Ajou News

NEW Prof. Lee Jung-ho’s Team Conducts Energy Technology Project Worth KRW 13.5 Billion

  • 2021-08-03
  • 4568


Professor Lee Jung-ho’s Team from Ajou University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering has been selected as a lead research team for the 1st Energy Technology Development Project launched in 2021 by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE). 


The MOTIE is leading around 80 projects in the fields of new and renewable energy, energy-related new industry, clean thermal and nuclear power plant, smart grid, and public R&D in order to realize a carbon neutral society and promote technology development for Green New Deal projects that will enable the country to respond to changes in energy environment. A total of KRW 195 billion will be shared amongst 119 projects. 


Professor Lee Jung-ho (left in photo) has been selected to lead a project on core technology and module development to improve the performance of heat pipe heat exchangers using a boiling model, which Lee’s team applied for within the category of “Projects related to technology development for energy demand management.” The project timeline is from May 2021 to December 2025 and is projected to cost KRW 13.5 billion.


A heat exchanger transfers heat from a region of higher temperature to one of lower temperature through a heat pipe—a very high thermal conductance device which does not consume any external energy. The device structure is simple and is not easily deformed by heat, lending it to use as a heat exchanger for recovery of waste heat and cooling/heat exchange systems in the aerospace industry.


Professor Lee Jung-ho’s team (right in photo) plans to develop a boiling pipe heat exchanger. A boiling pipe uses ‘boiling’ heat transfer technology which surpasses the performance of existing heat exchangers, dependent as they are on evaporation. The new heat transfer technology is gaining a lot of traction as a core technology for advanced management of heat from high heat sources such as cooling devices for power semiconductors, electric vehicles, energy storage systems (ESSs) and laser-guided munitions.


The team aims to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and lower energy costs of power plants, boilers, incinerators, etc. It expects to add value by cutting the indirect energy waste in waste heat recovery by small and medium-sized companies.


Lee Jung-ho, who heads the project, was appointed in March 2021 as professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He is one of the top Korean experts in advanced insulation and heat management technology, and has developed heat system insulation technology and heat management technology over the past 25 years.


Leading institutions participating in this project led by Ajou University include Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, Chungang University Industry Academic Cooperation Foundation, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (KAIST), and Uniwel Corporation.

<Overview of a Boiling Pipe Heat Exchanger>

히트파이프(증발/막응축)

Heat Pipe (Evaporation/Filmwise Condensation)

비등파이프(비등/적응축): 상변화 열전달 촉진

Boiling Pipe (Boiling/Dropwise Condensation): Enhancing phase change heat transfer

히트파이프: 파이프 내부 증발과 막응축을 이용한 열교환

Heat Pipe: Heat exchange through evaporation and filmwise condensation inside pipe

비등파이트: 파이프 내부 비등과 적응축을 이용한 열교환

Boiling Pipe: Heat exchange through boiling and dropwise condensation inside pipe

열교환기 효율 양상에 따른 Compact 구현

Creating a compact module by enhancing heat exchanger efficiency