• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.410-420
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• 2012

The heavy reliance on fossil fuels, especially oil and gas has triggered the global energy crisis. Continued use of petroleum fuels is now widely recognized as unsustainable because of their depleting supplies and degradation to the environment. To become less dependent on fossil fuels, current world is shifting paradigm in energy by developing alternative energy sources mainly through the utilization of renewable energy sources. In particular, bioenergy recovery from wastes with the help of microorganism is viewed as one of the promising ways to mitigate the current global warming crisis as well as to supply global energy. It has been proved that microorganism can generate power by converting organic matter into electricity using microbial fuel cells (MFCs). MFC is a bioelectrochemical device that employs microbes to generate electricity from bio-convertible substrate such as wastewaters including municipal solid waste, industrial, agriculture wastes, and sewage. Sustainability, carbon neutral and generation of renewable energy are some of the major features of MFCs. However, the MFC technology is confronted with a number of issues and challenges such as low power production, high electrode material cost and so on. This paper reviews the recent developments in MFC technology with due consideration of electrode materials used in MFCs. In addition, application of biocathodes in MFCs has been discussed.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.86-92
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• 2011

In order to reduce dependence on the fossil fuels and $CO_2$ gas emission in farming activities, the government has pushed ahead with making the self-sufficiency of farming energy up 40% level in green villages. The objectives of this study are to survey the energy consumption of horticultural facilities or agricultural machineries, and to analyze the reduced $CO_2$ gas emission level from fossil fuel to bio-diesel fuel. For the implement of this study, it is necessary to analyze the energy consumption level in the various sector of farming activities, and available renewable energy sources should be selected. Annual total $CO_2$ gas emission in the tillage farming sector was analyzed as $5,667,258\;t-CO_2$ and that in the horticultural facilities occupied $4,932,607\;t-CO_2$, while the $CO_2$ gas emission level of diesel fuel was $3,105,707\;t-CO_2$, and that of the heavy oil showed $1,370,578\;t-CO_2$. The average $CO_2$ gas emission level of horticultural facilities in the country was analyzed as $29,418\;t-CO_2/ha$. Among the total energy consumption of agricultural machineries, tractor used 284,763kL, power tiller spent 221,314 kL, grain drier consumed 145,524kL and combine tractor expend 72,537kL. From the comparison of $CO_2$ gas emission level between fossil fuel and bio-diesel fuel for the horticultural facilities or agricultural machinery in G-City, Jeonbuk Province, the $CO_2$ gas emission level can be reduced by 7% through replacing the fuel from fossil to biodiesel.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.179-190
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• 2012

This study was performed to obtain a heat saving effect and enhance the efficiency of a greenhouse by using a hot water piping in order to minimize the operating costs of a greenhouse as oil prices continue to rise. This method also reduces the likelihood of accidents caused by snowdrifts in regions with heavy snowfall. In general, the experimental plot was $2.0{\sim}6.0^{\circ}C$ higher than the control plot. When the skylight felt was opened, the minimum temperature was in the range of $3.0{\sim}12.0^{\circ}C$. Therefore, we judged that damage caused by snowdrifts may be prevented partly by active heating. The temperature difference inside of the greenhouse by height was insignificant. The maximum heating load of the greenhouse according to crop was respectively about $37,000kcal{\cdot}h^{-1}$ and $41,700kcal{\cdot}h^{-1}$. During the experiment, the heat value of each designed temperature in the range of the minimum ambient temperature $-11.9{\sim}4.0^{\circ}C$ was about 95,000~322,000 kcal and it was in the range of $6,050{\sim}20,900kcal{\cdot}h^{-1}$. If it is compared with the maximum heating load, it can be shown that about 15~56% of the heating energy can be supplied. The total heat value and the amount of power consumption were 2,629,025 kcal and 677.3 kWh respectively during the experiment. If it is heated with diesel, a fossil fuel, the consumption during the experiment was 291 L and the cost was 331,700won. Total cost of using electric power was about 24,400 won and it is shown that it is about 7.5% of the cost of diesel consumption. Also, if the total amount of power consumption is converted into energy, it is approximately 582,200 kcal and the energy was just about 22% of the total heat value.