Professor Kwon Hwiwoong of Soonchunhyang University Develops 'Hydrogen Liquefaction Process' Technology

Establishing Operating Conditions Based on Various Refrigerant Sources Such as LNG, MR, and N2

Professor Hwiwoong Kwon, Department of Nano Chemical Engineering, Soonchunhyang University

Kwon Hwiwoong, a professor from the Department of Nano Chemical Engineering at Soonchunhyang University, has succeeded in developing optimal hydrogen liquefaction process technology based on various refrigerant sources (such as LNG, LN2, and MR), achieving technological localization.

According to Professor Kwon's research team, hydrogen, which is gaining attention as a next-generation eco-friendly energy source, requires large-scale storage and transportation solutions as the most crucial factors for energy commercialization.

In fact, liquid hydrogen can reduce the volume of gaseous hydrogen to 1/800, making hydrogen liquefaction processes that convert gaseous hydrogen into liquid essential for optimal large-scale storage and transportation. However, hydrogen liquefaction processes are monopolized by a few advanced countries with proprietary technologies, making the development of independent process design technology necessary.

The research team led by Professor Kwon Hwiwoong at Soonchunhyang University, in collaboration with Professor Park Jinwoo at Dongguk University and Professor Koo Bonchan at Dong-A University, has been conducting research to conceptually design and simulate high-efficiency hydrogen liquefaction processes that consider various refrigerant sources (such as LNG, LN2, and MR) for liquefying gaseous hydrogen into liquid hydrogen.

As a result, the team enhanced the process efficiency of the proposed hydrogen liquefaction process while ensuring economic viability and environmental sustainability. They also achieved results by linking the proposed hydrogen liquefaction process and production facilities to derive the Levelized Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH) based on national energy policies and environmental conditions.

Professor Kwon stated, "This research is expected to provide insights to private and government stakeholders who are promoting research and demonstration for technological localization in Korea, where proprietary technology is relatively lacking compared to advanced countries."

Meanwhile, the results of this research were recently published in the international journal Journal of Cleaner Production.