• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.513-520
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• 2012

The electrochemical reaction of refuse derived fuel (RDF) and refuse plastic/paper fuel (RPF) was investigated in the direct carbon fuel cell (DCFC) system. The open circuit voltage (OCV) of RPF was higher than RDF and other coals because of its thermal reactive characteristic under carbon dioxide. The thermal reactivity of fuels was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis method. and the reaction rate of RPF was higher than other fuels. The behavior of all sample's potential was analogous in the beginning region of electrochemical reactions due to similar functional groups on the surface of fuels analyzed by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy experiments. The potential level of RDF and RPF decreased rapidly comparing to coals in the next of the electrochemical reaction because the surface area and pore volume investigated by nitrogen gas adsorption tests were smaller than coals. This characteristic signifies the contact surface between electrolyte and fuel is restricted. The potential of fuels was maintained to the high current density region over 40 $mA/cm^2$ by total carbon component. The maximum power density of RDF and RPF reached up to 45~70% comparing to coal. The obvious improvement of maximum power density by increasing operating temperature was observed in both refuse fuels.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.49-68
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• 2008

The purpose of this paper is to extensively review the condition monitoring (CM) techniques using empirical models in an effort to reduce or eliminate unexpected downtimes in general industry, and to illustrate the feasibility of applying them to the nuclear industry. CM provides on-time warnings of system states to enable the optimal scheduling of maintenance and, ultimately, plant uptime is maximized. Currently, most maintenance processes tend to be either reactive, or part of scheduled, or preventive maintenance. Such maintenance is being increasingly reported as a poor practice for two reasons: first, the component does not necessarily require maintenance, thus the maintenance cost is wasted, and secondly, failure catalysts are introduced into properly working components, which is worse. This paper first summarizes the technical aspects of CM including state estimation and state monitoring. The mathematical background of CM is mature enough even for commercial use in the nuclear industry. Considering the current computational capabilities of CM, its application is not limited by technical difficulties, but by a lack of desire on the part of industry to implement it. For practical applications in the nuclear industry, it may be more important to clarify and quantify the negative impact of unexpected outcomes or failures in CM than it is to investigate its advantages. In other words, while issues regarding accuracy have been targeted to date, the concerns regarding robustness should now be concentrated on. Standardizing the anticipated failures and the possibly harsh operating conditions, and then evaluating the impact of the proposed CM under those conditions may be necessary. In order to make the CM techniques practical for the nuclear industry in the future, it is recommended that a prototype CM system be applied to a secondary system in which most of the components are non-safety grade. Recently, many activities to enhance the safety and efficiency of the secondary system have been encouraged. With the application of CM to nuclear power plants, it is expected to increase profit while addressing safety and economic issues.