Services
I can offer
What I do
I am well-acquainted with both the theoretical background and hands-on practice across various domains of chemical and bioengineering. As a result, I have actively engaged in the following areas:
chemical engineering design
I have independently designed various pieces of equipment, including distillation columns, heat exchanger networks, mass exchange networks (absorbers, extractors), membrane separation units, and process control loops.
biotechnology design
I have personally designed bioprocess technology equipment, including specifying and tendering for large-scale bioreactor lines and even a biotechnology clean room robot. I played a significant role in the design of GMP clean room facilities and am well-versed in sterile technologies.
mathematical modelling
I routinely use chemical process simulators as a standard practice. I have modeled various chemical and biological processes, developing custom codes in platforms such as Berkeley Madonna, Matlab, Wolfram Mathematica, etc. Additionally, I possess proficiency in mathematical optimization.
experimental work
I have extensive experience in setting up laboratory-scale biotech and chemistry experiments. This includes assembling bioreactors, various lab-scale electrochemical devices (e.g., molten salt electrolysis, small reactors), and extraction systems, etc. Additionally, I have hands-on experience in conducting radioactive experiments.
investment projects
I have contributed to large-scale investment projects in biotechnology, involving the construction of production lines and a pilot plant. Additionally, I played a key role in the installation of electrochemical liquid radioactive waste processing equipment at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant. I was actively involved in both the design and setup phases, including trial productions.
project management
In my corporate years, I served as the manager of a dynamic team comprising 7 engineers and 4 technicians. I successfully oversaw the technology transfer of a veterinary vaccine portfolio worth approximately 200 million EUR turnover per year. Prior to this, I managed the material procurement for a nuclear installation. Additionally, I supervised the work of several students.
computing & IT
I have extensive experience using a diverse range of scientific software needed for engineering design. I've designed websites, including the one you're currently viewing. In the past, I served as the server administrator for a small LLC. While my coding experience is limited, I am proficient in RStudio, MATLAB and Python. Additionally, I am familiar with computer hardware and major operating systems, however I am not an IT expert.
Quality Assurance
I have worked in EU GMP biotech environments, where I produced essential documentation for both production and equipment design. I applied Quality by Design (QbD) principles to development projects. Additionally, I have experience with ISO 9001 in a small LLC environment. My perspective on Quality Assurance (QA) is grounded in a realistic understanding.
mentoring
I have served as a mentor for students working on their MSc/BSc theses, providing guidance throughout the process. Additionally, I mentored students during summer practices and actively participate in reviewing university theses, student projects, and fund applications. Furthermore, I have contributed to academia by giving university classes in chemical engineering.
Selected publications
Zsolt Szitkai, Miklós Vásárhelyi, Bálint Kupcsulik
Scale-up of mixing of a microcarrier based cell culture cultivation in bioreactors
Presentation at “Műszaki Kémiai Napok” (May 14-16, 2014, Veszprém)
Szitkai, Z.; Farkas, T.; Lelkes, Z.; Fonyo, Z.; Kravanja, Z.
Fairly linear mixed integer nonlinear programming model for the synthesis of mass exchange networks
Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. (45),pp 236– 244, (2006)
Z. Szitkai, Z. Lelkes, E. Rev, Z. Fonyo
Handling of removable discontinuities in MINLP models for process synthesis problems
Computers and Chemical Engineering, (26) pp. 1501-1516, (2002)
Z. Szitkai, A.K. Msiza, D.M. Fraser, E. Rev, Z. Lelkes, Z. Fonyo:
Comparison of mathematical programming and pinch-based techniques for mass exchange network synthesis
Hungarian Journal of Industrial Chemistry, (30), pp. 149-154, (2002)
Z. Szitkai, Z. Lelkes, E. Rev, Z. Fonyo
Optimization of hybrid ethanol dehydration systems
Chemical Engineering and Processing, (41), pp. 631-646, (2002)
Z. Lelkes, Z. Szitkai, T. Farkas, E. Rev, Z. Fonyo:
Short-cut design of batch extractive distillation using MINLP
European Symposium on Computer Aided Process Engineering-13,
A.Kraslawski and I. Turunen (Editors), Elsevier Science B.V., pp. 203-208, 2003
Jalel Labidi, Rodrigo Llano-Ponte, Katalin Koczka, Zsolt Szitkai, Peter Mizsey, and Zsolt Fonyo:
„Mass and Energy Integration of a Pulp and Paper Process Using Different Methodologies”
5th European Meeting on Chemical Industry and Environment (EMChIE 2006), (Vienna, Austria, May 3rd – 5th, 2006.)
E. Rév, M. Emtir, Z. Szitkai, P. Mizsey, Z. Fonyó:
Energy savings of integrated and coupled distillation systems
Computers and Chemical Engineering, (25), pp. 119-140 (2001)
Marcell Horváth, Zsolt Szitkai, Péter Mizsey
Investigation of controllability of systems with recycle – a case-study
Per. Pol. Chem. Eng. (51/2) , pp. 37-44, (2007)
E. Cséfalvay, Z. Szitkai, P. Mizsey, Z. Fonyó
Experimental Data Based Modelling and Simulation of Isopropanol Dehydration by Pervaporation
Desalination (229) , pp. 94-108, ISSN: 0011-9164, (2008)
Hajnalka Kencse, József Manczinger, Zsolt Szitkai, Péter Mizsey
Retrofit design of an energy integrated distillation system
Per. Pol. Chem. Eng. (51/1) ,pp. 11-16, (2007)