• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.666-671
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• 2012

Gas hydrates are inclusion compounds formed when small-sized guest molecules are incorporated into the well defined cages made up of hydrogen bonded water molecules. Since large masses of natural gas hydrates exist in permafrost regions or beneath deep oceans, these naturally occurring gas hydrates in the earth containing mostly $CH_4$ are regarded as future energy resources. The heat of dissociation is one of the most important thermal properties in exploiting natural gas hydrates. The accurate and direct method to measure the dissociation enthalpies of gas hydrates is to use a calorimeter. In this study, the high pressure micro DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimeter) was used to measure the dissociation enthalpies of methane, ethane, and propane hydrates. The accuracy and repeatability of the data obtained from the DSC was confirmed by measuring the dissociation enthalpy of ice. The dissociation enthalpies of methane, ethane, and propane hydrates were found to be 54.2, 73.8, and 127.7 kJ/mol-gas, respectively. For each gas hydrate, at given pressures the dissociation temperatures which were obtained in the process of enthalpy measurement were compared with three-phase (hydrate (H) - liquid water (Lw) - vapor (V)) equilibrium data in the literature and found to be in good agreement with literature values.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.78 no.1
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• pp.11-25
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• 1989

Four regions have been selected and surveyed to investigate the effects of air pollution and acid deposition on forest ecosystem. They were Seoul as urban region, Yeochon and Ulsan as industrialized region, and Kangwondo as uncontaminated region. Soil pH and the distribution of elements were analyzed in process of time for three years as well as by distance from pollution sources. In general, forest soils acidified in process of time from pollution sources to suburban areas. Hydrogen ion concentration in forest soils increased in 1988 as much as 60% of that in previous year. Average soil pH values in coniferous forest were 4.45 in Seoul, 4.54 in Yeochon, 4.81 in Ulsan, and 6.03 in Kangwondo. Forest soil pH increased with the distance from pollution sources to suburban areas at constant rate within short ranges (up to 30 km) and at decreasing rate within long ranges (up to 200 km). On the contrary, sulfur content in soils decreased every year except in Yeochon region. Base saturation of forest soils in polluted regions were all below 20% level compared with 70% in Kangwondo region. Active aluminum content in soils increased with the soil acidification at the highest rate in Yeochon, and the next in Ulsan and Seoul. Heavy metal content such as copper and zinc in tree tissues were the lowest in Kangwondo region, and the next in Yeochon, Seoul and Ulsan.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.394-401
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• 2005

A nonthermal plasma-assisted fuel reformer was developed and the effects of operating variables on the performance of this reformer were studied. The $H_2$-rich reformed gas from the reformer was injected into a diesel engine under an idle condition and the effects of the amount of injected gas on the NO and soot reduction were investigated. It was found that with increasing electric power consumption, the degree of facility of ignition of the reforming reaction in the reformer could be enhanced. The performance of the reformer including $H_2$ concentration, $H_2$ recovery, and energy conversion was affected only by the O/C mole ratio. This was because the equilibrium reaction temperature was governed by the O/C mole ratio. With increasing O/C mole ratio, the $H_2$ recovery and energy conversion passed through the maximum values of 33.4% and 66%, respectively, at an O/C mole ratio between 1.2 and 1.5. The reason why the $H_2$ recovery and energy conversion increased with increasing O/C mole ratio when the O/C mole ratio was lower than $1.2{\sim}1.5$ appeared to be that the complete oxidation reaction occurred more enough with increasing O/C mole ratio in this low O/C mole ratio range and accordingly the reaction temperature increased. Whereas the reason why the $H_2$ recovery and energy conversion decreased with increasing O/C mole ratio when the O/C mole ratio was higher than $1.2{\sim}1.5$ appeared to be that the complete oxidation reaction was further advanced and the $H_2$ recovery and energy conversion decreased. As the weight ratio of reformed diesel to total diesel which entered the diesel engine was increased to $18.2{\sim}23.5%$, NO and soot reduction efficiencies increased and reached as values high as 68.5% and 23.5%, respectively.