South Korea’s largest floating solar farm in Gunsan, N. Jeolla Province. (Yonhap)
DAEJEON, Dec. 15 (Korea Bizwire) – A joint research team from the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology and Hanyang University announced that it has developed a highly durable floating solar panel structure by recycling low quality waste carbon fiber.
The research team found that the surface cohesion between carbon fiber and plastic resin is maximized if the surface of the carbon fiber is exposed to high-strength light energy for a short period of time.
The durability of low-quality carbon fiber that goes through this type of surface processing is enhanced, emulating about 95 percent of the performance of A-class carbon fiber for commercial use.
Based on such findings, the research team developed a prototype of an offshore floating structure supporting solar panels. An on-site demonstration is now underway at the inland sea of the Saemangeum seawall in North Jeolla Province.
Compared to offshore floating structures made of A-class carbon fiber, the new carbon fiber solution offers production cost savings of more than 20 percent, while maintaining excellent weatherproofness and salt-water resistance.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
