• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.67-76
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• 2022

We developed a technology that can measure the hydrogen uptake and diffusivity of rubber materials by using the volumetric analysis method and diffusivity analysis program through the measurement of the water level in the graduated cylinder. In this method, hydrogen gas is charged at a certain pressure for a certain period of time for a rubber material exposed to a high-pressure hydrogen gas environment, and then the pressure is reduced to measure the change in the water level in the graduated cylinder in real time, and based on the measured value, it is a technology that can evaluate hydrogen uptake and diffusivity using diffusivity analysis program. Using this method, the hydrogen uptake and diffusivity of the NBR material were measured with respect to the change in the type and weight ratio of the filler used to improve the physical properties of the rubber material. In addition, uncertainty analysis was performed on the diffusivity measurement method.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.148-157
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• 2022

Research on hydrogen storage is active to properly deal with hydrogen, which is considered a next-generation energy medium. In particular, research on metal hydride with excellent safety and energy efficiency has attracted attention, and among them, magnesium-based hydrogen storage alloys have been studied for a long time due to their high storage density, low cost, and abundance. However, Mg-based alloys require high temperature conditions due to strong binding enthalpy, and have many difficulties due to slow hydrogenation kinetics and reduction in hydrogen storage capacity due to oxidation, and various strategies have been proposed for this. This research manufactured Mg₂Ni to improve hydrogenation kinetics and synthesize about 5, 10, 20 wt% of CaF₂ as a catalyst for controlling oxidation. Mg₂NiHx-CaF₂ produced by hydrogen induced mechanical alloying analyzed hydrogenation kinetics through an automatic PCT measurement system under conditions of 423 K, 523 K, and 623 K. In addition, material life cycle assessment was conducted through Gabi software and CML 2001 and Eco-Indicator 99' methodology, and the environmental impact characteristics of the manufacturing process of the composites were analyzed. In conclusion, it was found that the effects of resource depletion (ARD) and fossil fuels had a higher burden than other impact categories.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.164-175
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• 2022

In this work, sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) composite membranes including strontium zirconate (SrZrO₃) were fabricated by the electrospinning method. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopic analysis and X-ray diffraction analysis were used to identify the chemical structure and the crystallinity of SrZrO₃ and electrospun composite membranes. The thermal stability of the pure SPEEK and SPEEK/SrZrO₃ electrospun composite membranes were investigated by using thermogravimetric analysis. The physicochemical properties and proton conductivity were enhanced with the addition of different weight ratio of SrZrO₃ nanofiller (2, 4 and 6 wt%) in SPEEK polymer. The optimized SPEEK/SrZrO₃-4 electrospun membrane containing 4 wt% of SrZrO₃ showed a high proton conductivity compared to other electrospun SPEEK/SrZrO₃ composite membranes. The results indicate that electrospun composite membranes incorporating these perovskite nanofillers should be explored as potential candidates for use in proton exchange membrane fuel cells.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.38-46
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• 2022

Two different gas diffusion layers having noticeable differences in micro-porous layer's (MPL's) crack were studied as a substrate for the gas diffusion electrode (GDE) with different binder/carbon (B/C) ratios in high-temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cell (Ht-PEMFC). As a result, the performance defined as the voltage at 0.2 A/cm² and maximum power density from the single cells using GDEs from H23 C2 and SGL38 BC with different B/C ratios were compared. GDEs from H23 C2 showed a proportional increase of the voltage with the binder content on the other hand GDEs from SGL38 BC displayed a proportional decline of the voltage to the binder content. It was revealed that MPL crack influences the structure of catalyst layer in GDEs as well as affects the RC_athode which is in close connection with the Ht-PEMFC performance.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.305-312
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• 2011

The use of a separator to control stack temperature in a molten carbonate fuel cell was studied by numerical simulation using a computational fluid dynamics code. The stack model assumed steady-state and constant-load operation of a co-flow stack with an external reformer at atmospheric pressure. Representing a conventional cell type, separators with two flow paths, one each for the anode and cathode gas, were simulated under conditions in which the cathode gas was composed of either air and carbon dioxide (case I) or oxygen and carbon dioxide (case II). The results showed that the average cell potential in case II was higher than that in case I due to the higher partial pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the cathode gas. This result indicates that the amount of heat released during the electrochemical reactions was less for case II than for case I under the same load. However, simulated results showed that the maximum stack temperature in case I was lower than that in case II due to a reduction in the total flow rate of the cathode gas. To control the stack temperature and retain a high cell potential, we proposed the use of a separator with three flow paths (case III); two flow paths for the electrodes and a path in the center of the separator for the flow of nitrogen for cooling. The simulated results for case III showed that the average cell potential was similar to that in case II, indicating that the amount of heat released in the stack was similar to that in case II, and that the maximum stack temperature was the lowest of the three cases due to the nitrogen gas flow in the center of the separator. In summary, the simulated results showed that the use of a separator with three flow paths enabled temperature control in a co-flow stack with an external reformer at atmospheric pressure.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.326-332
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• 2011

The authors examined the effects of operating parameters on the $H_2$ production by dark fermentation of the wastewater generated from food waste recycling facilities, in short "food waste wastewater (FWW)". Central composite design based response surface methodology was applied to analyze the effect of initial pH (5.5-8.5) and substrate concentration (2-20 g Carbo. COD/L) on $H_2$ production. The experiment was conducted under mesophilic ($35^{\circ}C$) condition and a heat-treated ($90^{\circ}C$ for 20min)anaerobic digester sludge was used as a seeding source. Although there was a little difference in carbohydrate removal, $H_2$ yield was largely affected by the experimental conditions, from 0.38 to 1.77 mol $H_2$/mol $hexose_{added}$. By applying regression analysis, $H_2$ yield was well fitted based on the coded value to a second order polynomial equation (p = 0.0243): Y = $1.78-0.17X_1+0.30X_2+0.37X_1X_2-0.29X_1{^2}-0.35X_2{^2}$, where $X_1$, $X_2$, and Y are pH, substrate concentration (g Carbo. COD/L), and hydrogen yield (mol $H_2$/mol $hexose_{added}$), respectively. The 2-D response surface clearly showed a high inter-dependency between initial pH and substrate concentration, and the role of these two factors was to control the pH during fermentation. According to the statistical optimization, the optimum condition of initial pH and substrate concentration were 7.0 and 13.4 g Carbo. COD/L, respectively, under which predicted $H_2$ yield was 1.84 mol $H_2$/mol $hexose_{added}$. Microbial analysis using 16S rRNA PCR-DGGE showed that $Clostridium$ sp. such as $Clostridium$ $perfringens$, $Clostridium$ $sticklandii$, and $Clostridium$ $bifermentans$ were main $H_2$-producers.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.132-137
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• 2020

Lithium secondary batteries have become an important power source for portable electronic devices such as cellular phones, laptop computers. Presently, commercialized lithium-ion batteries use a LiCoO₂ cathode. However, due to the high cost and environmental problems resulting from cobalt, an intensive search for new electrode materials is being actively conducted. Recently, solid solution LiMn_1-xNi_xO₂ have become attractive because of high capacity and enhanced safety at high voltages over 4.5 V. The Li_1.6Ni_0.35Mn_0.65O₂ compounds were conventionally prepared by a sol-gel method, which can produce the layered Li-Ni-Mn-O compounds with a high homogeneity. And by adding a graphene 2wt% the first charge-discharge voltage profiles was increased over Li_1.6Ni_0.35Mn_0.65O₂ compound. Also, the variation s of the discharge capacities with cycling showed a higher capacity retention rater. In this study, material lifecycle evaluation was performed to analyze the environmental impact characteristics of Li_1.6Ni_0.35Mn_0.65O₂ & graphene 2wt% half-cell manufacturing process. The software of material life cycle assessment was Gabi. Through this, environmental impact assessment was performed for each process. The environmental loads induced by Li_1.6Ni_0.35Mn_0.65O₂ & graphene 2wt% synthesis process were quantified and analyzed, and the results showed that the amount of power had the greatest impact on the environment.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.57-64
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• 2020

The water-gas shift reaction for the compact reformer was carried out at a gas hourly space velocity of 72,152 h^-1 over the Cu-Nb-CeO₂ catalysts prepared by co-precipitation method. In order to investigate the effect of Nb₂O₅ promotion over a Cu-CeO₂ catalyst, the Nb₂O₅ loading amount was systematically changed from 0 to 5 wt.%. Among the prepared catalysts, the Cu-Nb-CeO₂ (1%) catalyst showed the highest catalytic activity (CO conversion=61% at 400℃) as well as 100% CO₂ selectivity. The high activity and stability of Cu-Nb-CeO₂ (1%) catalyst are correlated to high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area, small metallic Cu crystallite size, and enhanced redox property.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.648-655
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• 2014

This paper describes the continuing effort to develope a single acting free-piston Stirling engine/alternator combination for use of the household cogeneration. Free piston Stirling engines(FPSE) use variations of working gas pressure to drive mechanically unconstrained reciprocating elements. Stirling cycle free-piston engines are driven by the Stirling thermodynamic cycle which is characterized by an externally heated device containing working gas that is continuously re-used in a regenerative, reversible cycle. The ideal cycle is described by two isothermal process connected by two constant volume processes. Heat removed during the constant volume cooling process is internally transferred to the constant volume heating process by mutual use of a thermal storage medium called the regenerator. Since the ideal cycle is reversible, the ideal efficiency is that of Carnot. Free-piston Stirling engine is have no crank and rotating parts to generate lateral forces and require lubrication. The FPSE is typically comprised of two oscillating pistons contained in a common cylinder. The temperature difference across the displacer maintains the oscillations, and the FPSE operate at natural frequency of the mass-spring system. The power is generated from a linear alternator. The purpose of this paper is to describe the design process of the single acting free-piston Stirling engine/alternator. Electrical output of the single acting free-piston Stirling engine/alternator is about 0.95 kW.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.577-585
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• 2014

Nanorod and particle shape $CeO_2$ were synthesized via hydrothermal process and precipitation method, respectively, and used as supports of Pt catalyst for water gas shift (WGS) reaction. Three different durations (12, 48, and 96h) for hydrothermal process were applied for the preparation of nanorod type $CeO_2$. 1.0 wt% of Pt was loaded on the prepared supports with incipient wetness method prior to the catalytic activity tests that were carried out at a GHSV of $95,541h^{-1}$, and a temperature range of 200 to $360^{\circ}C$. Varying duration of hydrothermal process led to the difference in physical characteristics of $CeO_2$ nanorods, such as aspect ratio, BET surface area, pore diameter, and pore volume. Consequently, the catalytic activities of Pt/$CeO_2$ nanorods were affected by the physical characteristics of the supports and appeared to be in the order of Pt/$CeO_2$(12) > Pt/$CeO_2$(48) > Pt/$CeO_2$(96). The comparison of the catalytic activities and results of the analysis (XPS, XRD, SEM, BET and TPR) for the supports revealed that the activity of the catalysts depends on chemical states of the Pt and the support materials in the temperature range that is lower than $280^{\circ}C$. However, the activity is rather dependent on the physical characteristic of the supports because the increased gas velocity limits the mass transfer of reactants in micropores of the supports.