Posted Nov 1, 2022 Edited Nov 2, 2022
Reporter Yang Yeon-ho
KakaoTalk messenger app outage due to data center fire brings attention to YUMIN ST’s explosion prevention sensors
Highly-regarded flexible liquid detection sensor which detects chemical leaks in just 0.1 seconds
Supplier to Apple and Amazon, and exported to 15 countries and the Middle East and Africa
CEO Kim Dong-hwan of YUMIN ST introduces the world's first flexible liquid detection sensor in 2007. <Pyeongtaek/ Reporter Yang Yeon-ho >
Concerns about battery safety rise due to recent fire at data center in Pangyo, Gyeonggi-do, which caused KakaoTalk outage.
An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) battery was found to be the cause of the fire. It was functioning as a backup energy storage system (ESS). As ESS fires have repeatedly occurred in recent years along with EV battery fires, the industry is paying attention to domestic SMEs that have technologies that can prevent such accidents.
YUMIN ST, a company specializing in hazardous chemical disaster prevention technology, announced on the 1st that it has developed an explosion disaster prevention sensor that can quickly detect battery fluid leaks, which can cause an ESS fire or explosion, and is ready to launch a finished commercial product.
CEO of YUMIN ST, Kim Dong- hwan, said, “Lithium-ion batteries, which are commonly used in ESS as rechargeable batteries, have electrolytes made of liquid, so battery damage, such as battery expansion due to high temperatures or leaking due to falls or other external impacts, can lead to a fire or explosion. We’ve succeeded in developing an ESS fire prevention system sensor in 15 months, and recently passed a quality test administered by a major South Korean battery company.”
Founded in 2004, YUMIN ST gained recognition in 2007 by developing the world's first flexible liquid detection sensor based on printed circuits that detect leaking of flammable and harmful liquids. Even a tiny amount of liquid can be detected in 0.1 seconds, triggering an alarm. CEO Kim said, “This is the only product in Korea certified by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s Korean Agency for Technology and Standards with a detection accuracy rate of 99.9%.” He added, “All hazardous chemicals such as hydrofluoric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, ammonia, sodium hydroxide, and hydrogen peroxide can be detected.”
YUMIN ST can detect all types of liquids. Leakage detection sensors can be applied to all kinds of environments that use liquids, such as oil refineries, chemical plants, construction sites, information technology (IT) facilities, and power plants. YUMIN ST has already been installed at chip plants in Giheung, Hwaseong, Pyeongtaek, and Paju. Yumin’s leak detection sensors are playing a key role in chemical leak disaster prevention by detecting even small amounts of chemicals used in advanced semiconductor fabrication.
In addition, YUMIN ST is a supplier to more than 1,300 South Korean companies, including petrochemical companies, nuclear power plants, thermal power plants, data centers, heavy industrial companies, automobile companies, auto parts companies. In overseas markets, YUMIN ST supplies to Taiwan’s TSMC and other chip and display companies. In another success, Apple and Amazon have also recently become YUMIN ST customers.
YUMIN ST’s sensor products can prevent catastrophic and minor leaks in chemical plants that use aging equipment and facilities. LG Chem, which has a plant in the Yeosu Industrial Complex, has been using YUMIN ST products since last year to transport chemical substances through pipes more safely and systematically. YUMIN ST CEO Kim said, “The outdoor pipes installed in the industrial complex is used to transfer dangerous substances such as high-pressure gas and chemicals between facilities in the industrial complex, so if the pipes are damaged, high-pressure gas or toxic substances may leak, causing a serious industrial mishap.
YUMIN ST not only makes sensors but also provides comprehensive solutions related to detecting leaks. Leakage information can be checked in real-time through a mobile device. The Remote Monitoring System (RMS) developed for this total solution is compatible with various operating systems, allowing clients to optimize it for different field situations. In addition, the polymer inks and adhesive materials in previous sensors have been replaced with eco-friendly materials that are harmless to the human body.
This year, YUMIN ST was the first South Korean leak-detection sensor firm to enter the Middle East market. With an investment from Saudi Arabia, YUMIN ST formed a joint venture in Saudi Arabia to produce flexible liquid detection sensors in local manufacturing facilities to export YUMIN ST products to 15 countries, including the Middle East and Africa. The Saudi government showed great interest in YUMIN ST's leak detection solutions, which reduce the risk of accidents at industrial sites in the Middle East and announced its intention to introduce the company's products not only in oil refineries and chemical plants, but also in Saudi Arabia’s water pipe systems that suffer from leakage problems. YUMIN ST CEO Kim said, “We expect YUMIN ST’s water leak detection solution to play a big role in Middle Eastern and African countries that suffer from water shortages.”
Reporter Yang Yeon-ho (yeonho8902@mk.co.kr)
Posted Nov 1, 2022 Edited Nov 2, 2022
Reporter Yang Yeon-ho
Highly-regarded flexible liquid detection sensor which detects chemical leaks in just 0.1 seconds
Supplier to Apple and Amazon, and exported to 15 countries and the Middle East and Africa
An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) battery was found to be the cause of the fire. It was functioning as a backup energy storage system (ESS). As ESS fires have repeatedly occurred in recent years along with EV battery fires, the industry is paying attention to domestic SMEs that have technologies that can prevent such accidents.