• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.106-114
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• 2005

This article covers the theoretical ac-impedance models for the analysis of oxygen reduction on the porous cathode electrode f3r solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). Firstly, ac-impedance models were explained on the basis of the mechanism of oxygen reduction, which were classified into the rate-determining steps; (i) adsorption of oxygen atom on the electrode surface, (ii) diffusion of adsorbed oxygen atom along the electrode surface towards the three-phase (electrode/electrolyte/gas) boundaries, (iii) surface diffusion of adsorbed oxygen atom m ixed with the adsorption reaction of oxygen atom on the electrode surface and (iv) diffusion of oxygen vacancy through the electrode coupled with the charge transfer reaction at the electrode/gas interface. In each section for ac-impedance model, the representative impedance plots and the interpretation of important parameters attributed to the oxygen reduction reaction were explained. Finally, we discussed in detail the applications of the proposed theoretical ac-impedance models to the real electrode of SOFC system.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.306-310
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• 2007

Characteristics of GDL (Gas Diffusion Layer) mainly determine the gas diffusion and water removal in a cell, thereby changing the performance and affecting durability of PEFC. To optimize the water management and understand the two phase flow in a GDL, it is important to study the behaviors of GDL micro structure under the real operating condition. In the clamped condition of cell, the GDL beneath the rib is more compressed than beneath the channel. Many researches on physical, electrochemical, mechanical behaviors of gas diffusion layer has been conducted. However, changes in surface properties under clamped condition have rarely studied. In present study, the morphology of broken connections of carbon fibers and detachment of PTFE coatings on the fibers were shown from the microscopic observations. In addition, changes in wetting properties of GDL by compression were investigated by using XPS and liquid uptake methods. The hydrophobic characteristics of GDL surface beneath the rib of the flow field plate are changed due to the deformation of micro structure.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.270-278
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• 2007

PEMFC electrodes with various gas diffusion layers (GDL) were characterized to find out the effect of GDL on fuel cell performance. The physical properties of GDL such as electric conductivity, porosity, air permeability, water flux, PTFE content, etc had close relationship each other and affected on the variation of the cell performance. It was observed that the micro-porous layer (MPL) on carbon paper or cloth changed the physical properties of GDL and changed the cell performance. The variation of cell performance as a function of the physical properties of GDL showed different behaviors according to the amount of current density.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.432-445
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• 1994

From a theoretical analysis point of view, the 2-stage precipitator is decomposed into two units: charging cell and collecting cell. Collection efficiency predictions of the two-stage parallel-plate electrostatic precipitator have been performed theoretically incorporating with the charging and the collecting cells. Particle trajectorise passing the charging cell have been modeled as a simple one. Particle charge distribution at the outlet of the charging cell is calculated through integration of the present unipolar combined charging rate along the entire particle trajectory, and average charge of particles at the outlet of the charging cell is obtained from the particle charge distribution. As for the collecting cell, the diminution of particle concentration along the longitudinal direction of the collecting cell is investigated considering the conventional Deutsch's theory and the laminar theory. One should note that the collection efficiency formula derived is based on monodisperse aerosols. It has been confirmed through the analysis that predictions of particle charge by applying White's unipolar diffusion charging theory overpredict actual cases in the continuum regime, while predictions by Fuch's unipolar diffusion charging theory indicate the reasonable result in the same regime. Theoretical predictions of collection efficiency are also compared with the available experimental results. Comparisons show that the experimental results are consistently located in the collection efficiency region bounded by the two limits, the Deutsch and the laminar collection efficiencies. Finally design parameters of the 2-stage electrostatic precipitator have been investigated systematically through the one-variable-at-a-time method in terms of collection efficiency. Applied voltages on the corona wire of the charging cell and the plate of the collecting cell, and the average air velocity have been selected as the design parameters.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.468-475
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• 2012

A proper stacking force and assembly are important to the performance of fuel cell. Improper assembly pressure may lead to leakage of fuels and high interfacial contact resistance, excessive assembly pressure may result in damage to the gas diffusion layer and other components. The pressure distribution of gas diffusion layer is important to make interfacial contact resistance less for stack performance. To analyze the influence of design parameter factors for pressure distribution, and to optimize stack design, DOE (Design of Experiment) was used for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell stack pressure test. As commonly known, the higher clamping force improves the fuel cell stack performance. However, non-uniformity of stress distribution is also increased. It shows that optimization between clamping force and stress distribution is needed for well designed structure of fuel cell stack. In this study, stack design optimization method is suggested by using FEM (Finite Element Methode) and DOE for light-weighted fuel cell stack.

• Solar Energy
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.68-73
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• 1988

In the glass/TCO/p-i-n a-Si/Al type of amorphous silicon solar cell, the effects on solar cell efficiency and metastability for the various kinds of TCO analyzed by SAM and ESCA, which was used to measure the diffusion profiles of In and Sn and the Fermi energy shifts in the TCO/p interface respectively. Indium which diffused into a-Si p-layer did not have any significant effects on the Fermi level shift of p-layer when the content of $B_2H_6/SiH_4$ in p-layer was at 1 gas%. The cell fabricated on $SnO_2$ turned out to have the best cell photovoltaic characteristics. ITO fabricated by electron beam deposition system, which was shown to have the greatest rate of diffusion of Indium in ITO/p interface produced the worst metastability among the cells tested.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.31-41
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• 2016

n-type PERT (passivated emitter, rear totally diffused) bifacial solar cells with boron and phosphorus diffusion as p+ emitter and n+ BSF (back surface field) have attracted significant research interest recently. In this work, the influences of wafer thickness, bulk lifetime, emitter, BSF on the photovoltaic characteristics of solar cells are discussed. The performance of the solar cell is determined by using one-dimensional solar cell simulation software PC1D. The simulation results show that the key role of the BSF is to decrease the surface doping concentration reducing the recombination and thus, increasing the cell efficiency. A lightly phosphorus doped BSF (LD BSF) was experimentally optimized to get low surface dopant concentration for n type bifacial solar cells. Pre-oxidation combined with a multi-plateau drive-in, using limited source diffusion was carried out before pre-deposition. It could reduce the surface dopant concentration with minimal impact on the sheet resistance.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.37-44
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• 2014

In this study, the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells with different thickness of the photelectrode film was simulated by using the electron-diffusion differential model. Through this simulation, the relationships between the thickness of the photoelectrode film and the performances (open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current density, and overall photoelectric-conversion efficiency) of cells were understood and the performances with different thickness of the photoelectrede film were also examined. For considering the refractive index in the liquid electrolyte and exploring the scattering effect of titanium dioxide particles with different sizes using the Mie light-scattering theory, the highest scattering effect of each particles was found out and the optimal size of the titanium dioxide particle was determined for light scattering in the photoelectrode film of dye-sensitized solar cell. Through experiment, the mixed titanium dioxide cell was better than the single titanium dioxide cell and generated a higher overall conversion efficiency because the optimal titanium dioxide particles in the phoelectrode film as light scattering.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.386-392
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• 2014

The effective water management in a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is one of the key strategies for improving cell performance and durability. In this work, an ex situ measurement was carried out to understand the water droplet behavior on the surface of gas diffusion layer (GDL) as a fundamental study for establishing novel water management. For that purpose, simplified cell including one rib and two flow channels was designed and fabricated. Using this ex situ device, the water droplet emergence through the GDL of the PEMFC was emulated to understand liquid water transport through the porous diffusion medium. Through the visualization experiment, the emergence and growth of water droplets at the channel/GDL interface are mainly observed with the surface characteristics of GDL (SGL 10BA, 24BA) and rib when the liquid water passes through the GDL and is expelled to the flow channel. It is expected that the results obtained from this study can contribute to the better understanding on the water droplet behavior (emergence and removal) in the flow channels of PEMFC.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 1999.11a
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• pp.553-556
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• 1999

This paper presents a proper condition to achieve above 19 % conversion efficiency using PC1D simulator. Cast poly-Si wafers with resistivity of 1 $\Omega$-cm and thickness of 250 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ were used as a starting material. Various efficiency influencing parameters such as rear surface recombination velocity and minority carrier diffusion length in the base region, front surface recombination velocity, junction depth and doping concentration in the Emitter layer, BSF thickness and doping concentration were investigated. Optimized cell parameters were given as rear surface recombination of 1000 cm/s, minority carrier diffusion length in the base region 200 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$, front surface recombination velocity 100 cnt/s, sheet resistivity of emitter layer 100 $\Omega$/$\square$, BSF thickness 5 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$, doping concentration 5$\times$10$^{19}$ cm$^3$ . Among the investigated variables, we learn that a diffusion length of base layer acts as a key factor to achieve conversion efficiency higher than 19 %. Further details of simulation parameters and their effects to cell characteristics are discussed in this paper.