John Frank Davidson
Encyclopedia
John Frank Davidson is a British chemical engineer and former Shell Professor of Chemical Engineering
at the University of Cambridge
.
. He gained a MA from Trinity College, Cambridge
in 1950, a PhD
in 1953 (both in engineering) and a ScD
in Chemical Engineering in 1963.
in 1957. He was appointed Professor of Chemical Engineering and head of department in 1975 and Shell Professor of Chemical Engineering in 1978 until retiring as an active lecturer in 1993. He did research work on fluidised bed
gasification and clean coal combustion
.
in 1999 for his chemical engineering work, and has been a Fellow of the Royal Society since 1974. He was President of the Institution of Chemical Engineers
(IChemE) from 1970-1.
Shell Professor of Chemical Engineering
The Shell Professors of Chemical Engineering is a professorship at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at the University of Cambridge...
at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
.
Early life
He attended Heaton Grammar School in Heaton, NewcastleHeaton, Newcastle
Heaton is a residential suburb and is split into two electoral wards located in the east end of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, about from the City Centre. It is bordered by the neighbouring areas of Benton and Cochrane Park to the north, Walker and Walkergate to the east, Byker to the south and...
. He gained a MA from Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
in 1950, a PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in 1953 (both in engineering) and a ScD
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
in Chemical Engineering in 1963.
Career
He was appointed as a technical demonstrator in the Department of Chemical Engineering in 1952 and was elected a fellow of Trinity College, CambridgeTrinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
in 1957. He was appointed Professor of Chemical Engineering and head of department in 1975 and Shell Professor of Chemical Engineering in 1978 until retiring as an active lecturer in 1993. He did research work on fluidised bed
Fluidized bed reactor
A fluidized bed reactor is a type of reactor device that can be used to carry out a variety of multiphase chemical reactions. In this type of reactor, a fluid is passed through a granular solid material at high enough velocities to suspend the solid and cause it to behave as though it were a fluid...
gasification and clean coal combustion
Clean coal technology
Clean coal technology is a collection of technologies being developed to reduce the environmental impact of coal energy generation. When coal is used as a fuel source, the gaseous emmissions generated by the thermal decomposition of the coal, include sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon...
.
Recognition
He was awarded a Royal MedalRoyal Medal
The Royal Medal, also known as The Queen's Medal, is a silver-gilt medal awarded each year by the Royal Society, two for "the most important contributions to the advancement of natural knowledge" and one for "distinguished contributions in the applied sciences" made within the Commonwealth of...
in 1999 for his chemical engineering work, and has been a Fellow of the Royal Society since 1974. He was President of the Institution of Chemical Engineers
Institution of Chemical Engineers
The Institution of Chemical Engineers is a global professional engineering institution with over 33,000 members in over 120 countries worldwide, founded in 1922, and awarded a Royal Charter in 1957.-Structure:...
(IChemE) from 1970-1.