• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Power Electronics
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.206-213
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• 2022

This paper presents setting up a laboratory-scale testbed to estimate the aging of power MOSFET devices and integrated power modules by measuring its on-state voltage and current. Based on the aging mechanisms of the component inside the power module (e.g., bond-wire, solder layer, and semiconductor chip), a system to measure the on-state resistance of device-under-test (DUT) is designed and experimented: a full-bridge circuit applies current stress to DUT, and a temperature chamber controls the ambient temperature of DUT during the aging test. The on-state resistance of SiC MOSFET measured by the proposed testbed was increased by 2.5%-3% after 44-hour of the aging test.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.8-22
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• 2020

In this study, we investigated the deactivation characteristics of Ni-Zn-Fe electrodes due to intermittent operation in alkaline water electrolysis. To find suitable method to accelerate deactivation of electrode, the accelerated stress-test (AST) which repeated on/off step was performed with constant current/voltage control. The AST under constant voltage control is suitable to deactivate electrode so it were selected to investigate deactivation of electrode. The AST which repeated on/off step in range of -1.3 V and 0 V was performed and the relationship between oxidation current and electrode deactivation in the off step was investigate. As results, it was confirmed that the nickel and zinc on electrode surface were oxidized due to anodic current which occurred at off step.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.531-539
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• 2019

The development of cost-effective electrocatalysts with high durability is one of the most important challenges for the commercialization of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). The durability of the electrocatalyst has been studied in terms of structural change in the active metal and the support. In particular, in fuel cell vehicles, degradation of the carbon-based support is known to have a significant effect on the electrocatalyst deterioration since the start-up/shut-down cycle is frequently repeated. The requirements for the support of the electrocatalyst include high surface area, electrical conductivity, chemical stability, and so on. In this study, we propose the evaluation methods for choosing better support materials and present the physicochemical properties that promising carbon supports should have. Three kinds of carbon materials with different crystallinity are compared. From in-depth study using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and accelerated stress test, it is clearly confirmed that the durability of carbon-supported electrocatalysts is closely related to the physicochemical properties of the carbon supports.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.151-155
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• 2018

Degree of membrane degradation in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) is mainly evaluated by the hydrogen crossover current density. The hydrogen crossover current density is measured by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), which differs from the DOE protocol and the NEDO protocol. In this study, two protocols were compared during PEMFC operation and accelerated stress test. In the LSV method by the DOE method, the scan rate change affects the hydrogen crossover current density, but the NEDO method does not affect the hydrogen crossover current density. In the course of 15,000 cycles of polymer membrane wet/dry cycle, the DOE method was sensitive to membrane degradation, but the NEDO method was less sensitive to membrane degradation than the DOE method.

• Journal of IKEEE
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.578-583
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• 2021

This paper describes acceleration tests for reliability of semiconductors. It also describes AEC-Q100, international test standard for reliability of automotive semiconductors. Semiconductors can be used for dozens of years. So acceleration tests are essential to test potential problems over whole period of product where test time is minimized by applying intensive stresses. AEC-Q100 is a typical acceleration test in automotive semiconductors, and it is designed to find various failures in semiconductors and to analyze their causes of occurance. So it finds many problems in design and fabrication as well as it predicts lifetime and reliability of semiconductors. AEC-Q100 consists of 7 test groups such as accelerated environmental stress tests, accelerated lifetime simulation tests, package assembly integrity tests, die fabrication reliability tests, electrical verification tests, defect screening tests, and cavity package integrity tests. It has 4 grades from grade 0 to grade 3 based on operational temperature. AEC-Q101, Q102, Q103, Q104, and Q200 are applied to discrete semiconductors, optoelectronic semiconductors, sensors, multichip modules, and passive components, respectively.

• Journal of Applied Reliability
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.135-150
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• 2006

Rubber material properties and lifetime evaluation are very important in design procedure to assure the safety and reliability of the rubber components. This paper discusses the failure mechanism and material tests were carried out to predict the useful lifetime of NBR and EPDM for compression motor, which is used in refrigerator component. The heat-aging process leads not only to mechanical properties change but also to chemical structure change so called degradation. In order to investigate the aging effects on the material properties, the accelerated test were carried out. The stress-strain curves were plotted from the results of the tensile test for virgin and heat-aged rubber specimens. The rubber specimens were heat-aged in an oven at the temperature ranging from $70^{\circ}C\;to\;100^{\circ}C$ for a period ranging from 1 to 180 days. Compression set results changes as the threshold are used for assessment of the useful life and time to threshold value were plotted against reciprocal of absolute temperature to give the Arrhenius plot. By using the compression set test, several useful lifetime prediction equations for rubber material were proposed.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.4398-4404
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• 2015

Stainless steel sheets are widely used as the structural material for dynamic machine structures, These kinds structures used stainless steel sheets are commonly fabricated by using the gas welding, For fatigue design of gas welded joints such as various type joint. It is necessary to obtain design information on stress distribution at the weldment as well as fatigue strength of gas welded joints. Thus in this paper, ${\Delta}P-N_f$ curves were obtained by fatigue tests. and, ${\Delta}P-N_f$ curves were rearranged in the ${\Delta}{\sigma}-N_f$ relation with the hot spot stresses at the gas welded joints. Using these results, the accelerated life test(ALT) is conducted. From the experiment results, an life prediction model is derived and factors are estimated. So it is intended to obtain the useful information for the fatigue lifetime of welded joints and data analysis by statistic reliability method, to save time and cost, and to develop optimum accelerated life prediction plans.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.103-110
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• 2021

Elastomeric bearings composed of flexible rubber materials and steel reinforcement plates are widely used for seismic retrofit of bridges due to their excellent vertical stiffness and flexible lateral stiffness. Especially, it has the advantages of simple construction and low cost. Chloroprene rubber, a type of rubber material, has greater resistance to aging than natural rubber, but its performance is also degraded due to various deterioration factors. Although these aging characteristics are not reflected in the seismic design standards and seismic performance evaluation guidelines, it is reasonable to reflect this when related studies are accumulated. For chloroprene rubber, accelerated heat aging test was performed with variables of heating temperatures and exposure time to analyze shear characteristics. As aging progresses the maximum shear stress and shear strain decrease. Also, the shear stiffness is greatly increased at the same shear strain.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.59 no.3
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• pp.333-338
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• 2021

The durability of the PEMFC stack for large commercial vehicles should be more than 5 times that for passenger vehicles. If the Chemical Accelerated Stress Test (AST) of PEMFC(Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells) membrane for passenger cars is applied as it is for large commercial vehicles, there is a problem that the AST time becomes more than 2,500 hours. In order to shorten the AST time of DOE (Department of Energy), the chemical durability of the polymer membrane was evaluated using oxygen instead of air as a cathode gas. In this study, Nafion XL was used as a polymer membrane to evaluate accelerated durability under OCV, 90?, RH 30%, H₂/(air or oxygen) conditions. Among the DOE membrane durability target criteria, the decrease rate of short resistance was the fastest. By using oxygen instead of air, the degradation rate of the polymer membrane was accelerated while being less affected by electrode deterioration, reducing the polymer membrane durability evaluation time to less than half.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.95-102
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• 2021

Elastometic bearings using flexible rubber materials have recently been widely applied for seismic retrofit of bridges. However, due to various factors, the aging of the rubber material progresses, which causes the shear stiffness change of the bearing, which affects the seismic performance of the bridge. For natural rubber, accelerated heat aging test was performed with variables of heating temperatures and exposure time to analyze shear characteristics. As aging progresses (i.e. increase of temperature and exposure time), the maximum shear stress and shear strain decrease. Also, the shear stiffness is greatly increased at the same shear strain. This means that the rubber material is hardened, implying that the seismic performance of the elastomeric bearing becomes poor.