KIMM Develops Cryogenic Turbo Expander Capable of Below –183°C

2024-10-29

The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) has announced that its Energy Storage Research Team, led by Principal Researcher Hyung-Su Lim, has successfully developed a cryogenic turbo expander capable of operating at extremely low temperatures below –183°C. This technology is crucial for the efficient storage of alternative energy sources such as hydrogen and natural gas in cryogenic conditions. By domesticating the core technology used in existing cryogenic cooling systems, this development is expected to reduce reliance on foreign technologies.

The research team has developed an oil-free cryogenic turbo expander using a zero global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant and successfully conducted a demonstration test on a natural gas liquefaction expander. Cryogenic turbo expanders operate by using an impeller to expand high-pressure gas, thereby lowering its temperature. The newly developed technology has been used to cool neon, a zero GWP refrigerant, from room temperature to below -183°C.

"By storing alternative energy sources like hydrogen as a cryogenic liquid, we can increase energy density and reduce the size of storage facilities," said Dr. Hyung-Su Lim. "The development of core cryogenic turbo expander technology will enable the domestic production of alternative energy storage systems to address climate change

Source: https://news.nate.com/view/20241014n07746?mid=n1101