Sumin Kim

• University of Warwick

Climate change and unbalanced energy demand and consumption require innovative approaches to the development of sustainable and renewable energy technologies. Phase change materials (PCMs) present exceptional solutions for zero-energy thermal management due to their outstanding energy storage density at an isothermal phase transition. However, the...

Material selection and production conditions are imperative for determining the functional performances of composite materials. Phase-change composites obtained from phase-change materials (PCMs) and supporting matrices exhibit high thermal energy storage density. They are used to overcome the intermittency issues of wind and solar energy, as well...

Exterior insulation finishing systems (EIFSs) can efficiently promote energy efficiency of buildings. In this study, an EIFS with high thermal efficiency is presented to improve the insulation behavior of building enclosure. Based on heat transfer analysis results, energy simulations of buildings with fire spread prevention structures were performe...

High‐value‐added biomass materials like biocarbon are being actively pursued integrating them with soft materials in a broad range of advanced renewable energy technologies owing to their advantages, such as lightweight, relatively low‐cost, diverse structural engineering applications, and high energy storage potential. Consequently, the hybrid int...

Production and utilization of renewable materials receive considerable attention to achieve the goals of carbon neutrality and carbon peaking and create a sustainable society. Phase-change materials (PCMs) have emerged as a novel energy storage technology but usually suffer inherent insufficient thermal stability and liquid leakage, thereby requiri...

The hazardous effects of air pollution on the human body are of grave concern, particularly the rising levels of 2.5 μm-particulate matter. Children are more susceptible to the lethal effects of particulate matter (PM) than adults. In this study, a case study of architectural renovation (ARCH-R) and facility renovation (FAC-R) was conducted in a sc...

The fundamental requirements for thermal comfort along with the unbalanced growth in the energy demand and consumption worldwide have triggered the development and innovation of advanced materials for high thermal‐management capabilities. However, continuous development remains a significant challenge in designing thermally robust materials for the...

The CO2 reduction policy has driven the remodeling policy to reduce the energy consumption of buildings, which can be implemented by insulating and replacing windows to reduce the energy consumption of buildings. However, due to energy poverty, many residents have limited opportunities for these projects. Therefore, economically accessible technolo...

Building energy consumption and carbon emissions must be reduced to decrease the rate of global warming. To improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings, energy retrofitting can serve as an effective strategy. Retrofitting historic buildings is difficult due to the conflict between the historical value and usefulness of the building, but a m...

Among agricultural residues, corn cob (CC) is an essential residue of corn. Unlike common agricultural residues, CC is nutrient-dense and difficult to recycle as fertilizer or feed. Its fiber composition is similar to that of wood, allowing it to act as a wood substitute. In this study, we evaluated the usability of CC in buildings by preparing a c...

According to fire accident statistics, fires in buildings are increasing. The flame-retardant performance of insulation materials is considered an important factor for preventing the spread of fire and ensuring evacuation. This study evaluated the flame-retardant performance and combustion characteristics of four types of organic thermal insulation...

Studies analyzing indoor thermal environments according to variables such as the outdoor climate, wall layer, and building composition have benn conducted using building simulations. However, previous analyses of hygrothermal performance considering moisture are insufficient. Therefore, this study propose a process for evaluating indoor hygrotherma...

In recent times, indoor environments have become increasingly important for occupants who spend most of their time indoors. The use of furniture, which occupies a large specific surface area in interior spaces, is expanding. Medium-density fiberboard, particleboard, and plywood are generally used as wood-based furniture materials, and these materia...

Traditionally, insulation materials have been developed to prevent heat loss or gain in buildings. Polymer compounds such as polyurethane, polystyrene, and polyethylene have been used to improve the performance of insulation materials during the modern industrialization process. However, because most insulating materials based on complex organic ch...

Particulate matter (PM), an inhalable material, is generated from various sources, including building materials. To maintain indoor air quality, it is necessary to analyze harmful substances and establish a method for their remediation. The purpose of this study is to identify the particles generated during the deterioration of building materials a...

Latent heat storage based on phase-changing materials (PCMs) is a promising technology for thermal energy storage because of its large heating enthalpy and isothermal phase-transition temperature. However, the practical applications of PCMs is highly restricted because of their intrinsically low thermal conductivity, which limits real-time energy s...

Renewable biomaterials are in the spotlight as a potential solution to increasing global greenhouse gas emissions. The construction industry contributes up to 40% of greenhouse gas emissions, with building materials responsible for a major portion. Research on high‐performance materials with small carbon footprints has been steadily progressing. Wo...

With the development of countries, concerns about global warming have increased. Many countries are taking steps to implement green building-related policies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions; however, these policies are generally applied to new buildings. Therefore, this study focused on the applicability of phase change materials (PCMs) and the...

Phase-change materials (PCMs) plays a significant role in energy conservation and thermal management systems. However, excessive seepage and insufficient thermal conductivity of pristine PCMs are restricting its real-world applications. Herein, "anisotropic-like" biochar with favorable pore characteristics is designed by combining it with chitosan...

Artificial stones for architectural finishing satisfy the aesthetic needs of building occupants and can be easily mixed with other materials. In this study, the thermal inertia of specimens prepared using lightweight aggregate vacuum impregnated with n‐octadecane was improved, and the thermal conductivity was improved by mixing biochar having micro...

The construction industry is a major consumer of natural resources and a major waste generator. The use of recycled aggregate is important for the environmental sustainability of the construction industry because it can not only reduce the need for waste landfills, but can also reduce the depletion of natural aggregates. Although there are many stu...

The addition of thermally conductive nanomaterials is an effective strategy for increasing the thermal conductivity of phase change materials (PCMs). However, nanomaterials are expensive and may significantly reduce the latent heat capacity of PCMs. In this study, low-cost and eco-friendly biochar microparticles were prepared from garlic stems, a c...

Ultra-fine dust refers to particulate matter from external sources, and modernization contributes toward increasing the presence of ultra-fine dust. Young children are particularly vulnerable to the ill effects of ultra-fine dust. Educational buildings, where young children spend the longest duration after their houses, are typically difficult to r...

Various policies for carbon reduction are being promoted due to the increase in energy consumption and changes in the global environment. However, the low-income household of South Korea are still living in old houses with poor energy performance; thus, they require a lot of money for heating. In response, the government is subsidizing the cost of...

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in construction energy consumption and indoor occupancy; this, in turn, has increased the demand for energy efficiency. Thermal energy storage is an effective method for energy saving and improving efficiency. In this study, improved shape-stabilized phase change materials (SSPCMs) for enhancing the ener...

To build an energy-sharing community, the energy flow, while considering the changes in the data within the community, must be identified in the planning and design phases. In this study, a procedure was suggested to assume PV production in a specific district and plan PV systems for the energy-sharing community using a method to identify and quant...

As the demand for coffee has increased, by-product disposal has become a challenge to solve. Many studies are being conducted on how to use coffee waste as building materials to recycle it. In this study, the thermal performance and acoustic performance of a composite developed using bio-based microencapsulated phase change material (MPCM) and coff...

Cross-laminated timber (CLT) modular construction possesses the advantages of wood, such as excellent carbon storage and thermal insulation, and of modular construction, such as considerably reduced construction period and cost as well as high productivity. This study evaluates the hygrothermal performance of CLT walls considering modular construct...

This study focuses on the energy performance of low-rise residential buildings and on the technological improvements required to improve their performance. As most low-rise residential buildings in Korea are old, they are being renovated to improve their energy efficiency. However, as renovations are expensive, the government intends to apply low-c...

Globally, humanity is at risk from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). To address the shortage of beds in quarantining those infected with COVID-19, hospitals have prepared temporary beds. However, for temporary hospital beds, it is difficult to maintain a comfortable temperature due to lack of insulation and heat storage. Phase change materials (P...

Calcium sulfate hemihydrate has been used as a building material because of its economical and non-combustible characteristics. By applying a heat storage material to a calcium sulfate hemihydrate composite (CSHC), the building energy consumption can be reduced. In this study, a CSHC with a high heat storage capacity was prepared using fine aggrega...

Biochar is biomass that has undergone pyrolysis and contains many pores; therefore, it can effectively be used as a building material. This experiment aims to improve the thermal performance of artificial stone finishes used as interior veneers. A phase change material (PCM) with a high latent heat performance and biochar, an eco-friendly material,...

Insulation materials are essential components in construction, and their main objective is to increase the efficiency of thermal energy by minimizing internal and external thermal exchange. Accordingly, research and development studies are being actively conducted to increase the thermal resistance of insulation materials, and high-performance insu...

Among the construction methods used for the construction of buildings, exterior insulation finishing can effectively utilize the thermal energy of a building as it prevents the occurrence of thermal bridges, unlike internal insulation. Recently, along with the global energy saving efforts, building energy saving methods, which effectively use the h...

Phase change composites are in high demand in thermal management systems. Various supporting materials, including nanocomposites, have been employed to develop shape-stable phase change materials (PCMs). As the reliability of most composite materials has mostly been studied right after the preparation with specific thermal cycling measurements, it...

Modern people spend most of their time indoors. Therefore, controlling indoor air quality is one of the most important factors for health. The indoor fine dust concentration is affected by the outdoor fine dust concentration. When the latter is high, it increases due to immersion. Therefore, improving the sealing performance of a building is an eff...

Phase change materials (PCMs) have rediscovered and receiving increasing attention in the fabrication of state-of-the-art renewable energy technologies owing to their outstanding role in controlling thermal energy storage and release. Nevertheless, their low shape stability, insufficient thermal conductivity, and deficiency in responding to multiph...

High insulation fire door (HIFD) was designed using the design process of vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) and frames to improve the insulation performance of fire doors. To improve the insulation and airtightness performance of HIFDs, the frame was designed using a 3D heat transfer program. The thermal performance of the HIFD could be improved thro...

Thermal energy storage using phase change materials (PCMs) has received significant attention in the field of sustainable energy development. However, extremely low thermal conductivity and seepage issues are two long-standing drawbacks limiting PCM-based applications. In this study, an alternative strategy is used to construct composite PCMs by in...

Particles of fine dust are pollutants that adversely affect indoor air quality and exacerbate human respiratory diseases. The aging of the building was pointed out as a source of fine dust indoors. The aging of buildings has various causes of deterioration. During various deterioration, friction adversely affects the building floor finish. In this...

The development of shape-stabilized composite phase change materials (PCMs) is critical for realization of efficient thermal energy management systems and sustainable energy utilization. Herein, we designed an intelligent, multifunctional, organic composite PCMs with a three-dimensional (3D) hybrid nanocomposite and n-pentadecane. The 3D hybrid mat...

To obtain high thermal performance composite phase change materials (PCMs), various other supporting materials have been utilized to encapsulate organic PCMs. In this study, four carbon materials (biochar, activated carbon, carbon nanotubes, and expanded graphite) were introduced to support heptadecane. The composite PCMs were designed using vacuum...

Thermal energy storage using phase change materials (PCMs) has received great attention in a wide range of smart applications. However, the development of shape-stabilized organic composite PCMs is a significant barrier to further advancement. Herein we explore “green” composite PCMs using commercially available biochar materials, derived from two...

Indoor finishing materials that can control the indoor environment through moisture control materials are being developed. Since humidity is affected by temperature, it is necessary to analyze a mixture of materials that affect temperature and materials that affect humidity. This study analyzed the effects of absorbent porous sediments (PAS) and mi...