Introduction: Denmark Technical University

With a total of 27 departments and various research centers, the underlying advantge of Denmark Technical University is the cooperation among professors and students with many departments working towards the same goal: development of sustainable and green technology.

28% of Denmark's energy comes from wind turbines, and Denmark is aiming to turn this use into 100% efficiency by 2050. DTU is actively engaged in making this ambition become a reality. At the time of KAIST's visit to DTU, the Department of Environmental and Civil Engineering was working on developing new materials for the structure of the windmill wing with students already working on their projects in the well-equipped 24-hour student workshop designed for building prototypes and performing tests. To provide students with more workspace and room for more testing equipments, DTU is planning to build a new building to incorporate more classrooms, an auditorium, and another workshop. It is expected to be a floor higher than the current building and to be built in the shape similar to that of a large container box.

Aside from workshops and design labs, there are also research labs inside the campus. One of the more impressive research labs is the PowerLabDk, a center for Electric Technology that tries to solve problems of modern electric power systems. It has the world's largest amplifiers that are used to measure disturbance in windmill currents and transform electric power systems into a suitable, economical and reliable one using renewable resources. There is also a hydraulics lab where extensive research is taking place. Professors and students set up a small-scale model using ping-pongs to mimic the sea, creating currents with machines and using breakwaters and large stones to help test their hypothesis more efficiently. The research team measures the bed profile and erosion to estimate how much wave energy is transported. This can help test whether or not planting wind turbines under shallow waters will work. All departments focused on their area and used different methods to solve the problem of preserving the environment with sustainable energy. Looking at the various study areas, it could be assured that DTU is actively confronting a green challenge on a daily basis.

KAIST and DTU

On May 13, 2011, Korea and Denmark formed an unprecedented Green Growth Alliance in Copenhagen, Denmark. The leaders of both countries, President Lee Myung Bak and Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, agreed on a joint statement regarding the establishmntries, KAIST President Nam Pyo Suh and Lars Pallesen of DTU, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) contract solidifying the establishment of Korean-Danish Green Technology Research Centre. This formed the basis for joint research on sustainable solutions to benefit society. The formation of a strong tie between Korea and Denmark removed all boundaries in the two universities' relationship.

Under the MOU contract, the universities decided to encourage collaborative research projects and double major programs for Master's Degree and Ph.D. students so that they can exchange innovative ideas and experiences. With the aim of research cooperation within technical and scientific disciplines and a strong focus on green technology, the first collaborative research is centered on integrated water technology and biosustainability.

Grøn Dyst at DTU

Green at DTU

Grøn Dyst is an annual green challenge program focused on sustainability and innovation which encourages students in all areas of studies ranging from Bachelor's to Master's levels to come up with solutions to world problems. Some of the project themes include bio energy, water, waste and residual resource, solar energy, optimization, and sustainable materials. The main goal is to develop and create value using natural and technical sciences for the benefit of society. Having started in 2010, Grøn Dyst has since stepped forward as an international event. In 2012, over 400 students participated in Grøn Dyst, and DTU successfully gathered students from around Northern Europe and Korea. While most of them were students from DTU, some were from Finland, Germany, Norway, and Korea.

A KAIST professor and four KAIST students also took part in the event. Among the fifteen panels of judges was Sung Min Choi, a KAIST professor from the Department of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering. Student participants from KAIST are Soomin Woo (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering), Karam Hwang (CCS Green Transporation Graduate School), Jeehye Byun (Graduate School of EEWS) and B.S. Jang (Rocket Lab under the Department of Aerospace Engineering).

Presentation of Works

Hwang explained how the vehicle population density within major cities has increased dramatically, making road transportation and management of CO2 emissions a much more difficult task. Hwang said, "Developing foldable micro electric vehicles may provide agility and lesser parking space in urban traffic conditions. This vehicle has functions like other foldable vehicles, but has some additional merits; the user can remotely fold, park, and view any telemetry data of the vehicle through their smart device which also serves as an information panel." Hwang shows the layout of a general block diagram forma of the Foldable Electric Vehicle. For a standard vehicle, CO2 emissions can be reduced up to 93%.

As a solution to meet the increasing global demand for fresh water, Woo introduced reverse osmosis concentrate from water reuse process and its treatment technologies. Among the tertiary processes to produce reusable water, reverse osmosis not only is a comparatively simple process, but also has a high potential for its advantages in module construction and small carbon footprint. Research on the topic is still ongoing as KAIST is testing with various methods such as using membrane biological reactor to denitrificate the concentrate produced and reducing nitrate through nano-scale zero valent iron particles.

Some student participants found sponsors for their projects and were actively engaged in conversations with politicians, professors, and industry persons during the presentation time.

Winning Projects

Professors say that trial and error is common at DTU and that it is important to find something beyond a formula to update designs and theories. Judges of Grøn Dyst say that connecting theory and reality is what engineers ought to do. Each panel of judges consisted of a politician, student, industry person, and faculty member. The winning projects had something in common: practicality and applicability. These were not just theoretical analysis, but works with high potential. Winning projects mainly encompassed renewable and sustainable energy like solar energy, and introduced sustainable materials.

Improvements

Considering Grøn Dyst is a budding event, it had some room for improvement. More dormitories to accommodate all visiting international students would help to hold a better event in the future. Moreover, a reception during Grøn Dyst that lasted for 30 minutes was done only in Danish. The comfortable and welcoming atmosphere was appreciated, but a thoughtful consideration for international participants is something to think about.

Outlook on Korea's Green Steps

Seoul has been using an eco mileage system to convince the inhabitants to reduce the use of energy by giving them many incentives. Moreover, Korea is hosting the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress in Jeju from Septermber 6 to 15. IUCN is the world's oldest and largest global environmental organization. As for KAIST, many research labs are open till late in the evening. Hwang said, "It would be nice for KAIST to have this kind of competition where students from different backgrounds come together as one to solve problems that concern all of us." Korea's aim for a green shift seems to be on a good track.