The Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI, President Myeong-ho Myung), a government-funded research institute specializing in electricity under the National Research Council of Science and Technology of the Ministry of Science and ICT, showcased four major future mobility technologies by revealing core technologies in the fields of electric vehicles, electric ships, drones/flying cars, and hydrogen, including SiC power semiconductors, onshore testing labs for electric ships, localization of electric engines for drones/flying cars, and liquid hydrogen production and long-term storage technology.

On the 30th, the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute presented the 'Four Key Mobility Technologies Based on Electricity Technology' through the 'Research Site Online Briefing' event.

The four core technologies introduced at this event are: △SiC (silicon carbide) power semiconductors for electric vehicles, △LBTS (Land-Based Testing Laboratory for Electric Ships), △Domestic production of electric engines for drones/flying cars, and △Liquid hydrogen production and long-term storage technology.

SiC power semiconductors play a role similar to human muscles, such as controlling the direction of current and controlling power conversion, and are essential for high-performance inverters that connect batteries and electric motors in electric vehicles.It is a key component that improves power efficiency by 10% based on its excellent material properties.

The technological barriers were high, so only a few companies in advanced countries had a monopoly, and with the recent global supply and demand shortage, technological independence was urgently needed.

In the midst of this, KERI has received much attention for developing the ultra-high-difficulty 'Trench MOSFET' technology, which can solve the supply shortage problem beyond realizing localization, becoming the third company in the world (after Germany, Japan, and Korea).

The Electric Ship Land Testing Laboratory, as its name suggests, is a facility for testing electric ships on land. It is a key facility that was completed in 2015 as the first of its kind in Korea and the third in the world (after the US, UK, and Korea).

Electric ships are a difficult field to maintain if a breakdown or problem occurs after the propulsion system is installed at the bottom, and the ship must be dismantled and repaired.

On the other hand, by conducting a preliminary performance verification process through KERI's onshore testing laboratory, it has brought about significant effects such as shortening the ship construction period and reducing losses caused by delays in electrification. Including other benefits such as technology import substitution and development of related industries, the total ripple effect is over 500 billion won.

The localization of electric engines for drones and flying cars is the first domestic achievement of independently developing 'electric motors' and 'generators' that propel manned and unmanned aircraft with electric power rather than the existing fossil fuel-based aircraft engines.

The most important conditions in the field, such as 'low noise', 'stability', and 'high output', were all successfully achieved, and safety and security issues that had previously arisen from the use of foreign parts were resolved through domestic production.

Through continuous research in the future, we will develop a 10kW electric motor and a 100kW generator with stability sufficient for a person to ride within 3 years.The goal is to make the country a leader in the flying car industry.

Liquid hydrogen production and long-term storage technology is expected to significantly contribute to eliminating the explosion risk of existing gaseous hydrogen and to the revitalization of the future hydrogen economy and the realization of carbon-neutral policies.

KERI's achievement is the 'Zero Boil-off' technology, which cools hydrogen gas to an extremely low temperature (-253 degrees Celsius) to create liquid hydrogen and allows long-term storage of this hydrogen without loss.

This technology, which enhances the safety of hydrogen storage, is expected to secure public acceptance and enable long-distance transport and widespread use of hydrogen.

In an online briefing held that day, KERI President Myeong-ho Myung said, “Mobility is a field that has a huge impact on the lives of our people and the Korean industry, and it is a field where ‘electrification’ is progressing faster than anywhere else.” He added, “We will do our best to create tangible results that the people and businesses can feel.”