Hyundai i-oniq Concept is a RWD Electric Coupe with a Range Extender Petrol Engine

Hyundai has rolled out a teaser sketch of a new concept car named 'i-oniq' that will be revealed in a world premiere at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March.

Designed and developed at the company’s European R&D centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany, the i-oniq concept is said to preview the next evolution of Hyundai's ‘fluidic sculpture’ form language, which is featured on the brand's recent production models like the Sonata, the i40 and the Veloster.

Thomas Bürkle, Hyundai’s European Chief Designer described the new design language thusly: “Two strong arched curves define the silhouette of i-oniq, creating a playful contrast between the sharp character lines and soft but muscular features.”

The concept study represents an impression of the company’s future, both in terms of styling, as it further evolves Hyundai's ‘fluidic sculpture’ design language, and in terms of technology.

"The i-oniq concept has been created to reflect the new thinking that runs through the Hyundai brand," says Senior Vice President and COO of Hyundai Motor Europe, Allan Rushforth.

"It has a bold design, inside and out, that provokes contemplation on the future of automotive possibilities, and a powertrain that highlights one of the ways in which we could power future products – wrapped in a package that exudes premium qualities," he added.

Styling features such as the gentle lines and more muscular surface treatment as well as the design of the grille and LED headlights are expected to inspire the next generation of Hyundai models.

Under the skin, 4.4-meter long i-oniq sports a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine mated via a generator to a lithium ion electric motor, which delivers an output of 109PS or 108bhp.

The Korean company states that in electric-only mode, the i-oniq has a driving range of 120 km (75 miles), while when the petrol engine kicks in to help, it can travel up to 700 km (435 miles) emitting just 45 g/km of CO2 in the process.

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are considered a suitable photovoltaic system for urban applications and highly bendable DSSCs can be expanded to applications such as dispensable DSSCs for commercial advertising and small portable power sources.

However, although many reports have shown flexible or highly bendable photoelectrodes using TCO-coated polymeric substrates or metal meshes, until now, few have shown highly bendable DSSCs using electrodes because the flexibility of a single electrode is not a critical issue for highly bendable DSSCs.

Here, we report a new DSSC design, inspired by the traditional Korean door structure consisting of a paper-bonded wooden frame, and a process for TCO-free highly bendable DSSCs utilizing glass paper and metal mesh. In the new DSSC design, constituents such as stainless steel mesh and mesoporous TiO2 loaded with a Ru-complex dye were bonded on the glass paper, which was sputter-coated with Pt on one side and filled with electrolyte.

The glass-paper-based flexible DSSCs showed 2% energy-conversion efficiency, which was maintained under bending until the radius of curvature reached 2 cm. The new glass-paper-based flexible DSSCs may have potential applications as low-cost highly bendable solar cells to overcome the limitations of conventional sandwich-type DSSCs.

Korean researchers have developed “paper solar cell,” applying the structure of traditional Korean pattern of wood framed door and hanji paper concept. It is considered the breakthrough technology that can push the solar voltaic industry a notch upward to explore a new market of solar cell, drawing attention from scientific circles at home and abroad. 

The research team led by Dr. Lee (Lee Dong-yoon and Cha Seung-il) at Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute made the announcement on the 28th that they have combined nano and fiber technologies to come up with light and flexible but low priced dye-sensitized solar cell. It has the durability and permeability with distinctive traditional Korean pattern but overcomes the limit of thin film solar cell which cannot be folded. Therefore, it doesn’t need to have the land to install the solar panels or abide by the strict environmental regulations, or be threatened by Chinese “price war.”

It has also gone a step further from the previously “flexible” solar cell which also had its limit in flexibility due to its base material. The new paper solar cell is expected to be applied in mobile devices or exteriors of buildings, or can be worn or detachable in clothes, opening a new chapter of solar cells.

Unlike the previous dye-sensitized solar cell, new type of paper solar cell uses longer fiber type of nano titania to make traditional hanji like paper which is very flexible and durable. To eradicate plastic substrate, they had also developed conductible metal mesh with the pattern of Korean wood framed door. Finally they attached glass paper to maintain the strength of the solar cell and to fixate electrode liquid.

When it is mass produced, the price of paper solar cell will be less than half of the current Si solar cell but the efficiency level will reach 5%, far beyond the commercialization level of 3%.

KERI

WORLD’S LARGEST OLED TV FROM LG OFFERS MORE REALISTIC COLORS, BRIGHTER PICTURE, FASTER SPEED

LG Unveils Much Anticipated 55-inch OLED TV for First Time at CES 2012

SEOUL, Jan. 2, 2012 – LG Electronics (LG) will present the future of TV technology at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas with the unveiling of the world’s largest OLED TV with a display size of 55 inches. By incorporating the company’s 4-Color Pixels and Color Refiner features with LG Display’s advanced OLED (organic light-emitting diode) panels, LG OLED TV generates the most natural colors of any TV set at a much lower price point than could have been achieved using the standard manufacturing process.

What sets LG’s TV picture apart from other OLED TVs is 4-Color Pixels and Color Refiner which work together to generate natural and accurate colors that are sharp and consistent. The 4-Color Pixels feature allows for more accurate color depiction by using a set of four colors (red, green blue and white) in comparison to the RGB setup used by other OLED TV manufacturers. Color Refiner ensures consistency in colors from a wider viewing angle via an LG algorithm which improves and refines hues and tones. This is in contrast to other OLED TVs which often exhibit drastic changes in hues from different viewing angles and abnormal color gamut.

Boasting an infinite contrast ratio, LG’s OLED TV exhibits vivid colors and the smallest details regardless of the overall luminance of the on-screen image. In turn, colors and details throughout an entire image are preserved with utmost clarity and sharpness, even when displaying scenes with dark lighting. Such color capabilities are technically impossible with LED and LCD display panels. And at 1,000 times faster than LED/LCD displays, LG’s OLED TV shows crystal clear motion without any blurring or bleeding.

And LG’s OLED TV is as aesthetically pleasing as it is technologically sophisticated. LG’s Slim and Narrow Bezel design gives the TV a sleek, minimal look and at only 4 mm thin and a mere 7.5 kg, LG’s OLED TV practically blends into the wall.