• Clean Technology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.190-197
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• 2021

Kraft lignin is a by-product of the pulp and paper industry, obtained as a black liquor after the extraction of cellulose from wood through the Kraft pulping process. Right now, kraft lignin is utilized as a low-grade boiler fuel to provide heat and power but can be converted into high-calorific biofuels or high-value chemicals once the efficient catalytic depolymerization process is developed. In this work, the multi-functional catalyst of Ru-Mg-Al-oxide, which contains hydrogenation metals, acid, and base sites for the effective depolymerization of kraft lignin are prepared, and its lignin depolymerization efficiency is evaluated. In order to understand the role of different active sites in the lignin depolymerization, the three different catalysts of MgO, Mg-Al-oxide, and Ru-Mg-Al-oxide were synthesized, and their lignin depolymerization activity was compared in terms of the yield and the average molecular weight of bio-oil, as well as the yield of phenolic monomers contained in the bio-oil. Among the catalysts tested, the Ru-Mg-Al-oxide catalyst exhibited the highest yield of bio-oil and phenolic monomers due to the synergy between active sites. Furthermore, in order to maximize the extent of lignin depolymerization over the Ru-Mg-Al-oxide, the effects of reaction conditions (i.e., temperature, time, and catalyst loading amount) on the lignin depolymerization were investigated. Overall, the highest bio-oil yield of 72% and the 3.5 times higher yield of phenolic monomers than that without a catalyst were successfully achieved at 350 ℃ and 10% catalyst loading after 4 h reaction time.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.520-526
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• 2021

Microbial protein is one of the sources of protein in the rumen and can also be the source of glutamate production. Glutamic acid is used as fuel in the metabolic reaction in the body and the synthesis of all proteins for muscle and other cell components, and it is essential for proper immune function. Moreover, it is used as a surfactant, buffer, chelating agent, flavor enhancer, and culture medium, as well as in agriculture for such things as growth supplements. Glutamic acid is a substrate in the bioproduction of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). This review provides insights into the role of glutamic acid and glutamic acid-producing microorganisms that contain the glutamate decarboxylase gene. These glutamic acid-producing microorganisms could be used in producing GABA, which has been known to regulate body temperature, increase DM intake and milk production, and improve milk composition. Most of these glutamic acid and GABA-producing microorganisms are lactic acid-producing bacteria (LAB), such as the Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, and Streptococcus species. Through GABA synthesis, succinate can be produced. With the help of succinate dehydrogenase, propionate, and other metabolites can be produced from succinate. Furthermore, clostridia, such as Clostridium tetanomorphum and anaerobic micrococci, ferment glutamate and form acetate and butyrate during fermentation. Propionate and other metabolites can provide energy through conversion to blood glucose in the liver that is needed for the mammary system to produce lactose and live weight gain. Hence, health status and growth rates in ruminants can be improved through the use of these glutamic acid and/or GABA-producing microorganisms.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.904-914
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• 2020

Through the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, South Korea is trying to support the "Building Project for Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) Bunkering Ship," centered on the Korea Gas Corporation, while the Ministry of Maritime Af airs and Fisheries is pushing to construct an LNG bunkering terminal at Busan New Port. LNG bunkering ships are essential for supplying LNG fuel from the terminal to the ships, resulting in the need for safety operation procedures. Therefore, in this study, the stability of a coastal LNG bunkering ship operating from Busan New Port to the anchorage in Busan Port was assessed to investigate the need for operational procedures for coastal LNG bunkering ships. Seakeeping analysis of the LNG bunkering ship was performed for each significant wave height by combining the response amplitude operator from the ship motion analysis under the potential flow theory with the actual observed sea data for five years and Texel, Marsen, and Arsloe (TMA) spectrum suitable for the Busan coast. The results showed that the roll and horizontal acceleration were the main risks that affected the navigation seakeeping performance above a significance wave height of 2 m. The operational periods of the LNG bunkering ship ranged from 83.3% to 99.9% of the total observation period.

• The Journal of Korea Institute of Information, Electronics, and Communication Technology
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.556-561
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• 2020

The aging and declining agricultural population in the modern society requires improvement of the agricultural environment and is one of the representative problems. And since most of the work systems always require a transport work, the ratio of labor consumed in the transport work is very high. Accordingly, many types of transport vehicles are being developed and sold, and in the early days, most of them are powered transport vehicles using fossil fuels. However, it is paying attention to next-generation eco-friendly energy such as hydrogen, fuel cells, solar power, and bio due to the strengthening of international environmental regulations such as global warming and the Convention on Climate Change and the depletion of fossil fuels. Therefore, in this study, the ultimate goal is to develop an eco-friendly, easy-to-operate, safe agricultural electric vehicle that replaces fossil fuels. It was designed with a focus on controlling a wide range of vehicle speeds and securing stability of electric agricultural vehicles. Considering the performance and design, it is composed of a frame, a driving part, a steering part, and a controller system, and we are going to review and manufacture each part. It is believed that the manufactured electric vehicle for agriculture can be easily and conveniently operated in an agricultural society where young manpower is scarce, and can be helpful to the agricultural society through high efficiency.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.648-656
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• 2022

As environmental regulations such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s strategy to reduce greenhouse gases(GHG) are strengthened, technology development such as eco-friendly ships and alternative fuels is expanding. As part of this, ship propulsion technology using energy reduction and wind propulsion technology is emerging, especially in shipping companies and shipbuilders. By securing wind propulsion technology and introducing empirical research into shipbuilding and shipping, a high value-added market using eco-friendly technology can be created. Moreover, by reducing the fuel consumption rate of operating ships, GHG can be reduced by 6-8%. Rotor Sail (RS) technology is to generate a hydrodynamic lift in the vertical direction of the cylinder when the circular cylinder rotates at a constant speed and passes through the fluid. This is called the Magnus effect, and this study attempted to propose a plan to increase propulsion efficiency through a numerical analysis study on turbulence flow characteristics around RS, a wind power assistance propulsion system installed on a ship. Therefore, C_L and C_D values according to SR and AR changes were derived as parameters that affect the aerodynamic force of the RS, and the flow characteristics around the rotor sail were compared according to EP application.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.610-619
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• 2022

Hydrogen is emerging as an alternative fuel for eco-friendly ships because it reacts with oxygen to produce electrical energy and only water as a by-product. However, unlike regular fossil fuels, hydrogen has a material with a high risk of explosion due to its low ignition point and high flammability range. In order to safely use hydrogen in ships, it is an essential task to study the flow characteristics of hydrogen leakage and diffusion need to be studied. In this study, a numerical analysis was performed on the effect of leakage, ventilation, etc. on ventilation performance when hydrogen leaks in an enclosed space such as inside a ship. ANSYS CFX ver 18.1, a commercial CFD software, was used for numerical analysis. The leakage rate was changed to 1 q, 2 q, and 3 q at 1 q = 1 g/s, the ventilation rate was changed to 1 Q, 2 Q and 3 Q at 1 Q = 0.91 m/s, and the ventilation method was changed to type I, type II, type III to analyze the ventilation performance was analyzed. As the amount of leakage increased from 1 q to 3 q, the HMF in the storage room was about 2.4 to 3.0 times higher. Furthermore, the amount of ventilation to reduce the risk of explosion should be at least 2 Q, and it was established that type III was the most suitable method for the formation of negative pressure inside the hydrogen tank storage room.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.50-60
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• 2022

The concentration levels and distribution characteristics of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated and evaluated for total 100 soil samples as a part of the survey on soil contamination in Gwangju. The results (median and range) of T-PAHs (sum of 16 PAH concentrations), C-PAHs (sum of carcinogenic PAH concentrations) and T-TEQs (sum of 16 TEQ concentrations) were 20.8 (7.6~1158.1), 2.2 (N.D~509.6), and 0.3 (N.D~424.6) ㎍/kg, respectively. There was a positive correlation between C-PAHs/T-PAHs and T-TEQs/T-PAHs except one point where the concentration of benzo(a)pyrene was high. The ratios of the C-PAHs/T-PAHs were 31.7% for low molecular weight-PAHs and 68.3% for high molecular weight-PAHs, suggesting that PAHs generation mainly arose from combustion sources. The ratio of isomers of individual PAHs, Phe/Ant, Flu/Pyr, Ant/(Ant+Phe), Flu/(Flu+Pyr), and BaA/(BaA+Chr), also confirmed the predominance of PAHs from combustion activities. Statistical tracing of the source of PAHs through principal component analysis indicated that the main sources of combustion were automobile fuel and coal. The overall results of this study suggested HMW-PAHs, T-PAHs, C-PAHs and T-TEQs should be separately evaluated to better assess the toxicity and environmental behavior of individual PAHs.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.55 no.10
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• pp.785-799
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• 2022

The aim of this study was to characterize the emission pathways and the footprint of greenhouse gases (GHG) in Daecheong Reservoir using the G-res Tool, and to evaluate the GHG emission intensity (EI) compared to other energy sources. In addition, the change in GHG emissions was assessed in response to the total phosphorus (TP) concentration. The GHG flux in post-impoundment was found to be 262 gCO₂eq/m²/yr, of which CO₂ and CH₄ were 45.7% and 54.2%, respectively. Diffusion of CO₂ contributed the most, followed by diffusion, degassing, and bubbling of CH₄. The net GHG flux increased to 510 gCO₂eq/m²/yr because the forest (as CO₂ sink) was lost after dam construction. The EI of Daecheong Reservoir was 86.8 gCO₂eq/kWh, which is 3.7 times higher than the global EI of hydroelectric power, due to its low power density. However, it was remarkable to highlight the value to be 9.5 times less than that of coal, a fossil fuel. We also found that a decrease in TP concentration in the reservoir leads to a decrease in GHG emissions. The results can be used to improve understanding of the GHG emission characteristics and to reduce uncertainty of the national GHG inventory of dam reservoirs.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.15-21
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• 2021

Electrically powered airplanes can reduce CO₂ emissions from fossil fuel use and reduce airplane costs in the long run through efficient energy use. For this reason, advanced aviation countries such as the United States and the European Union are leading the development of innovative technologies to implement the full-electric airplane in the future. Currently, the research and development to convert existing two-seater engine airplanes to electric-powered airplanes are underway domestically. The airplane converted to electric propulsion is the KLA-100, which aims to carry out a 30-minute flight test with a battery pack installed using the engine mounting space and copilot space. The lithium-ion battery installed on the airplane converted to electric propulsion was designed with a specific power of 150Wh/kg, weight of 200kg, and a C-rate 3~4. This study confirmed the possibility of a 30-minute flight with a designed battery pack before conducting a flight test of a modified electrically propelled airplane. The battery performance was verified by dividing the 30-minute flight profile into start/run stage, take-off stage, climbing stage, cruise stage, descending stage, and landing/run stage. The final target of the 30-minute flight was evaluated by calculating the battery capacity required for each stage. Furthermore, the flight performance of the electrically propelled airplane was determined by calculating the flight availability time and navigation distance according to the flight speed.

• Clean Technology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.163-173
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• 2022

Research and development of biofuels as one of the means to mitigate global warming and to avoid fossil fuel depletion has occurred for more than 30 years. However, there has only been limited distribution of a few first- and second-generation biofuels, and widespread supply and consumption of biofuels is still far from a reality. Although a relatively recently studied third-generation biofuel derived from seaweed biomass has been shown to have many advantages, it is yet to be deployed in commercial-scale seaweed biorefineries. This review paper examines the advantages and disadvantages of seaweed biorefineries for the entire value chain covering from seaweed and its cultivation to biofuel production based on an extensive literature search and the author's experience of conducting feasibility studies pertaining to seaweed biorefineries for over 10 years. For this purpose, the literature survey will cover the current status of seaweed production and its research and development worldwide, conversion technologies for biofuel production from seaweed based on bench-scale experiments, and large-scale techno-economic feasibility studies for seaweed conversion to biofuels and bioenergy. In addition, the main problems expected with the commercialization of seaweed-based biofuels will be identified. Finally, the current status of seaweed biorefinery technology and the author's views on its promising future will be summarized.