KAIST, 대용량 배터리 전해질 생산시간 67% 단축 공정 개발
KAIST Develops Process That Cuts Flow-Battery Electrolyte Production Time by 67%
Part of the August 6, 2026 daily edition
KAIST 김희탁 교수 연구팀이 대용량 에너지저장장치의 유력 후보인 바나듐 레독스 흐름전지의 전해질 생산 시간을 기존보다 67% 단축하는 공정을 개발했습니다. 연구팀은 바나듐 이온의 평균 산화수가 약 +4.1에 이르는 지점에서 반응 속도가 급격히 느려지는 병목 구간을 세계 최초로 찾아냈습니다. 기존 공정이 전기화학적 환원에 의존한 데 반해, 연구팀은 이 구간에만 백금-탄소 촉매를 이용한 촉매 환원을 적용했습니다. 이 촉매는 2500회 넘게 반복 사용해도 성능 저하 없이 작동하는 것으로 확인됐습니다. 이 전지는 화재 위험이 거의 없고 탱크 크기를 늘려 저장 용량을 확장할 수 있습니다. 이에 따라 24시간 내내 대량의 전력을 소비하는 AI 데이터센터에 재생에너지를 공급할 초대형 배터리 후보로 주목받고 있습니다.
Translation
A KAIST research team led by Professor Kim Hee-tak has developed a process that cuts the production time of the electrolyte for the vanadium redox flow battery — a leading candidate for large-capacity energy storage systems — by 67% compared with the previous method. The team was the first in the world to find the bottleneck stage: the point at which the average oxidation state of the vanadium ions reaches about +4.1 and the reaction speed slows sharply. Whereas the existing process relied on electrochemical reduction, the team applied catalytic reduction using a platinum-carbon catalyst to this stage alone. The catalyst was confirmed to operate without any drop in performance even after more than 2,500 repeated uses. This battery carries almost no risk of fire, and its storage capacity can be expanded simply by enlarging the tanks. Accordingly, it is drawing attention as a candidate for the ultra-large batteries that would supply renewable energy to AI data centres, which consume large volumes of electricity around the clock.
Vocabulary
- 에너지저장장치명사 (noun)energy storage system (ESS)
- 유력 후보명사구 (noun phrase)leading candidate, front-runner
- 바나듐 레독스 흐름전지명사 (noun)vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB)
- 전해질명사 (noun)electrolyte
- 공정명사 (noun)process (in manufacturing)
- 단축하다동사 (verb)to shorten, to cut (time)
- 산화수명사 (noun)oxidation state (of an ion)
- 병목명사 (noun)bottleneck (the stage that holds everything up)
- 환원명사 (noun)reduction (the chemical reaction)
- 촉매명사 (noun)catalyst
- 저하명사 (noun)decline, degradation (as in 성능 저하, a drop in performance)
- 확장하다동사 (verb)to expand, to scale up
- 주목받다동사 (verb)to draw attention, to be in the spotlight
- 재생에너지명사 (noun)renewable energy
Grammar points
-(으)ㄴ/는 데 반해whereas, by contrast
A formal written connective that sets two facts side by side as opposites. Use 는 데 반해 with a present-tense verb, and -(으)ㄴ 데 반해 with an adjective or with a past-tense verb — which is the form in this article (의존한 데 반해, 'whereas it relied on'). Unlike -지만, which merely concedes, this form asks the reader to compare the two clauses directly, so it is common when an old method is measured against a new one.
Example: 기존 설비는 전력을 많이 쓰는 데 반해 새 설비는 절반만 씁니다.
The existing equipment uses a great deal of electricity, whereas the new equipment uses only half.
-는 것으로 확인되다was confirmed to be/do
A reporting frame typical of science and news writing. The clause is first nominalised with -는 것, then 으로 확인되다 presents it as a verified finding rather than the writer's own assertion. Swapping in 나타나다 ('was found to'), 알려지다 ('is known to') or 전망되다 ('is expected to') changes only how firm the claim is; the -는 것으로 structure stays the same.
Example: 새로 개발한 소재는 고온에서도 안정적으로 작동하는 것으로 확인됐습니다.
The newly developed material was confirmed to operate stably even at high temperatures.
이에 따라accordingly, in line with this
A written connective that picks up the whole situation just described (이에 = 'to this') and presents what follows as its natural consequence. It is weaker and more formal than 그래서: it does not claim a strict cause, only that the second statement follows in line with the first. Do not confuse it with N에 따르면, which attributes information to a source.
Example: 전기 요금이 크게 올랐고, 이에 따라 기업들도 설비를 바꾸고 있습니다.
Electricity charges have risen sharply, and accordingly companies too are replacing their equipment.
N에 이르다to reach N (a level or figure)
Used with a quantity, level or point to say that something has got that far. In formal writing it replaces plain 되다 when the figure is meant to sound notable, and its modifier form -에 이르는 lets you attach the figure to a following noun, as in 약 +4.1에 이르는 지점 ('the point at which it reaches about +4.1').
Example: 새 공장의 연간 생산량은 백만 대에 이릅니다.
The new plant's annual output reaches one million units.
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