Executive Summary

  Dr. Kyu-Jung Kim is a researcher and educator specializing in advanced energy conversion and thermal systems. With a career spanning global industry leadership at LG Electronics and academic research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), his work bridges the gap between fundamental thermodynamic science and practical, high-performance power generation.

• Global Industrial & Academic Experience: Served as a chief research engineer managing international collaborative projects across Korea, Japan, and the U.S

• Intellectual Property Impact: Authored over 130 published patents with 42 successfully issued

• Core Research Domains: Direct Borohydride Fuel Cells (DBFC), Metal Hydride Thermal Energy Conversion, and Thermodynamic Engine Modeling

Core Research Fields

  1. Direct Borohydride Fuel Cell (DBFC) Technologies

• Overview: Pioneering the development of DBFCs—an advanced fuel cell utilizing stable, water-soluble solid borohydride as an abundant on-demand fuel source

• Key Innovations & Advantages:

  • Designed unique structures such as corrugated anodes to maximize the fuel-catalyst contact surface area while eliminating complex fluid channels (US Patent 7,318,975)

  • Utilizes non-precious metal hydride-based catalysts, achieving high cost-competitiveness and mass-production viability compared to traditional platinum- or gold-reliant systems

  • Developed advanced laboratory techniques, including in-situ electroplating, achieving power densities exceeding 1.5 W/cm² at 65°C and ambient pressure (20-40% higher performance than conventional methods)

• Real-World & Specialized Applications: Research contributions span portable power systems (1 kW portable DBFC system developed via international collaborations with Japan and Korea), Department of Defense wearable power pack challenges, and specialized air-independent propulsion concepts for marine and underwater robotic systems

  2. Metal Hydride Thermal Energy Conversion Systems

• Overview: Investigating eco-friendly thermal energy systems that utilize low-grade waste heat for cooling and heat upgrading through the thermo-physical interaction of metal hydride alloys and hydrogen

• Key Innovations & Advantages:

  • Eliminates electrical energy consumption in refrigeration cycles by leveraging industrial waste heat

  • Provides critical ecological benefits by substituting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) with hydrogen, mitigating ozone depletion

  • Advanced numerical modeling of energy conversion waves propagating through blown-through porous media to maximize system efficiency

  3. Thermodynamic Modeling of Internal Combustion & Rotary Engines

• Overview: Early foundational research establishing rigorous physical and chemical modeling for engine systems

• Key Innovations & Advantages:

  • Contributed directly to electronic engine management systems and high-performance propulsion evaluations

  • Developed precise numerical models for complex epitrochoidal motion in Wankel-type rotary engines, optimizing displacement calculations relative to eccentric shaft angles

Selected Publications & Patents Highlights

• Journal Publications:

  • C.H. Kim, K.J. Kim, M.Y. Ha, "Investigation of the characteristics of a stacked direct borohydride fuel cell for portable applications," Journal of Power Sources, 2008

  • N. Luo, G. Miley, K.J. Kim, R. Burton, X. Huang, "NaBH4/H2O2 fuel cells for air independent power systems," Journal of Power Sources, 2008

  • S. Ham, S. Kang, K.-J. Kim, "A Numerical Study for Performance Prediction of a Metal Hydride Thermal Energy Conversion System Elaborating the Superadiabatic Condition," Energies, 2020

• Representative Issued Patents:

  • US Patent 7,691,501: "Fuel cell system and controlling method thereof"

  • US Patent 7,910,251: "Fuel cell system"

  • US Patent 7,318,975: "Membrane electrode assembly of fuel cell"