넥슨스타 자립형 에너지 특허-수전해 설비-R&D네트워크

NEXON STAR Patents and R&D

NEXON STAR patent technology application and development

• Securing patent technology for stack and water electrolysis system

• Securing original patent technology for national strategy through industry-academia-research cooperation

• Target 1/3 of selling price by 2030 by differentiating technological competitiveness and developing parts and materials

[ PEM Stack general model ]

[ PEM BOP general model ]

Patent Technology Competitiveness

Competition in technology, such as securing patent rights, leads the hydrogen economy
NEXON STAR secures original patent technology for stack and water electrolysis system, which are core devices

The leadership of the hydrogen economy is expected to be held by countries with excellent technology, such as securing patents, rather than hydrogen supply countries. It is being done in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries such as the United States, and in the case of China, it is chasing OECD countries by increasing R&D investment by 6 times compared to the previous year.

As of 2020, hydrogen economy patents are represented by 41% of fuel cells, 36% of production, 21% of storage, and 2% of distribution, and are mostly owned by Europe, Japan, the United States and Korea. According to the Korean Intellectual Property Office in 2022, the number of advanced five (IP5) patent applications in Korea, the US, Japan, China and the EU for water electrolysis technology has increased to 1,469 in the last 5 years, an increase of about 31% compared to the previous 5 years. appeared to be

NEXON STAR began investing in renewable energy such as solar energy and fuel cells in 2018, and investing in R&D for water electrolysis stacks and water electrolysis facilities in earnest from 2021. From 2022, we are applying for 4 related water electrolysis patents and 2 water electrolysis system patents, and plan to apply for more than 10 new patents every year by expanding our R&D organization.

Division	Patent name	Filing year
Water electrolysis stack	[Security] Water electrolysis stack	2022
	[Security] Water electrolysis stack	2023
	[Security Note] Structure Stack	2023
Energy self-sufficient system	Energy self-sufficient water electrolysis system	2022
Energy self-sufficient system	Energy self-sufficient solar power generation system	2022
Power generation system	Water harvesting system	2022
Platform business	Carbon Emissions Trading System	2022
Platform business	Blockchain-based intellectual property transaction system and method	2021

[ Energy self-sufficient
water electrolysis system ]

[ Energy self-sufficient solar power
generation system ]

[ PEM stack patent ]

[ PEM stack patent ]

[ PEM stack patent ]

[ ISO 9001 certification ]

[ Carbon Emissions Patent ]

[ R&D department certificate ]

R&D Network

Securing original patent technology for national strategy through industry-academia-research cooperation New technology certification and Korea Gas Corporation manufacturing facility and product certification progress

The original technology for producing 1~2MW water electrolysis hydrogen is one of the government's 12 national strategic technologies, and the government is focusing on securing national competitiveness through industry-academy-research cooperation.

In 2022, NEXON STAR will focus its capabilities on developing and verifying next-generation PEM water electrolysis stacks and facilities through industry-academia-research cooperation with Inha University and the Ulsan headquarters of the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology. The fruit of product development with competition has been obtained.

Based on the performance evaluation results, NEXON STAR is aiming for new technology certification and Korea Gas Safety Corporation product certification for the first time in Korea. We plan to grow into a leading domestic and foreign company through investment.

NEXON STAR – Inha University
PEM Industry-academia cooperation for water electrolytic separation plate flow analysis and system modeling development

[ go to article ]

NEXON STAR
Announced patent for energy-independent water electrolysis system

[ go to article ]

NEXON STAR – Korea Institute of Industrial Technology
PEM Completed water electrolysis stack development and verification

[ go to article ]

NEXON STAR 'PEM water electrolysis stack'
Recorded 77% performance evaluation efficiency

[ go to article ]

R&D Roadmap

Target cost reduction by 1/3 by differentiating technological competitiveness and developing parts and materials The cost composition of water electrolysis is 45% for stack and 55% for BOP.

In order to lower the cost of hydrogen production using water electrolysis technology, stack optimization design and the use of low-cost metal materials are required at the same time.

NEXON STAR is optimized for membrane electrode assemblies, diffusion layers, and separators for efficient operation at high current density and response to load fluctuations in the current high-efficiency and high-durability stack design and cell configuration. Efficiency and durability are further secured through design, and in terms of materials, more titanium is used in the separator of expensive materials such as current precious metal catalysts and gold or platinum-coated titanium. We plan to reduce the cost of the electrolyzer by reducing or replacing it with low-cost materials and reducing the cost of rare metals in CCM, the core of the stack.

We are investing in R&D with the goal of reducing the selling price to 1/3 of the price by 2030 by developing high-capacity, high-efficiency, high-durability stacks and low-cost materials and parts as a mid- to long-term goal. By 2050, the Hydrogen Council forecasts an average of 1.5$/kgH2 and IRENA will reach 1$/kgH2, and continued R&D investment is needed to maintain a sustained market advantage.

NEXON STAR developed separator plates and membrane electrode assembly (MEA), which account for 53% of the cost in the stack. R&D is being conducted centering on power supply development, which accounts for 50% of the cost, and facility function and ICT development to improve operational efficiency are also being developed at the same time. Even in BOP, it is analyzed that the economy of scale effect is large (when the module size is increased by 10 times, the cost increases by 4 to 5.6 times).

R&D Indicators	2023	2030	note	Development task
Efficiency(%, HHV)	80% or more	90% or more	efficiency	Stack structure development Next Generation Hydrogen Production Facility (photolysis, thermal decomposition, bio, gasification of waste resources)
Energy consumption(KWh / Nm³)			efficiency
Stack lifetime (operating hours)	60,000~90,000	100,000~150,000	durability	Separator development MEA development material development (iridium, platinum, titanium)
Load range (%, relative to nominal load)	5~100	0~160	load variability
Plant footprint (㎡ / KW)

[ Water electrolysis facility cost composition ratio ]

Water Electrolysis Equipment Components

Expanding the market by developing next-generation hydrogen production facilities Securing cost competitiveness by developing separators, MEAs, and electronic devices

CCM (Catalyst-Coated Membrane) deposits a catalyst layer (platinum group metal) on both sides of a Nafion membrane to form an anode and a cathode layer. will.

The anode side of the selective polymer membrane is where water molecules split to create oxygen molecules, protons and electrons. The protons pass through the membrane and combine with electrons passed through the external circuit. Produces molecular hydrogen.

Nafion is a perfluorosulfonic acid-based (PFSA) polymer, and PFSA polymers are preferred for use in PEM stacks due to their high conductivity and high chemical stability. It is a membrane technology and the parts of the MEA are held together by a frame made of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resin mixed with 40% glass fibers.

GDL (Gas Diffusion Layer, PTL (Porous Transport Layer)) has specific properties to facilitate the transport and diffusion of gases and fluids inside the MEA. (e.g. good corrosion resistance) and a certain porosity.

The plate (separator) is made of materials such as metals with excellent corrosion resistance such as stainless steel through precision molding processing and thin film coating technology, and Nafion, a key raw material for stacks, is used. In the case of membranes, the cost burden is high due to the increase in demand due to market monopoly. NEXON STAR is conducting R&D to replace it in collaboration with research institutes.

Each BOP part (container, pump, valve, tube, etc.) requires certification according to the revised Hydrogen Act, and as certified parts must be purchased, Nexon Star provides certified products for each unit part. The purchase supply chain is in place.

We plan to reduce costs by diversifying suppliers of power supply, which accounts for a significant portion of BOP costs, and whether or not parts are easily available as product items. Determine whether it is a part or a specially manufactured part that requires a specific design and manufacturing path, and decide whether to manufacture or purchase in-house, increasing the number of direct production raw material items. plan.

[ Electrolysis Stack ]

[ Electrolysis BOP ]