not require earthing of the rotating chopper.
This provides the basis for fieldmeters suitable for long term continuous monitoring applications (for example monitoring
atmospheric electric fields) and for fieldmeters with fast response times.
- development of instrumentation for charge decay measurement. This provides a sound basis for assessing
the suitability of materials for avoiding risks and problems from static electricity - and for its constructive use.
- demonstration of comparable charge decay performance between corona and tribo charging. This has shown that tyhe corona
charge decay instrumentation that has been developed provides information that matches practical experience.
- concept of 'capacitance loading' as an additional way to assess the electrostatic suitability of materials for
avoiding the occurrence of high surface potentails from static charge retained on materials.
Over the last 25 years JCI developed a good range of high performance electrostatic measuring instruments and a number of relevant methods for monitoring electrostatic conditions and for assessing the suitability of materials. Instruments all over the world and into a wide variety of industries. A decision has been made to move towards retirement, not to stop working, but to move away from full time responsibility for company operation. Retirement needs to happen at some time - and now is an appropriate time.
The assets of the business of John Chubb Instrumentation Ltd were sold to Chilworth Technology, based in Southampton, in February 2009. On the basis of the Chilworth Technology presence in several major countries and their involvement with electrostatics, hazards and materials they are well placed to expand the business into new market areas and to enhance the range and capabilities of JCI instrumentation.
John Chubb will continue to be available for discussions and comments and will be involved in the business with Chilworth to help in production and marketing and in the development of new instruments. The main contact for JCI business is now Ian Pavey at Chilworth Technology Ltd, Beta House, Southampton Science Park, Southampton, SN16 7NS (Tel: 0238 076 0722 email: ipavey@chilworth.co.uk). Information about JCI instruments and about appropriate methods for electrostatic measurements remains available on the JCI Website at: www.jci.co.uk and on the Infostatic Website. John Chubb's "Introduction to Electrostatic Measurements" is to be published as a book by Nova Publishing.
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