Biography

Donát Bánki's parents were Dr. Ignác Lőwinger and Berta (Betti) Salzer. His father was a district physician and, despite being newly married at the time, volunteered for the Hungarian Revolutionary Army during the 1848–49 revolution and served as a chief medical officer until the surrender. His father's background as a military officer, coupled with the family's Jewish heritage, influenced the patriotic and Hungarian nationalist upbringing they provided to their children.Donát was the fourth child in the family, and as the family grew to six children, they moved to Lovászpatona. In 1879, as a university student, Donát magyarized his surname to Bánki, in honor of his birthplace, reflecting his deep respect for it.

Career

Donát Bánki earned his degree in mechanical engineering from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (then known as the Royal Joseph Technical University). He initially worked in the industry as a design engineer at the MÁV (Hungarian State Railways) machinery factory and later at the Ganz Works. From 1879 to 1880, he served as an assistant at the Department of Technical Mechanics at the university. In 1899, he became a professor in the department responsible for the design of hydraulic machines, compressors, and steam turbines, a position he held until his death.Bánki's work was closely associated with János Csonka, and together they developed the Bánki–Csonka engine by 1890, which became an internationally competitive product of the Ganz Works. He was also one of the contributors to the Pallas Nagy Lexikona from 1893 onwards. On February 11, 1893, he and Csonka patented the nozzle-type gasoline carburetor (atomizer), preempting Wilhelm Maybach, who is often credited as a pioneer in this field internationally. In 1894, Bánki patented the first high-pressure internal combustion engine, the Bánki engine, which gained worldwide fame in its time. This engine used water injected into the cylinder to cool the explosive mixture, significantly increasing the engine's efficiency.In 1917, he invented the Bánki turbine, which opened new avenues for the development of small-scale hydroelectric power plants. In 1918, he devised an ambitious plan to harness the hydroelectric power of the Iron Gates.