• Molecules and Cells
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.460-469
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• 2019

Bacterial ${\alpha}-type$ carbonic anhydrase (${\alpha}-CA$) is a zinc metalloenzyme that catalyzes the reversible and extremely rapid interconversion of carbon dioxide to bicarbonate. In this study, we report the first crystal structure of a hyperthermostable ${\alpha}-CA$ from Persephonella marina EX-H1 (pmCA) in the absence and presence of competitive inhibitor, acetazolamide. The structure reveals a compactly folded pmCA homodimer in which each monomer consists of a 10-stranded ${\beta}-sheet$ in the center. The catalytic zinc ion is coordinated by three highly conserved histidine residues with an exchangeable fourth ligand (a water molecule, a bicarbonate anion, or the sulfonamide group of acetazolamide). Together with an intramolecular disulfide bond, extensive interfacial networks of hydrogen bonds, ionic and hydrophobic interactions stabilize the dimeric structure and are likely responsible for the high thermal stability. We also identified novel binding sites for calcium ions at the crystallographic interface, which serve as molecular glue linking negatively charged and otherwise repulsive surfaces. Furthermore, this large negatively charged patch appears to further increase the thermostability at alkaline pH range via favorable charge-charge interactions between pmCA and solvent molecules. These findings may assist development of novel ${\alpha}-CAs$ with improved thermal and/or alkaline stability for applications such as $CO_2$ capture and sequestration.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.590-596
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• 2015

Estimating potential of $CO_2$ emission reduction of non-capture $CO_2$ utilization (NCCU) technology was evaluated. NCCU is sodium bicarbonate production technology through the carbonation reaction of $CO_2$ contained in the flue gas. For the estimating the $CO_2$ emission reduction, process simulation using process simulator (PRO/II) based on a chemical plant which could handle $CO_2$ of 100 tons per day was performed, Also for the estimation of the indirect $CO_2$ reduction, the solvay process which is a conventional technology for the production of sodium carbonate/sodium bicarbonate, was studied. The results of the analysis showed that in case of the solvay process, overall $CO_2$ emission was estimated as 48,862 ton per year based on the energy consumption for the production of $NaHCO_3$ ($7.4GJ/tNaHCO_3$). While for the NCCU technology, the direct $CO_2$ reduction through the $CO_2$ carbonation was estimated as 36,500 ton per year and the indirect $CO_2$ reduction through the lower energy consumption was 46,885 ton per year which lead to 83,385 ton per year in total. From these results, it could be concluded that sodium bicarbonate production technology through the carbonation reaction of $CO_2$ contained in the flue was energy efficient and could be one of the promising technology for the low $CO_2$ emission technology.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.26-36
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• 2017

Korea is preparing an offshore carbon capture, transport and storage (CCS) demonstration project which is recognized as one of important $CO_2$ reduction technologies to mitigate climate change. The offshore CCS project aims to transport, inject and store large amount of $CO_2$ into offshore geologic formation, and has a potential risk of leakage which might cause disastrous damage to human health, environment and property. Therefore, in order to ensure the safety of the offshore CCS project, a strict HSE (health, safety and environment) management plan and its implementation are required throughout the project life cycle. However, there are no HSE domestic laws or regulations applicable to CCS projects, and the related research is insufficient in Korea. For the derivation of the essential and urgent requirement in HSE management framework applicable to the offshore CCS project in Korea, we analysed the HSE management methodologies and foreign CCS HSE management guidelines and cases. First, this paper has analyzed ISO 31000, a generalized risk management principles. Second, we have investigated the HSE management practices of CCS projects in Norway and UK. Based on the analyses, we suggested the necessity of developing the HSE Philosophy and the HSE management process through the whole life cycle. Application of HSE management in early phase of an offshore CCS project will promote systematic and successful project implementation in a cost-effective and safe way.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.191-198
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• 2008

To design a reliable $CO_2$ marine geological storage system, it is necessary to perform numerical process simulation using thermodynamic equation of state. $CO_2$ capture process from the major point sources such as power plants, transport process from the capture sites to storage sites and storage process to inject $CO_2$ into the deep marine geological structure can be simulate with numerical modeling. The purpose of this paper is to compare and analyse the relevant equations of state including ideal, BWRS, PR, PRBM and SRK equation of state. We also studied the effect of thermodynamic equation of state in designing the compression and transport process. As a results of comparison of numerical calculations, all relevant equation of state excluding ideal equation of state showed similar compression behavior in pure $CO_2$. On the other hand, calculation results of BWRS, PR and PRBM showed totally different behavior in compression and transport process of captured $CO_2$ mixture from the oxy-fuel combustion coal-fired plants. It is recommended to use PR or PRBM in designing of compression and transport process of $CO_2$ mixture containing NO, Ar and $O_2$.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.690-695
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• 2012

Gas hydrate is an inclusion compound consisting of water and low molecular weight gases, which are incorporated into the lattice structure of water. Owing to its promising aspect to application technologies, gas hydrate has been widely studied recently, especially $CO_2$ hydrate for the CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) issue. The key point of $CO_2$ hydrate technology for the CCS is how to produce gas hydrate in an efficient and economic way. In this study, we have tried to study the characteristic of gas hydrate formation using micro-sized ice through an ultrasonic nozzle which generate 2.4 MHz frequency wave. $CO_2$ as a carrier gas brings micro-sized mist into low-temperature reactor, where the mist and carrier gas forms $CO_2$ hydrate under $-55^{\circ}C$ and atmospheric pressure condition and some part of the mist also remains unreacted micro-sized ice. Formed gas hydrate was average 10.7 of diameter at average. The starting ice particle was set to constant pressure to form $CO_2$ hydrate and the consumed amount of $CO_2$ gas was simultaneously measured to calculate the conversion of ice into gas hydrate. Results showed that the gas hydrate formation was highly suitable because of its extremely high gas-solid contact area, and the formation rate was also very high. Self-preservation effect of $CO_2$ hydrate was confirmed by the measurement of $CO_2$ hydrate powder at normal and at pressed state, which resulted that this kind of gas storage and transport could be feasible using $CO_2$ hydrate formation.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.612-620
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• 2016

Aqueous mineral carbonation process, in which $CO_2$ is captured through the reaction with aqueous calcium oxide (CaO) solution, is one of CCU technology enabling the stable sequestration of $CO_2$ as well as economic value creation from its products. In order to enhance the carbon capture efficiency, it is required to maximize the dissolution rate of solid reactants, CaO. For this purpose, the proper design of a reactor, which can achieve the uniform distribution of solid reactants throughout the whole reactor, is essential. In this paper, the effect of internal reactor designs on the solid dispersion quality is studied by using CFD (computational fluid dynamics) techniques for the pilot-scale reactor which can handle 40 ton of $CO_2$ per day. Various combination cases consisting of different internal design variables, such as types, numbers, diameters, clearances and speed of impellers and length and width of baffles are analyzed for the stirred tank reactor with a fixed tank geometry. By conducting sensitivity analysis, we could distinguish critical variables and their impacts on solid distribution. At the same time, the reactor design which can produce solid distribution profile with a standard deviation value of 0.001 is proposed.

• 한국연소학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2014.11a
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• pp.253-254
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• 2014

지구온난화 문제는 한국가의 문제가 아니라 인류의 문제로 대두되어 많은 이에대한 많은 연구가 이루어 지고 있다. 지구온난화의 주 대상물질인 화석연료로부터 연소시 발생하는 이산화탄소를 감축하기위한 많은 규제와 노력이 요구된다. CCS(Carbon Capture & Storage)란 화석연료로 부터 연소시 대기 중으로 배출되는 온실가스($CO_2$)를 포집하여 재생 또는 지중, 해양에 저장하는 기술로서 국가녹색성장 핵심기술중의 하나로 분류되며, $CO_2$ 회수방안, 저장, 처리관련 연구를 비롯하여 국내외 적으로 활발한 연구가 이루어 지고 있다. 또한 순산소 연소기술을 통한 $CO_2$ 회수, 처리기술은 연료의 산화제를 공기대신 순도 95% 이상의 고농도 산소를 이용하여 순산소연소를 하며, 이때 발생하는 배가스의 대부분은 $CO_2$와 수증기로 구성되어 있다. 발생된 배가스의 약 70~80%를 다시 연소실로 재순환시켜 연소기의 열적 특성에 적절한 연소가 가능하도록 최적화함과 동시에 배가스의 $CO_2$ 농도를 80% 이상으로 농축시켜 회수를 용이하게 하며, 동시에 공해물질은 NOx 발생량을 10ppM 이하로 줄일 수 있는 기술이다. 천연가스를 생산하는 LNG기지에서 연소에 의한 이산화탄소를 발생시키는 기기로는 수중연소식기화기(SMV ; Submerged Combustion Vaporizer)를 들 수 있다. SMV는 버너를 이용하여 $-162^{\circ}C$ LNG를 $10^{\circ}C$의 LN로 기화시키는 설비로서 특히 동절기에 작동시키며 $CO_2$를 배출시키는 연소기다. 본 연구에서는 수중연소식 SMV에 순산소 연소방식을 적용하여 천연가스와 산소를 연소시키므로서 발생되는 $CO_2$를 LNG냉열을 이용 액체화 시켜 회수하는 연구를 수행하고 있다. 내용중에 수중연 소식 SMV에 대한 순산소 연소기를 개발하는 연구를 수행하였으며, 실제 SMV의 1/10크기, 열량기준 1/900로 모형을 제작하여 실험하였다. 연소기 노즐 은 직경 0.6mm, 배가스가 수조내에서 48개의 노즐을 제작하였다. 실험결과 일정량 이상의 $CO_2$ EGR율이 일정 값 이상이 되면 화염의 길이가 공기/NG 화염 길이와 큰 차이가 없었으며 $CO_2$ EGR율이 100%이상에서는 $CO_2$ EGR율 증가에 따른 화염길이 변화는 크게 나타나지 않았다. CO 배출 농도는 공기/NG 연소의 경우보다 높게 나타났으며, ${\lambda}$가 1.4보다 높은 조건에서는 측정되지 않았다. NOx의 배출 농도는 약 1~8ppm으로 나타났다.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.147-154
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• 2014

Bacteria play an important role in biogeochemical cycles in marine environments and their functional attributes in ecosystems depend primarily on species composition. In this study, seasonal variation of bacterial diversity was investigated by pyrosequencing of 16S rDNA in surface sediment and overlying seawater collected in the south East Sea, planned for the site of $CO_2$ sequestration by the carbon capture and storage (CCS) project. Gammaproteobacteria was dominant in the sediment in most seasons, whereas Alphaproteobacteria was a most dominant group in the overlying water. Thus, the bacterial diversity greatly differ between sediment and seawater samples. On the genus level, bacterial diversity between two habitats was also different. However, the number of genera found over 5% were less than 10 in both habitats and the bacterial community was composed of a number of diverse minor or rare genera. Elevation of $CO_2$ concentration during a $CO_2$ storage process, could result in change of bacterial diversity. Thus, this study will be very useful to access the effect of $CO_2$ on bacterial diversity and to predict functional change of the ecosystem during the process of CCS project.

• Clean Technology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.321-329
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• 2014

In this study, Indonesia low rank coal, which has moisture content of around 26%, is dried less than 5% by using a laboratory-scale (batch type) steam fluidized-bed dryer in order to produce the low-moisture, high rank coal. Normally, CCS (carbon capture and storage) process discharges $CO_2$ and steam mixture gas around $100-150^{\circ}C$ of temperature after regeneration reactor. The final purpose of this research is to dry low rank coal by using the outlet gas of CCS process. At this stage, steam is used as heat source for drying through the heat exchanger and $CO_2$ is used as fluidizing gas to the dryer. The experimental variables were the steam flow rate ranging from 0.3 to 1.1 kg/hr, steam temperature ranging from 100 to $130^{\circ}C$, and bed height ranging from 9 to 25 cm. The characteristics of the coal, before and after drying, were analyzed by a proximate analysis, the heating value analysis and particle size analysis. In summary, the drying rate of low rank coal was increased as steam flow rate and steam temperature increased and increased as bed height decreased.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.203-212
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• 2005

Anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide($CO_2$) which arises mainly as wastes from the fossil fuel burning processes, are causing global warming. The effects of global warming become increasingly felt all over the world including sea level rise and extreme weather. The more direct consequences of the elevated atmospheric $CO_2$ on the ocean is the acidification of the surface ocean which brings a far reaching adverse impact on the life at sea and probably on the whole ecosystem of the planet. Improvement in energy efficiency and use of alternative energy sources are being made to reduce $CO_2$ emissions. However, a rapid transition to alternatives seems unachievable within a few decades due to the constraints on the associated technology and socio-economic factors in the world, since fossil fuels make up approximately 85% of the world's commercial energy demands. It has now been recognized that capture and geological sequestration of $CO_2$ could significantly reduce its emissions from fossil fuel utilization and therefore provides the means to rapidly achieve large reductions in $CO_2$ emissions(excerpts from London Convention, LC/SG 28, 2005). In Korea, well-developed sedimentary basins are spread over the vast continental shelf and slope regions, whereas, the land is densely populated and limited in area. Consequently, the offshore area is preferred to the land for the sites for geological sequestration. The utilization of the offshore area, however, may be subject to international agreements including London Convention. In this paper, the recent trends in technologies and regulations for $CO_2$ capture and geological sequestration are described to encourage its applications in Korea.