Kim Awarded New US Patent

Department of Mechanical Engineering Professor and Keystone Professor Jungho Kim has been awarded US patent 9,261,863. His co-inventors on the patent are Christopher Sloop, David Oberholzer, Robert Marshall and alumni Michael Siemann (Ph.D. ’13). The patent, named “optimizing and controlling the energy consumption of a building,” was issued on February 16. Kim was previously awarded a patent in 2008.

The patent aims to predict how much energy a building will use based on current weather forecasts. Through the method, a computing device generates a set of thermal response coefficients for the building based on its energy characteristics and weather data associated with the location of the building. This device then predicts an energy response based on the set of thermal response coefficients and forecasted weather associated with the location of the building, and selects minimal energy requirements based on an energy consumption cost associated with the building. It will determine one or more temperature set points for the building based on the energy response and the minimal energy requirements, before transmitting the one or more temperature set points to the building’s thermostat.

Kim is the leader of Thermal, Fluids and Energy Systems division within the Department of Mechanical Engineering. His research interests include phase change heat transfer process and heat exchange within complex heat exchangers. He also teaches within the Clark School Keystone Program, which encourages the school’s best faculty to teach fundamental courses in order to increase understanding and retention rates within the school.

Published March 16, 2016