• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.717-724
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• 2016

Methane (CH₄) is the most abundant component in natural gas. To reduce its harmful environmental effect as a greenhouse gas, CH₄ can be utilized as a low-cost feed for the synthesis of methanol by methanotrophs. In this study, several methanotrophs were examined for their ability to produce methanol from CH₄; including Methylocella silvestris, Methylocystis bryophila, Methyloferula stellata, and Methylomonas methanica. Among these methanotrophs, M. bryophila exhibited the highest methanol production. The optimum process parameters aided in significant enhancement of methanol production up to 4.63 mM. Maximum methanol production was observed at pH 6.8, 30℃, 175 rpm, 100 mM phosphate buffer, 50 mM MgCl₂ as a methanol dehydrogenase inhibitor, 50% CH₄ concentration, 24 h of incubation, and 9 mg of dry cell mass ml^-1 inoculum load, respectively. Optimization of the process parameters, screening of methanol dehydrogenase inhibitors, and supplementation with formate resulted in significant improvements in methanol production using M. bryophila. This report suggests, for the first time, the potential of using M. bryophila for industrial methanol production from CH₄.

• 한국토양비료학회지
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• 제48권6호
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• pp.602-609
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• 2015

In order to enhance a biogas production by the hydro-thermal pre-treatment of piggery manure, the effects of hydro-thermal reaction temperature at thermal hydrolysis of piggery manure on the methane potential and anaerobic biodegradability of thermal hydrolysate were analyzed. The increase of hydro-thermal reaction temperature from $170^{\circ}C$ to $220^{\circ}C$ caused the enhancement of hydrolysis efficiency, and most of organic matters were present in soluble forms. However, the methane potentials ($B_u-TCOD$) of hydrolysate were decreased from 0.239 to $0.188Nm^3kg^{-1}-TCOD_{added}$ by increasing hydro-thermal reaction temperature from $170^{\circ}C$ to $220^{\circ}C$, and also the anaerobic biodegradability (DTCOD) decreased from 74.6% to 58.6% with increase of hydro-thermal reaction temperature. The increase of hydro-thermal reaction temperature from $170^{\circ}C$ to $220^{\circ}C$ resulted in the decrease of easily biodegradable organic matter content, while persistent organic matter contents increased.

• 상하수도학회지
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.25-32
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• 2014

In order to investigate the effective pretreatment methods in WAS(=waste activated sludge) solubilization, the values of SCOD yield per unit SS (SCOD/gSS.hr) were compared. After the hydrodynamic cavitation with pH of 12.5, SCOD increased to 7800 mg/L, SS decreased to 45 % and the solubilization rate was 29 %. Combination of alkality (pH 12.5) and the cavitation seems to be the optimal condition for sludge solubilization. After the cavitational pretreatment, efficiencies of anaerobic digestion of the unfiltered sludge(the control), raw sludge and pretreated sludge were evaluated with BMP(=biochemical methane potential) tests. For evaluation of the biodegradability characteristics of pretreated sewage sludge, the methane production has been measured for 6 months. The methane production of pretreated sludge increased 1.4 times than that of untreated sludge. The result indicates that the cavitationally pretreated sludge was a better biodegradability substrate in anaerobic condition compared to raw sludge. It is obvious that cavitational pretreatment could enhance not only solubilization but also biodegradability of WAS. In conclusion, cavitational pretreatment of WAS to convert the particulate into soluble portion was shown to be effective in enhancing the digestibility of the WAS.

• 대한환경공학회지
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• 제32권3호
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• pp.264-270
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• 2010

하수 처리장에서 발생하는 폐활성슬러지는 대부분 미생물로 구성되어 있으며, 단단한 세포벽 때문에 혐기성 소화에 의한 안정화가 힘들다. 이를 극복할 수 있는 다양한 전처리 방법 가운데 하나가 벤츄리를 이용한 수리동력학적 캐비테이션 방법 (venturi cavitation system, VCS)이다. 본 연구에서는 VCS을 사용한 전처리가 폐활성슬러지의 소화효율에 미치는 영향을 조사하였다. VCS로 전처리한 슬러지는 대조군에 비하여 전처리 기간에 따라 메탄 발생량, COD 제거효율, VS 제거효율이 각각 41~45%, 36.5~43.1%, 18.4~24.1%가 증가하였다. 또한 전처리에 의하여 SCOD를 증가시켜 투입하였을 때, 증가된 SCOD의 이론적 메탄가스 발생량보다 약 3.3~4.2배 많은 메탄이 발생한 것으로 나타났다. 이는 VCS에 의한 전처리에서 슬러지의 가용화 현상에 의하여 소화효율이 향상되었을 뿐 아니라 가용화가 되지 않은 입자상 부분도 소화에 유리한 상태로 개량되었음을 의미한다. 전처리를 위해 투입한 에너지와 메탄가스의 발생 증가분에 대한 에너지 수지를 계산하였을 때 대부분의 조건에서 에너지 회수가 가능하여, VCS 장치의 현장 적용성이 높을 것으로 판단된다.

• 한국표면공학회지
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• 제47권6호
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• pp.347-353
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• 2014

We present a synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes(SWNTs) for enhancement of parallel-alignment and density using chemical vapor deposition with methane feed gas. As-purchased ST-cut quartz substrates were heat-treated and line-patterned by electron-beam lithography in order to grow SWNTs with parallel alignment. We investigated the effects of various synthesis parameters such as catalyst oxidation, reduction, and synthesis conditions in order to enhance both tube density and degree of parallel alignment. The condition of $1{\AA}$ of Fe catalyst film, atmospheric oxidation at $750^{\circ}C$ for 10 min, reduction under 400 Torr for 5 min, and growth at $865^{\circ}C$ under 300 Torr yields $33tubes/10{\mu}m$, which is the highest tube density with parallel alignment. Based on the results of atomic force microscope and Raman spectroscopy, it was found that SWNTs have diameter range of 0.8-2.0 nm. We believe that the present work would contribute to the development of SWNTs-based flexible functional devices.

• 한국연소학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국연소학회 제26회 KOSCO SYMPOSIUM 논문집
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• pp.137-142
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• 2003

In order to investigate the effect of fuel mixing on PAH and soot formation, four species of methane, ethane, propane and propene have been mixed in counterlfow ethylene diffusion flame. Laser-induced incandescene and laser-induced fluorescene techniques were employed to measure soot volume fraction and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentration, respectively. Results showed that the mixing of ethane (or propane) in ethylene diffusion flame produces more PAHs and soot than those of propene, even though the propene diffusion flame produces more PAHs and soot than that of propane and ethane. Considering that propene directly dehydrogenates to propargyl radical, this behavior implied that the enhancement of PAH and soot formation by the fuel mixing of ethylene and ethane (or propane) cannot be explained by propargyl radical directly dehydrogenated from ethane (or propane).

• 한국대기환경학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국대기환경학회 2003년도 춘계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.421-422
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• 2003

Greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as carbon dioxide ($CO_2$), methane (CH$_4$), nitrous oxide ($N_2$O), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), sulphur hexafluoride (SF$_{6}$), together with water vapour ($H_2O$) and ozone play an important role in determining the earth's climate. The primary cause of the enhancement of GHGs is the global use of fossil fuels to generate heat, power, and electricity for a growing world population, as well as the changes in the land use, especially for agriculture. In addition, biomass buring and biofuel emissions play major roles in the GHG emissions in the Asian region because they produce large amounts of carbon monoxide (CO), nonmethane volatile organic compounds(NMVOC), black carbon(BC) and other gases. (omitted)d)

• 한국전기전자재료학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국전기전자재료학회 2004년도 하계학술대회 논문집 Vol.5 No.2
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• pp.1270-1273
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• 2004

The combination of methane-chemical activation and Self-propagating High-temperature synthesis (SHS) has widened the possibilities for both methods. For YBCO systems the investigation showed that a short-term mechano-chemical activation of initial powders before SHS leads to single-phase and ultra-fine products. A new technique for preparation ultra-fine high-temperature superconductors of YBCO composition with a grain size d < $1{\mu}m$ is developed. The specific feature of the technique is formation of the $YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-x}$ crystalline lattice directly from an X-ray amorphous state arising as a result of mechanical activation of the original oxide mixture. The technique allows the stage of formation of any intermediate reaction products to be ruled out. X-ray and magnetic studies of ultra-fine high temperature superconductors (HTS) are carried out. Dimension effects associated with the microstructure peculiarities are revealed. A considerable enhancement of inter-grain critical currents is found to take place in the ultra-fine samples investigated.

• 한국연소학회지
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• 제8권3호
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• pp.8-14
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• 2003

In order to investigate the effect of fuel mixing on PAH and soot formation, four species of methane, ethane, propane and propene have been mixed in counterlfow ethylene diffusion flame. Laser-induced incandescene and laser-induced fluorescene techniques were employed to measure soot volume fraction and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentration, respectively. Results showed that the mixing of ethane (or propane) in ethylene diffusion flame produces more PAHs and soot than those of propene. Considering that propene directly dehydrogenates to propargyl radical, this behavior implied that the enhancement of PAH and soot formation by the fuel mixing of ethylene and ethane (or propane) cannot be explained solely by propargyl radical directly dehydrogenated from ethane (or propane). Thus, combination reactions between C1 and C2-species for the formation of propargyl was suggested to identify the synergistic effect occurring in the flames of ethylene and propane (or ethane) mixtures.

• 한국연소학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국연소학회 2006년도 제32회 KOSCO SYMPOSIUM 논문집
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• pp.137-143
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• 2006

The effect of electric fields on flame speed has been investigated experimentally by observing propagating premixed flames in a tube for methane/air mixtures. The flame speeds were measured in both the normal and micro gravity conditions to substantiate the measurements. The results show that the flame speeds were enhanced by both the AC and DC electric fields, as the flame approached to the high voltage electrode located on the one end of the tube. The enhancement of flame speed was proportional to the square root of the electric field intensity, defined as the voltage applied divided by the distance of flame from the high voltage electrode, when the electric field intensity is sufficiently large. When the electric field intensity was low, there existed critical intensities, below which the electric fields did not influence the flame speed. This critical electric field intensity correlated well with the flame speed.