• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.451-457
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• 2019

In this study, the characteristics of coffee grounds were reviewed by making them from solid fuel through heat-drying and oil-drying method. The differences in the higher calorific power by each dried sample were compared. And industrial analysis using the thermogravimetric analyzer was considered for applicability to organic waste and oily samples. Before and after drying, the surface of the specimen was observed with SEM equipment and the ingredients were measured through the EDS equipment. As a result, no other hazardous substances, such as heavy metals, were measured. Next, The differences between thermal decomposition and combustion reactions were considered through the TG and DTG curves. As a result, it is that the oil-dried coffee grounds is longer to burn than the heat-dried coffee grounds. Finally, the combustion gases emitted through the thermogravimetric analyzer were collected and the carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide performed qualitative and quantitative analysis using GC over time.

• Clean Technology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.269-274
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• 2021

Bioenergy is generally considered to be one of the options for pursuing carbon neutrality. However, for a period of time, combustion of harvested plant biomass inevitably causes more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than combustion of fossil fuels. This paper proposes a method that predicts and minimizes the total amount and payback period of this carbon debt. As a case study, a carbon cycle impact assessment was performed for immediate switching of the currently used fossil fuels to biomass. This work points out a fundamental vulnerability in the concept of carbon neutrality. As an action plan for the sustainability of bioenergy, formulas for afforestation proportional to the decrease in the forest area and surplus harvest proportional to the increase in the forest mass are proposed. The results of optimization indicate that the carbon debt payback period is about 70 years, and the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases by more than 50% at a maximum and 3% at a steady state. These are theoretically predicted best results, which are expected to be worse in reality. Therefore, biomass is not truly carbon neutral, and it is inappropriate as an energy source alternative to fossil fuels. The method proposed in this work is expected to be able to contribute to the approach to carbon neutrality by minimizing present and future carbon debt of the bioenergy that is already in use.

• 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.

• Clean Technology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 2022

Electrochemical carbon dioxide (CO₂) reduction technology, one of the promising solutions for climate change, can convert CO₂, a representative greenhouse gas (GHG), into valuable base chemicals using electric energy. In particular, carbon monoxide (CO), among various candidate products, is attracting much attention from both academia and industry because of its high Faraday efficiency, promising economic feasibility, and relatively large market size. Although numerous previous studies have recently analyzed the GHG reduction potential of this technology, the assumptions made and inventory data used are neither consistent nor transparent. In this study, a comparative life cycle assessment was carried out to analyze the potential for reducing GHG emissions in the electrochemical CO production process in a more transparent way. By defining three different system boundaries, the global warming impact was compared with that of a fossil fuel-based CO production process. The results confirmed that the emission factor of electric energy supplied to CO₂-electrolyzers should be much lower than that of the current national power generation sector in order to mitigate GHG emissions by replacing conventional CO production with electrochemical CO production. Also, it is important to disclose transparently inventory data of the conventional CO production process for a more reliable analysis of GHG reduction potential.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.909-930
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• 2022

Although the electricity tariff for each customer class in Korea has an institutional basis which can be linked to cost fluctuations caused by the increase in fuel cost, there is a situation in which it cannot be raised in a timely manner, considering the national economic burden such as inflation. There can be some disagreements about unconditionally raising electricity rates when cost increases occur. It is, however, well known that Korean domestic electricity rates are very low around the world and are in an environment in which rates are not easily adjusted. Moreover, as Korean electricity rates cannot be easily raised due to various factors, domestic electricity rates for each customer class itself have not delivered a desirable price signal for power consumption. Based on historical data such as fuel costs and power production by power source from 2017 to 2020, this study estimated how much power consumption would change if electricity rates were adjusted in 2030 and price signal distortion was resolved. As a result of the estimation, power consumption will be reduced by 9,000 GWh if the current electricity bill is adjusted to a level which can be 100% recovered even with the supply cost alone. This led to a reduction of about 3.82 million CO₂tons of greenhouse gas emissions in the Korean power sector.

• Clean Technology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.238-248
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• 2022

The world is striving to transition to a carbon-neutral society. It is expected that using hydrogen instead of hydrocarbon fuel will contribute to this carbon neutrality. However, there is a need for combustion technology that controls the increased NOx emissions caused by hydrogen co-firing. Flameless combustion is one of the alternative technologies that resolves this problem. In this study, a numerical analysis was performed using the 1D opposed-flow diffusion flame model of Chemkin to analyze the characteristics of flameless combustion and the chemical reaction of methane-hydrogen fuel according to its hydrogen content and flue gas recirculation rate. In methane combustion, as the recirculation rate (K_v) increased, the temperature and heat release rate decreased due to an increase in inert gases. Also, increasing K_v from 2 to 3 achieved flameless combustion in which there was no endothermic region of heat release and the region of maximum heat release rate merged into one. In H₂ 100% at K_v 3, flameless combustion was achieved in terms of heat release, but it was difficult to determine whether flameless combustion was achieved in terms of flame structure. However, since the NOx formation of hydrogen flameless combustion was predicted to be similar to that of methane flameless combustion, complex considerations of flame structure, heat release, and NOx formation are needed to define hydrogen flameless combustion.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.73-84
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• 2024

In this study, a quantitative risk impact assessment is performed using an ALOHA program to identify the risks when applying ammonia as fuel for combined cycle power plants as one of the solutions of climate change. The worst and the alternative accident scenarios are established for the Sejong combined cycle power plant and the effective ranges are calculated in terms of flammability, thermal radiation, overpressure and toxicity. The analysis results show that the toxic risk is the most critical and the effective distance is highly proportional to the mixing ratio of natural gas and ammonia by showing the Pearson's correlation coefficient over 98% as 0.991, 0.987 and 0.989 for the Level Of Concern(LOC)-1, LOC-2 and LOC-3, respectively. In addition, the coefficients of linearity for LOC-1, LOC-2 and LOC-3 are calculated to 133, 70 and 29, respectively so it can be confirmed that the effective distance increases as the criterion decreases.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.205-209
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• 2015

CCU (Carbon Capture & Utilization) has a potential technology for the reduction and usage of carbon dioxide which is greenhouse gas emitting from a fossil fuel buring. To decompose the carbon dioxide, a three phase gliding arc plasma-catalytic reactor was designed and manufactured. Experiments of carbon dioxide reduction was performed by varying the gas flow rate with feeding the $CO_2$ only as well as the input power, the catalyst type and steam supply with respect to the injection of the mixture of $CO_2$ and $CH_4$. The $CO_2$ decomposition rate was 7.9% and the energy efficiency was $0.0013L/min{\cdot}W$ at a $CO_2$ flow rate of 12 L/min only. Carbon monoxide and oxygen was generated in accordance with the destruction of carbon dioxide. When the injection ratio of $CH_4/CO_2$ reached 1.29, the $CO_2$ destruction and $CH_4$ conversion rates were 37.8% and 56.6% respectively at a power supply of 0.76 kW. During the installation of $NiO/Al_2O_3$ catalyst bed, the $CO_2$ destruction and $CH_4$ conversion rates were 11.5% and 9.9% respectively. The steam supply parameter do not have any significant effects on the carbon dioxide decomposition.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.391-395
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• 2009

For the conversion of domestic waste-wood into energy, a fixed bed gasifier ($0.9 m{\times}2.4 m$) having the capacity of 2 ton/day was designed and constructed. The dual knife valve was used to feed waste-wood of which size was 3~5 cm and a rotary stoker system was installed in the bottom of gasifier. The pilot gasification system consisted of feeding system, fixed bed gasifier, gravity fine particle collector, heat exchanger for syngas cooling, ID fan, and cooling tower. The operation temperatures of gasifier were $700{\sim}1000^{\circ}C$ and the concentrations of syngas were CO: 25~40 vol%, $H_2$: 7~12 vol%, $CH_4$: 2~4 vol%, $CO_2$: 12~24 vol%. The calorific value of syngas was $1100{\sim}1500kcal/Nm^3$ and was enough to be applied in the industrial combustor. Also the gas engine was operated by using syngas from biomass gasifier and produced 1~4 kW of power.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.167-175
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• 2018

Natural gas is a clean fuel that discharges almost no air-contaminating substances. This study examined the simultaneous reduction of $CH_4$ and NOx of NGOC/LNT catalysts for CNG buses related to the improvement of the $de-CH_4/NOx$ performance, focusing mainly on identifying the additive catalysts, loading of the washcoat, stirring time, and types of substrates. The 3wt. % Ni-loaded NGOC generally exhibited superior $CH_4$ reduction performance through $CH_4$ conversion, because Ni is an alkaline, toxic oxide, and exerts a reducing effect on $CH_4$. A excessively small loading resulted in insufficient adsorption capacity of harmful gases, whereasa too high loading of washcoat caused clogging of the substrate cells. In addition, with the economic feasibility of catalysts considered, the appropriate amount of catalyst washcoat loading was estimated to be 124g/L. The NOx conversion rate of the NGOC/LNT catalysts stirred from $200^{\circ}C$ to $550^{\circ}C$ for 5 hours showed 10-15% better performance than the NGOC/LNT catalysts mixed for 2 hours over the entire temperature range. The NGOC/LNT catalysts exhibitedapproximately 20% higher $de-CH_4$ performance on the ceramic substrates than on the metal substrates.