Kwon, Tae-Hyuk

Assoc. Prof.

Our research program aims on understanding of emergent phenomena in natural particulate and porous materials (soils and rocks) relevant to energy and environmental applications, meeting current challenges by climate change and energy demand. Our work encompasses gas production from hydrate-bearing sediments, geologic carbon storage, microbial enhanced oil recovery, use of microbial activities for soil improvement, use of geophysical characterization techniques, smart sensor application, and energy harvesting from geo-structures.

Education
∙ B.S. Civil and Environmental Engineering, KAIST (2002)
∙ M .S. Civil and Environmental Engineering, KAIST (2004)
∙ Ph.D. Civil and Environmental Engineering, KAIST (2008)
Career
∙ 2002~2008 Graduate Research Assistant, Dept. of Civil & Env. Eng., KAIST
∙ 2005~2005 Visiting Scholar, in Geosystems Engineering Program, School of Civil & Env. Eng., Georgia Institute of Technology
∙ 2008~2009 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Dept. of Civil & Env. Eng., KAIST
∙ 2009~2011 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Earth Science Division, LBNL, Berkeley
∙ 2011~2013 Assistant professor, Dept. of Civil & Env. Eng., Washington State University
∙ 2013~2017 Assistant Professor, Dept. of Civil & Env. Eng., KAIST
∙ 2018~present Associate Professor, Dept. of Civil & Env. Eng., KAIST
Main Research Field
∙ Main Research Directions: (1) Energy and Sustainable Geotechnology, (2) Bio-soil Improvement and Biogeophysics, (3) Coupled Thermo-hydro-chemo-electro-bio-mechanical Processes in Porous Media and Particulate Materials, and (4) Near-surface Geophysical Characterization and Smart Sensor Application.

∙ Methodology: theoretical/experimental studies of particle-level, pore-scale and macro-scale phenomena in particulate materials and porous media (mechanical, chemical, thermal, electrical, hydrological, and biological). Experimentation involves distinct laboratory devices and procedures, with emphasis on low-perturbation wave-based characterization and process monitoring (both elastic and electromagnetic waves), X-ray CT imageries (both micro- and core-scales), and related inverse problems.

∙ Problems: resource recovery (petroleum, natural gas, EOR, methane hydrate, shale gas), geo-environment (geologic CO2 storage, soil remediation), and engineering systems (soil improvement, dynamic soil response, underground excavations).