• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Power Electronics
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.161-168
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• 2019

This study introduces a new topology to decrease the voltage stress experienced by a 13.56 MHz electrical variable capacitor (EVC) circuit with an asymmetrical switch structure applied to the impedance matching circuit of a radio frequency (RF) plasma system. The method adopts a symmetrical switch structure instead of an asymmetrical one in each of the capacitor's leg in the EVC circuit. The proposed topology successfully reduces voltage stress in the EVC circuit due to the symmetrical charging and discharging mode. This topology can also be applied to the impedance matching circuit of a high-power and high-frequency RF etching system. The target features of the proposed circuit topology are investigated via simulation and experiment. Voltage stress on the switch of the EVC circuit is successfully reduced by more than 40%.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.477-482
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• 2021

Hydrogen production, hydrogen production cost, and utilization rate were calculated assuming four cases of hydrogen production system in combination of photovoltaic power generation (PV), water electrolysis system (WE), battery energy storage system (BESS), and power grid. In the case of using the PV and WE in direct connection, the smaller the capacity of the WE, the higher the capacity factor rate and the lower the hydrogen production cost. When PV and WE are directly connected, hydrogen production occurs intermittently according to time zones and seasons. In addition to the connection of PV and WE, if BESS and power grid connection are added, the capacity factor of WE can be 100%, and stable hydrogen production is possible. If BESS is additionally installed, hydrogen production cost increases due to increase in Capital Expenditures, and Operating Expenditure also increases slightly due to charging and discharging loss. Even in a hydrogen production system that connects PV and WE, linking with power grid is advantageous in terms of stable hydrogen production and improvement of capacity factor.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Power Electronics
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.214-220
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• 2022

This paper proposes a test device designed for developing a high-voltage multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC). The proposed topology consists of an energy recovery circuit for charging/discharging capacitor, a flyback converter, and a boost converter for supplying power and a bias voltage application to the energy recovery circuit. The energy recovery circuit designed with a half-bridge converter has auxiliary switches operating before the main switches to prevent excessive current from flowing to the main switches. A prototype has been designed to verify the reliability of target capacitors following the voltage fluctuation with a frequency range below 65 kHz. To conduct high root mean square (RMS) current to the capacitor as a load, the MLCC test was conducted after the topology verification was completed through the film capacitor as a load. Through the agreement between the RMS current formula proposed in this paper and the MLCC test results, the possibility of its use was demonstrated for high-voltage MLCC development in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.311-321
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• 2022

The report reviews recent research efforts in demonstrating a computing system whose operation principle mimics the dynamics of biological neurons. The temporal variation of the membrane potential of neurons is one of the key features that contribute to the information processing in the brain. We first summarize the neuron models that explain the experimentally observed change in the membrane potential. The function of ion channels is briefly introduced to understand such change from the molecular viewpoint. Dedicated circuits that can simulate the neuronal dynamics have been developed to reproduce the charging and discharging dynamics of neurons depending on the input ionic current from presynaptic neurons. Key elements include volatile memristors that can undergo volatile resistance switching depending on the voltage bias. This behavior called the threshold switching has been utilized to reproduce the spikes observed in the biological neurons. Various types of threshold switch have been applied in a different configuration in the hardware demonstration of neurons. Recent studies revealed that the memristor-based circuits could provide energy and space efficient options for the demonstration of neurons using the innate physical properties of materials compared to the options demonstrated with the conventional complementary metal-oxide-semiconductors (CMOS).

• International Journal of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.103-111
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• 2021

Among transport vehicles, Special Vehicles (SVs) are seriously exposed to energy and environmental problems. In particular, elevator cars used when moving objects in high-rise buildings increase the engine's rotational speed (radian per second: RPM). At this time, when the vehicle accelerates rapidly while idling, energy consumption increases explosively along with the engine speed, and a lot of soot is generated. The purpose of this paper is to develop a bi-directional DC-DC converter for control of vehicle power and secondary battery used in an elevated ladder vehicle (EC) used in the moving industry. As a result of this paper, the performance test of the converter was conducted. The charging/discharging state of the converter was simulated using DC power supply and DC electronic load, and a performance experiment was conducted to measure the input/output power of the converter through a power meter. Through this experimental result, it was confirmed that the efficiency was more than 92% in Buck mode and Boost mode at maximum 1.2kW output.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.256-262
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• 2021

A carbon felt electrode was prepared using ozone and ammonia sequential treatment and applied as an electrode for a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB). The physical and electrochemical analyses demonstrate that the oxygen groups facilitate nitrogen doping in the carbon felt. Carbon felt (J5O3+NH3), which was subjected to ammonia heat treatment after ozone treatment, showed higher oxygen and nitrogen contents than carbon felt (J5NH3+O3), which was subjected to ammonia heat treatment first and then ozone treatment. From the charging/discharging of VRFB, the J5O3+NH3 carbon felt electrode showed 14.4 Ah/L discharge capacity at a current density of 150 mA /cm², which was 15% and 33% higher than that of J5NH3+O3 and non-activated carbon felt (J5), respectively. These results show that ozone and ammonia sequential treatment is an effective carbon felt activation method to increase the performance of the vanadium redox flow battery.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.424-430
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• 2021

The element iron (Fe) is affordable and abundantly available, and thus, it finds use in a wide range of applications. As regards its application in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the electrochemical reactions of Fe must be clearly understood during battery charging and discharging with the LIB electrolyte. In this study, we conducted systematic electrochemical analyses under various voltage conditions to determine the voltage at which Fe corrosion begins in general lithium salts and organic solvents used in LIBs. During cyclic voltammetry (CV) experiments, we observed a large corrosion current above 4.0 V (vs. Li/Li⁺). When a constant voltage of 3.7 V (vs. Li/Li⁺), was applied, the current did not increase significantly at the beginning, similar to the CV scenario; on the other hand, at a voltage of 3.8 V (vs. Li/Li⁺), the current increased rapidly. The impact of this difference was visually confirmed via scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy. Our X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements showed that at 3.7 V, a thick organic solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) was formed atop a thin fluoride SEI, which means that at ≥3.8 V, the SEI cannot prevent Fe corrosion. This result confirms that Fe corrosion begins at 3.7 V, beyond which Fe is easily corrodible.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.222-230
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• 2023

Capacitive deionization of saline water is one of the most promising water purification technologies due to its high energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness. This study synthesizes porous carbon composites composed of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and activated carbon (AC) with various rGO/AC ratios using a facile chemical method. Surface characterization of the rGO/AC composites shows a successful chemical reduction of GO to rGO and incorporation of AC into rGO. The optimized rGO/AC composite electrode exhibits a specific capacitance of ~243 F g^-1 in a 1 M NaCl solution. The galvanostatic charging-discharging test shows excellent reversible cycles, with a slight shortening in the cycle time from the ~260^th to the 530^th cycle. Various monovalent sodium salts (NaF, NaCl, NaBr, and NaI) and chloride salts (LiCl, NaCl, KCl, and CsCl) are deionized with the rGO/AC electrode pairs at a cell voltage of 1.3 V. Among them, NaI shows the highest specific adsorption capacity of ~22.2 mg g^-1. Detailed surface characterization and electrochemical analyses are conducted.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.158-163
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• 2022

The test method on the Type II high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks made of the metal wire hoop winding is a complex and high risk. Also closeup on the tank being test is difficult. In this study, we studied a mechanical test method for a high-pressure hydrogen tanks. This method must be simple, risk-free and possible to observe the change in microscopic behavior of a metal wire on a liner. As the results, it was possible to observe the microscopic behavior on the metal wire by the mechanical test method. Also, a simple and risk-free test was possible compared to the conventional test method for high pressure hydrogen tanks.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Visualization
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.34-45
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• 2023

When lithium-ion batteries operate out of the proper temperature range, their performance can be significantly degraded and safety issues such as thermal runaway can occur. Therefore, battery thermal management systems are widely researched to maintain the temperature of Li-ion battery cells within the proper temperature range during the charging and discharging process. This study investigates the cooling performance and isothermal maintenance of cooling materials by measuring the surface temperature of a battery cell with or without cooling materials, such as silicone oil, thermal adhesive, and phase change materials during discharge process of battery by the experimental and numerical analysis. As a result of the experiment, the battery pack filled with phase change material showed a temperature reduction of 47.4 ℃ compared to the case of natural convection. It proves the advanced utility of the cooling unit using phase change material that is suitable for use in battery thermal management systems.