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Jack A. Frost began his professional career in vertical turbine pumps back in 1971 in the Engineering Department of a pump manufacturing company while pursing college degrees of Mechanical Engineering, Business -Marketing & and Business Law at CSULA and UCLA. As time passed, Jack's formal education and professional responsibilities with several pump manufacturers employment grew until he was responsible for Marketing of Engineered Products & Projects for an international pump manufacture.
In the late 1970's the geothermal industry existed only by The Geysers (a very rare dry steam field founded by Magma Power), Magma Power's attempt at hydro-geothermal in Imperial County and a few other highly financed but ill fated failures. Other than the oddity of The Geysers, geothermal energy as a reliable energy source seemed to be questionable. The original lineshaft downhole pumps at Magma Power's Imperial Valley site repeated failed at anywhere from start-up to 30 rotating days. (Attempts at oilfield modified electric submersible pumps failed even more frequently with little real reliability or commercial improvement even to present day. Other novelty approaches such as downhole steam turbines fared no better).
In 1980, Jack left the corporate arena of a pump manufacturer in favor of this fledging market that sparked his passion. "I can do that". Jack began by rebuilding and modifying the original manufacturer's pumps at Magma Power's Imperial Valley site …the first and only binary geothermal plant in the world at the time. Jack's first attempt increased pump life from 0-30 days to 420 days. Jack began experimenting and developing his own pump designs, learning all he could about drilling, completions and reservoirs from that of the early pioneers of geothermal. Jack is not the least bit hesitant in crediting the many other early pioneers of this industry who made this industry what it is today. Nonetheless, the success of the geothermal industry, particularly in the binary range of up to 420 F, owes a great deal to this early success of downhole pumps and to the tenacity of Jack Frost in particular.
Jack is not only credited with the first commercial lineshaft geothermal pump and the evolution of such pump designs for the geothermal industry as well as the supply, inventory and service capabilities extended by the industry to support this market. His designs have increased pump life, flow rates, setting depths, temperature capabilities as well as operating speeds. He has been widely published and a speaker at GRC / GEA conventions.
The proliferation of the geothermal marketplace, particularly in the binary range, could not have been possible without the commercial success of these downhole pumps but also if it were not for the efforts of Magma Power in the very early days and then by Ormat Nevada in particular. However, little to insufficient credit is paid to those who engineered, rolled up their sleeves in those early days and got their hands dirty in the field to make geothermal work. Jack says he was only one of the few and grumbles at how little credit are still given to the likes of his kin. "People like B. C. McCabe, Joe Aidlin, Louis Capuano, Lucien Bronicki and Ben Holt were high profile and very certainly deserving but none of this would have happened without those of us who figured things out and made it work. What credit is given to the likes of Ray Collins, Bob Verity, Don Campbell, James Tennison and others? "Uncle Ray" received no recognition other than the tremendous turnout for his funeral service".
Jack Frost is the CEO and President of Frost Consulting Group, Inc. Frost Consulting Group is a geothermal consultant to ITT Industries, Goulds Pumps and has exclusive rights for the representation of downhole pumps for the geothermal industry … pumps designed by Jack Frost himself. These downhole geothermal pumps are manufactured and rebuilt / serviced by exclusively by ITT Goulds Pumps-VPO and PRO Services divisions both located in City of Industry, California. "Prejudice aside, ITT Goulds Pumps took my designs and has really built a far superior , evolving state-of-the art product with extreme attention to detail. They have listened and committed themselves to the industry with huge investments in terms of inventory. They have supported the market where downtime is minimized. Before a rig can get the pump out of the hole, another is on site for re-installation".
Although Jack may be found at a client's office, the majority of his time is still spent in the field or at the ITT Goulds Pumps facilities. Jack long ago gave up the three piece suit and (with apologies) often meets with the corporate likes of ITT Industries or that of his client's in a tee shirt and jeans. He revels in being widely known as "a character" … much to the dismay of his loving (and smarter) wife, Wende, the CFO of Frost Consulting Group.
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