• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.513-520
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• 2012

The electrochemical reaction of refuse derived fuel (RDF) and refuse plastic/paper fuel (RPF) was investigated in the direct carbon fuel cell (DCFC) system. The open circuit voltage (OCV) of RPF was higher than RDF and other coals because of its thermal reactive characteristic under carbon dioxide. The thermal reactivity of fuels was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis method. and the reaction rate of RPF was higher than other fuels. The behavior of all sample's potential was analogous in the beginning region of electrochemical reactions due to similar functional groups on the surface of fuels analyzed by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy experiments. The potential level of RDF and RPF decreased rapidly comparing to coals in the next of the electrochemical reaction because the surface area and pore volume investigated by nitrogen gas adsorption tests were smaller than coals. This characteristic signifies the contact surface between electrolyte and fuel is restricted. The potential of fuels was maintained to the high current density region over 40 $mA/cm^2$ by total carbon component. The maximum power density of RDF and RPF reached up to 45~70% comparing to coal. The obvious improvement of maximum power density by increasing operating temperature was observed in both refuse fuels.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.36 no.10
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• pp.1033-1041
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• 2012

Performance evaluation of a direct carbon fuel cell (DCFC) was conducted according to coals and a graphite particle. Several fuel properties such as thermal reactivity, textural structure, gas adsorption characteristic, and functional groups on the surface of fuels were investigated and their effects on electrochemistry were discussed. The strong carbon structure inside of fuels led the rapid potential decreasing in high current density region, because it caused small surface area and low pore volume. The functional groups on the surface were related to the low current density region. The maximum current density and power density of fuels were affected by the total carbon content in fuels. The effect of operating conditions such as stirring rate and operating temperature was investigated in this study.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.37 no.9
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• pp.837-845
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• 2013

An airlift pump can be used to pump liquids and sediments within itself, which cannot easily be pumped up by a conventional method, by using the airlift effect. This characteristic of the airlift pump can be exploited in a DCFC (Direct Carbon Fuel Cell) so that molten fuel with high temperature may be carried or transported. The basic characteristics of airlift are investigated. A simple system is constructed, where the reservoir is filled with water, a tube is inserted, and air is supplied from the bottom of the tube. Then, water is lifted and its flow rate is measured. Bubble patterns in the tube are observed in a range of air flow rates with the parameters of the tube diameter and submergence ratio, leading to four distinct regimes. The pumping performance is predicted, and the correlation between the supplied gas flow rate and the induced flow rate of water is found.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.503-512
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• 2012

There is a new power generation system such as direct coal fuel cell (DCFC) with a solid oxide electrolyte operated at relatively high temperature. In the system, it is of great importance to feed coal continuously into anodic electrode surface for its better contact, otherwise it would reduce electrochemical conversion of coal. For that purpose, it is required to improve the electrochemical conversion efficiency by using either rigorous mixing condition such as fluidized bed condition or just by recirculating coal particle itself successively into the reaction zone of the system. In this preliminary study, we followed the second approach to investigate how significantly particle recycle would affect the coal conversion efficiency. As a first phase, coal conversion was analyzed and evaluated from the thermochemical reaction of carbon with air under particle recirculating condition. The coal conversion efficiency was obtained from raw data measured by two different techniques. Effects of temperature and fuel properties on the coal conversion are specifically examined from the thermochemical reaction.