Former GPK MOGI student researched the navigation of jumping robots on asteroids in Japan

Interview with Gábor Kovács who made his master degree in mechatronics engineering at BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (GPK). They received his PhD degree at Chuo University in Japan, with his study focusing on image processing.

'My research was in connection with small exploration rovers, to be sent on foreign celestial bodies. These rovers have to be controlled in various ways. For instance, with remote control, the Moon is easily reachable in a few seconds. But between Earth and Mars, it takes some minutes, so they are out of reach in real-time. Thus, the robot can navigate itself with computer vision.  From the image, it has to recognize obstacles, for instance, if there is a rock: the rover has to realize that it cannot cope with the rock and evade.' More

Researchers of our faculty are testing renewable fuels for aviation

Members of the Combustion Research Group at the Department of Energy Engineering focus on low emission combustion research. Interview with Viktor Józsa, senior lecturer, and Gyöngyvér Hidegh, PhD student.

What does the phrase ’combustion’ exactly mean? It is related to fire, flames, certain technologies...

Viktor Józsa: The phrase ‘combustion’ covers multiple fields, including combustion theory, combustion technology, combustion-related numerical simulations, and in a general context, the use of fire by mankind. Even cooking can be classified here, however, instead of stoves, we focus on industrial and power plant applications.

What made you pursue research in this field? Why combustion?

Gyöngyvér Hidegh: This topic grabbed my attention in the spring of 2015. I was impressed by that Viktor, and another colleague, Attila Kun-Balog, are how enthusiastic about their research to find explanations for various interesting phenomena and challenges in this field.

Viktor Józsa: When I was a child, I wanted to be a pilot. I never liked cars but jet aircraft. Following that, my goal was to work with jet engines and gas turbines; thus I applied to the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of BME. Firstly, I turned to mechanics then fluid dynamics, because I was the only applicant for heat engineering specialization in 2011. The current research thread dates back to the scientific student conference (TDK) in 2010; my topic of bioethanol utilization in gas turbines, supervised by Dr. Krisztián Sztankó. Then we turned to heavier alternative fuels like crude rapeseed oil, which is highly viscous.  More

Conquered not only space, but international science

After the successful launch, the SMOG-P PocketQube satellite, developed by BME, has reached orbit and still operating perfectly. An interview with Viktor Józsa and Róbert Kovács, assistant professors of BME, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Energy Engineering, who are lead mechanical engineers of the satellite project.

What was your role in the development of the SMOG-P PocketQube satellite?

Róbert Kovács (RK): The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering joined the project in the fields of structural design, thermal analyses, and other mechanical-vibrational investigations.

Viktor Józsa (VJ): The MaSat-1, the first Hungarian satellite, got to orbit in 2012 and had operated excellently until its return to Earth’s atmosphere in 2015. The most important function of small satellites is the ability to communicate. Thus, mostly electrical engineers, radio amateurs, smaller hobby groups, and university study groups build them. However, reliable operation also requires mechanical engineering knowledge. The 2.7 Kelvin (minus 270 ˚C) background temperature of space is the most important from thermal engineering point of view. Also, the rocket’s vibrations and the acceleration are important since the launching procedure exposes the satellite to the highest load which must be withstood. The role of vibrations and acceleration are highlighted because the majority of rockets are unmanned so they are not limited to 2-3 g. Instead, the payload is exposed to 10 g or even beyond to minimize the launch cost besides the hammer blow-like 100 g acceleration when the first stage is separated. Only then we get to the point to see if the spacecraft is still able to communicate or not. More

Not only the recyclable materials can make a boat environmentally more friendly – interview with Zoltán Mezey, senior lecturer of BME Department of Polymer Technology

Flaar Kft, the enterprise of Zoltán Mezey,  senior lecturer of Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Polymer Technology, gained awards at the Budapest Boat Show. With their sport sailboat, they gained not only the first prize, the greenest product award, and the most innovative Hungarian product award, but also their power-driven workboat gained the third prize at the competition. Interview with Zoltán Mezey about innovation, basalt reinforcements and reaction injection molding.

'Ideas just keep coming and coming to our mind, but now, we should rather not expand our product line, but we should increase the number of our current types. Since we have launched our company, we developed an almost unrealistic number of models. Fortunately, we can see the results as well: our model ‘37’ was the first Hungarian boat nominated for the prize ‘European Yacht of the Year’.

We also like doing experiments. At the Department of Polymer Technology, there were robust researches about basalt fibre. Although, this is an excellent reinforcing fibre, is still not widespread in boat building. because the reason is that boat building standards does not include basalt fibre, and it might not be used in analogy with the standards for glass fibres. I am currently looking for those aspects, where basalt can be implemented in the current regulative system. Reaction injection moulding also grabbed my attention, it is a technology with a significant potential, and we do a lot of experiments with it.' More

'I wanted to create useful tools, even as a teenager' - interview with Klára Wenzel, private professor of BME MOGI

She contributed in several industrial projects including developing a volumetric tool for the oil tanks of the Hungarian oil company or working on safety components at the Paks nuclear power plant, or colourimetric observer for tinned tomato pulp. Still, Klára Wenzel, with her fellow BME professor György Ábrahám, made her masterpiece, for end-consumer usage, a glasses for people with dichromacy. 

Interview with Klára Wenzel, private professor of BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Mechatronics, Optics, and Mechanical Engineering Informatics (MOGI) about childhood memories, legendary professors with a good sense of humour, and in the end, we will get to know, that does she still paint nowadays.

Let us start with the most trivial question. Why mechanical engineering? More

What can a designer and a researcher create together? Turning a pub free of waste! Interview with Tibor Gungl and Ákos Kmetty

Ákos Kmetty (left),Tibor Gungl (right)

A popular open-air pub’s orange peel and PLA plastic glass waste were turned into a design material by Tibor Gungl, designer of UPLUX lamps and other recycled home interior equipment. His mentor was Ákos Kmetty, senior lecturer of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at BME, in a two-week internship of the Start Programme of the Hungarian Fashion and Design Agency. Interview with Ákos Kmetty, senior lecturer of BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Polymer Technology, and Tibor Gungl, designer.

 Why did you choose the Department of Polymer Technology at BME?

Tibor Gungl: It was a real detective job. My starting point was to upcycle waste, and I was seeking for an organisation dealing with polymers. I contacted Ákos Kmetty after 15–20 failed attempts. It is difficult to find someone in Hungary in this sector, and ask them to help me create a new material. Most of the interns of the mentoring programmes had a design perspective instead, so they had an internship at concrete designer workshops, in the furniture industry, or the Hollóházi Porcelain Manufactory.

One of the two raw materials is PLA. What features does PLA have?

Ákos Kmetty: PLA (poly-lactic-acid) is a thermoplastic material, which is also renewable resource-based, compostable, and even recyclable. The compostability of this material does not mean that it is needed to be composted at the end of its lifetime; we can recycle it by producing something new. More