• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.27-32
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• 2013

Renewable gas fuels such as biogas and landfill gas are obtained from the biodegradable organic wastes so that they inherently have carbon-neutral nature which can respond global warming. Therefore, attentions are paid to use this renewable gases as a main fuel for internal combustion engines. However, the composition of the fuel varies by its origin or conversion process, it is necessary to make stable combustion and accomplish high efficiency when used in power generating spark ignition (SI) engines. In this study, efforts have been made to investigate the effect of the composition of renewable gas fuel on the engine performance and exhaust emissions. In addition, a new spark plug with a long electrode was tested and compared with a base spark plug as a way to improve engine efficiency and reduce harmful emissions.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.285-290
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• 2013

Recently a novel bio refinery process with using nonedible biomass, especially microalgae, has been developed in order to directly reduce $CO_2$ concentration from flue gas and simultaneously produce renewable bio fuel. Micro algae-to-biofuel processes are composed of microalgae cultivation, harvesting, lipid extraction, and bio fuel conversion. So, there are concerns about the energy efficiencies of bio refinery processes. In this study, the net energy ratio of microalgae processes were calculated for the microalgae produced from a pilot photobioreacto using $CO_2$ released from coal combustion. In this study, trans-esterification and pyrolysis processes were used to analyze the net energy efficiencies. Micro algae-to-biofuel processes might produce bio fuels with the higher energy than that of the total consumed energy for cultivation, harvesting, extraction and conversion. If the lipid content of microalgae was higher, the trans-esterification conversion process was more effective than that of pyrolysis process.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.297-301
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• 2012

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is the major of bio-electrochemical system which can convert biomass spontaneously into electricity through the metabolic activity of the microorganisms. In this study, we used an activated sludge as a microbial inoculum and then investigated the feasibility of using dairy wastewater as a possible substrate for generating electricity in MFC. To examine the performance of MFC as power generator, the characteristics on cell potentials, power density, cyclic voltammetric analysis and sustainable power estimation were evaluated for dairy wastewater. The maximum power density of $40\;mW/m^2$was achieved when the dairy wastewater containing 2650 mg/L COD was used, leading to the removal of 88% of the COD. The results from this study demonstrate the feasibility of using MFC technology to generate electricity while simultaneously treating dairy wastewater effectively.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.24-29
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• 2012

BACKGROUND: In recent years, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have emerged as a promising technology for recovering renewable energy from waste biomass, especially wastewater. In this study, the possibility of bioelectricity generation in two chambered mediator-less microbial fuel cells (MFCs) was successfully demonstrated using fermentable and non-fermentable substrates. METHODS AND RESULTS: Two different electron acceptors have been tested in the cathode chamber for the effects of reducing agent on the power generation in MFCs. The average voltages of $0.26{\pm}0.014$ V and $0.36{\pm}0.02$ V were achieved with acetate using oxygen and potassium ferricyanide as reducing agent, respectively. Similarly, with glucose the average voltages of $0.256{\pm}0.05$ V and $0.340{\pm}0.04$ V were obtained using oxygen and ferricyanide, respectively. Using potassium ferricyanide as the reducing agent, the power output increases by 39 and 43% with acetate and glucose, respectively, as compared to the dissolved oxygen. Slightly higher coulombic efficiency (CE%) was obtained in acetate as compared to MFCs operated with glucose. The maximum power densities of 124 mW/$m^2$ and 204 mW/$m^2$ were obtained using dissolved oxygen and $K_3Fe(CN)_6$, respectively. CONCLUSION(s): This study demonstrates that power generation from the MFCs can be influenced significantly by the different types of catholyte. Relatively higher CE was obtained with $K_3Fe(CN)_6$. Thus, application of $K_3Fe(CN)_6$ as the catholyte can be vital for scaling uppower generation from the MFCs forreal time applications.

• Solar Energy
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.161-167
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• 1998

The effects of some additives(black liquor, wood and lignin) on the conversion of coal and product were investigated in the lab-scale, high pressure reacting system around $375^{\circ}C$. The addition of lignin to coal during liquefaction significantly increased the depolymerization of coal and enhanced the quality of the liquid products. Coprocessing of wood and coal at $400^{\circ}C$ increased yield of liquid product about 8%, but higher temperature above $400^{\circ}C$ reduced liquid product due to increase of gas products. The addition of black liquor resulted in an enhancement in coal conversion yields, however, the observed increase is lower than that obtained in the presence of NaOH because lignin present in black liquor is not very effective due to the $OH^-$ presence.

• Clean Technology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.171-179
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• 2005

Biodiesel is synthesized by transesterification of vegetable or animal oils with alcohols. Since it has similar characteristic with diesel fuel, it can be used as a fuel by mixing with diesel fuel. Moreover, it is advantageous that biodiesel can reduce air pollution emitted from fuel combustion and is produced from sustainable energy, biomass. Recently, many researchers have investigated biodiesel synthesis using supercritical methanol since it is economical due to shorter reaction time and simple separation/purification process, compared with conventional alkali- or acid-catalyzed process. By the development of biodiesel production process from waste edible oil using supercritical methanol, it can be expected to utilize potential energy resources, reduce carbon dioxide emission, and improve environmental conditions.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.277-281
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• 2013

A dual-chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) inoculated with Desulfovibrio desulfuricans and supplemented with lactate as an organic fuel was employed in this study. Biofilm formed on the anodic electrode was examined by scanning electron microscopy, revealing that the amount of biofilm was increased with repeated cycles of MFC operation. The maximum current production was notably increased from the first cycle ($1,310.0{\pm}22.3mA/m^2$) to the final cycle ($1,539.4{\pm}25.8mA/m^2$) of MFC run. Coulombic efficiency was also increased from $89.4%{\pm}0.2%$ to $98.9%{\pm}0.5%$. We suggest that the current production efficiency was related to the biomass of biofilm formed on the electrode, which was also increased as the MFC run was repeated. It was also found that D. desulfuricans, which colonized on the electrode, produced filaments or nano-pili. Nano-pili were effective for the attachment of cells on the electrode. In addition, the nano-pili provided a cell-to-cell link and stimulated the development of thicker electroactive biofilm, and therefore, they facilitated electron transfer to the anode. Conclusively, the biofilm of D. desulfuricans enhanced the current production in the MFC as a result of effective attachment of cells and electron transfer from the cell network to the electrode.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.75-84
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• 2018

In this study, the analysis of torrefaction products was carried out for fueling of sewage sludge. The mixed samples were composed as follows : 50% of sewage sludge and 50% of rice husk and CR(Coffee Residue). In this experiment, the reaction time(30min, 60min) and temperature($200^{\circ}C$, $250^{\circ}C$, $300^{\circ}C$) were expressed as a single variable using SF(Severity Factor). As a result, it was confirmed that as the SF increased, the heating value and fuel ratio increased, but the CI(Combustibility Index) decreased. The heating value was similarly increased as CR(Coffee Residue) and SF increased. The fuel ratio range of mixed samples was equal to that of lignite(0.5~1.0) in case of SF lower than 6.19 and that of bituminous coal(1.0~1.8) in case of SF higher than 7.36 or above. The CI showed a stable range(3,000~5,500kcal/kg) in low SF as the content of mixed samples contained more rice husk than CR.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.96-105
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• 2016

This study investigated thermal properties and activation energy ($E_a$) of torrefied oak wood powders treated with various torrefaction times (0, 5, 7.5, 10 min) by using non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis at heating rates of 10, 20, $40^{\circ}C/min$ to check the feasibility of rapidly torrefied oak wood powders as a fuel. As the torrefaction time increases, onset of thermal decomposition temperature, lignin content, and the amount of final residue of torrefied oak wood powders were accordingly increased with reduced hemicellulose content. $E_a$ was determined by using Friedman and Kissinger models and respective R-square values were over 0.9 meaning very good availability of calculated $E_a$ values. The $E_a$ values of the samples were decreased with the increase of torrefaction time and the lowest $E_a$ value ob served in the torrefied oak wood powders treated for 7.5 min showed high feasibility of rapidly torrefied oak wood powder as a biomass-solid refuse fuel.

• Clean Technology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.286-291
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• 2016

In this study we made fuel pellet from miscanthus biomass and investigated changes of physiological characteristics and electricity consumption of pelletizing process in comparison with fuel pellet made of pine sawdust. We also examined combustion characteristics including ash content and clinker forming ratio with fuel pellet made of mixing with micanthus biomass and lime powder. Bulk density of ground-miscanthus and pine sawdust were $158g\;L^{-1}$ and $187g\;L^{-1}$, respectively. Bulk density of ground miscanthus was lower than that of pine sawdust, but increased to $653g\;L^{-1}$ after pelletizing, which was similar to $656g\;L^{-1}$ of pine sawdust pellet. Moisture content in raw miscanthus and ground miscanthus were 17.0% and 11.8%, respectively. Moisture content in ground miscanthus was similar to that of pine saw dust and decreased to 6.73% after pelletizing, which was 7.7% lower than that of pine sawdust pellet. Although $27kWh\;ton^{-1}$ were required for compaction press that was an additional process in miscanthus pelleitizing, total required electricity was $193kWh\;ton^{-1}$ which was similar to $195kWh\;ton^{-1}$ of pine sawdust pellet pelleitizing. Pellet durability and pelletizing ratio of miscanthus were 98.0% and 99.7%, respectively, which were similar to 98.1% and 99.4% of pine sawdust pellet. When lime mixing ratio increased, ash melting degree and clinker forming ratio of miscanthus pellet increased. While higher heating value and clinker forming ratio of miscanthus pellet decreased.