Swetin’s work maintaining and improving water systems enables the APS to perform cutting-edge experiments

In 1979, Eugene Swetin came to the United States with his family. 

“I was 17 years old,” said Swetin, ​“and felt so fortunate to be leaving what was then known as the Soviet Union.”

Like many other families at the time, they arrived with only a few suitcases, a few hundred dollars in their pockets and great desire to make it in America. Six months later, Swetin began studying at a local community college and worked his way through school.

Swetin had always enjoyed math and science. His father and older brother were engineers, and he happily followed in their footsteps. He eventually transferred to the University of Illinois Chicago and earned a Bachelor’s degree in thermo-mechanical engineering and energy conversions.

“Half a million gallons of water, flowing at approximately 20,000 gallons per minute through nearly 100 pumping systems, goes through virtually all APS accelerator components like blood through human organs.” — Eugene Swetin, Process Water Engineer for Argonne’s Advanced Photon Source

His first job after college was with an engineering firm designing HVAC systems for the new United terminal at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. 

“Even today,” said Swetin, ​“as I walk through the United terminal, I have a sense of pride that I made a small contribution to that building.”

Swetin likes to show his family the building features that are behind the scenes, overlooked by other passengers. For example, as people walk through the colorful underground passage from Terminal B to C, they don’t realize that there is a vast underground space behind the wall, concealing conveyors that move luggage to and from the planes.

When Swetin began working for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory and the Advanced Photon Source (APS), a DOE Office of Science user facility, he thought he would only be with the lab for a few years. ​“I’m so happy I was wrong!” said Swetin. He has recently celebrated 33 years with the APS.

“When I joined the lab,” Swetin recalled, ​“the APS was only one building and a giant hole in the ground, so I literally witnessed it be built from the ground up.”

His early responsibilities with the APS involved working with chilled water, hot water and process water for the Conventional Facilities Group. He now works with the Mechanical Operations and Maintenance Group and primarily focuses on process water systems, used for various applications across the APS.

“The process water systems at the APS are extensive,” Swetin explained. ​“Half a million gallons of water, flowing at approximately 20,000 gallons per minute through nearly 100 pumping systems, goes through virtually all APS accelerator components like blood through human organs.”

Process water needs to have specific characteristics to keep the APS functional. It needs to be of specialized quality, low conductivity, de-oxygenated, filtered down to half a micron particle size and at a precise temperature and pressure. Many hundreds of flow circuits are interlocked, and the accelerator will not operate if even one of those circuits is out of operating parameters.

For 25 years, Swetin focused on maintaining and improving process water systems to ensure the APS retained its amazing reliability. This work involves many interesting challenges. 

“There is never a dull moment at Argonne,” Swetin said. ​“I’ve been at the lab for over three decades now, and I’ve never been bored.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic caused many institutions to shut down, the APS kept operating. After all, the APS had a foundational role in the development of the COVID-19 vaccine. 

“I knew that Argonne does cutting-edge research that might in the future result in better medicine or batteries,” said Swetin, ​“but it’s quite a different thing to see that research in action, producing a real product that was so very much in need.”

Swetin was also a leading figure in the APS Upgrade Project (APS-U). As the lead engineer for process water modifications, he oversaw new system designs and construction. Swetin said, ​“I got to use everything I’ve learned in my time with the APS to make new systems as good or better than before. It’s very rewarding to see these systems built and operate just the way I planned.”

With systems updated, Swetin now ensures that process water delivery remains stable at the upgraded APS. He begins the workday by checking logbooks from the night before, since the facility is operated 24/7. His goal is to notice data trends that might indicate a problem before it can manifest and cause an issue. Later, he works with the technicians on ongoing maintenance issues and projects.

Through all his years at Argonne, Swetin said he has been fortunate to work with inspiring people. 

“My colleagues helped me and made me look good,” said Swetin. ​“Whatever awards I’ve received, and I’ve got a few, I can firmly attest that you’re only as good as your team.”

Outside of work, Swetin spends time with his family, especially his wife of 42 years, two daughters and two grandchildren. He loves traveling the world, sometimes with a group of friends and sometimes with just his wife. Their favorite destination is Italy, which they have visited over 20 times.