Since its establishment in 1987, ILJIN Electric Heavy Industry R&D Center has been actively graft high technology onto the power plant and substation related equipments including extra-high voltage power transformer, switch, circuit breaker and electrical meter, leading the heavy electric industry domestically and internationally.
HV (High Voltage) Development Team leader Hyoung Woo Lim is in charge of GIS (Gas Insulated Switchgear) development. In order to ensure the GIS insulation performance and the safety of blockage and current carrying capacity, he runs electric field and magnetic field simulation, develops future techniques and sets GIS direction.
How can the innovation, research and development of ILJIN Electric transform our daily life? Let’s hear it from the team leader, Hyoung Woo Lim.

What does the research station mainly focus on?

ILJIN Electric Heavy Industry R&D Center’s main job is to ‘create electricity safely.’ To fulfill this purpose, we are developing products and techniques related to high-voltage electricity. We also conduct basic research such as structure and kinetics of electric devices and mechanics, running gas and fluid heat flow simulation mathematically.

What are some products developed by ILJIN?

Power plant makes electricity, substation sends out electricity to the users. The substations lower down the high-voltage electricity and we make various products such as power transformer, blocker, switch, wires and connectors which are used to deliver electricity from the power plant to the users. You may not be familiar with them, but they are high-voltage gas insulated switchgear (GIS) for over 72.5kV, high-voltage power transformer techniques and high-voltage wires and connectors techniques.

What would the world be like without the research station?

Without ILJIN Electric’s innovation, the power outage would’ve been happening often during rainy and snowy days. Also, it would’ve been difficult to have heater during winter and air condition or fans during hot summer. The bad electric quality would’ve damaged home electronics easily. I also think that Korea would’ve still relied heavily on expensive import products.

What is the future like in your thoughts?

In the future, corporations, organizations and individuals will need a lot more energy. At the same time, the need of eco-friendly technology and products will increase tremendously. Current high-voltage blocker uses ‘SF6’, an excellent insulation medium. This gas has a tendency to speed up the global warming, so I think the need of eco-friendly GIS products will be greatly in need. We are already actively doing research on some eco-friendly products so I think we’ll probably be in the lead in the future.

What are three innovative secrets of ILJIN Electric handling the future?

That is a tough question. First, we have the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) technology. With this technology, we expect to transmit more energy stably. Second, it is the eco-friendly GIS. It has a lower insulation capability in comparison to SF6, however, we are studying how to use ‘dry air,’ an eco-friendly gas. Third, we have the technology to calculate the degree of modification of electric current, voltage and instruments using light. By using light, we can calculate more accurately without affecting the insulation capacity. Also, we can calculate the thermal mode and instrumental modification. By using such calculation technology, we can make smaller and more detailed products.

When do you feel rewarded?

The GIS technology I designed and developed is meant to allow people, including myself, to watch television at home, turn on the air condition during summer, turn on the heater for winter. Therefore, I feel rewarded all the time.