• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.266-272
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• 2020

In this study, the production of ethyl levulinate from chitosan using successive acid-catalyzed hydrolysis and esterification was investigated. To optimize and analysis the reaction factors and heir reciprocal interaction, response surface methodology was introduced. In the effect of water content in ethanol solvent, the production yield of ethyl levulinate was high at 5% water content (or 95% ethanol). As a result of optimization of reaction factors, 30.1% ethyl levulinate yield was obtained under the condition of 200 ℃, 3.19% chitosan, 0.49M sulfuric acid, 5% water content, and 58 min. Finally, the formation yield of ethyl levulinate was tended to enhance by increase of combined severity factor. This result indicated that the potential of chitosan as feedstock for production of chemicals and fuels.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.331-334
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• 2009

An air-independent propulsion (AIP) system based on fuel cell technologies was developed for space and underwater applications in the present study. Hydrogen peroxide was selected as an oxidizer for space and underwater power applications where air independence is a must. Catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide was used to generate oxygen and water. The pure oxygen was provided to a fuel cell and the water was stored separately. Sodium borohydride in the solid state was used as a hydrogen source in the present study. Pure hydrogen can be generated by a catalytic hydrolysis reaction. A fuel cell system was fabricated to validate the fuel cell based air-independent power system and was evaluated at the various conditions.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.503-507
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• 2021

Sodium borohydride, NaBH₄, has many advantages as hydrogen source for portable proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). When PEMFC is used outdoors as a transport type, it is economical to hydrolyze NaBH₄ using fresh water instead of distilled water. Therefore, in this study, hydrogen was generated using fresh water instead of distilled water during the NaBH₄ hydrolysis process. The properties of NaBH₄ hydrolysis were studied using an activated carbon-supported Co-P-B/C catalyst. Fresh water did not generate tetrahydrate during the NaBH₄ hydrolysis process, and distilled water produced tetrahydrate by-products, which consumed a lot of water during the hydrolysis process, indicating that at the end of the reaction at a high concentration of 25% or more of NaBH₄, dry by-products and unreacted NaBH₄ remained. As a result, when fresh water was used, the hydrogen yield and hydrogen generation rate were higher than that of distilled water at a high concentration of 25% or more of NaBH₄, indicating that it is suitable for use in transport-type fuel cells such as unmanned aerial vehicles.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.516-520
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• 2011

Sodium borohydride, $NaBH_4$, shows a number of advantages as hydrogen source for portable proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The hydrogen yield of sodium borohydride hydrolysis reaction was studied. The effect of temperature, $NaBH_4$ concentration, NaOH concentration and catalyst type on the hydrogen yield from $NaBH_4$ hydrolysis reaction were measured. The catalysts of Co-P/Cu, Co-B/Cu and Co-P-B/Cu were used in this study and there was no different effect of these catalysts on the hydrogen yield from $NaBH_4$. Under the temperature of $60^{\circ}C$, the hydrogen yield decreased as $NaBH_4$ concentration increased due to formation of gel with by-products and reactants. The gel formed during $NaBH_4$ hydrolysis reaction diminished the hydrogen evolution rate and total volume of hydrogen. Addition of NaOH stabilizer enhanced the formation of gel and then decreased the hydrogen yield.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.39 no.7
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• pp.627-633
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• 2011

Performance of a hydrogen generator for a fuel cell unmanned aircraft was evaluated as the change of temperature environment. Sodium borohydride ($NaBH_4$) was used as a hydrogen source due to its high hydrogen content and good storability. The hydrogen gas was generated by the hydrolysis reaction using a catalytic reactor. Reaction chambers were set up with the range of temperatures from -20 to $60^{\circ}C$. The hydrogen generation rate and temperatures changes of reactor and separator were measured at the $NaBH_4$ concentrations of 20 and 25wt.%. As a result, the hydrogen generation rate was decreased as the repeated reaction cycles. It showed that the hydrogen generation rate was stable at low temperature, while at high temperature the hydrogen generation rate was rapidly decreased. The performance degradation was mainly caused by the catalyst loss and $NaBO_2$ deposition on the catalyst surface.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.48-54
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• 2016

In this study, biosugar production by the red-algae Eucheuma cottonii was investigated using dilute sulfuric acid-catalyzed hydrolysis and data analysis by response surface methodology. This approach yielded 25.8 g/l total reducing sugar under the conditions of $160.1^{\circ}C$, 1% (v/v) sulfuric acid, and 13.1 min. The sugar concentration showed a linear inverse correlation with the combined severity factor (CSF) of the reaction conditions. CSF was calculated as $log(t{\cdot}e{xp}[(T_H-T_R)/14.75])-pH$, where t is the coupling reaction time, $T_H$ is the target temperature, and $T_R$ is the reference temperature ($100^{\circ}C$). In addition, levulinic acid production showed a linear positive correlation with CSF. E. cottonii may represent a useful feedstock for sugar production in the field of bioenergy.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.867-880
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• 2013

The development for a high speed underwater vehicle has been demanded for a long time, and it is possible to realize using supercavitation. This paper introduces the main technologies that are necessary to develop a supercavitating rocket system, such as "Supercavitation" and "Hydroreactive technology", and describes the operating concepts and principles for its components specifically. Russia has obtained the key technologies of supercavitation and hydroreactive fuel technology for the first time. Russia has developed a supercavitating rocket torpedo, Shkval, and it was in service since 90's. Iran collaborated with Russia to develop a supercavitating rocket torpedo 'Hoot' and finished a test recently. This paper describes the analysis results related with the cavitator based on the technical reports for Shkval of Russia and Hoot of Iran.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.587-592
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• 2016

Sodium borohydride, $NaBH_4$, shows a number of advantages as hydrogen source for portable proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Properties of $NaBH_4$ hydrolysis reaction using unsupported Co-P-B Co-B, catalyst at high concentration $NaBH_4$ solution were studied. In order to enhance the hydrogen generation yield at high concentration of $NaBH_4$, the effect of catalyst type, $NaBH_4$ concentration and recovery of condensing water on the hydrogen yield were measured. The yield of hydrogen evolution increased as the boron ratio increased in preparation process of Co-P-B catalyst. The hydrogen yield decreased as the concentration increased from 20 wt% to 25 wt% in $NaBH_4$ solution during hydrolysis reaction using 1:5 Co-P-B catalyst. Maximum hydrogen yield of 96.4% obtained by recovery of condensing water and thinning of catalyst pack thickness in reactor using Co-P-B with Co-B catalyst and 25 wt% $NaBH_4$ solution.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.11-15
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• 2016

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) instead of batteries is appropriate for long time flight of unmanned aero vehicles (UAV). In this work, $NaBH_4$ hydrolysis system supplying hydrogen to PEMFC was studied. In order to decrease weight of $NaBH_4$ hydrolysis system, enhancement of hydrogen yield, recovery of condensing water and maintenance of stable hydrogen yield were studied. The hydrogen yield of 3.4% was increased by controlling of hydrogen pressure in hydrolysis reactor. Condensing water formed during air cooling of hydrogen was recovered into storage tank of $NaBH_4$ solution. In this process the condensing water dissolved $NaBH_4$ powder and then addition of $NaBH_4$ solution decreased system weight of 14%. $NaBH_4$ hydrolysis system was stably operated with hydrogen yield of 96% by 2.0g Co-P-B catalyst for 10 hours at 2.0L/min hydrogen evolution rate.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.3261-3266
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• 2012

Sodium borohydride($NaBH_4$) known as the material of hydrogen generation and storage can produce the hydrogen via catalytic hydrolysis. This protide chemical could be used in the hydrogen supply system for residential and mobile fuel cells, and thus many researches and developments regarding to these chemicals and decomposition reactions have been implemented. We experimented the hydrolysis of $NaBH_4$ alkaline solution by metal oxide-supported PGM(platinum group metal) catalysts and measured the generation rate of hydrogen which is product of decomposition reaction. We compared oxides as catalyst supports, and the precious metals, Pt and Ru for the catalysts and studied the effects of amounts of catalyst added and $NaBH_4$ concentrations on the hydrogen generation rates and patterns.