• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.33-36
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• 2008

The transient behavior of a passive air breathing direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) operated on vapor-feeding mode is studied in this paper. It generally takes 30 minutes after starting for the cell response to come to its steady-state and the response is sometimes unstable. A mathematical dynamic one-dimensional model for simulating transient response of the DMFC is presented. In this model a DMFC is decomposed into its subsystems using lumped model and divided into five layers, namely the anodic diffusion layer, the anodic catalyst layer, the proton exchange membrane (PEM), the cathodic catalyst layer and the cathodic diffusion layer. All layers are considered to have finite thickness, and within every one of them a set of differential-algebraic governing equations are given to represent multi-components mass balance, such as methanol, water, oxygen and carbon dioxide, charge balance, the electrochemical reaction and mass transport phenomena. A one-dimensional, isothermal and mass transport model is developed that captures the coupling between water generation and transport, oxygen consumption and natural convection. The single cell is supplied by pure methanol vapor from a methanol reservoir at the anode, and the oxygen is supplied via natural air-breathing at the cathode. The water is not supplied from external source because the cell uses the water created at the cathode using water back diffusion through nafion membrane. As a result of simulation strong effects of water transport were found out. The model analysis provides several conclusions. The performance drop after peak point is caused by insufficiency of water at the anode. The excess water at the cathode makes performance recovery impossible. The undesired crossover of the reactant methanol through the PEM causes overpotential at the cathode and limits the feeding methanol concentration.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.560-564
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• 2011

The objective of this study is to propose a mathematical model for a pervaporation process for concentrating hydrogen peroxide. The process was developed by NASA, which consists of a shell and membrane tubes, where a liquid hydrogen peroxide solution flows in the shell, and a sweep gas flows in the tubes countercurrent to each other. The liquid retentate is concentrated as more water molecules permeate and evaporate through the membrane than hydrogen peroxide. For this process, a mathematical model has been developed in the form of a system of nonlinear partial differential algebraic equations based on a sorption-diffusion mechanism for permeation, an Arrhenius relationship for the temperature dependency of the permeate flux, and mass and momentum balances for the liquid concentrations and flows in the membrane module. The dynamic behavior of the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the retentate side has been simulated by solving a simplified version of the proposed model, and the result is compared with the experimental data reported in the NASA patent.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.463-472
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• 2019

The mode perturbation method (MPM) is suitable and efficient for solving the eigenvalue problem of a nonuniform soil deposit whose property varies with depth. However, results of the MPM do not always converge to the exact solution, when the variation of soil deposit property is discontinuous. This discontinuity is typical because soil is usually made up of sedimentary layers of different geologic materials. Based on the energy integral of the variational principle, a new mode perturbation method, the energy-based mode perturbation method (EMPM), is proposed to address the convergence of the perturbation solution on the natural frequencies and the corresponding mode shapes and is able to find solution whether the soil properties are continuous or not. First, the variational principle is used to transform the variable coefficient differential equation into an equivalent energy integral equation. Then, the natural mode shapes of the uniform shear beam with same height and boundary conditions are used as Ritz function. The EMPM transforms the energy integral equation into a set of nonlinear algebraic equations which significantly simplifies the eigenvalue solution of the soil layer with variable properties. Finally, the accuracy and convergence of this new method are illustrated with two case study examples. Numerical results show that the EMPM is more accurate and convergent than the MPM. As for the mode shapes of the uniform shear beam included in the EMPM, the additional 8 modes of vibration are sufficient in engineering applications.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.29-39
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• 2010

This study focuses on the modeling of DMFC to predict the characteristics and to improve its performance. This modeling requires deep understanding of the design and operating parameters that influence on the cell potential. Furthermore, the knowledge with reference to electrochemistry, transport phenomena and fluid dynamics should be employed for the duration of mathematical description of the given process. Considering the fact that MEA is the nucleus of DMFC, special attention was made to the development of mathematical model of MEA. Multiscale modeling is comprised of process modeling as well as a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling. The CFD packages and process simulation tools are used in simulating the steady-state process. The process simulation tool calculates theelectrochemical kinetics as well as the change of fractions, and at the same time, CFD calculates various balance equations. The integrated simulation with multiscal modeling explains experimental observations of transparent DMFC.