The
People Involved
The
creation and development of the fluidized bed reactor system for catalytic
cracking of petroleum was a cooperative effort that involved many
talented scientists and engineers. The group, estimated at one thousand,
represented the largest single concentration of scientific effort,
up to that time, directed toward a common goal. Later during World
War II, this effort was surpassed only by the radar and Manhattan
projects in the United States.
Warren
K. Lewis and Edwin R. Gilliland obtained patent coverage for the
fluid bed idea. Professor Lewis was chairman of the Chemical Engineering
Department at MIT and was one of the best known chemical engineers
in the country. The patent describing the circulating catalyst fluid
bed reactor-regenerator named Donald L. Campbell, Homer Z. Martin,
Egar V. Murphree and Charles W. Tyson inventors, all employed by
the Standard Oil Development Co. These patents were licensed to
all the members of the Catalytic Research Associates.
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