John Davidson (chemical engineer) facts for kids

John Frank Davidson (born February 7, 1926 – died December 25, 2019) was a very important British chemical engineer. He was a professor at the University of Cambridge. Many people see him as the person who started the study of something called Fluidization in chemical engineering.

Early life and studies

John Frank Davidson was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, an industrial city in England. He went to school during World War II, from 1937 to 1944. In 1944, he started studying at the University of Cambridge. He stayed connected to this university for his whole life.

After getting his first degree in 1947, Davidson worked at Rolls-Royce for about two and a half years. He was in the Mechanical Development Department. In 1950, he returned to Cambridge to continue his studies. He became a graduate student in the Engineering Department.

Later, in 1952, he moved to the new Department of Chemical Engineering at Cambridge. Here, he began to study how large gas bubbles move in liquids. He wrote important papers about how substances move between a bubble and a liquid. These studies also led him to start important work on fluidisation.

What is Fluidisation?

Imagine blowing air through sand. If you blow hard enough, the sand starts to act like a liquid, bubbling and flowing. This is called fluidisation! It's used in many industries, like making plastics or burning coal more cleanly.

Davidson wrote one of the first books on this topic, called Fluidised Particles (1963), with David Harrison. This book was very popular and helped many people understand fluidisation.

Amazing career

Davidson's work greatly helped improve how circulating fluidised beds work. He also made progress in understanding how heat moves in these beds. His ideas even helped create ways to burn a type of coal called lignite using fluidised beds.

He earned his PhD in 1953 and a Doctor of Science degree in 1968 from Cambridge University. In 1974, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists. He was recognized for his work on how two different materials flow together, especially his achievements in fluidisation. He even served as a Vice-President of the Royal Society in 1989.

Teaching and leading

Davidson loved teaching as much as he loved research. He started as a demonstrator (like a teaching assistant) in chemical engineering in 1950. Then he became a lecturer, a reader, and finally a professor in 1975.

From 1975 to 1993, Davidson was the head of the Chemical Engineering Department at Cambridge. He did a lot to make the department better. He updated what students learned and made sure the department worked closely with companies. From 1978 to 1993, he was known as the Shell Professor of Chemical Engineering. This was because Shell, an energy company, helped fund the department.

Life at Trinity College

Davidson also had strong ties with Trinity College. This is one of the oldest colleges at Cambridge University. He was involved with Trinity College from 1949. In 1957, he became the College's steward. This meant he was in charge of everything in the college, even organizing events for the royal family! One big challenge he faced was rebuilding the Old Kitchen, which was built way back in 1605. This project took several years in the early 1960s. Later, from 1992 to 1996, Davidson was the vice master of Trinity College.

Awards and honors

Davidson received many awards and honors from around the world. He was president of the Institution of Chemical Engineers from 1970 to 1971. He was also a member of the US National Academy of Engineering in 1976. He received honorary doctorates from several universities, including the University of Aston. In 1991, he became a Foreign Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy. He also received the Kurnakov Memorial Medal in 1991 and was elected a foreign member of the Russian Engineering Academy in 1998.

In 1999, John Frank Davidson was given the Royal Medal by the Royal Society of London. This is one of the most important science awards in the United Kingdom.

Even after he retired in 1992, Davidson continued to do active research at the Department of Chemical Engineering.

Personal life

John Frank Davidson married Susanne Hedwig Ostberg in 1948. They had a son and a daughter.

Recognition and legacy

Besides the Royal Medal in 1999 and being a Fellow of the Royal Society since 1974, Davidson was also a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. His important work in chemical engineering was recognized in many ways. In 1994, the National Portrait Gallery, London and the Royal Society asked photographer Nick Sinclair to take his portrait. This portrait is now part of their permanent collection.