• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.52-58
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• 2013

In order to overcome the cost issue for commercialization of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), this research was conducted for replacing platinum cathode catalyst with non-precious metal catalyst. The non-precious metal catalyst (Co-PANI-C) was synthesized by the simple reduction method with polyaniline (PANI), carbon black, and cobalt precursor without any heat treatment. Characterization of new Co-PANI-C composite catalysts was done by the measurement of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) for structure analysis and performed by rotating disk electrode (RDE) and rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE) for electrochemical analysis. As a result, Co-PANI-C catalyst showed 60 mV lower on-set potential for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) than Pt/C catalyst, but the overall reduction current of Co-PANI-C catalysts by ORR was still smaller than that of Pt/C. In addition, the ORR behavior of Co-PANI-C catalysts depending on the rotation speed of electrode and the stability of Co-PANI-C catalyst under potential cycling and the performance of fuel cell conditions are also discussed.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.235-240
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• 2014

In this study, the torrefaction of food waste was conducted to characterize its product, to find out effect of the operating temperature and to assess the feasibility of being used as fuel. The operating temperature was varid from $180^{\circ}C{\sim}270^{\circ}C$ and heat was provided by using nitrogen gas or waste oil heat carrier. The solid yield and moisture content were reduced were reduced as temperature increased. The moisture content reduction and thermochemical conversion were observed at higher than $240^{\circ}C$. At low operating temperature, heat transfer efficiency was higher with wast oil heat carrier. As temperature increases, there was not difference in heat transfer efficiency of two different heating methods. The lower heating value product was increased from 660 to 6,400 Kcal/kg with nitrogen gas and 6,890 Kcal/kg with waste oil heat carrier. The elemental analysis indicates that, as temperature increases, the carbon content of product increases and oxygen content decreases. From the analysis of O/C and H/C, the torrefaction product was close to low grade coal. The characteristics of fuel converted from the food subsequent thermochemical treatment.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.290-303
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• 2003

Modern agriculture has been heavily dependent on chemical fertilizers to meet the food demands of ever increasing population. Progressive depletion of major plant nutrients in soil due to intensive cultivation practices has also necessitated the use of higher dose of chemical fertilizers particularly in soils where the organic matter content is very low. Indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers and pressure on agriculturists to enhance per area crop yields has led to fast depletion of fossil fuel resources with concomitant increase in the prices of chemical fertilizers and also led to environmental pollution. Hence, the current trend throughout the world is to explore the possibility of using alternate nutrient sources or increasing the efficiency of chemical fertilizers by supplementing them with organic fertilizers and bioinoculants comprising largely microbes like, bacteria, fungi, algae etc to enhance nitrogen and phosphates in the soil thus creating a sustainable agricultural environment. Among the different microbial inoculants or biofertilizers, Azospirillum could be a potential candidate due to its non specific host root colonization. It had the capability to fix $N_2$ in wide pH regimes and even in presence of combined nitrogen. Azospirillum inoculation can increase the crop yield to 10-25% and substitute 25% of recommended doses of nitrogenous fertilizers. Apart from nitrogen fixation, Azospirillum is also involved in the root improvement, the activity which was attributed to an increase in the rate of water and mineral uptake by roots. The ability of Azospirillum to produce phytohormones was reported to enhance the root respiration rate, metabolism and root proliferation. They have also been reported to produce polyhydroxybutyrate, that can be used as a biodegradable thermosplastic. A lot of studies have addressed improvements in enhancing its efficiency to fix nitrogen fixation and hormone production.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.34 no.10
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• pp.671-677
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• 2012

In this study, the characteristics of emulsified fuel and engine emissions were studied with an engine dynamometer. In the results of physical property analysis, the margin of error of net calorific value and gross calorific value was ${\pm}0.5%$, were almost same theoretical calculation and results of physical property analysis test. In emulsified fuel, density and viscosity increased with increasing water contents. Emulsified fuel which is composed of water and Bunker-A was manufactured by using homogenizer and ultrasonic generator in $80^{\circ}C$. Phase separation did not take place in $20^{\circ}C$ and $50^{\circ}C$. In the results of engine dynamometer test, NOx concentration and smoke density were reduced with increasing water contents in using emulsified fuel. Total NOx could be reduced by about 41%, 10%, 32% and 28% at 1,000 rpm, 1,200 rpm, 1,500 rpm and 2,500 rpm respectively. Total smoke density was reduced to 42%, 65%, 70%, 62%, and 82% at 1,000 rpm, 1,200 rpm, 1,500 rpm, 2,000 rpm, and 2,500 rpm respectively.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.57 no.5
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• pp.611-619
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• 2019

This study was carried out to investigate fuel decomposition characteristics and coke formation according to types of endothermic fuels and methods of catalyst molding. Methylcyclohexane (MCH), n-dodecane, and exo-tetrahydrodipentadiene (exo-THDCP) were used as the endothermic fuels. As a catalyst, USY720 supported with platinum was used. It was manufactured by only using pressure to disk-type, or pelletized with a binder and a silica solution. The characteristics of the catalysts according to the molding method were analyzed by X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm, and ammonia temperature programmed desorption analysis. The reaction was carried out under conditions of high temperature and high pressure ($500^{\circ}C$, 50 bar) in which the fuel could exist in a supercritical state. The product was analyzed by gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer and the coke produced by the catalyst was analyzed by thermogravimetric analyzer. After the reaction, the composition of the products varied greatly depending on the structure of the fuel. In addition, the crystallinity and surface properties of the catalysts were not changed by the method of catalyst molding, but the changes of the acid sites and the pore characteristics were observed, which resulted in changes in the amount and composition of products and coke.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.59 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2021

The PEM(Proton Exchange Membrane)water electrolysis uses the same PEM electrolyte membrane as the PEM fuel cell and proceeds by the same reaction but the opposite direction. The PEM fuel cell has many methods of degradation analysis since many studies have been conducted on the degradation and durability of the membrane and catalyst. We examined whether PEM fuel cell durability evaluation method can be applied to PEM electrolytic durability evaluation. During the PEM electrolytic degradation process, LSV(Linear sweep voltammetry), CV(Cyclic voltammetry), Impedance, SEM(Scanning Electron Microscope) and FT-IR(Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy) were analyzed and compared under the same conditions as the PEM fuel cell. As the PEM fuel cell, hydrogen passing through the membrane was oxidized at the Pt/C electrode, and the hydrogen permeation current density was measured to analyze the degree of degradation of the PEM membrane. Electrode degradation could be analyzed by measuring the electrode active area (ECSA) by CV under hydrogen/nitrogen flowing conditions. While supplying hydrogen and air to the Pt/C electrode and the IrO2 electrode, the impedance of each electrode was measured to evaluate the durability of the electrode and membrane.

• 대한공업교육학회지
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.188-198
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• 2007

Platinum nanoparticles loading on carbon nanotube was carried out by impregnation of hexachloro platinate(IV) from hydrogen hexachloro platinate(IV) hydrate dissolved solution without using reduction agents, and heating the hexachloro platinate(IV) impregnated carbon nanotube up to $400^{\circ}C$. The amounts of impregnated hexachloro platinate(IV) on to carbon nanotube were measured with UV-visible spectrophotometer. The TG, XRD, and TEM analysis were performed to confirm the platinum particles loading and distribution on carbon nanotube. The average platinum particles size on carbon nanotube was under 2 nm by heating the hexachloro platinate(IV) up to $400^{\circ}C$ in spite of non-using reduction agents, while the average size increased due to the agglomeration of some particles by heating them up to $800^{\circ}C$. Therefore, uniformly distributed platinum nanoparticles loading on carbon nanotube can be obtained from simple impregnation of hexachloro platinate(IV) from solution and heating it up to $400^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.188-194
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• 2001

The process simulations are made on the IGCC power plant using heavy residue oil from refinery process. In order to model combined power block of IGCC, the present study employs the gas turbine of MS7001FA model integrated with ASU (Air Separation Unit), and considers the air extraction from gas turbine and the combustor dilution by returned nitrogen from ASU. The exhaust gas energy of gas turbine is recovered through the bottoming cycle with triple pressure HRSG (Heat Recovery Steam Generator). Clean syngas fuel of the gas turbine is assumed to be produced through Shell gasification of Visbreaker residue oil and Sulfinol-SCOT-Claus gas cleanup processes. The process optimization results show that the best efficiency of IGCC plant is achieved at 20% air extraction condition in the case without nitrogen dilution of gas turbine combustor find at the 40% with nitrogen dilution. Nitrogen dilution of combustor has very favorable and remarkable effect in reducing NOx emission level, while shifting the operation point of gas turbine to near surge point.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.151-158
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• 2022

Iron and nitrogen coordinated carbon catalyst (Fe-N-C) is the most promising non-precious metal catalyst (NPMC) studied to alternate the Pt-group oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalyst. In this work, Fe/N/C type catalysts are prepared by four different nitrogen precursors; N, N, N', N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA), 1,2-ethylenediamine (EDA), m-dicyanobenzene (DCB), dicyandiamide (DCDA) which can chelate a transition metal; In addition, the catalysts conducted the pyrolysis process at four different temperatures of 700, 800, 900, 1000 ℃ to investigate the ORR activities depend on pyrolysis temperature and to find an appropriate temperature. The characterizations of catalysts were investigated by scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and element analysis (EA). The electrocatalytic activity was measured by ORR polarization, also the electron transfer number was calculated from the slope of the K-L plot. The FeNC-EDA-800 which were prepared at pyrolysis temperature of 800 ℃ with EDA showed better ORR activity than the other catalysts.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.389-395
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• 2017

This study was performed to provide the information of the soot formation behavior of octane single fuel droplet under the identical combustion conditions. To achieve this, this experimental study provide the results of the soot formation characteristics of octane droplet in accordance with different initial droplet diameter($d_0$), at the same time, experiment was conducted under the same combustion conditions which are 1.0atm of ambient pressure($P_{amb}$), 21% of oxygen concentration($O_2$) and 79% of nitrogen concentration($N_2$). Visualization of octane droplet combustion was performed by visualization system with high speed camera. The results of maximum soot volume fraction($f_{vmax}$) was almost the same under the equivalent ambient conditions regardless of initial droplet diameter. Furthermore, maximum soot volume fraction was showed the higher value in the measuring direction between $135^{\circ}$ and $315^{\circ}$ since the soot-tail is generated during two opposing igniters movement process.