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OLEV Safety Confirmed by International Standards
On September 19, KAIST announced that the electromagnetic (EM) field levels of its online electric vehicle (OLEV) measured in June and September of this year demonstrated verification of its safety.
Last June, the EM field level of OLEV installed at the Seoul Grand Park was measured by the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) to test its harmfulness to human. The results were 0.5 ~ 61mG which is within the national and international standards of 62.5mG.
KRISS measured EM field levels on 22 spots on the side of and at the center of OLEV at a fixed distance (30cm) but variable heights (5cm~150cm) according to the national standard of measurement methods for electromagnetic fields of household appliances and similar apparatuses with regard to human exposure (IEC 62233).
In addition, another testing took place on September 13 following a request by National Assemblywoman Young-Ah Park, a member of the National Assembly’s Education, Science and Technology Committee, who has raised an issue on the safety of OLEV. This testing session was held by EMF Safety, Inc., an institution designated by Park, and it tested the EM field level of the same OLEV train that was tested in June.
As a result, the September measurements were well within the national and international standards with 0~24.1mG. The test was conducted under the presence of third party to produce a fair and objective result.
As reference, the EM field level results are well within the American IEEE electromagnetic field standards of 1,100 mG.
The September measurements were produced by Park’s recommendation of following the criteria specified in the measurement procedures of IEC 62110, “Electric and magnetic field levels generated by AC power systems to public exposure,” which were 15 measurements at a fixed 20cm distance at the side of and from the center of OLEV with variable heights of 50cm~150cm.
2010.09.27 View 11421 -
KAIST was invited to the World Economic Forum's fourth "Summer Davos."
KAIST attended the World Economic Forum’s “Summer Davos Forum” held from September 13 to 15 in Tianjin, China. The Summer Davos Forum hosted various sessions and meetings with international dignitaries from governments, business and public organizations, and academia on the main theme of “Driving Growth through Sustainability.”
On September 14, four subjects including “Electric Vehicles,” “Humanoid Robotics,” “Next Generation of Biomaterials,” and “New Developments in Neuroengineering” were presented by KAIST, followed by discussions with forum participants.
Professor Jae-Seung Jeong of the Bio and Brain Engineering Department, Sang-Yup Lee of the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department, Joon-Ho Oh of the Mechanical Engineering Department, and President Nam-Pyo Suh participated in the forum as presenters of the topic. Of these speakers, Professors Jae-Seung Jeong and Sang-Yup Lee were nominated by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as members of the “Young Global Leader” and “Global Agenda Council on Emerging Technologies,” respectively.
President Suh was also invited to the CEO Insight Group and delivered an opening speech on OLEV (Online Electric Vehicle) and the Mobile Harbor. President Suh plans to sign an MOU for research cooperation with Jong-Hoo Kim of Bell Lab and Shirley Jackson of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the near future, respectively.
Since 2007, the WEF, in charge of the world’s largest international conference called “Davos Forum” has hosted a “Summer Davos Forum,” also called as the “Annual Meeting of New Champions.” The Summer Davos Forum consists of nations, rising global companies, next generation of global leaders, and cities or nations that lead technological innovations. Unlike the annual Davos Forum held in January, the “Annual Meeting of New Champions” is held in September of each year in Tianjin and Dalian, China.
Since 2009, the WEF has added a special session called IdeasLab in the Davos and Summer Davos Forums. Through IdeasLab, prominent universities from all over the world, research organizations, venture businesses, NGOs, and NPOs are invited to exchange and discuss innovative and creative ideas that can contribute to the development of mankind. Until now, universities including INSEAD, EPFL-ETH, MIT, Oxford, Yale, Harvard, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Tsinghua University, and Keio University have been invited to the IdeasLab. KAIST is the first Korean university to attend this session.
2010.09.17 View 17446 -
KAIST"s online electric vehicle will be introduced in Park City, Utah
Korean news media wrote articles on KAIST’s online electric vehicle (OLEV)—the OLEV technology will be exported to a US city. For details, please click the links below:
Chosun Ilbo: KAIST to Export Electric Cars to U.S.
Sep. 13, 2010 11:05 KST
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/09/13/2010091300848.html
Arirang News: KAIST Seals a Deal to Export its Unique Greed Car to US Market
Sep. 13, 2010
http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=106888&code=Ne2&category=2
2010.09.14 View 9597 -
"Our addiction to oil is the major cause of global warming."
Joongang Daily, one of the major newspapers in Korea, interviewed Professor John Spengler from Harvard University, an internationally renowned scholar in environmental science, who visited Korea for a conference. He mentioned KAIST’s online electric vehicle (OLEV) during the course of interview.
The paper interviewed him on a wide range of environmental issues, and below is a translation of the original Korean article. For the Korean article, please download the attached picture file.
“Our addiction to oil is the major cause of global warming.”
Interview with Professor John Spengler from Harvard University—he is an internationally renowned scholar in environmental science.
By Chan-Soo Kang, Joongang Daily
September 3, 2010
“The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico by British Petroleum (BP), a multinational oil company, took place against the backdrop of our addition to oil,” said Professor John Spengler (66 years old) from Harvard University on September 2.
“The fact that we are addicted to oil means we are obsessed with mobility as well. Throughout the history of mankind, there has never been the time when we move from one place to another as frequently as today and are dependent on fossil fuels as much as today.”
Visiting Korea to attend a conference co-sponsored by International Society of Exposure Science (ISES) and International Society of Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE) that was held at Coex in Seoul from August 28 to September 2, he gave his speech at plenary talks of the conference on the a topic titled, “Our health is our planet.”
Professor Spengler is an internationally well-known expert in the research of indoor air pollution and environmental exposures of chemical compounds. At the conference, he mostly talked about an ecological catastrophe resulted from the explosion of an oil rig operated by BP in the Gulf of Mexico.
He pointed out,
“It’s been a problem that oil companies are more willing to take risks of exploring dangerous places to obtain oil as the demand for oil has increased. Excessive oil consumption cannot help but lead to global warming.”
“Particularly,” he said, “the unusual climate events, frequently happening in recent years, including severe heat wave and drought in Russia this summer, are somewhat expected to occur by weather forecast models. However, it seems that the extreme weather patterns are taking place more frequently, and accordingly, we are facing more severe effects of weather conditions.”
Professor Spengler emphasized that “We should change our diet and lifestyle to reduce the stress put on our ecosystem, such as getting protein from vegetables rather than from fish or meat and having a habit of curtailing energy consumption.”
“While I’m here, I have a chance to see an online electric vehicle (OLEV) developed by KAIST. If this technology is applied, we can reduce environmental problems as such,” he assessed the development of OLEV.
He also said that “the State of Utah in the US has expressed its intention to adopt the OLEV technology.”
With regard to his research focus on indoor air pollution, Professor Spengler said, “We are having problems like “New House Syndrome” because we try to build a house with cheap materials. Governments should set a standard and control pollutants released from building materials in order to reduce risks resulted from indoor air pollution.”
He argued, “In the early 1990s, when the Irish government introduced an enhanced regulation of air pollution in Dublin, the mortality rate of the city in that winter dropped dramatically.”
“It’s been proven that as fine particle pollution gets worse, more patients with cardiovascular diseases die. Therefore, we need to make efforts to reduce the air pollution.”
“Compared with other nations,” Professor Spengler estimated Korea as a nation that “definitely improved its air quality by introducing buses with a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) engine to its public transportation system.”
(End)
2010.09.06 View 10783 -
The 2010 International Forum on Electric Vehicle will be held at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon, South Korea.
Universities, industries, and governments from the world gathered to make an important endeavor for the commercialization of electric vehicles that has emerged as a strong option to replace conventional cars with an internal combustion engine.
With the potential benefit of electric cars, in view of environmental protection and less dependence of oil import, they still have limitations for the daily use in customers’ perspective. Electric cars are still very expensive to own with relatively short distance of driving with one charging and with the expensive and bulky nature of the batteries, in addition to the safety concerns with the Lithium batteries.
The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) will hold an international forum, at which it hopes to address a wide range of issues related to the development and commercialization of electric vehicles. The 2010 International Forum on Electric Vehicle will be held for three days at KAIST’s campus in Daejeon, South Korea, from June 17th to 19th, 2010.
Internationally renowned speakers from Korea and overseas will present their views and conduct a discussion forum on the technology, market, and policy on electric vehicles. The event is open to the public.
Major discussions, however, will take place on the second day, Friday, June 18, 2010, which will proceed with two sessions. In the first session, conference participants will discuss the topic of “policies and markets for electric vehicles,” and at the second session, they will take up the issue of “electric vehicle technologies.”
Dr. Andrew Brown, president of SAE International and the executive director and chief technologist of Delphi, is scheduled to give a key note speech. The SAE International is a global association of more than 128,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive, and commercial vehicle industries.
Topics to be covered by Dr. Brown during his key note speech are, among other things, elements of market forces for hybrid electric vehicles, electric vehicles, or battery-powered vehicles; clean technologies necessary for sustainable development; pending issues facing the automotive industry to create a substantial share by electric cars and government aids to increase consumers’ buying power for expensive electric cars; technology innovation required for the improvement of batteries and power electronics; development of smart grids; and other key issues that would mature an ever-growing market for electric vehicles.
President Nam Pyo Suh of KAIST will also deliver a key note remark on the overall accomplishments of online electric vehicle (OLEV) developed by KAIST. While stressing the OLEV’s technological breakthrough to succeed in the wireless in-motion power transfer through electromagnetic induction, President Suh will review the necessity of developing electric cars as a corresponding measure against climate changes and address the issues of battery weight and lifespan, charging time, and the limited amount of reserved Lithium.
Dr. Steven Shladover from the California Partners for Advanced Transit and Highways (California PATH), established in 1986 in collaboration with the University of California in Berkeley and the California Transit, will attend the conference. California PATH is a multi-disciplinary program with universities statewide and cooperative projects with private industry, state and local agencies, and non-profit institutions to find solutions to the problems of California’s surface transportation systems through cutting edge research.
California PATH once implemented a bold, innovative research project in the early 1990s in order to overcome the most difficult technical hurdle to reduce the heavy dependence of batteries for electric cars by adopting a non-contact transfer of electric power during vehicles’ movement. Despite the research declared as “unsuccessful” by California PATH, the implications of their innovative approach to solve an important issue inspired many researches subsequently followed—one of them is KAIST’s OLEV project.
In addition, the Infineon Technologies AG, a leading semiconductor and system manufacturer based in Germany, which offers solutions for automotive, industrial and multimarket sectors for applications in communication and memory products, will come to the forum and present a paper on its expertise to develop the necessary components for electric vehicles.
On the last day of the forum, all participants will have a chance to ride the Online Electric Vehicle (OLEV) at KAIST’s campus.
For details of the event, please visit the website of “www.olev.co.kr/en/ifev or refer to the invitation attached herewith.
About KAIST’s Online Electric Vehicle:
The Online Electric Vehicle (OLEV) developed by KAIST is a dynamic plug-in electric car that receives electricity while running or stopping and thus acquired a complete mobility unlike other type of electric cars, whether hybrid or not. The OLEV reduces the size of a battery to one-fifth of the current battery installed in an electric car. Pure electric cars depend on a large bulky battery that has been a major obstacle to make the cars commercially accessible to the mass market. The OLEV gets charged wirelessly, a distinct difference to other dynamic plug-in electric cars including a tram or trolley, which directly picks up electricity from the road.
To explain it further, the OLEV is electrified through power lines buried underground; when flowing low frequency of currents, an electric magnetic field is created around the underground power lines, and the pick-up gadget installed underbody of an electric vehicle converts the field into electricity; and the vehicle then uses electricity either for operation or stores it at a battery to be used for running the road that is not equipped with the power lines. The electric power generated from the underground travels to the surface of the road above 20cm-25cm.
KAIST has succeeded to develop a commercial model of OLEV with a safe Electromagnetic Field (EMF), well below the international safeguard of 65mG. The actual model has been up and running at an amusement park in Seoul for the transportation of passengers. The non-contact charging method applied to the OLEV will accelerate the commercialization of electric cars by making a battery affordable and safer for a consumer.
2010.06.25 View 12912 -
President of Israel visited KAIST on June 9, 2010.
President of Israel, Shimon Peres, visited KAIST today on June 9, 2010 to witness the development of science and technology in Korea and explore ways of establishing collaboration and cooperation with industries and universities between Korea and Israel. President Peres led a delegation consisted of the Israeli Mister of Industry, Trade, and Labor, the Minister of Communication, and 60 business leaders from the top companies in the security, infrastructure, communication, high-tech, and water industries.
Upon their arrival to the campus, the Israeli delegation was greeted by KAIST’s humanoid robot, “HUBO,” and then moved to its branch campus, IT Convergence Campus, for a ride of Online Electric Vehicle (OLEV) that has been developed by KAIST. The OLEV receives the necessary power through the cable lines buried underground, so it can be provided with a constant and continuous supply of electricity while running or stopping.
Between roads and OLEVs is nothing but space. There is no electrical wires intricately crossed underbody of the electric car or above the road. The pick-up equipment installed beneath the body of the electric car collects magnetic fields created around the underground cables, which then converts the filed into electricity. The OLEV’s wireless, non-contact charging system made it possible for a battery currently used for hybrid or pure electric cars on the market to be smaller and cheaper.
President Peres expressed a great interest in the technology applied to the OLVE, quoting, “the OLEV system is indeed very impressive.” He talked about efforts being made in Israel with respect to the development of electric cars. The country plans to replace the conventional transportation system with electric cars by constructing a network of battery exchange stations and roadside charge points which allow the cars to be charged whenever they are parked.
“Despite the different approach taken by the two nations for the development of electric cars, I believe that transforming the automobile industry from combustion engine to electric system is the right direction we should all follow. Without addressing the current transportation system that heavily dependent on natural resources, we will not be able to promote “green growth on a global scale,” added President Peres.
In addition to electric cars, President Peres took up a considerable portion of his time to exchange ideas on how to expand cooperative relations between universities in Korea and Israel, specifically in the area of space, biotechnology, nanotechnology, high-tech, renewable and alternative energy, and the EEWS initiatives that have been implemented by KAIST to find answers to global issues such as climate change and depletion of natural resources. The EEWS stands for energy, environment, water, and sustainability.
In response, the president of KAIST pledged to set up a stronger and greater tie with research universities in Israel, particularly called for more collaboration between KAIST and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.
Also, the Israeli delegation had a tour for several Korean research and development centers in Daedeok Innopolis, located in the City of Daejeon, which is the 2nd largest science and research complex in Korea.
Shimon Peres, the 9th president of Israel, held many of important government positions in Israel, among other things, Prime Minster and Minister of Defense. He won Nobel Peace Prize in 1994, together with Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat for the conclusion of a peace agreement, Oslo Accords, between Israel and Palestine Liberation Organization.
2010.06.09 View 15029
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Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen of the Kingdom of Denmark visited KAIST on March 11, 2010.
Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen of the Kingdom of Denmark visited KAIST on March 11, 2010. HUBO, a humanoid robotdeveloped by KAIST, gave a warm welcome to the prime minister and his delegation.
Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen of Denmark visited Moon-Ji Campus of KAIST on March 11, 2010 and had a chance to meet a humanoid robot, HUBO. Since the first appearance in 2005, HUBO has been continuously developed by KAIST for further refinements.
HUBO welcomed the prime minister and offered him a flower bouquet. They also shook hands and exchanged small talks in Danish, which made the delegation pleasantly surprised.
The Danish delegation had a ride on Online Electric Vehicle (OLEV) and showed a great interest in the technology applied therein.
The prime minister said, “Denmark has a keen interest in green technology, and I was very impressed by OLEV. It is just amazing to see how fast KAIST has developed as an outstanding research university in the world during a short period of time.”
President Lee Myung-bak invited the Danish prime minister to discuss current international developments, including issues involving the Korean Peninsula, and ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in such areas as trade, investment, renewable energy and green growth.
2010.03.17 View 12126
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President Suh Hosted Press Conference with Seoul-based Correspondents, on March 9, 2010
President Suh Hosted Press Conference with Seoul-based Correspondents, on March 9, 2010
President Nam-Pyo Shu had a press conference with foreign correspondents based in Seoul, South Korea, on March 9, 2010 at Seoul Foreign Correspondents’ Club (SFCC).
Prior to the conference, the president and correspondents attended a ceremony for the completion of Online Electric Vehicles (OLEV) that carries passengers to look around the amusement park, Seoul Grand Park, in Gewacheon City. OLEV was developed and built by KAIST. Following President Suh’s opening speech, a questions and answers (Q&A) session between the president and reporters proceeded.
In his opening speech, President Suh said electric vehicles are an alternative to conventional automobiles with combustion engines, and in order to manufacture affordably priced electric vehicles on a large scale, their charging should be streamlined. In response, KAIST has come up with the online electric vehicle concept.
He added, without installing separate charging stations, OLEV receives electric power from the cables buried underground while driving, idling, or parking. Its connection to a power source is non-contact.
President Suh expressed his excitement for demonstrating OLEV at Seoul Grand Park that its system works as KAIST has designed and predicted. He showed his confidence that KAIST is indeed at the stage to implement OLEV in Seoul City soon and hoped to demonstrate it at the upcoming G-20 Summit to be held in November 2010 in Seoul City.
During the Q&A session, reporters cited the construction of OLEV at the amusement park and mainly asked about a possibility of its commercialization. Other topics, they also questioned about, were hurdles related to the development and commercialization of OLEV; level of cooperation received from industries and central/local governments; technological breakthroughs and accomplishments; future development plans for the commercialization; and reactions from the public and government.
Media outlets participated in the conference were Reuters, AFP, the International Herald Tribune, ABC News, Bloomberg News, Businessweek, Voice of America, Sankei Shimbun, and etc.
2010.03.16 View 9753
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KAIST introduced environmentally friendly public transportation to Seoul Grand Park.
KAIST introduced environmentally friendly public transportation to Seoul Grand Park.
First step toward the commercialization of Online Electric Vehicle (OLEV)
An online electric vehicle (OLEV) developed by KAIST replaced a trackless combustion-engine train running inside Seoul Grand Park in Gwacheon City, South Korea. On March 9, 2010, Seoul City and KAIST celebrated the completion of OLEV that picks up electricity from power cables buried underground through a non-contact magnetic charging method, called electromagnetic induction. Electromagnetic induction is the process of inducing electric current in a coil with the help of a magnet.
The pickup unit installed underneath OLEV collects electricity from a roadway and distributes the power either to operate the vehicle or for battery storage. Whether running or stopped, OLEV constantly receives electric power through the underground cables. As a result, OLEV mitigates the burden of equipping electric automobiles with heavy, bulky batteries—OLEV’s battery size is one-fifth that of the batteries installed in electric vehicles currently on the market.
There is no need to establish massive charging stations or to set aside much time for recharging. If the underground power lines installed on road curbs, bus stops, parking lots, and intersections, the power system could support a substantial portion of public transportation: For example, KAIST estimates that by establishing 20% of the road infrastructure for a bus route in Seoul City, the city could offer its citizens the online electric buses.
The non-contact charging of vehicles while running, idling, or parking is an important and practical technology necessary for the development of commercialized electric vehicles. This technology solves many of the issues related to the current batteries of electric vehicles, including size, expense, and repair/maintenance. In addition, non-contact charging is safer because it prevents potential electrical hazards, such as electric shock, that result from direct contact with power sources. Furthermore, it is more convenient to drive vehicles without overhead wires directly connected to power lines, as is necessary for streetcars and trams.
The recharging strips are divided into several meters of segments in length, and vehicles receive the power each time they pass over one. In other words, a sensor is affixed within each segment. When a car with the pickup equipment drives over the segment, the sensor is turned on for the car to receive electricity. This means that when a car without the pickup equipment passes over the segment, it will not collect any electricity.
The power supply via on/off switch (sensors) relieves safety concerns about electromagnetic field (EMF). Pedestrians or cars without the pickup unit will not be exposed to EMF because the sensor embedded in the segments will not work, thus no electricity generated. In addition, even under the circumstance of EMF yield, the test results for OLEV are well below the 1998 the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guideline, 62.5mG at 20khz. OLEV’s EMF test results range from 20mG (inside OLEV while running) to 50mG (around OLEV while parking).
When talking about a wireless energy transfer such as electromagnetic induction, the most critical issue is how to reserve an air gap of 12cm (in accordance with Korean law) between the surface of roads and the bottom of vehicles while having 60% power transmission efficiency or above. There was a similar research done in the US at University of Berkley—their research was considered unsuccessful because they obtained an air gap of 5-7cm with 60% maximum level of efficiency. Besides, their electromagnetic field (EMF) was quite high (2000A), and they were unable to bring down the high cost of installing power supply system. By contrast, for the first time in the world, KAIST has succeeded to obtain 12cm (and up to 17cm) of air gap with more than 70% efficiency level of power transmission. The EMF is also well below the international standard of 62.5mG. In a nutshell, KAIST has achieved a core technology in terms of capacity, efficiency, and EMF to develop electric vehicles for commercial use.
The city government of Seoul and KAIST signed a Memorandum of Understating (MOU) on the development of an online electric vehicle in August 2009. Against the backdrop of the public’s increased awareness of environmental pollution and the depletion of fossil fuels, the two organizations agreed to introduce eco-friendly vehicles to the city’s public transportation, beginning with the introduction of a trial version of OLEV to places like an amusement park, bus terminal, airport, shopping mall, and the like.
KAIST’s OLEV research team is made up of experts from a variety of fields, including electrical and electronics engineering, computer sciences, civil engineering, information technology, and mechanical engineering. OLEV’s success at Seoul Grand Park is a result of KAIST’s innovative initiatives on convergence research, and KAIST has submitted more than 120 applications for patents right in connection with the development of OLEV.
Online Electric Vehicle at Seoul Grand Park
In terms of power transmission efficiency, KAIST’s research team achieved a maximum pick-up capacity of 62kw/h, 74% with an air gap height of 13cm from a road to the bottom of a vehicle. Composed of one engine and three passenger cars, OLEV travels along a total length of 2.2km beltway. There are four sections of power supply infrastructure established on the route (Sections 1, 2, and 3: 122.5 meters long each, and Section 4: 5 meters long). The power supply cables were laid underground for a total of 372.5 meters, 16% of the total distance of the 2,200 meter route.
2010.03.12 View 12492
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Future of Electric Automobile Glimpsed from KAIST
Etnews.co.kr. printed an interview with Professor Edward A. Lee, from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California in Berkeley, who visited KAIST to attend the 2010 International Workshop on Information Technology (IT) Convergence. During the workshop, Professor Lee had a chance to ride KAIST’s Online Electric Vehicle (OLEV), and etnews.co.kr. asked him about his impressions.
Article published on Friday, February 19, 2010
(For the Korean article, please click the link at http://www.etnews.co.kr/news/detail.html?id=201002190158)
The below is a translation from the Korean text.
-----------------------------------------
Reported by Hee-Bum Park (hbpark@etnews.co.kr)
"Future of Electric Automobile Glimpsed from KAIST"s Online Electric Vehicle Project," said Professor Lee.
Distinguished Professor Edward A. Lee, from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California in Berkeley, expressed his impressions after a ride on KAIST’s Online Electric Vehicle.
“KAIST’s Online Electric Vehicle (OLEV) really grabs my attention because the vehicle receives its needed electricity from a cable buried underground, not from batteries. Still, many challenges lie ahead for the electric vehicle to be commercialized, but I think, today, I saw the future of electric vehicles from the KAIST project,” explained Professor Lee.
Professor Lee came to Daejeon to attend the “2010 International Workshop on Information Technology (IT) Convergence,” which was held on February 19, 2010 at KAIST’s Information and Communication Convergence (ICC) Campus.
“I rode the bus and saw its instrument panel, which displays figures of electricity picked up from the ground. The bus presents the possibility of an electric car that can actually be built in the near future,” added Professor Lee.
Professor Lee, however, pointed out that a number of issues should be addressed beforehand to commercialize OLEV, such as public concerns about magnetic waves, the economic impact of laying power strips underground, and battery efficiency as an alternative to petroleum based fuel. Nonetheless, he said that given people’s increased awareness of the problems associated with CO2 emissions, OLEV’s development is timely.
“As far as I know, there has been no research in the US to develop an electric car that receives electricity from cables buried beneath the road. It is creative and ambitious for KAIST to try to find the technological breakthrough necessary for the development of electric cars,” Professor Lee stated.
Professor Lee further commented, “So far, batteries on electric cars are heavy and bulky, and they require frequent recharging. I think KAIST has provided a solution to address this issue.”
Graduating from Yale University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Professor Lee earned his doctoral degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from UC Berkeley. He worked for Bell Telephone Laboratories in Holmdel, New Jersey.
2010.03.03 View 12470
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KAIST Signs MOU with Macquarie for Cooperation in Green Growth Projects
KAIST and Shinhan Macquarie Financial Advisory Co. have reached an agreement for cooperation in the development and commercialization of the KAIST-led two national green growth projects, On-line Electric Vehicle (OLEV) and Mobile Harbor (MH) programs, university authorities said.
KAIST President Nam-Pyo Suh signed a memorandum of understanding with John Walker, Chairman of Macquarie Group of Companies in Korea, and Woo-Gon Hwang, Representative Director of Shinhan Macquarie Financial Advisory Co. on Wednesday, Oct. 21.
Under the agreement, KAIST and Macquarie will cooperate in developing an optimal business structure for a rapid commercialization of OLEV and MH. Specifically, Shinhan Macquarie Financial Advisory will provide financial advice, including basis financial analysis, potential investor inducement and feasibility analysis of the projects.
Shinhan Macquarie Financial Advisory Co. is a joint venture between Shinhan Financial Group of Korea and the Australia-based Macquarie Bank Group which provides global investment banking and diversified financial services.
KAIST"s OLEV is a project to develop a new growth engine for Korea and lead the future of global automotive industry. It is an entirely new concept: the electric vehicle picks up power from underground power supplier lines, while either running or standing, through the non-contact magnetic charging method.
The MH program is designed to develop a system that can load/unload containers from a containership in the open sea and deliver them to their destinations at the harbor.
The Korean government has included these KAIST projects, which both are great technical and engineering challenges, in the nation"s sustainable growth programs, providing substantial research grants. KAIST offers its advanced research capabilities for the nation"s efforts to achieve efficient, environment-friendly utilization of resources as new growth engines that spur the development of related industries and explore global markets.
2009.10.22 View 13221 -
KAIST's OLEV Best Model of Creative Growth Engine
Various models of electric vehicles designed to replace the internal combustion automobiles face significant problems as they invariably failed to overcome the limitations involving lithium battery in terms of power capacity, weight, raw materal price, recharging time and preparation of charging stations. Worst of all, the limited supply of lithium will eventually raise its price sky high when all cars use lithium batteries, and the economic value of electric cars will be lost.
KAIST"s online electric vehicle project (OLEV) seeks to resolve these fundamental problems involving electric vehicles that have so far been developed. KAIST OLEV, a project to develop a new growth engine for the nation and lead the future of global automotive industry, is an entirely new concept: the electric vehicle picks up power from underground power supplier lines through the non-contact magnetic charging method, while either running or standing. This is the first eco-friendly and economic automotive system that can resolve the problems inherent to previously-developed electric vehicles, according to the KAIST OLEV Project Center.
In February 2009, KAIST researchers first proved that up to 80 percent power conveyance is possible through a gap of 1 centimeter from the power line, and in July they successfully supplied power to a bus -- up to 60 percent across a 12 cm gap from the power line embedded in the ground -- using power supply and pick-up devices they developed. In this process, KAIST has secured the core technologies for maximizing power efficiency and minimizing the cost of installing the non-contact power supply system. KAIST has established the Online Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd., to undertake business activities related to the OLEV project, including the IPR on power supply and pick-up devices, parts and accessories and commercial promotion. A demonstration event is scheduled for Aug. 13, Thursday.
The impact of the development of the OLEV technology on the energy and environment issues and the overall economy will be enormous. In case a half of the total automobiles running in Korea, or 6 million vehicles, are replaced with OLEV, electric power produced by just two of the nation"s atomic power plants will be enough to operate them all, and the nation will be able to reduce crude oil import by 35 million barrels worth U.S.$3 billion a year (supposing $80 per barrel).
Korea"s export of OLEV units will in the future surpass the present level of overseas sale of conventional cars. When nations use online electric vehicles in large numbers, their demand for CO2-free power plants will grow. Korea has cutting-edge technology in the construction of atomic power plants. As a world leader in the area of nuclear power plant, Korea will enjoy new opportunities to contribute to the global advancement of atomic power generation as well as transportation industries.
Korea still shares a small portion of the world"s automobile market estimated to worth some 2,000 trillion Korean won. But commercialization of the OLEV technology worldwide will greatly enhance Korea"s global automotive market share. Successful development of the online electric vehicle requires preemptive investment and positive support by the government for the ultimate purpose of resolving energy and environment problems.
If and when domestic enterprises secure technological supremacy in the next generation automobile market with their online electric vehicles which will replace the 100-year-old combustion engine, it will be the most desirable shortcut to raising Korea"s international competitiveness. OLEV promises to be the model of creative growth engine in the 21st century.
2009.07.30 View 15880