• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.493-498
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• 2019

In polymer exchange membrane fuel cells, it is crucial to fabricate a highly active and thin Pt catalyst layer for the smooth mass transport of dissolved oxygen and water. Although a highly loaded platinum (Pt) catalyst based on the hydrothermal synthesis has been reported in several studies, its growing behaviors and kinetics were yet to be understood. In this study, we investigated the growth of Pt crystal in suspension after the reduction step depending on a stirring time and evaluated the electrochemical activity. For only a couple of hours in the early stage, Pt colloids were adsorbed on the Pt-carbon catalyst and the Pt crystal was grown. After that, the small Pt colloid was formed by another nucleation step, which did not involve the growth of Pt crystal. We reveal that the Pt-Carbon catalyst with stirring for 6 h showed a high activity toward the oxygen reduction reaction.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.404-411
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• 2012

The reliability of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) particularly depends on the high quality of solid oxide electrolytes. The application of thinner electrolytes and multi electrolyte layers requires a more reliable characterization method. Most of the investigations on thin film solid electrolytes have been made for the parallel transport along the interface, which is not however directly related to the fuel cell performance of those electrolytes. In this work an array of ion-blocking metallic Ti/Au microelectrodes with about a $160{\mu}m$ diameter was applied on top of an ultrathin ($1{\mu}m$) yttria-stabilized-zirconia/gadolinium-doped-ceria (YSZ/GDC) heterolayer solid electrolyte in a micro-SOFC prepared by PLD as well as an 8-${\mu}m$ thick YSZ layer by screen printing, to study the transport characteristics in the perpendicular direction relevant for fuel cell operation. While the capacitance variation in the electrode area supported the working principle of the measurement technique, other local variations could be related to the quality of the electrolyte layers and deposited electrode points. While the small electrode size and low temperature measurements increaseed the electrolyte resistances enough for the reliable estimation, the impedance spectra appeared to consist of only a large electrode polarization. Modulus representation distinguished two high frequency responses with resistance magnitude differing by orders of magnitude, which can be ascribed to the gadolinium-doped ceria buffer electrolyte layer with a 200 nm thickness and yttria-stabilized zirconia layer of about $1{\mu}m$. The major impedance response was attributed to the resistance due to electron hole conduction in GDC due to the ion-blocking top electrodes with activation energy of 0.7 eV. The respective conductivity values were obtained by model analysis using empirical Havriliak-Negami elements and by temperature adjustments with respect to the conductivity of the YSZ layers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.1124-1128
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• 2021

As regulations of emissions from ships become more stringent, electric propulsion systems have been increasingly used to solve this problem in vessels ranging from large merchant ships to small and medium-sized ships. Methods for improving the efficiency of the electric propulsion system include the improvement of power sources; the use of a system linked to environmentally friendly power sources, such as batteries, fuel cells, and solar power; and the development of hardware and control methodology for rectifiers, power conversion devices, and propulsion motors. The method using a phase-shifting transformer with diodes has been widely used for rectification. Power semiconductor devices with grid connection to an environmentally friendly power source using DC distribution, a variable speed power source, and the application of small and medium-sized electric propulsion systems have been developed. Accordingly, the demand for active front-end (AFE) rectifiers is increasing. In this study, a method using a neural network rather than a conventional proportional-integral controller was proposed to control the AFE rectifier. Tested controller data were used to design a neural network controller trained through MATLAB/Simulink. The neural network controller was applied to a rectification system designed using PSIM software. The results indicated the effectiveness of improving the waveform and power factor DC output stage according to the load variation. The proposed system can be applied as a rectification system for small and medium-sized environmentally friendly ships.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.660-663
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• 2008

Ni-GDC (gadolinia-doped ceria) composite powders, the anode material for the application of solid oxide fuel cells, were prepared by a solution reduction method using hydrazine. The distribution of Ni particles in the composite powders was homogeneous. The Ni-GDC powders were sintered at $1400^{\circ}C$ for 2 h and then reduced at $800^{\circ}C$ for 24 h in 3% $H_2$. The percolation limit of Ni of the sintered composite was 20 vol%, which was significantly lower than these values in the literature (30-35 vol%). The marked decrease of percolation limit is attributed to the small size of the Ni particles and the high degree of dispersion. The hydrazine method suggests a facile chemical route to prepare well-dispersed Ni-GDC composite powders.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.264-267
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• 2005

수소의 소규모 분산 생산 기술은 본격적 인 수소 인프라가 도입되기 전에 연료전지 자동차의 수소 충 전용이나 분산 발전형 연료전지의 수소 공급을 위해 필요하다. 생산 용량은 수소 기준으로 $10\~100 Nm^3/hr$ 정도로 현재로선 천연가스의 수증기 개질법이 가장 경제적인 공정으로 알려져 있다. 소규모 생산에 따른 열효율 저하를 줄이 기 위해 단위 공정들이 통합된 컴팩트 개질 시스템의 개발이 필요하다. 핵심 기술인 컴팩트 리포머의 국산화 기술 확보를 위하여 $20 Nm^3/hr$용량의 동심관형 리포머를 설계, 제작하였다. 내부구조는 제작의 단순화를 고려하여 중첩된 동심관이 배열되었고 압력 손실과 열웅력 발생을 억제하도록 유로를 배치하였다. 수증기개질 반응에 필요한 반응열은 리포머 본체에 부착된 버너를 이용하여 공급하였다. 성능 측정을 위한 부속 기기로 상온 흡착식 탈황기, 폐열 회수형 수증기 발생기, 반응물 예열을 위한 열교환기, 생성 가스 응축기를 설계 제작하여 전체 리포밍 시스템을 구성하였다. 반응 온도 $680\~720^{\circ}C$, 탄소 대 수중기 비(S/C ratio) $2.7\~3.2$ 조건에서 수증기 개질 반응을 수행하였다. 해당 반응 조건에서 메탄 전환율 $89\%$ 이상, 저위 발열량 기준 개질 열효율 $70\%$ 이상을 달성하였고 개질 생성가스 내 수소의 최대 유량은 $23.4Nm^3/h$였다. 개발된 리포밍 시스템은 고순도 수소 생산이 필요한 경우, 수소 수율 향상을 위한 고온 수성 가스 전화 반응기를 통합 가능하도록 열교환기 구성을 조정할 수 있으며 용융 탄산염 연료전지와 같이 고온형 연료전지의 경우 $550^{\circ}C$ 이상으로 개질 생성 가스를 공급하도록 구성할 수도 있다. 향후 리포머 본체의 개질 효율 향상 및 장치 소형화, 부속 기기의 최적화를 통한 전체 리포밍 시스템 개선, 스케일 업 설계를 위한 엔지니어링 설계 패키지 구성을 계획하고 있다.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.50-55
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• 2005

New fast proton-conducting organic-inorganic nanocomposite membranes were successfully fabricated using polymer matrix obtained through proper oxidation of thiol ligands in (3-Mercaptopropyl) trimethoxysilane (MPTS) and hydrolysis/condensation reaction of (3-glycidoxypropyl) trimethoxysilane (GPTS). The obtained nanocomposite membranes showed relatively hirh proton-conductivity over $10^{-2}S/cm$ at $ 25^{circ}C$. The proton conductivities of the fabricated composite membranes increased up to $3.6{\times}10^{-1}$ S/cm cm by increasing temperature and relative humidity to $70^{circ}C$ and 100 $100RH\%$. The high proton conductivity of the composites Is due to the proton conducting path through the GPTS-derived 'pseudo-polyethylene oxide 'network in which sulfonic acid ligands work as a proton donor.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.12-18
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• 2017

The present study has been conducted to predict the mass burning flux of methanol pool fire using liquid vaporization model in FDS and examine the effect of thermal properties of liquid fuel such as radiative fraction and mean absorption coefficient. A series of calculation for the pool diameter of 5 cm to 200 cm were performed and the size of computational domain was determined by the scale of the pool diameter. The reference grid size was determined by the grid sensitivity analysis and the computational grids consisted of approximately 750,000 cells. For the methanol pool fire, the mass burning flux predicted by liquid vaporization model of FDS followed the trend of transient characteristics as a function of pool diameter and showed good agreement within measurement uncertainty range of previous studies. The mass burning flux increased with increasing the radiative fraction and the mean absorption coefficient greatly affected on relatively small pool diameter.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.508-513
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• 2021

In order to improve the durability of a proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), it is essential to improve the durability of the polymer membrane. In order to improve the durability of the membrane, an e-PTFE support and a radical scavenger are added. In this study, the chemical durability of the reinforced membrane with ePTFE support and the non-reinforced membrane was compared by Fenton reaction. In the Fenton experiment of the polymer membrane without the addition of a radical scavenger, the absorption rate of hydrogen peroxide solution and iron ions through the cross section of the specimen cut into small pieces was higher in the reinforced membrane, so that the fluorine outflow concentration was higher. According to the type and amount of radical scavenger added, the fluorine outflow concentration of the reinforced membrane has a large difference of more than 3 times, indicating that the effect of the radical scavenger was stronger than that of the support.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.42-50
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• 2013

This paper describes the electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of small biomolecules on the surface of Pt-Ru nanoparticles supported by $TiO_2$-hollow sphere prepared for use in sensor applications or fuel cells. The $TiO_2$-hollow sphere supports were first prepared by sol-gel reaction of titanium tetraisopropoxide with poly(styrene-co-vinylphenylboronic acid), PSB used as a template. Pt-Ru nanoparticles were then deposited by chemical reduction of the $Pt^{4+}$ and $Ru^{3+}$ ions onto $TiO_2$-hollow sphere ($Pt-Ru@TiO_2-H$). The prepared $Pt-Ru@TiO_2-H$ nanocomposites were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and elemental analysis. The electrocatalytic efficiency of Pt-Ru nanoparticles was evaluated via ethanol, methanol, dopamine, ascorbic acid, formalin, and glucose oxidation. The cyclic voltammograms (CV) obtained during the oxidation studies revealed that the $Pt-Ru@TiO_2-H$ nanocomposites showed high electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of biomolecules. As a result, the prepared Pt-Ru catalysts doped onto $TiO_2$-H sphere nanocomposites supports can be used for non-enzymatic biosensor or fuel cell anode electrode.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.13-18
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• 2017

Sodium borohydride, $NaBH_4$, shows a number of advantages as hydrogen source for UAV PEMFC (Unmaned Aerial Vehicle Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells). In order to use for UAV, the weight and volume of byproduct should be small after $NaBH_4$ hydrolysis reaction. Therefore, the weight and volume of byproduct were studied after $NaBH_4$ hydrolysis reaction using unsupported catalyst. The effect of catalyst type, concentration of $NaBH_4$, concentration of NaOH and thickness of catalyst pack on the weight and volume of byproduct were studied. Most of byproduct was $NaB(OH)_4$ and superficial volume of byproduct increased due to foam evolved from byproduct. The weight and volume of byproduct were not affected by concentration of NaOH used stabilizer. The weight of byproduct decreased as concentration of $NaBH_4$ solution increased, but maximum volume of byproduct obtained at 23 wt% of $NaBH_4$. Suitable defoaming agent reduced the volume of byproduct.