• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.36 no.9
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• pp.931-935
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• 2012

In this study, we fabricate and investigate low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells with a ceramic substrate/porous metal/ceramic/porous metal structure. To realize low-temperature operation in solid oxide fuel cells, the membrane should be fabricated to have a thickness of the order of a few hundreds nanometers to minimize IR loss. Yttrium-doped barium zirconate (BYZ), a proton conductor, was used as the electrolyte. We deposited a 350-nm-thick Pt (anode) layer on a porous substrate by sputter deposition. We also deposited a 1-${\mu}m$-thick BYZ layer on the Pt anode using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Finally, we deposited a 200-nm-thick Pt (cathode) layer on the BYZ electrolyte by sputter deposition. The open circuit voltage (OCV) is 0.806 V, and the maximum power density is 11.9 mW/$cm^2$ at $350^{\circ}C$. Even though a fully dense electrolyte is deposited via PLD, a cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image reveals many voids and defects.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.613-619
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• 2018

In this study, various influent sludge pre-treatment methods and the internal recirculation of thickened sludge from effluents using a liquid/solid separation unit were adopted to investigate their effects on the sludge digestion and methane production in a combined mesophilic anaerobic and thermophilic aerobic sludge digestion process. A lab-scale combined sludge digestion process was operated during 5 phases using different feed sludge pre-treatment strategies. In phase 1, the feed sludge was pre-treated with a thermal-alkaline method. In contrast, in phases 2, 3 and 4, the internal recirculation of thickened sludge from the effluent and thermal-alkaline, thermal, and alkaline pre-treatment (7 days) were applied to the combined process. In phase 5, the raw sludge without any pre-treatment was used to the combined process. With the feed sludge pre-treatment and internal recirculation, the experimental results indicated that the volatile suspended solid (VSS) removal was drastically increased from phases 1 to 4. Also, the methane production rate with the thermal-alkaline pre-treatment and internal recirculation was significantly improved, showing an increment to 285 mL/L/day in phase 2. Meanwhile, the VSS removal and methane production in phase 5 were greatly decreased when the raw sludge without any pre-treatment was applied to the combined process. Considering all together, it was concluded that the combined process with the thickened sludge recirculation and thermal-alkaline pre-treatment can be successfully employed for the highly efficient sewage sludge reduction and methane gas production.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.5 s.180
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• pp.607-613
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• 2006

For the reasonable use of low grade-shallow geothermal energy by Standing Column Well(SCW) system, the basic requirements are depth-wise increase of earth temperature like $2^{\circ}C$ per every 100m depth, sufficient amount of groundwater production being about 10 to 30% of the design flow rate of GSHP with good water quality and moderate temperature, and non-collapsing of borehole wall during reinjection of circulating water into the SCW. A closed loop type-vertical ground heat exchanger(GHEX) with $100{\sim}150m$ deep can supply geothermal energy of 2 to 3 RT but a SCW with $400{\sim}500m$ deep can provide $30{\sim}40RT$ being equivalent to 10 to 15 numbers of GHEX as well requires smaller space. Being considered as an alternative of vertical GHEX, many numbers of SCW have been widely constructed in whole country without any account for site specific hydrogeologic and geothermal characteristics. When those are designed and constructed under the base of insufficient knowledges of hydrgeothermal properties of the relevant specific site as our current situations, a bad reputation will be created and it will hamper a rational utilization of geothermal energy using SCW in the near future. This paper is prepared for providing a guideline of SCW design comportable to our hydrogeothermal system.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.177-182
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• 2020

Copper possesses antimicrobial properties against certain bacteria and fungi. In this study, changes in microbial population, color and the antioxidant properties of dried red pepper powder (RPP) by contact with the surface of a copper plate were investigated. Lightness of RPP increased after treatment on the copper plate for 2 h at 55℃. The numbers of total aerobic mesophilic bacteria in RPP increased by 0.61 and 0.50 log on the surface of stainless steel and copper plates during 24 h at 37℃, respectively. The population of yeast and mold was reduced by 90% in the RPP treated on both copper and stainless steel plates under the same condition. Yeast and mold were significantly reduced on the copper plate during 2 h at 55℃. Scavenging activities of RPP treated on the copper plate for 24 h at 37℃ against DPPH radical were decreased; those for 2 h at 55℃ against ABTS radical were rather enhanced. The results suggest that copper might be applied in the processing and storage equipment in relation to RPP products for antimicrobial purposes.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.78-85
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• 2000

Leachate from acidogenic fermentation of food waste was effectively treated by the UASB reactor at $37^{\circ}C$. The efficiency of COD removal was consistently over 96% up to the loading rates of $15.8g\;COD/{\ell}{\cdot}d$. The methane production rate increased to $5.5{\ell}/{\ell}{\cdot}d$. Of all the COD removed, 92% was converted to methane and the rest presumably to biomass. At loading rates over $18.7g\;COD/{\ell}{\cdot}d$, the efficiency of COD removal decreased due to the sludge flotation and washout in the reactor, which resulted from short HRT of less than 10.6 hr. The SMA(specific methanogenic activity) analysis showed that the VFA-degrading activity of granule was the highest for butyrate, and the lowest for propionate. This result was consistent with the observation that the residual propionate concentration was the highest among the VFAs in the effluent. Typical granules were found to be mainly composed of microcolonies of Methanosaeta. Though the original seed sludge contained 64.3% of particles smaller than 1.4mm, the sludge particles had been growing during the fermentation, and at the final step of this study, 75.1% of the particles were found to be larger than 1.4 mm in the UASB reactor.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.76-83
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• 2010

We(Hansol EME Co. Ltd.) proceeded anaerobic digestion test for domestic food wastewater applying to two operating method for increasing of OLR. The methods are as follows. One was the rapidity operating method which was increasing the OLR continuously and rapidly and the other was the terraced operating method which was increasing the OLR having adaptation period for each step. As a result of this tests, the ratio of VFA/Alkalinity of the process was very unstable under the rapidity operating method then the volume of produced biogas was dramatically decreased. However the process was shown stable performance under the terraced operating method maintaining the ratio of VFA/Alkalinity less than 0.4. Also, the process was performing the biogas recovery of $0.8Nm^3/kgVS_{rem}/d$ and the VS removal ratio of 85%. T-RFLP analysis about the community of bacteria and methanogen is also conducted to check the change of the microbial community according to the methods of OLR increasing operation. The microbial community was changed by the methods of OLR increasing operation according to the result of T-RFLP analysis. Although the anaerobic digestion test was executed by same pilot plant, the reactivity and the tolerance of microbial community for surrounding environment could be considerably changed by the operating method for the process.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.431-437
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• 2005

Molecular methods were employed to investigate microorganisms in a thermophilic continuous stirred tank reactor(CSTR) used for continuous $H_2$ production. The reactor was inoculated with heat-treated anaerobic sludge and fed with a glucose-based medium. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis showed dynamic changes of bacterial populations in the reactor during 43 days of operation. Gas composition was constant from approximately 14 days but population shift still occurred. Populations affiliated with Fervidobactrium gondwanens and Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum were dominant on 21 and 41 days, respectively. Keeping pH of the medium at 5.0 could suppress methanogenic activity that was detected during initial operation period. $CH_4$ and mcrA detected in the samples obtained from the reactor or inoculum suggested the heat treatment condition employed in this study is not enough to remove methanogens in the inoculum. PCR using primer sets specific to 4 main orders of methanogens suggested that major $H_2$-consuming methanogens in the CSTR belong to the order Methanobacteriales.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.768-773
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• 2006

Effect of gamma irradiation on the microbiological and physicochemical characteristics of vacuum-packaged sugar-treated corns was examined to improve taste and shelf-life during storage at room or low temperature. When the vacuum-packaged sugar-treated corns were stored at $25^{\circ}C$ for 7 months, total counts and yeast and molds in the control increased approximately 2.4 and 3.5 log CFU/g, respectively but complete inactivation was observed for irradiated corns at 3 and 5 kGy. Similar results were observed at $15^{\circ}C\;and\;4^{\circ}C$ storage. There were no significant differences in hardness between irradiated sugar-treated waxy corns and control group before storage, but the hardness in control significantly increased during the storage, compared to those of irradiated corns. Also, changes in sugar content were not significant between the irradiated sugar-treated waxy corns and control during storage. Sensory evaluation for steamed-waxy corns showed that total sensory scores were higher in irradiated corns than in control, which were increased with irradiation doses. It was considered that maintaining good quality and increasing shelf-life of irradiated vacuum-packaged sugar treated corns could be possible at $15^{\circ}C$ storage for long-term period.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.34-39
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• 2015

This study confirmed the characteristics of hydrogen production according to electrode materials by producing non-diaphragm alkaline water electroanalyzer that can be controlled at medium temperature to produce hydrogen. As a result of the electrochemical characteristics by electrode material ($IrO_2/Ti$, $RuO_2/Ti$, Ti), the highest efficiency was found in $RuO_2/Ti$, as a result of hydrogen production experiment by electrolyte concentration, electrolyte concentration has a tendency to be proportional to hydrogen production and the condition of 30% KOH showed the highest hydrogen production as $118.9m^3/m^3/day$. In the experiment that confirmed hydrogen production according to electrode materials, in case of combination of anode ($IrO^2/Ti$) and cathode ($RuO^2/Ti$), it was $157.55m^3/m^3/day$ that showed a higher hydrogen production by around 6.97% than that of $IrO^2/Ti$ and cathode. It is presumed that the improvement of electrochemical activation of DSA electrode increases hydrogen production and influences the improvement of durability compared to the former electrode so that it enables stable alkaline water electrolysis.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.110.2-110.2
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• 2011

바이오가스 생산은 현재 정부에서 추진하고 있는 저탄소 녹색성장으로 인해 더욱 그 가치의 중요성이 부각되고 있다. 스웨덴 Scandinavian Biogas Fuel AB(SBF) 사의 바이오 가스 생산 기술을 이용함으로 소화효율을 개선하고 바이오가스 발생량을 극대화하였다. 전국 403개 공공하수처리시설 중 소화조가 설치된 처리시설은 65 개소이며 이중 57 개소에서 총 64개 소화조를 운영 중이다. 하지만 국내 소화조의 효율은 유입수질 저하, 운영, 관리 미숙으로 인해 전진국의 1/4 수준으로 에너지 이용률이 미미한 편이다. 환경부는 2010년부터 에너지 이용, 생산사용 확대, 추진을 위해 하수처리시설별 이용 가능한 에너지 잠재력의 종류, 양, 지역 내 수요자, 공급자 의 현황 규모 등을 정리해 2012년부터 에너지 이용사업 확대를 추진한다. SBF의 기술을 바탕으로 하수처리시설에서 들어오는 하루 슬러지 $1370m^3$와 음식물쓰레기 180t을 함께 처리하며 바이오가스 생산량을 더욱 늘렸다. 각 $7,000m^3$의 달걀모양(egg shape) 소화조 2개를 운영하며 생 슬러지와 음식물 쓰레기 처리 후 바로 소화조로 투입, 혐기 소화하는 방식이며 슬러지 최종처분방법은 탈수 후 소각된다. 반입되는 생 슬러지의 평균 TS 1.7%, VS 63% 이며 농축 후에는 평균 TS 9%, VS 75% 이다. 또 소화조로 들어가는 음식물 쓰레기는 평균 TS 8%, VS 85% 이며 소화 후 평균 TS 3.6% VS 59% 이다. 그리고 소화조의 pH는 7.3~7.8,유기산의 농도는 150mg/L~350mg/L, 가스발생량은 하루 평균 $26,500Nm^3$이며 소화효율은 평균 67%이다. 혐기성소화는 산소가 없는 무 산소 상태 에서 분해 가능한 유기물을 분해시켜 메탄으로 전환시키고 우리는 현재 이 가스를 소화조 가온에 사용하고, 판매하고 있다. 소화효율을 높이기 위하여 가온과 교반이 행해지는데 가온방식은 직접가온방식(증기주입식)과 간접가온방식(열교환방식)이 있다. 그중 우리는 간접가온방식을 채택하여 소화효율을 높였고 일반중온 혐기소화온도보다 약간 높은 $38^{\circ}C$로 운전한다. 그리고 일반적으로 알려진 교반방식인 가스교반, 기계교반, 이 둘은 병행한 교반이 아닌 독자적인 방법을 이용, 소화조 내의 슬러지가 정체되어 교반되지 않는 부분을 최소화 하였다. 이때 미생물이 투입되기 힘든 소화조 아래 쪽 으로도 고루분포 되어 슬러지를 이용 하게 되고 소화조 상하부의 온도차가 $1^{\circ}C$ 이하로 거의 완벽한 교반상태를 보여 줌 으로써 소화효율을 최대한으로 한다. 더욱이 소화일수 부족으로 인한 전반적 소화효율 저하가 발생하지 않도록 input과 output 조절을 통한 적정소화일수 20~25일을 최대한 맞추어 운전하여 소화조 설계용량의 평균 90%를 활용하고 있다.