• Resources Recycling
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.38-43
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• 2018

In this study, using electro-refining process and methane gas reduction, we performed studying the recovery of tin with high purity from waste tin oxide had used as a electrode rod of ceramic furnace which occurred during glass production process. We recovered the crude tin of 99% purity from a methane gas reduction process and controlled a little amount of impurities. When the electrolytic refining condition was a current density of $60A/dm^2$ and the sulfuric acid concentration of 0.75 mol, 96.8% of recovered tin (99.979% of purity) were recovered during the electrolytic refining. We confirmed that toxic impurities such as Pb, Sb included in electrode rod. could be controlled.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.201-207
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• 2021

Ni-Cr-Al metal-foam-supported catalysts for steam methane reforming (SMR) are manufactured by applying a catalytic Ni/Al₂O₃ sol-gel coating to powder alloyed metallic foam. The structure, microstructure, mechanical stability, and hydrogen yield efficiency of the obtained catalysts are evaluated. The structural and microstructural characteristics show that the catalyst is well coated on the open-pore Ni-Cr-Al foam without cracks or spallation. The measured compressive yield strengths are 2-3 MPa at room temperature and 1.5-2.2 MPa at 750℃ regardless of sample size. The specimens exhibit a weight loss of up to 9-10% at elevated temperature owing to the spallation of the Ni/Al₂O₃ catalyst. However, the metal-foam-supported catalyst appears to have higher mechanical stability than ceramic pellet catalysts. In SMR simulations tests, a methane conversion ratio of up to 96% is obtained with a high hydrogen yield efficiency of 82%.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.71-81
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• 2022

BACKGROUND: Animal manures are one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gases and improper manage-ment of animal wastes contributes to the increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Con-verting greenhouse gases generated from animal manures to energy is one way of contributing to the net-zero carbon emissions. METHODS AND RESULTS: The potential for methane production from cow manure (CM) was studied by measuring the methane yield using the biochemical methane potential (BMP) test. In particular, the effect of co-digestion using rice straw (RM) on the methane production was studied. The methane yields from the co-digestion of CM and RS were statistically similar to that from the mono-digestion of CM or RS. But there was a synergy effect at the CM:RS ratio of 1:2 and 1:1. This can be attributed to the increased C/N ratio. The changed microbial community structure with the addition of substrates (CM, RS) probably led to the increase in the methane produc-tion. CONCLUSION(S): The methane production potential of the particular CM used in this study was not improved by the addition of RS as a co-substrate. The addition of substrates to the anaerobic sludge promoted the increase in the microbial species having synergetic relationship with methano-gens, and this can partially explain the increase in the methane production with the addition of substrates. Overall, there are needs for further studies to improve the methane yield from CM.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.588-597
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• 2016

In this study, we attempted to improve the biogas production efficiency by varying the mixing ratio of the mixed sludge of organic wastes in the improved single-phase anaerobic digestion process. The types of organic waste used in this study were raw sewage sludge, food wastewater leachate and livestock excretions. The biomethane potential was determined through the BMP test. The results showed that the biomethane potential of the livestock excretions was the highest at $1.55m^3CN4/kgVS$, and that the highest value of the composite sample, containing primary sludge, food waste leachate and livestock excretions at proportions of 50%, 30% and 20% respectively) was $0.43m^3CN4/kgVS$. On the other hand, the optimal mixture ratio of composite sludge in the demonstration plant was 68.5 (raw sludge) : 18.0 (food waste leachate) : 13.5 (livestock excretions), which was a somewhat different result from that obtained in the BMP test. This difference was attributed to the changes in the composite sludge properties and digester operating conditions, such as the retention time. The amount of biogas produced in the single-phase anaerobic digestion process was $2,514m^3/d$ with a methane content of 62.8%. Considering the value of $2,319m^3/d$ of biogas produced as its design capacity, it was considered that this process demonstrated the maximum capacity. Also, through this study, it was shown that, in the case of the anaerobic digestion process, the two-phase digestion process is better in terms of its stable tank operation and high efficiency, whereas the existing single-phase digestion process allows for the improvement of the digestion efficiency and performance.

• Clean Technology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.55-64
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• 2020

According to the Korean Renewable Energy 3020 Implementation Plan, the installation capacity of renewable energy is expected to increase whereas technology for storing excess electricity and stabilizing the power supply of renewable energy sources is extremely required. Power-to-Gas is one of energy storage technologies where electricity is converted into gas fuel such as hydrogen and methane. Basically, Power-to-Gas system could be effectively utilized to store excess electricity generated by an imbalance between supply and demand. In this study, the economic feasibility analysis of Power-to-Gas reflecting the domestic situation was carried out. Total revenue requirement method was utilized to estimate the levelized cost of hydrogen. Validation on the economic analysis method in this study was conducted by comparison of the result, which is published by the International Energy Agency. The levelized cost of hydrogen of a 100-MW Power-to-Gas system reflecting the current economic status in Korea is 8,344 won kg^-1. The sensitivity analysis was carried out, applying the main analysis economic factors such as electricity cost, electrolyser cost, and operating year. Based on the sensitivity analysis, the conditions for economic feasibility were suggested by comparing the cost of producing hydrogen using renewable energy with the cost of producing natural gas reformed hydrogen with carbon capture and storage.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.254-261
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• 2012

The purpose of this research was to optimize electric current production of sediment microbial fuel cells by injecting glucose and to investigate its impact on microbial communities involved. It was shown that injection of proper concentration of glucose could increase electric current generated from sediment microbial fuel cells. When 1,000 mg/L of glucose, as opposed to higher concentrations, was injected, electric current increased up to 3 times. This increase is mainly attributed to the mutual relationship between fermenting bacteria and exoelectrogenic bacteria. Here the organic acids generated by fermenting bacteria could be utilized by exoelectrogenic bacteria, removing feedback inhibition caused by the organic acids. When glucose was injected, the population of Clostridium increased as to ferment injected glucose. Glucose fermentation can have either a positive or negative effect on electric current generation. When exoelectrogenic bacteria may readily utilize the end-product, electric current could increase. However, when the end-product was not readily removed, then detrimental chemical reactions (pH decrease, methane generation, organic acids accumulation) occurred: exoelctrogenic bacteria population declined and non-microbial fuel cell related microorganisms prospered. By injecting a proper concentration of glucose, a mutual relationship between fermenting bacteria, such as Clostridium, and exoelectrogenic bacteria, such as Geobacter, should be fulfilled in order to increase electricity production in mixed cultures of microorganisms collected from the aquatic sediments.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.1244-1253
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• 2018

Rumen microbiome consists of a wide variety of microorganisms, such as bacteria, archaea, protozoa, fungi, and viruses, that are in a symbiotic relationship in a strict anaerobic environment in the rumen. These rumen microbiome, a vital maker, play a significant role in feed fermentation within the rumen and produce different volatile fatty acids (VFAs). VFAs are essential for energy metabolism and protein synthesis of the host animal, even though emission of methane gas after feed fermentation is considered a negative indicator of loss of dietary energy of the host animal. To improve rumen microbial efficiency, a variety of approaches, such as feed formulation, the addition of natural feed additives, dietary feed-microbes, etc., have taken to increase ruminant performance. Recently with the application of high-throughput sequencing or next-generation sequencing technologies, especially for metagenomics and metatranscriptomics of rumen microbiomes, our understanding of rumen microbial diversity and function has significantly increased. The metaproteome and metabolome provide deeper insights into the complicated microbial network of the rumen ecosystem and its response to different ruminant diets to improve efficiency in animal production. This review summarized some recent advances of rumen microbiome techniques, especially "meta-omics," viz. metagenomic, metatranscriptomic, metaproteomic, and metabolomic techniques to increase feed fermentation and utilization in ruminants.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.43-49
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• 2008

Objective of this study was to monitor the hydrogen sulfide production rate and concentration in anaerobic co-digestion of swine manure and food waste for biogas production in order to alternate the petroleum based energy. Anaerobic co-digestion for biogas production was performed in serum bottles at 2% volatile solids (VS) concentration and various mixing ratios of two substrates(swine manure: food waste = 100:0 ~ 0:100). Although hydrogen sulfide production rates were varied with digestion periods at different treatments, it was observed that hydrogen sulfide produced in the swine manure alone was lower at 2.4 fold than that of food waste. For effects of hydrogen sulfide concentration in the different mixing ratios of swine manure to food waste, the higher food waste ratio the higher hydrogen sulfide concentration. Also its average concentrations were varied from 0.1452% in the swine waste only to 0.3420% in the food waste alone. For the composition ratio of bio-gas in their anaerobic co-digestion, it appeared that there was 53.2% of $CH_4$, 23.9% of $CO_2$, 0.3% of $H_2S$ and 22.7% of miscellaneous gases including moisture.

• Clean Technology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.93-103
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• 2021

As the seriousness and necessity of responding to climate change and reducing carbon emissions increases, countries around the world are continuing their efforts to reduce greenhouse gases. Among various efforts, research on CCUS, capturing and utilizing carbon dioxide generated when using carbon-based fuels, is actively being conducted. Studies on pressurized oxy-fuel combustion (POFC) that can be used with CCUS are also being conducted by many researchers. The purpose of this study is to analyze basic information related to the flame structure and pollutant emissions of pressurized oxy-fuel combustion. For this, a counter-flow diffusion flame model was used to analyze the combustion characteristics according to pressure and oxygen concentration. As the pressure increased, the flame temperature increased and the flame thickness decreased due to a reaction rate improvement caused by the activation of the chemical reaction. As oxygen concentration increased, both the flame temperature and the flame thickness increased due to an improvement to the reaction rate and diffusion because of a change in oxidizer momentum. Analyzing the related heat release reaction by dividing it into three sections as the oxygen concentration increased showed that the chemical reaction from the oxidizer side was subdivided into two regions according to the mixture fraction. In addition, the emission index of NO classified according to the NO formation mechanism was analyzed. The formation trend of NO according to each analysis condition was presented.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.1195-1206
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• 2011

This study was conducted to apply LCA (Life cycle assessment) methodology to lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) production systems in Namyang-ju as a case study. Five lettuce growing farms with three different farming systems (two farms with organic farming system, one farm with a system without agricultural chemicals and two farms with conventional farming system) were selected at Namyangju city of Gyeonggi-province in Korea. The input data for LCA were collected by interviewing with the farmers. The system boundary was set at a cropping season without heating and cooling system for reducing uncertainties in data collection and calculation. Sensitivity analysis was carried out to find out the effect of type and amount of fertilizer and energy use on GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emission. The results of establishing GTG (Gate-to-Gate) inventory revealed that the quantity of fertilizer and energy input had the largest value in producing 1 kg lettuce, the amount of pesticide input the smallest. The amount of electricity input was the largest in all farms except farm 1 which purchased seedlings from outside. The quantity of direct field emission of $CO_2$, $CH_4$ and $N_2O$ from farm 1 to farm 5 were 6.79E-03 (farm 1), 8.10E-03 (farm 2), 1.82E-02 (farm 3), 7.51E-02 (farm 4) and 1.61E-02 (farm 5) kg $kg^{-1}$ lettuce, respectively. According to the result of LCI analysis focused on GHG, it was observed that $CO_2$ emission was 2.92E-01 (farm 1), 3.76E-01 (farm 2), 4.11E-01 (farm 3), 9.40E-01 (farm 4) and $5.37E-01kg\;CO_2\;kg^{-1}\;lettuce$ (farm 5), respectively. Carbon dioxide contribute to the most GHG emission. Carbon dioxide was mainly emitted in the process of energy production, which occupied 67~91% of $CO_2$ emission from every production process from 5 farms. Due to higher proportion of $CO_2$ emission from production of compound fertilizer in conventional crop system, conventional crop system had lower proportion of $CO_2$ emission from energy production than organic crop system did. With increasing inorganic fertilizer input, the process of lettuce cultivation covered higher proportion in $N_2O$ emission. Therefore, farms 1 and 2 covered 87% of total $N_2O$ emission; and farm 3 covered 64%. The carbon footprints from farm 1 to farm 5 were 3.40E-01 (farm 1), 4.31E-01 (farm 2), 5.32E-01 (farm 3), 1.08E+00 (farm 4) and 6.14E-01 (farm 5) kg $CO_2$-eq. $kg^{-1}$ lettuce, respectively. Results of sensitivity analysis revealed the soybean meal was the most sensitive among 4 types of fertilizer. The value of compound fertilizer was the least sensitive among every fertilizer imput. Electricity showed the largest sensitivity on $CO_2$ emission. However, the value of $N_2O$ variation was almost zero.