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Tag: National Research Council of Science and Technology

  • Hybrid energy harvesters that harness heat and vibration simultaneously

    Hybrid energy harvesters that harness heat and vibration simultaneously

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    Newswise — Harvesting energy sources such as heat, vibration, light, and electromagnetic waves from everyday environments such as industrial sites and automobiles and converting them into electrical energy is known as energy harvesting. Energy harvesting makes it easier to power today’s popular IoT sensors and wireless devices that are located in environments where battery replacement is difficult.

    Dr. Hyun-Cheol Song and Dr. Sunghoon Hur of Electronic Materials Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) have developed a hybrid energy harvesting system that increases power production by more than 50% by combining thermoelectric and piezoelectric effects.

    The thermoelectric effect, which converts thermal energy from both ends of the device into electrical energy, has a low energy conversion efficiency, and the piezoelectric effect, which converts mechanical vibration into electrical energy, has a high impedance, so energy cannot be reliably harvested. To overcome the limitations of single-mode energy harvesters, hybrid energy harvesters have been proposed in the past, but they are mainly based on simply combining the energy generated by each mechanism.

    In response, the KIST research team developed a thermoelectric-piezoelectric hybrid energy harvester that complements the shortcomings of thermoelectric and piezoelectric devices to create a synergistic effect in environments with heat sources and vibrations. First, instead of a heat sink, which is a static shape with a large cross-sectional area that is bulky and in contact with air, a cantilever was fabricated to improve the heat dissipation effect in a vibration environment, resulting in a thermoelectric device output that was improved by more than 25%. The researchers also proposed a hybrid energy harvesting structure in which a polymer-type piezoelectric device (MFC) was attached to the cantilever to generate additional power by generating tensile and compressive deformation of the piezoelectric device as the cantilever shakes. The research team successfully applied this hybrid energy harvester to stably drive a commercial IoT sensor (GPS positioning sensor, 3 V, 20 mW), demonstrating the potential for future IoT sensors to run continuously without battery power supply.

    “This study confirms that the hybrid energy harvesting system can be reliably applied to our real life,” said Dr. Sunghoon Hur of KIST, who led the research. “We have confirmed its effectiveness in places where heat and vibration exist together, such as automobile engines, and are currently planning to build a system that can be applied to factory facilities or construction machinery engines that are difficult to supply power and diagnose their condition wirelessly.”

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    KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/

    The research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Jong-ho Lee) as Institutional Program of KIST and was published in the latest issue of Energy Conversion and Management (IF: 10.4, top 1.8% in JCR), an international journal in the energy field.



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  • The cause of recent cold waves over East Asia and North America was in the mid-latitude ocean fronts

    The cause of recent cold waves over East Asia and North America was in the mid-latitude ocean fronts

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    Newswise — If the world is warming, why are our winters getting colder? Indeed, East Asia and North America have experienced frequent extreme weather events since the 2000s that defy average climate change projections. Many experts have blamed Arctic warming and a weakening jet stream due to declining Arctic sea ice, but climate model experiments have not adequately demonstrated their validity. The massive power outage in Texas in February 2021 was caused by an unusual cold snap, and climate models are needed to accurately predict the risk of extreme weather events in order to prevent massive socioeconomic damage. In particular, climate technology leaders have recently set the ability to predict the climate of the next decade or so as an important goal.

    The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) announced that senior researcher Mi-Kyung Sung of the Sustainable Environment Research Center and professor Soon-Il An of the Center for Irreversible Climate Change at Yonsei University (President Seung-hwan Seo) have jointly discovered the role of mid-latitude oceans as a source of anomalous waves that are particularly frequent in East Asia and North America, paving the way for a mid- to long-term response to winter climate change.

    Ocean currents have a major impact on the weather and climate of neighboring countries as they transport not only suspended and dissolved matter but also heat energy. In particular, regions where temperatures change rapidly in a narrow latitudinal band, such as the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean and the downstream region of the Kuroshio Current in the Pacific Ocean, are called “ocean fronts,” and the KIST-Yonsei joint research team attributes the atmospheric wave response to the excessive accumulation of heat in these ocean fronts as the cause of the increase in extreme cold waves. From the early 2000s until recently, anomalous cold trend in East Asia coincided with the accumulation of heat near the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic, and that in North America coincided with the intensification of heat accumulation near the Kuroshio Current. The oceanic frontal region acts as a thermostat to control the frequency of winter cold waves and anomalous high temperatures.

    The process of heat accumulation in oceanic frontal regions lasts from years to decades. During this time, a warming hiatus can occur in the continental regions that bucks the global warming trend. Conversely, during decades of ocean frontal cooling, continental regions appear to experience a sharp acceleration of warming. This suggests that the recent decadal cooling trend is essentially reinforced by temporary natural variability in the global climate system, and that we can expect unseasonably warm winter weather to become more prevalent as the heat buildup in the ocean front is relieved. These results are also evident in climate model experiments that vary the amount of heat accumulation near ocean fronts, showing that observations and climate model experiments are consistent in their conclusions, in contrast to conventional sea ice theory. This highlights the importance of accurately simulating ocean front variability in climate models to improve our ability to predict medium- and long-term climate change over the next decade.

    As global warming intensifies in the future and changes the structure of the ocean, these regional climate variations could change dramatically. Climate model experiments with increased greenhouse gases have shown that North America is likely to experience shorter and fewer warming hiatus, while East Asia is likely to experience more frequent intersections between warming hiatus and acceleration. These different continental responses are driven by the different oceanic responses of the Kuroshio Current and the Gulf Stream to global warming.

    “Applying the effects of ocean fronts revealed in this research to global warming climate models can improve climate change forecasts for the near future,” said Dr. Mi-Kyung Sung of KIST. “It will provide important references for long-term forecasts of winter energy demand and the construction of climate change response infrastructure to prevent climate disasters such as the 2021 Texas power outage.”

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    KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/

    The research, which was funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Jong-ho Lee) through the Mid-Career Researcher Support Project (2021R1A2C1003934), the Leading Research Center Support Project (2018R1A5A1024958), and the Ultra-High Performance Computing Utilization Advancement Project (2022M3K3A1094114), was published on November 27 in the international journal Nature Communications

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  • Korean Artificial Sun, KSTAR, Installation of a tungsten divertor for long pulse operations

    Korean Artificial Sun, KSTAR, Installation of a tungsten divertor for long pulse operations

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    Newswise — The Korean artificial sun, KSTAR, has completed divertor upgrades, allowing it to operate for extended periods sustaining high-temperature plasma over the 100 million degrees.

    The Korea Institute of Fusion Energy announced the successful installation of the newly developed tungsten divertor for KSTAR. KSTAR, now equipped with the new divertor, commenced a plasma experiment on the 21st of December 2023.

    The divertor, a crucial plasma-facing component installed at the bottom of the vacuum vessel in a magnetic fusion device known as a Tokamak, manages the exhaust of waste gas and impurities from the reactor and also endures the highest surface heat loads. This is why it is important to develop and deploy a divertor that is highly heat-resistant.

    Initially, KSTAR had a carbon divertor, but for KSTAR’s enhanced performance and prolonged operations at 100 million ℃, the heat flux exceeded the limit of the carbon divertor.

    Consequently, the development of a divertor using tunsten has begun in 2018. The first prototype was completed in 2021, and installation of a new divertor took place from September 2022 for approximately one year. The recently installed divertor consists of 64 cassettes, each crafted from tungsten mono-blocks. These 64 cassettes fully surround the bottom of the vacuum vessel.

    Tungsten material possesses a high melting point and low sputtering characteristics. Therefore, the heat flux limit has improved by over two-fold compared to the carbon divertor, reaching 10 MW/m².

    The plasma experiments of KSTAR in the new tungsten divertor environment will continue until February 2024. The primary objectives include verifying stable operations in the new tungsten divertor environment and reproducing KSTAR’s 100-million-degree plasma.

    KFE President, Dr. Suk Jae Yoo stated, “In KSTAR, we have implemented a divertor with tungsten material which is also the choice made in ITER. We will strive to contribute our best efforts in obtaining the necessary data for ITER through KSTAR experiments.”

    Previously, KSTAR has demonstrated high performance plasma operation for 30 seconds with an ion temperatures over 100 million degrees, and now the goal is to achieve 300 seconds by the end of 2026 with this new divertor.

     

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    The Korea Institute of Fusion Energy(KFE) is Korea’s only research institute specializing in nuclear fusion. Based on our development and operation of KSTAR, a superconducting fusion research device, the KFE seeks to achieve groundbreaking research results, develop core technology for commercializing nuclear fusion, and train outstanding nuclear fusion personnel. In addition, the institute is spearheading a joint effort to open the era of nuclear fusion energy in the mid-21st century through active participation in the ITER Project.

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  • A Novel Toxic Gas Sensor by KRISS Improves the Limit of Detection

    A Novel Toxic Gas Sensor by KRISS Improves the Limit of Detection

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    Newswise — The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS, President Dr. Ho Seong Lee) developed a toxic gas sensor with the world’s highest sensitivity. This sensor can precisely monitor nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a toxic gas in the atmosphere, at room temperature with low power consumption and ultra-high sensitivity. It can be applied to diverse fields, such as detection of residual gases during semiconductor manufacturing process and research on electrolysis catalysts.

    NO2, produced by the high-temperature combustion of fossil fuels and primarily emitted through automobile exhaust or factory smoke, contributes to an increase in mortality due to air pollution. In South Korea, the annual average concentration of NO2 in the air is regulated to be 30 ppb* or lower by presidential decree. Highly sensitive sensors, therefore, are required to accurately detect gases at extremely low concentrations.
    * ppb: parts per billion

    In recent times, the use of toxic gases which are potentially fatal to humans has been on the rise due to the development of high-tech industries, including semiconductor manufacturing. While some laboratories and factories have adopted semiconductor-type sensors for safety, the challenge lies in their low response sensitivity, making them unable to detect toxic gases that may even be perceptible to the human nose. To increase the sensitivity, they consume a lot of energy in the end because they must operate at high temperatures.

    The newly developed sensor, a next-generation semiconductor-type toxic gas sensor based on advanced materials, exhibits significantly improved performance and usability compared to conventional sensors. With its outstanding sensitivity to chemical reactions, the new sensor can detect NO2 much more sensitively than previously reported semiconductor-type sensors, a sensitivity that is 60 times higher. Moreover, the novel sensor consumes minimal power operating at room temperature, and its optimal semiconductor manufacturing process enables large-area synthesis at low temperatures, thereby reducing fabrication costs.

    The key to the technology lies in the MoS2 nanobranch material developed by KRISS. Unlike the conventional 2D flat structure of MoS2, this material is synthesized in a 3D structure resembling tree branches, thereby enhancing the sensitivity. Besides its strength of uniform material synthesis on a large area, it can create a 3D structure by adjusting the carbon ratio in the raw material without additional processes.

    The KRISS Semiconductor Integrated Metrology Team has experimentally demonstrated that their gas sensor can detect NO2 in the atmosphere at concentrations as low as 5 ppb. The calculated detection limit of the sensor is 1.58 ppt**, marking the world’s highest level of sensitivity.
    ** ppt: parts per trillion

    This achievement enables precise monitoring of NO2 in the atmosphere with low power consumption. The sensor not only saves time and cost but also offers excellent resolution. It is expected to contribute to research on improving atmospheric conditions by detecting annual average concentrations of NO2 and monitoring real-time changes.

    Another characteristic of this technology is its ability to adjust the carbon content in the raw material during the material synthesis stage, thereby altering the electrochemical properties. This can be utilized to develop sensors capable of detecting gases other than NO2, such as residual gases produced during the semiconductor manufacturing processes. The excellent chemical reactivity of the material can also be exploited to enhance the performance of electrolysis catalysts for hydrogen production.

    Dr. Jihun Mun, a senior researcher of the KRISS Semiconductor Integrated Metrology Team, said, “This technology, which overcomes the limitations of conventional gas sensors, will not only meet government regulations but also facilitate precise monitoring of domestic atmospheric conditions. We will continue follow-up research so that this technology can be applied to the development of various toxic gas sensors and catalysts, extending beyond the monitoring of NO2 in the atmosphere.”

     

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    As a national metrology institute (NMI) of Korea founded in 1975, KRISS (Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science) has developed measurement standards technology and played a pivotal role in upgrading Korea’s main industries to the global level.

    The results of this study, supported by the fundamental project of KRISS and the Nanomaterial Technology Development Project of Ministry of Science and ICT, were published in the August issue of Small Structures (IF: 15.9), a prestigious academic journal in the field of materials science.

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  • Developing nanocatalysts to overcome limitations of water electrolysis technology

    Developing nanocatalysts to overcome limitations of water electrolysis technology

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    Newswise — Green hydrogen can be produced through water electrolysis technology, which uses renewable energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen without emitting carbon dioxide. However, the production cost of green hydrogen is currently around $5 per kilogram, which is two to three times higher than gray hydrogen obtained from natural gas. For the practical use of green hydroten, the innovation in water electrolysis technology is required for the realization of hydrogen economy, especially for Korea where the utilization of renewable energy is limited owing to geographical reasons.

    Dr. Kyung Joong Yoon’s research team at the Energy Materials Research Center of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) has developed a nanocatalyst for high-temperature water electrolysis that can retain a high current density of more than 1A/cm2 for a long time at temperatures above 600 degrees. While the degradation mechanisms of nanomaterials at high temperatures have been elusive thus far, the team identified the fundamental reasons of abnormal behavior of nanomateirals and successfully resolved issues, eventually improving performance and stability in realistic water electrolysis cells.

    The electrolysis technology can be classified into low- and high-temperature electrolysis. While low-temperature electrolysis operating at temperatures below 100 degrees Celsius has long been developed and is technologically more mature, high-temperature electrolysis operating above 600 degrees Celsius offers higher efficiency and is considered as a next-generation technology with a strong potential for further cost-down. However, its commercialization has been hindered by the lack of thermal stability and insufficient lifetime owing to high-temperature degradation, such as corrosion and structural deformation. In particular, nanocatalysts, which are widely used to improve the performance of low-temperature water electrolyzers, quickly deteriorate at high operating temperatures, making it difficult to effectively use them for high-temperature water electrolysis.

    To overcome this limitation, the team developed a new nanocatalyst synthetic techniques that suppresses the formation of harmful compounds causing high temperature degradation. By systematically analyzing the nanoscale phenomena using transmission electron microscopy, the researchers identified specific substances causing severe structural alterations, such as strontium carbonate and cobalt oxide and successfully removed them to achieve highly stable nanocatalysts in terms of chemical and physical properties.

    When the team applied the nanocatalyst to a high-temperature water electrolysis cell, it more than doubled hydrogen production rate and operated for more than 400 hours at 650 degrees without degradation. This technique was also sucessfully applied to a practical large-area water electrolysis cell, confirming its strong potential for scale-up and commercial use.

    “Our newly developed nanomaterials achieved both high performance ans stability for high-temperature water electrolysis technology, and it can contribute to lower the production cost of green hydrogen, making it economically competitive with gray hydrogen in the future,” said Dr. Kyungjoong Yoon of KIST. “For commercialization, we plan to develop automated processing techniques for mass production in cooperation with industry cell manufacturers.”

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    KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/

    This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Lee Jong-ho) through the KIST Major Project and Climate Change Response Technology Development Project (2020M1A2A2080862), and the results were published in the latest issue of the Chemical Engineering Journal (IF 15.1, top 3.2% in JCR), an international journal in the field of chemical engineering.

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  • Artificial intelligence lowers the barrier to ultrasound brain disease treatment

    Artificial intelligence lowers the barrier to ultrasound brain disease treatment

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    Newswise — Focused ultrasound technology is a non-invasive treatment method that focuses ultrasound energy on a few millimeters of the brain, including deep regions, to treat neurological disorders without opening the skull. It has been applied to the treatment of various intractable brain diseases such as depression and Alzheimer’s disease because it minimizes the impact on the surrounding healthy tissue and reduces side effects such as complications and infections. However, its use has been limited so far because it is difficult to reflect the distortion of ultrasound waves caused by the different shapes of the skulls of different patients in real-time.

    A research team led by Dr. Kim, Hyungmin of the Bionics Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) has developed a real-time acoustic simulation technology based on generative AI to predict and correct the distortion of the ultrasound focus position caused by the skull in real-time during focused ultrasound therapy. Until now, the clinical applicability of AI simulation models in the field of non-invasive focused ultrasound therapy technology has not been validated.

    To predict the location of the invisible acoustic focus, navigation systems based on medical images taken before treatment are currently utilized, which provide information about the relative position of the patient and the ultrasound transducer. However, they are limited by their inability to account for the distortion of ultrasound waves caused by the skull, and while various simulation techniques have been used to compensate for this, they still require significant computational time, making them difficult to apply in actual clinical practice.

    The research team developed a real-time focused ultrasound simulation technology through an artificial intelligence model based on a generative adversarial neural network (GAN), a deep learning model widely used for image generation in the medical field. The technology reduces the update time of three-dimensional simulation information reflecting changes in ultrasound acoustic waves from 14 s to 0.1 s, while showing an average maximum acoustic pressure error of less than 7% and a focal position error of less than 6mm, both of which are within the error range of existing simulation technologies, increasing the possibility of clinical application.

    The research team also developed a medical image-based navigation system to verify the performance of the developed technology in order to rapidly deploy it to real-world clinical practice. The system can provide real-time acoustic simulations at the rate of 5 Hz depending on the position of the ultrasound transducer, and succeeded in predicting the position of the ultrasound energy and focus within the skull in real-time during focused ultrasound therapy.

    Previously, due to the long calculation time, the ultrasound transducer had to be precisely positioned in a pre-planned location to utilize the simulation results. However, with the newly developed simulation-guided navigation system, it is now possible to adjust the ultrasound focus based on the acoustic simulation results obtained in real-time. In the future, it is expected to improve the accuracy of focused ultrasound and provide safe treatment for patients by being able to quickly respond to unexpected situations that may occur during the treatment process.

    “As the accuracy and safety of focused ultrasound brain disease treatment has been improved through this research, more clinical applications will emerge,” said Dr. Kim, Hyungmin of KIST. “For practical use, we plan to verify the system by diversifying the ultrasound sonication environment, such as multi-array ultrasound transducers.”

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    KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/

    This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Lee Jong-ho) under the Creative Convergence Research Project (CAP-18014-000) of the National Research Council of Korea. The research results were published on October 14 in the top international journal NeuroImage (top 3.6% in JCR).

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  • Investigation of degradation mechanism for all-solid-state batteries takes another step toward commercialization

    Investigation of degradation mechanism for all-solid-state batteries takes another step toward commercialization

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    Newswise — Often referred to as the ‘dream batteries’, all-solid-state batteries are the next generation of batteries that many battery manufacturers are competing to bring to market. Unlike lithium-ion batteries, which use a liquid electrolyte, all components, including the electrolyte, anode, and cathode, are solid, reducing the risk of explosion, and are in high demand in markets ranging from automobiles to energy storage systems (ESS). However, devices that maintain the high pressure (tens of MPa) required for stable operation of all-solid-state batteries have problems that reduce the battery performance, such as energy density and capacity, and must be solved for commercialization.

    Dr. Hun-Gi Jung and his team at the Energy Storage Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) have newly identified degradation factors that cause rapid capacity degradation and shortened lifespan when operating all-solid-state batteries at pressures similar to those of lithium-ion batteries. Unlike previous studies, the researchers confirmed for the first time that degradation can occur inside the cathode as well as outside, showing that all-solid-state batteries can be operated reliably even in low-pressure environments in the future.

    In all-solid-state batteries, the cathode and anode have a volume change during repeated charging and discharging, resulting in interfacial degradation such as side reaction and contact loss between active materials and solid electrolytes, which increase the interfacial resistance and worsen cell performance. To solve this problem, external devices are used to maintain high pressure, but this has the disadvantage of reducing energy density as the weight and volume of the battery increase. Recently, research is being conducted on the inside of the all-solid-state cell to maintain the performance of the cell even in low-pressure environments.

    The research team analyzed the cause of performance degradation by repeatedly operating a coin-type all-solid-state battery with a sulfide-based solid electrolyte in a low-pressure environment of 0.3 MPa, similar to that of a coin-type Li-ion battery. After 50 charge-discharge cycles, the NCM cathode layer had expanded in volume by about two times, and cross-sectional image analysis confirmed that severe cracks had developed between the cathode active material and the solid electrolyte. This newly revealed that in addition to the interfacial contact loss, cracking of the cathode material and irreversible cathode phase transformation are the causes of degradation in low-pressure operation.

    Furthermore, after replacing the lithium in the cathode with an isotope (6Li) to distinguish it from the lithium present in the solid electrolyte, the team used time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) to identify for the first time the mechanism by which lithium consumption in the cathode contributes to the overall cell capacity reduction. During repeated charge-discharge cycles, sulfur, a decomposed product of the solid electrolyte, infused the cracks in the cathode material to form lithium sulfide, a byproduct that is non-conductive. This depleted the active lithium ions and promoted cathode phase transformation, reducing the capacity of the all-solid-state batteries.

    By clearly identifying the cause of the degradation of all-solid-state batteries in low-pressure operating environments, these analytical methods provide a clue to solving the problem of poor cycling characteristics compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries. If this problem is solved, it is expected that the economics of all-solid-state batteries can be secured by eliminating external auxiliary devices, which have been a major cause of rising production costs.

    “For the commercialization of all-solid-state batteries, it is essential to develop new cathode and anode materials that can be operated in a pressure-free or low-pressure environment rather than the current pressurized environment,” said Dr. Hun-Gi Jung of KIST. “When applying low-pressure-working all-solid-state batteries to medium and large-scale applications such as electric vehicles, it will be expected to make full use of established lithium-ion battery manufacturing facilities.”

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    KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/

    This research was supported by the Korea Institute of Science and Technology institutional program funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT of Korea (Minister Lee Jong-ho), by the Development Program of Core Industrial Technology funded by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (Minister Bang, Moon Kyu), and by the Technology Development Program to Solve Climate Changes funded by the National Research Foundation (President Lee, Kwang-bok). The research results were published as a front cover article in the latest issue of Advanced Energy Materials (IF 27.8, top 2.5% in JCR), an international journal in the field of energy materials.

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  • BIM-based Digital Collaboration Platform, Initiating Construction Digitalization

    BIM-based Digital Collaboration Platform, Initiating Construction Digitalization

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    Newswise — A Korean research team has developed a BIM-based digital collaboration platform that allows construction owners and engineers to collaborate with each other on digital design tasks.

    The importance of digital transformation has been increasingly recognized worldwide. Digital transformation refers to the process of leveraging digital technologies, including the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and big data, to innovate conventional operating systems. The Korean government is actively working toward achieving digital transformation in the construction industry by 2030, with a primary focus on Building Information Modeling (BIM), fundamentally changing the ways construction tasks are performed and information management systems work.

    From a conventional perspective, collaboration in the construction sector is often seen as merely sharing an integrated workspace. However, this approach comes with drawbacks associated with space rents, difficulties in properly managing collaborative information, and ambiguity in defining roles and responsibilities. These problems can be addressed by establishing an integrated digital work environment for collaboration.

    Against this backdrop, the BIM Cluster Research Team (led by Dr. Hyounseok Moon) of the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT, President Kim Byung-suk), developed a cloud-based BIM collaboration platform aimed at digitalization of collaboration in order management and design tasks for the first time in Korea. The developed technology thoroughly complies with the Common Data Environment (CDE) system for BIM information management proposed by the international standard ISO 19650. It also integrates BIM order placement and design collaboration processes into an online environment.

    The developed platform streamlines conventional order placement and design collaboration processes, reducing the time required by more than 30%. This platform integrates more than 20 BIM files to concurrently visualize, review, approve, submit, and manage them. Another key advantage is that it allows for real-time collaboration, regardless of when or where you are, through a digitalized construction work environment, eliminating the need for printed documents.

    The research team established an online environment for digital collaboration while developing its own cloud environment to ensure data security across public facilities. For services using overseas public clouds, in particular, it is possible to build a platform that complies with a customized cloud environment while ensuring data security.

    Predefined unit functions for collaboration are made available as open sources through a collaboration tool development framework. These features allow anyone to develop the online collaboration tools they want, adding scalability to this approach. Additionally, the research team has implemented an integrated web-based visualization viewer, specifically designed to visualize various BIM data for review on a single screen, including various meetings; issue management; schedule management; BIM data review, approval, and management; BIM models; documents; drawings; and images. This viewer facilitates online collaboration among relevant stakeholders, enabling them to work together seamlessly.

    The researchers have recently developed an online collaboration web service in the form of software as a service (SaaS). This open-source-based integrated viewer allows various documents, drawings, and models to be visualized and displayed on a single screen. All these functions empower multiple team members to collaboratively review BIM models and efficiently record and address relevant issues in real time. Furthermore, when linked to commercial software packages and platforms (Autodesk, Bentley, etc.), this system also facilitates the seamless exchange and sharing of any BIM data created by engineers, demonstrating exceptional versatility and interoperability.

    The developed platform can be an attractive, cost-effective option for countries, including Korea, aiming to establish their own BIM collaboration platforms that meet international standards.

    Dr. Hyounseok Moon, who led the project, said, “There will certainly be a transition from traditional work processes reliant on written documents, offline interactions, and manual labor to BIM-based digital collaboration processes. The platform developed by KICT will significantly contribute to this digital transformation across the construction industry.”

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    The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, a government-funded research institute with 40 years of extensive research experience, is at the forefront of solving national issues that are directly related to the quality of the people’s life.

    This research was funded by the “Development of BIM-based Digital Collaboration Platform supporting Order and Design Process for the Infrastructure Projects(2022-2024, jointly conducted by Basissoft, Saman, NHNInjeINC, SangSangJinHwa, Korea Express Corporation)”project implemented by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement) as a research project for promoting road construction and traffic technology.

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  • Environment-friendly electrochemical refrigerant compressor contributing to the achievement of carbon neutrality realizes sustainable building of the future with new energy technology

    Environment-friendly electrochemical refrigerant compressor contributing to the achievement of carbon neutrality realizes sustainable building of the future with new energy technology

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    Newswise — In line with the Korean government’s recent efforts to achieve the goal of “going carbon neutral by 2050,” the energy transition from fossil fuels to new and renewable sources of energy has been gaining speed. In this context, the joint research team led by Principal Researcher Young Kim of the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM), an institute under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Science and ICT, and professors Min-sung Kim and Dong-kyu Kim of Chung-Ang University has successfully developed an environment-friendly refrigerant compressor using an electrochemical method instead of a mechanical method.

    In contrast to conventional refrigerants containing HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) that destroy the ozone layer and cause global warning, environment-friendly refrigerants (ammonia, R1234yf, etc.) have very small environmental impacts. In accordance with the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, advanced nations in Europe as well as the United States and Japan are in the process of transitioning to eco-friendly refrigerants until the complete phase-out of the use of HFCs in 2024. Using environment-friendly refrigerants can help to prevent environmental pollution and contribute to sustainable development.

    Meanwhile, mechanical compressors have several limitations such as problems with durability of parts due to rapid rotation, contamination of refrigerants caused by lubricants, and loud noise. As electrochemical compressors have no moving parts and do not require the use of lubricants, they can help to overcome the shortcomings of conventional mechanical compressors. Additionally, a constant flow rate can be provided at various pressure ratios with electrochemical compressors, and the high efficiency thereof can help to significantly increase the COP (coefficient of performance) of the heat pump.

    To maximize the energy-saving effect of the rooftop greenhouse, the research team developed a “optimized smart farm operating solution” capable of controlling every aspect of the system such as air conditioning, LED, and hydroponics system in accordance with external weather conditions, and plans to demonstrate this solution through the demonstrated rooftop greenhouse.

    The joint research team has secured the core technologies necessary for producing the environment-friendly electrochemical refrigerant compressor and for designing the system thereof, and has successfully implemented the test run. With the newly developed environment-friendly electrochemical refrigerant compressor, the desired flow rate and pressure can be obtained by stacking.

    Unlike conventional mechanical compressing, an electrochemical compressor compresses refrigerants through the movement of ions by charging the ion exchange membrane with DC (direct current) voltage, while using hydrogen as the carrier gas. Additionally, it also allows for isothermal compression by applying a multi-layer freezing technology where cells are accumulated in a stack configuration. To date, the refrigerants that have been successfully compressed are ammonia, a natural refrigerant, and R1234yf, an eco-friendly refrigerant. The joint research team designed cells capable of operating solidly even under repeated high-pressure conditions and also demonstrated a leak-free design to prevent the leakage of refrigerants at high pressure. Moreover, by designing a channel capable of producing high performance even at high voltage, the joint research team has succeeded in maximizing the compression efficiency of the electrochemical compressor.

    The electrochemical compressor is capable of offering the desired compression ratio regardless of the size thereof, and can provide a stable flow rate in accordance with the compression ratio, and has excellent efficiency. Therefore, it can be used not only for constructing high-efficiency plants and heat pumps but also for building small-scale systems. In particular, as an electrochemical ammonia compressor can be used for compressing ammonia even when the ammonia acts as a hydrogen carrier, it can also be used for constructing hydrogen infrastructure.

    Dr. Young Kim of the KIMM’s Department of Thermal Energy Solutions was quoted as saying, “The eco-friendly electrochemical refrigerant compressor is highly efficient and requires a small footprint, which makes it economically attractive.” Dr. Kim added, “We are planning to develop a heat pump system using this technology to contribute to the achievement of the goal of going carbon neutral by 2050.”

    Meanwhile, this research was conducted with the support of the project for the “development of a chemical absorption-type heat pump using an electrochemical compressor” led by the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

     

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    The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) is a non-profit government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT. Since its foundation in 1976, KIMM is contributing to economic growth of the nation by performing R&D on key technologies in machinery and materials, conducting reliability test evaluation, and commercializing the developed products and technologies.

    This research was conducted with the support of the project for the “development of a chemical absorption-type heat pump using an electrochemical compressor” led by the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

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  • KERI’s thermoelectric technology, key to space probes, attracting German attention

    KERI’s thermoelectric technology, key to space probes, attracting German attention

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    Newswise — Drs. SuDong Park, Byungki Ryu, and Jaywan Chung of the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) developed a new thermoelectric efficiency formalism and a high-efficiency multistage thermoelectric power generator module. This innovation can boost nuclear battery performance, crucial for space probes, and has attracted attention from the German Aerospace Research Institute.

    A Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG), known as a thermoelectric-based nuclear battery, is a dependable power source that has been used in space probes, rovers, and other remote operations. In an RTG, radioisotopes like plutonium-238 and americium-241 decay within a sealed vessel, producing substantial heat—typically ranging from 400-700 degrees Celsius. The RTG captures this heat and directly converts the thermal energy to electrical energy in the cold environment of space.

    The core components of RTG technology are the “Radioisotope Heat Unit (RHU)”, which harnesses radioactive isotopes as a heating element, and the “thermoelectric power generator module” that converts this heat into electricity. While the development of the RHU is constrained by international restrictions, South Korea’s thermoelectric module fabrication technology is considered to be globally competitive.

    In RTGs, thermoelectric power modules are designed with a layered arrangement of thermoelectric materials, transitioning from the hot to the cold sides, each optimized for peak performance within specific temperature ranges. This multistage design is crucial given the inherent temperature dependence of thermoelectric material efficiency. Strategically positioning the top-performing materials based on temperature distribution is essential. KERI’s landmark accomplishment is their world-class design, synthesis, and analysis of this highly effective layered thermoelectric module.

    Initially, the research team identified the shortcomings and constraints of the ‘dimensionless thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT)’, a traditional metric conventionally used in academia to evaluate thermoelectric performance. They then successfully formulated a new thermoelectric efficiency formalism and equations that allow for precise efficiency predictions. Leveraging this formalism and the thermoelectric data held by KERI, they can predict the performance of thermoelectric power generator modules across more than 100 million potential thermoelectric semiconductor stack combinations. By utilizing the thermoelectric device design program, pykeri, this design and search process has been expedited by several hundred times compared to previous methods. This innovation marks a substantial leap forward from earlier approaches that depended on single-stage thermoelectric materials and the traditional metric.

    The KERI research team successfully fabricated multistage thermoelectric modules, achieving an efficiency that surpasses traditional single-stage modules by over 3% when the hot side exceeds 500 degrees Celsius.

    Additionally, their innovative fabrication method permits these modules to be comprised of two to four layers, all fitting compactly within a height of just a few millimeters. This advancement not only ensures heightened efficiency but also offers superior compactness and a lightweight design compared to previous methods. Such an internationally competitive milestone stands out prominently in the space auxiliary power market—particularly for small satellites and exploration rovers—garnering significant attention in the civilian commercial sector.

    SuDong Park of KERI remarked, “We are the first institute in Korea to conduct thermoelectric power generation research and have a long history and abundant source technology and practical data.” He further added, “This achievement is the culmination of convergence research that incorporates mathematics and physics into materials science.”

    “The module technology developed at KERI is excellent when compared internationally” said Pawel Ziolkowski, Deputy Head of a group of Thermoelectric Functional Materials and Systems, at the German Aerospace Center, adding that “The achieved level of technological maturity provides the best conditions for the development of new RTG-based energy systems for space exploration. This makes a significant contribution to an expanding scope of human space exploration.”

    The research team believes that this achievement has applications not only in the aerospace and defense sectors that utilize nuclear energy but also in various industries such as industrial waste heat recovery, cooling of communication equipment and optical devices and temperature control of electric vehicle batteries, and plans to strengthen cooperation with related organizations and companies.

    Meanwhile, KERI is a government-funded research institute under the National Research Council of Science & Technology of the Ministry of Science and ICT.

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  • Using AI to develop hydrogen fuel cell catalysts more efficiently and economically

    Using AI to develop hydrogen fuel cell catalysts more efficiently and economically

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    Newswise — Proton exchange membrane hydrogen fuel cells (PEMFCs) used in hydrogen vehicles use expensive platinum catalysts to facilitate the oxygen reduction reaction at the anode. There are a vast number of elemental combinations and compositions that need to be explored to develop more efficient and cost-effective catalyst materials than platinum, and researchers are still doing a lot of trial and error in the lab.

    The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Seok Jin Yoon) announced that Dr. Donghun Kim and Dr. Sang Soo Han of the Computational Science Research Center, Dr. Jong Min Kim of the Materials Architecturing Research Center, and Prof. Hyuck Mo Lee of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST, President Kwang Hyung Lee) have presented a new artificial intelligence-based catalyst screening methodology and succeeded in developing a new catalytic material based on a ternary element-based alloy (Cu-Au-Pt) that is cheaper and performs more than twice as well as pure platinum catalysts.

    The team developed Slab Graph Convolutional Neural Network (SGCNN) artificial intelligence model to accurately predict the binding energy of adsorbates on the catalyst surface. This is not the first application of AI to materials discovery. The SGCNN model was developed by evolving the CGCNN model, which is specialized in predicting bulk properties of solid materials, to predict surface properties of catalytic materials.

    However, there is a big difference between predicting bulk properties and surface properties. When you can quickly and accurately predict the surface properties of a catalyst, you can more efficiently screen for catalysts that meet the triple bottom line of material stability, performance, and cost. In fact, when developing fuel cell anode reaction catalysts using this methodology, we were able to explore the potential of nearly 3,200 ternary candidate materials in just one day, a scale that would have taken years using the density functional theory (DFT) adsorption energy simulation calculations traditionally used to predict catalyst properties.

    The researchers developed a novel ternary (Cu-Au-Pt) alloy catalyst through experimental validation of 10 catalysts with the potential to outperform platinum catalysts out of approximately 3,200 candidate materials. The catalyst uses only 37% of the element platinum compared to pure platinum catalysts, but the kinetic current density is more than twice as high as that of pure platinum catalysts. The catalyst also exhibits excellent durability, with little degradation after 5,000 stability tests.

    “In the future, we plan to continue to build high-quality adsorption energy data and perform more sophisticated AI modeling, which will further improve the success rate of catalytic material development,” said Dr. Kim of KIST. The new methodology has the advantage of being immediately applicable not only to catalysts for hydrogen fuel cells, but also to various catalytic reactions such as water electrolysis-based hydrogen production, which is essential for the realization of the hydrogen economy. The team plans to further reduce the unit cost and improve the performance of the developed catalysts through material and system optimization.

     

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    KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/

    The research was supported by the Samsung Future Technology Fostering Project (SRFC-MA1801-03) of Samsung Electronics (CEO Kye-hyun Kyung) and the Materials Research Data Platform Project of the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Jong-ho Lee), and was published in the international journal Applied Catalysis B: Environmental.

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  • Ushering in the era of light-powered ‘multi-level memories’

    Ushering in the era of light-powered ‘multi-level memories’

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    The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) announced that has developed a new zero-dimensional and two-dimensional (2D-0D) semiconductor artificial junction material and observed the effect of a next-generation memory powered by light.

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  • A cheaper, safer alternative to lithium-ion batteries: aqueous rechargeable batteries

    A cheaper, safer alternative to lithium-ion batteries: aqueous rechargeable batteries

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    Newswise — This summer, the planet is suffering from unprecedented heat waves and heavy rainfalls. Developing renewable energy and expanding associated infrastructure has become an essential survival strategy to ensure the sustainability of the planet in crisis, but it has obvious limitations due to the volatility of electricity production, which relies on uncertain variables like labile weather conditions. For this reason, the demand for energy storage systems (ESS) that can store and supply electricity as needed is ever-increasing, but lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) currently employed in ESS are not only highly expensive, but also prone to potential fire, so there is an urgent need to develop cheaper and safer alternatives.

    A research team led by Dr. Oh, Si Hyoung of the Energy Storage Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) has developed a highly safe aqueous rechargeable battery that can offer a timely substitute that meets the cost and safety needs. Despite of lower energy density achievable, aqueous rechargeable batteries have a significant economic advantage as the cost of raw materials is much lower than LIBs. However, inveterate hydrogen gas generated from parasitic water decomposition causes a gradual rise in internal pressure and eventual depletion of the electrolyte, which poses a sizeable threat on the battery safety, making commercialization difficult.

    Until now, researchers have often tried to evade this issue by installing a surface protection layer that minimizes the contact area between the metal anode and the electrolyte. However, the corrosion of the metal anode and accompanying decomposition of water in the electrolyte is inevitable in most cases, and incessant accumulation of hydrogen gas can cause a potential detonation in long-term operation.

    To cope with this critical issue, the research team has developed a composite catalyst consisting of manganese dioxide and palladium, which is capable of automatically converting hydrogen gas generated inside the cell into water, ensuring both the performance and safety of the cell. Manganese dioxide does not react with hydrogen gas under normal circumstances, but when a small amount of palladium is added, hydrogen is readily absorbed by the catalysts, being regenerated into water. In the prototype cell loaded with the newly developed catalysts, the internal pressure of the cell was maintained well below the safety limit, and no electrolyte depletion was observed.

    The results of this research effectively solves one of the most concerning safety issues in the aqueous batteries, making a major stride towards commercial application to ESS in the future. Replacing LIBs by cheaper and safer aqueous batteries can even trigger a rapid growth of global market for ESS.

    “This technology pertains to a customized safety strategy for aqueous rechargeable batteries, based on the built-in active safety mechanism, through which risk factors are automatically controlled.” said Dr. Oh, Si Hyoung of KIST. “Moreover, it can be applied to various industrial facilities where hydrogen gas leakage is one of major safety concerns (for instance, hydrogen gas station, nuclear power plant etc) to protect public safety.”

     

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    KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/

    This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Lee Jong-ho) through the Nano Future Material Source Technology Development Project and the Mid-Career Researcher Support Project, and the results were published on August 1 in the international journal Energy Storage Materials (IF 20.4).

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  • New technology for customized air purification of toxic gases

    New technology for customized air purification of toxic gases

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    Newswise — Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in daily products such as paints, adhesives, furniture, cosmetics, and deodorants make our lives easier. However, constant exposure can cause serious health problems such as respiratory illness, headaches, dermatitis, and cancer. Natural ventilation is the most effective way to reduce VOCs in indoor air, but recently, air purifiers have become a common method to maintain indoor air quality due to the frequent extreme outdoor condition (e.g. high concentration of fine dust, heat waves, and extreme cold). Generally, air purifiers remove VOCs by adsorption using activated carbon, which has a non-polar carbon surface and a large specific surface area. This activated carbon can effectively remove non-polar substances such as toluene and benzene, but cannot remove polar substances such as ketones and aldehydes.

    The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Seok Jin Yoon) announced that Dr. Jiwon Lee and Dr. Youngtak Oh from the Center for Sustainable Environment Research have developed a new adsorbent technology that can efficiently adsorb amphiphilic VOCs, which have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties and are difficult to remove with existing activated carbon technology.

    The KIST research team synthesized a graphene-iron oxide heterostructure by precisely controlling the surface oxidation of graphite and iron, resulting in a high adsorption capacity for amphiphilic VOCs due to the increase of oxygen functional groups and iron oxide on the surface. This unique adsorbent showed up to 15 times better adsorption efficiency for amphiphilic VOCs than conventional activated carbon adsorbents.

    They also found that precise oxygen functional groups and iron oxides control of the adsorbent can offer flexible surface optimization freedom for a desirable nature of the pollutant. By testing four different ketones that are difficult to control with activated carbon adsorbents, the researchers found the correlation between the length of carbon chains and the adsorption efficiency; by optimizing the content of oxygen functional groups and iron oxides in the adsorbent, they were able to bring the maximum removal efficiency for the ketones. The researchers also analyzed the sub-nanometer electron transfer phenomenon between the adsorbent and VOC molecules; they found a link between the geometric shape of the pollutant and its adsorption trend for the first time. This is expected to enable the development of customized detection and control technologies for various air pollutants in our environment.

    “Unlike previous studies that focused on mere improvement of the adsorption performance and regeneration efficiency of adsorbents, we succeeded in developing a breakthrough material that exceeds the limits of existing adsorbents using accessible materials such as graphite and iron, which have high commercialization potential,” said Dr. Jiwon Lee.

     

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    KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/

    The research, which was conducted as a major project of KIST (Air Environment Research Program) with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Jong-ho Lee), was published on October 1 in the Chemical Engineering Journal.

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  • Make diagnosing serious geriatric diseases as easy as measuring blood sugar

    Make diagnosing serious geriatric diseases as easy as measuring blood sugar

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    Newswise — In 2023, life expectancy in Korea will be 83.6 years, the third highest among OECD countries, and it is steadily increasing every year. As the proportion of the elderly population increases, the social cost of treating various geriatric diseases is also increasing rapidly, and there is a growing interest in early diagnosis of diseases. Among the various diagnostic methods, researchers are actively conducting research on measuring glutamine as an indicator of geriatric diseases by finding that the concentration of glutamine in the cells and blood of patients with serious diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and dementia is significantly changed compared to normal people.

    Dr. Seo, Moon-Hyeong of the Natural Product Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), together with Dr. Park, Keunwan of the Natural Product Informatics Research Center, have developed a technology that can quickly and accurately measure glutamine concentrations without complicated measurement processes and expensive analytical equipment through the principle of ‘ligand-induced protein assembly’.

    Glutamine is an amino acid in the blood that is used by cells to synthesize proteins or as an energy source, and its rapid fluctuation in certain situations makes it a useful biomarker for the treatment and early diagnosis of disease. For this reason, researchers are actively studying glutamine metabolism in the body to diagnose metabolic and degenerative diseases, including cancer treatment by inhibiting the metabolism of glutamine, which is also a nutrient for cancer cells.

    Until now, the measurement of glutamine concentration in the body has relied on expensive specialized analytical equipment such as amino acid analyzers, which cannot measure changes in glutamine concentration in living cells in real time. In the case of relatively low-cost research kits, cumbersome pre-treatment processes such as protein removal in biological samples were required, resulting in long measurement times and low accuracy.

    The team developed a sensor protein for measuring glutamine based on the principle of “ligand-induced protein assembly” that can easily measure the concentration of glutamine in the blood. By separating a glutamine binding protein into two artificial proteins and then binding to the sample, and named it Q-SHINE by combining Q, the symbol for glutamine, and SHINE, which means brightly glowing. Experiments showed that the Q-SHINE sensor was highly selective, not responding to amino acids with similar structure such as glutamic acid and D-glutamine. The lowest concentration of glutamine that can be measured is 1 micromolar (µM, one millionth of a molar), which is 20 times lower than the enzymatic assay most commonly used in research kits. In addition, the sensor protein can be easily produced in E. coli, making it possible for a research kit to analyze glutamine concentrations at the same level as analytical instruments worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

    The team also used the Q-SHINE sensor to monitor changes in glutamine concentration in the cytoplasm and mitochondria of living cells in real time. In particular, by verifying the difference in glutamine concentration between cancer cells and normal cells, it is expected to speed up the development of anticancer drugs by inhibiting glutamine metabolism.

    “The Q-SHINE sensor developed by KIST will enable easy monitoring of glutamine concentration, similar to the self-monitoring of blood glucose by diabetics,” said Dr. Seo, Moon-Hyeong. “If used for glutamine metabolism research, it will greatly contribute to early diagnosis and identification of causes of severe geriatric diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and dementia, as well as development of cancer drugs that regulate glutamine metabolism.”

     

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    KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/

    The research, which was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Lee Jong-ho) through the KIST Major Project and the Korea Research Foundation’s Excellent New Research Project, was published in the latest issue of the international journal Sensors and Actuators, B: Chemical (IF=8.4, top 0.8% in JCR).

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  • A 130g soft robot gripper lifts 100kg?

    A 130g soft robot gripper lifts 100kg?

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    Newswise — Utilizing soft, flexible materials such as cloth, paper, and silicone, soft robotic grippers is an essential device that acts like a robot’s hand to perform functions such as safely grasping and releasing objects. Unlike conventional rigid material grippers, they are more flexible and safe, and are being researched for household robots that handle fragile objects such as eggs, or for logistics robots that need to carry various types of objects. However, its low load capacity makes it difficult to lift heavy objects, and its poor grasping stability makes it easy to lose the object even under mild external impact.

    Dr. Song, Kahye of the Intelligent Robotics Research Center at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), along with Professor Lee, Dae-Young of the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), have jointly developed a soft gripper with a woven structure that can grip objects weighing more than 100 kg with 130 grams of material.

    To increase the loading capacity of the soft robot gripper, the research team applied a new structure inspired by textiles, as opposed to the conventional method of developing new materials or reinforcing the structure. The weaving technique they focused on involves tightly intertwining individual threads to create a strong fabric, which can reliably support heavy objects and has been used for centuries in clothing, bags, and industrial textiles. The team used thin PET plastic The grippers were designed to allow the strips to intertwine and unwind into a woven structure.

    The resulting woven gripper weighs 130 grams and can grip an object weighing 100 kilograms. Conventional grippers of the same weight can lift no more than 20 kilograms at most, and considering that a gripper that can lift the same weight weighs 100 kilograms, the team succeeded in increasing the load capacity relative to its own weight.

    Also, the soft robot gripper developed by the research team uses plastic, which costs only a few thousand won per unit of material, and can be used as a universal gripper that can grip objects of various shapes and weights, making it highly competitive in price. In addition, since the soft robot gripper can be manufactured by simply fastening a plastic strip, the manufacturing process can be completed in less than 10 minutes, and it is easy to replace and maintain, so the process efficiency is excellent.

    In addition to PET, which is the main material used by the research team, the gripper can also be made of various materials such as rubber and compounds that possess elasticity, allowing the team to customize and utilize grippers suitable for industrial and logistics sites that require strong gripping performance or various environments that need to withstand extreme conditions.

    “The woven structure gripper developed by KIST and KAIST has the strengths of a soft robot but can grasp heavy objects at the level of a rigid gripper,” said Dr. Song. It can be manufactured in a variety of sizes, from coins to cars, and can grip objects of various shapes and weights, from thin cards to flowers, so it is expected to be used in fields such as industry, logistics, and housework that require soft grippers.”

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    KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/

    KAIST is the first and top science and technology university in Korea. KAIST has been the gateway to advanced science and technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship, and our graduates have been key players behind Korea’ innovations. KAIST will continue to pursue advances in science and technology as well as the economic development of Korea and beyond. (https://www.kaist.ac.kr/en)

    The research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Lee Jong-ho) through the KIST Major Project and the Korea Research Foundation Basic Research Program, the Overseas Advanced Scientist Invitation Program, and the Basic Research Laboratory Support Program. The results of the study were published on August 2 in the international journal Nature Communications (IF:16.6, top 8.2% in JCR) and were selected as Editors’ Highlights, which introduces the best 50 papers in each field.

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  • Dramatically lower the cost of producing green hydrogen

    Dramatically lower the cost of producing green hydrogen

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    Newswise — According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global hydrogen demand is expected to reach 530 million tons in 2050, a nearly six-fold increase from 2020. Currently, the primary method of hydrogen production involves the reaction of natural gas and water vapor, resulting in what is known as ‘gray hydrogen’ due to its carbon dioxide emissions, constituting around 80% of total hydrogen production. In contrast, green hydrogen is produced through water electrolysis using electricity, without emitting carbon dioxide. However, a challenge lies in the inevitable use of expensive precious metal catalysts, such as iridium oxide.

    A research team led by Dr. Yoo Sung Jong of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) have succeeded in significantly reducing the cost of green hydrogen production by implementing an anion exchange membrane water electrolysis device with excellent performance and durability by introducing a carbon support. Carbon supports have been utilized as supports for various electrocatalysts due to their high electrical conductivity and specific surface area, but their usage has been limited because they readily oxidize to carbon dioxide in water electrolysis conditions, specifically at high voltages and in the presence of water.

    The team synthesized a nickel-iron-cobalt layered double hydroxide material, a significantly cheaper alternative to iridium, on a hydrophobic carbon support and used it as an electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction in anion exchange membrane electrolysis. The catalyst showed excellent durability due to the layered structure facing a hydrophobic carbon support and a nickel-iron-cobalt layered double hydroxide catalyst. In terms of carbon corrosion, it was found that the generation of carbon dioxide during the corrosion process was reduced by more than half, primarily because of decreased interaction with water, a key factor in carbon corrosion. It was found that the carbon dioxide generated during the corrosion process was less than half due to the reduced interaction with water, which causes corrosion of carbon.

    As a result of performance evaluation, it is found that the newly developed supported catalyt achieved a current density of 10.29 A/cm-2 in the 2 V region, exceeding the 9.38 A/cm-2 current density of commercial iridium oxide. demonstrated long-term durability of about 550 hours. We also confirmed a correlation between electrolysis performance and the hydrophobicity of carbon, showing for the first time that the support’s hydrophobicity can significantly affect the water electrolysis device’s performance.

    “The results of this research confirm the applicability of water electrolysis devices on carbon supports, which have previously been limited in use due to corrosion problems, and it is expected that water electrolysis technology can grow to the next level if the research focused on catalyst development is expanded to various supports.” “We will strive to develop various eco-friendly energy technologies, including green hydrogen production,” said Dr. Yoo Sung Jong Yoo in KIST.

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    KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/

    This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Lee Jong-ho) through the KIST Major Project and Nano and Material Technology Development Project, and the Korea Energy Technology Assessment Institute(Director Kwon Ki-young) Renewable Energy Core Technology Development Project, and the results were published on August 1 in the international journal Energy & Environmental Science (IF 32.5, top 0.4% in JCR).

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  • ETRI confirms possibility of wireless communication 40m underground in mine

    ETRI confirms possibility of wireless communication 40m underground in mine

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    Newswise — South Korean researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery that enables wireless communication below the Earth’s surface, a significant departure from their traditional focus on terrestrial communication systems. This development opens new avenues for confirming the survival of individuals trapped due to accidents such as mine collapses during rescue operations.

    Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute(ETRI) announced that they have successfully developed the world’s first “Subterranean Magnetic Field Communication Core Technology.” Utilizing a transmitting antenna with a diameter of 1 meter and a receiving antenna of several centimeters, the institute managed to send and receive voice signal-level capacity up to 40 meters below the Earth’s surface in a mine.

    Conventional wisdom held that wireless communication in the complex underground environments of mines was virtually impossible due to signal attenuation. However, ETRI overcame these obstacles by developing a new communication system that leverages the unique boundary conditions of magnetic fields within the medium. The result is a successful transmission of voice data-level capacity in a mine where stable communication was previously unfeasible.

    The research team miniaturized the size of their transmitting antenna to 1 meter, contrasting with the tens-of-meters scale antennas used in previous international research. The system also features small receiving sensors based on magnetic induction, with dimensions in the order of centimeters.

    According to the researchers, the newly developed transmitting and receiving antennas function akin to an Access Point(AP), essentially serving as a base station linking the surface and the underground. Therefore, it is expected that once transmitting devices on the surface and receiving devices underground are installed, individuals awaiting rescue could communicate through personal devices like mobile phones, connected to these antennas.

    The successful communication test was conducted over a distance of 40 meters inside a mine composed of limestone bedrock. The team explained that they used a very narrow low-frequency band of 20kHz, rather than the MHz or GHz range commonly used in general wireless communication. This frequency band was chosen to minimize material loss in the subterranean or underwater environment, and to suit the size of the antennas. The data transmission rate for voice signals was maintained at around 4kbps, sufficient for basic two-way communication.

    In the labyrinthine darkness of underground mines, which bear a resemblance to the complexity of an ant colony, researchers have demonstrated the ability to transmit data directly over a distance of 40 meters between various levels.

    This successful application of magnetic field communication promises to bring substantial changes to the underground mining industry. Notably, this technology is expected to offer a reliable mode of communication during emergencies such as mine collapses, underground fires, and other disaster scenarios that typically disrupt conventional communication systems.

    ETRI emphasized that magnetic field communication systems would maintain connections between miners and rescue teams during accidents, thereby facilitating better-coordinated rescue efforts. The technology is also seen as a means to reduce response time in emergencies and to enhance safety measures.

    Additionally, Last year, they successfully executed underwater communications up to a depth of 40 meters in freshwater regions such as rivers and streams.

    Moreover, the institute has completed patent applications for key technologies, including transceivers, related antennas, modems, bandwidth extension transmission technology, and miniaturized magnetic field sensors.

    ETRI’s In-kui Cho, Director of EM Wave Basic Technology Research Section, elaborated, “We have conducted successful communication trials between the first and second layers of underground mines using magnetic field communication systems. This greatly reduces the likelihood of communication network disruptions caused by mine collapses.”

    Seung-keun Park Assistane Vice President of Radio Research Division at ETRI, also expressed that beyond mining, magnetic field communication is expected to have a broad impact across various sectors. “This technology is anticipated to be a groundbreaking mode of reliable communication in complex and unpredictable environments like underground construction, tunneling, and ocean excavation,” he said.

    The research team has secured a solid track record, including ten papers published in SCI-indexed journals and twelve international patent applications. Their work is set to be presented at the esteemed international academic conference in the field of communication, the 20th Annual IEEE International Conference on Sensing, Communication, and Networking(SECON 2023), scheduled for September 12, 2023.

    ETRI is concentrating its research on overcoming the limitations of propagating material in extreme conditions like underwater and subterranean environments. Collaborating with industry partners, they aim to further develop this technology for long-distance and miniaturized systems exceeding 100 meters.

    Researchers anticipate that this breakthrough will offer effective communication solutions not only in mine collapses but also in other underground structures like gas and oil pipelines, contributing to increased safety measures during various emergencies.

     

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    The research results are part of the “10pT-class Micro-magnetic Field-based Medium and Long Distance Magnetic Field Communication Technology” project, supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT’s ETRI Research and Development Program. The developmental trials were conducted in collaboration with Admotech Co., Ltd. and Do-It Co., Ltd.

     

    About Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI)

    ETRI is a non-profit government-funded research institute. Since its foundation in 1976, ETRI, a global ICT research institute, has been making its immense effort to provide Korea a remarkable growth in the field of ICT industry. ETRI delivers Korea as one of the top ICT nations in the World, by unceasingly developing world’s first and best technologies.

    This technology was developed with the assistance of the Ministry of Science and ICT.

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  • Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) and Research Institutes of Sweden AB (RISE) Ink MoU to Advance Cooperation in Science and Technology

    Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) and Research Institutes of Sweden AB (RISE) Ink MoU to Advance Cooperation in Science and Technology

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    Newswise — Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) and Research Institutes of Sweden AB (RISE) have officially entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at enhancing collaborative research in the field of national strategic technologies. The signing ceremony took place at RISE in Stockholm, Sweden on Friday, September 15, 2023.

    RISE, recognized as Europe’s largest state-owned research institute, is composed of 30 private and government-funded research institutes, along with more than 130 government-designated testing agencies. It also boasts a workforce of approximately 3,500 employees. As demonstrated by the recent signing of MoUs with various Korean organizations such as Korea Automotive Technology Institute (Katech), Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology (KEIT), Korea Electronics Technology Institute (KETI), and Korea Marine Equipment Research Institute (KOMER), the institute is solidifying partnerships within Korea.

    Through this MoU, KERI and RISE aim to strengthen cooperation in multiple domains within the field of national strategic science and technology. This includes joint research initiatives, collaborative lectures and workshops, and the exchange of both talent and information.

    Notably, RISE has been at the forefront of research in silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors and amassed extensive experience in successfully commercializing this groundbreaking technology with global companies. This expertise is set to unlock significant synergies in collaboration with KERI.

    President Kim, Nam-Kyun of KERI remarked, “I have maintained close contact with RISE since my days as a researcher and have been inspired by RISE’s advanced technology.” He also reaffirmed his commitment to making “this MoU an exemplary case of cooperation in science and technology between Korea and Sweden.”

    KERI is a government-funded research institute operating under the National Research Council of Science and Technology, an affiliation of the Ministry of Science and ICT in Korea.

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    National Research Council of Science and Technology

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  • KERI, Transfer of ‘Ion Implantation Evaluation Technology for the SiC Power Semiconductor’ to Hungary

    KERI, Transfer of ‘Ion Implantation Evaluation Technology for the SiC Power Semiconductor’ to Hungary

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    Newswise — KERI succeeded in transferring the ‘Ion Implantation and its Evaluation Technology for the SiC (silicon carbide) Power Semiconductor’ to a Hungarian company.

    Power semiconductors are key components in electricity and electronics, acting as the muscles of the human body by regulating the direction of current and controlling power conversion. There are many different materials for power semiconductors. Among them, SiC is receiving the most attention due to its excellent material properties, including high durability and excellent power efficiency. When SiC power semiconductors are incorporated into electric vehicles, they cut down the power consumption of the battery and reduce the body weight and volume of the vehicle, resulting in energy efficiency improvements of up to 10%

    While SiC power semiconductors have many advantages, the manufacturing process is also very challenging. Previously, a method was applied to create a device by forming an epi layer (single-crystal semiconductor thin-film) on a highly conductive wafer and flowing current through that area. However, during this process, the surface of the epi layer becomes rough and the speed of electron transfer decreases. The price of the epi wafer itself is also high, which is a major obstacle to mass production.

    To solve this problem, KERI used a method of implanting ions into a semi-insulated SiC wafer without an epi layer. Ion implantation, which makes a wafer conductive, is the work that breathes life into a semiconductor.

    SiC materials are hard and require very high energy ion implantation followed by high temperature heat treatment to activate the ions, making it a difficult technology to implement. However, KERI has succeeded in securing the relevant technologies based on its 10 years of experience in operating ion implantation equipment dedicated to SiC.

    “Ion implantation technology can significantly reduce process costs by increasing current flow in semiconductor devices and replacing expensive epi wafers,” said Dr. Kim, Hyoung Woo, Director, Advanced Semiconductor Research Center, KERI. He continued, “This is a technology that increases the price competitiveness of high-performance SiC power semiconductors and contributes greatly to mass production.”

    This technology was recently transferred to ‘SEMILAB ZRT (CEO: Tibor Pavelka)’, a semiconductor metrology equipment company located in Budapest, Hungary. With a 30-year history, SEMILAB has manufacturing plants in Hungary and the United States. SEMILAB owns patents for medium-sized precision measurement equipment and material characterization equipment, and has the world’s leading technology in semiconductor electrical parameter evaluation system.

    They predict that through this technology transfer, they will be able to standardize high-quality SiC. SEMILAB plans to use KERI technology to develop specialized equipment to evaluate the ion implantation process of SiC power semiconductor. Park Su-yong, the president of SEMILAB Korea, said, “Through the development of specialized equipment, we will be able to progress in-line monitoring of implant processes on SiC wafers for immediate, accurate, and low-cost production control of implant systems and in-line monitoring for pre-anneal implant.” He added, “This will be a great foundation for stably securing a high-quality ion implantation mass production process with excellent uniformity and reproducibility.”

    The KERI(Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute) is a government-funded research institute under the NST(National Research Council of Science & Technology) of the Ministry of Science and ICT. It has a total of more than 120 intellectual property rights in the field of power semiconductor research. As of the last 10 years, power semiconductor division of KERI has achieved more than KRW 3 billion in technology transfers, the highest level in South Korea.

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