• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.201-213
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• 2017

Water is removed from crude oil containing water by using oil separator. This study aims to develop a three-dimensional (3D) Eulerian computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to predict the separation efficiency of air-water-oil separator. In the incompressible, isothermal and unsteady-state CFD model, air is defined as continuous phase, and water and oil are given as dispersed phase. The momentum equation includes the drag force, lift force and resistance force of porous media. The standard k-${\varepsilon}$ model is used for turbulence flow. The exit pressures of water and oil play an important role in determining the liquid level of the oil separator. The exit pressures were identified to be 6.3 kPa and 5.1 kPa for water and oil, respectively, to keep a liquid level of 25 cm at a normal operating condition. The time evolution of volume fractions of air, water and oil was investigated. The settling velocities of water and oil along the longitudinal separator distance were analyzed, when the oil separator reached a steady-state. The oil separation efficiency obtained from the CFD model was 99.85%, which agreed well with experimental data. The relatively simple CFD model can be used for the modification of oil separator structure and finding optimal operating conditions.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.174-183
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• 2022

Polymer electrolyte fuel cells and water electrolysis are attracting attention in terms of high energy density and high purity hydrogen production. The catalyst layer for the polymer electrolyte fuel cell and water electrolysis is a porous electrode composed of a precious metal-based electrocatalyst and an ionomer binder. Among them, the ionomer binder plays an important role in the formation of a three-dimensional network for ion conduction in the catalyst layer and the formation of pores for the movement of materials required or generated for the electrode reaction. In terms of the use of commercial perfluorinated ionomers, the content of the ionomer, the physical properties of the ionomer, and the type of the dispersing solvent system greatly determine the performance and durability of the catalyst layer. Until now, many studies have been reported on the method of using an ionomer for the catalyst layer for polymer electrolyte fuel cells. This review summarizes the research results on the use of ionomer binders in the fuel cell aspect reported so far, and aims to provide useful information for the research on the ionomer binder for the catalyst layer, which is one of the key elements of polymer electrolyte water electrolysis to accelerate the hydrogen economy era.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.167-183
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• 2023

Gases originated from the final SNF (spent nuclear fuel) disposal site are very mobile in the barrier and they may also affect the migration of radioactive nuclides generated from the SNF. Mechanisms of gas-nuclide migration in the multi-barrier and their influences on the safety of the disposal site should be understood before the construction of the final SNF disposal site. However, researches related to gas-nuclide coupled movement in the multi-barrier medium have been very little both at home and abroad. In this study, properties of gas generation and migration in the SNF disposal environment were reviewed through previous researches and their main mechanisms were summarized on the hydrogeological evolution stage of the SNF disposal site. Gas generation in the SNF disposal site was categorized into five origins such as the continuous nuclear fission of the SNS, the Cu-canister corrosion, the oxidation-reduction reaction, the microbial activity, and the inflow from the natural barriers. Migration scenarios of gas in porous medium of the multi-barrier in the SNF repository site were investigated through reviews for previous studies and several gas migration types including ① the free gas phase flow including visco-capillary two-phase flow, ② the advection and diffusion of dissolved gas in pore water, ③ dilatant two-phase flow, and ④ tensile fracture flow, were presented. Reviewed results in this study can support information to design the further research for the gas-nuclide migration in the repository site and to evaluate the safety of the Korean SNF disposal site in view points of gas migration in the multi-barrier.