• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.1339-1346
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• 2024

Electrorefining in molten salts is used for purifying actinides. Optimizing electrorefining is key to minimizing processing time and radiological waste. One possible way of improving electrorefining efficiency is using an AC superimposed DC waveform. This waveform has demonstrated potential benefits in aqueous solutions but has never been utilized in a molten metal, molten salt application. This work investigates the effects of using an AC superimposed DC waveform on molten bismuth electrorefining in a molten LiCl-KCl-CaCl2 eutectic. Bismuth has been identified as a potential surrogate for plutonium electrorefining and a potential cathode in electrorefining used nuclear fuel (UNF). All electrorefining runs resulted in a high purity cathode ring and high yield with exception of the run using a low-frequency, high-amplitude superimposed AC waveform, which experienced some contamination and a lower yield. The other three AC superimposed DC runs experienced an average yield 6.7 % higher than the average yield of the DC runs. The electrorefining run using the high-frequency, high-amplitude superimposed AC signal had the highest yield. It is recommended in future studies to investigate the statistical variability of electrorefining yield and current efficiency and the impact of AC superimposed DC waveforms on solidified bismuth anodes.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.537-542
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• 2016

In this study, we have prepared mesophase pitch from pyrolysis fuel oil (PFO) by heterogeneous reforming process. This process was conducted by direct fluorination at various temperature and followed by the heat treatment at $390^{\circ}C$. The reformed pitch was then investigated by softening point analysis, elemental analysis, fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, high resolution X-ray diffraction and polarization microscope analysis. Carbon contents of reformed pitch increased according to increasing the reaction temperature of fluorination, while oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur contents were completely eliminated. As the fluorination temperature increased, the creation, growth, coalescence and alignment process of mesophase spheres were observed. Also the interlayer spacing of carbon hexagonal planar structure decreased, while its crystalline size increased. In addition, aromatic ring compound contents increased by the condensation polymerization of aliphatic compound. These results can be attributed to the radical reactivity of the fluorine increased as the reaction temperature increased. It was considered that the fluorination reaction could help PFO to generate aromatic compounds, via promoting polymerization by radical reaction.

• Clean Technology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.331-338
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• 2022

The objective of this study is to prepare bead-type and pellet-type Pt (1 wt%)/Kieselguhr catalysts as hydrogenation catalysts for the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) included in pyrolysis fuel oil (PFO). The optimal reaction temperature to maximize the yield of saturated cyclic hydrocarbons during the PFO-cut hydrogenation reaction in a trickle bed reactor was determined to be 250 ℃. A hydrogen/PFO-cut flow rate ratio of 1800 was found to maximize 1-ring saturated cyclic compounds. The yield of saturated cyclic compound increased as the space velocity (LHSV) of PFO-cut decreased. The difference in hydrogenation reaction performance between the pellet catalyst and the bead catalyst was negligible. However, the catalyst impregnated by Pt after molding the Kieselguhr support (AI catalyst) showed higher hydrogenation activity than the catalyst molded after Pt impregnation on the Kieselguhr powder (BI catalyst), which was a common phenomenon in both the pellet catalysts and bead catalysts. This may be due to a higher number of active sites over the AI catalyst compared to the BI catalyst. It was confirmed that the pellet catalyst prepared by the AI method had the best reaction activity of the prepared catalysts in this study. The majority of the PFO-cut hydrogenation products were cyclic hydrocarbons ranging from C₈ to C₁₅, and C₁₁ cyclic hydrocarbons had the highest distribution. It was confirmed that both a cracking reaction and hydrogenation occurred, which shifted the carbon number distribution towards light hydrocarbons.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.11 no.1 s.34
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• pp.23-28
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• 2007

This paper presents an experimental investigation on the sealing defects and cracks of O-rings and a valve packing of a gas valve for a LPG cylinder. O-ring in which stops a gas leakage of a liquefied petroleum gas is very important for a LPG valve safety. Valve packing is to open and close a gas flow port for supplying and charging a LPG fuel. The sealing performance of two sealing units ism related to the leak safety and long lift of a gas valve. The investigated results show that most of O-rings was failed due to a circumferential crack in which is caused by partial press bonding failure near the partition zone and an excess compression rate. Some of the O-ring failure was originated by an extrusion of an excessive leak pressure of a LP gas. Thus, this paper strongly recommends a tight quality control and a safety guarantee system of O-rings and valve packing to guarantee a leak safety and to extend a service lift of a gas valve. At the end, a warranty policy of the sealing units should be adopted for increasing a product quality and safety of a gas valve.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.165-174
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• 2004

In order to simultaneously vitrify the ion exchange resin(IER) and combustible dry active waste(DAW) generated from Korean nuclear power plants, a vitrification pilot test was conducted using an induction cold crucible melter(CCM) . The energy necessary for startup of the glass using a Ti-ring was evaluated as about 290 kWh. The power supplied from a high frequency generator to melt the glass properly was ranged from 160 to 190 kW without any interruption. When the mixture of the IER and DAW was fed into the CCM, the concentration of CO was lowered up to 1/40 compared to feeding the IER solely. It may be caused by the DAW which can produce about 1.8 times higher heat compared to the IER. When the swelling phenomenon occurred in the glass melt, the concentration of $NO_2$, oxidizing gas, was higher than NO, reducing gas. Total feed amounts of the IER and DAW were 368 and 751 kg, respectively. And then, about 74 of volume reduction factor was achieved.

• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
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• 2014.05a
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• pp.43-43
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• 2014

White rot fungi have been useful source of enzymes for the degradation of environmental pollutants including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and synthetic dyes. PAHs are widespread organic compounds present in fossil fuels and are routinely generated by incomplete fuel combustion. PAHs are some of the major toxic pollutants of water and soil environments. Synthetic dyes are major water-pollutants, which are toxic to organisms in water environments and interfere photosynthesis of water plants. Removal of PAHs and synthetic dyes has been of interests in the environmental science especially in the environmental microbiology. Mushrooms are fungal groups that function as primary degraders of wood polyphenolic lignin. The ligninolytic enzymes produced by mushroom, including manganese peroxidase, lignin peroxidase, and laccase, mediate the oxidative degradation of lignin. The catalytic power of these enzymes in the degradation of aromatic ring compounds has been sought for the degradation of various organic compounds. In this project, we have screened 60 wild mushroom strains for their degradation activity against two representative PAHs, naphthalene and anthracene, and five aromatic dyes, including alizarin red S, crystal violet, malachite green, methylene blue, rose bengal. The degradation of PAHs was measured by GC while the decolorization of dyes was measured by both UV spectrophotometer and HPLC. As results, 9 wild mushroom strains showed high activity in degradation of PAHs and textile dyes. We also describe the secretive enzyme activities, the transcription levels, and cloning of target genes. In conjunction with this, activities of degradative enzymes, including laccase, lignin peroxidase, and Mn peroxidase, were measured in the liquid medium in the presence of PAHs and dyes. Our results showed that the laccase activity was directed correlated with the degradation, indicating that the main enzyme acts on PAHs and dyes is the laccase. The laccase activity was further simulated by the addition of $Cu^{2+}$ ion. Detailed studies of the enzyme system should be sought for future applications.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.180-186
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• 2017

In this work, the effect of low-temperature dehydration of a poly(styrene-co-styrenesulfonic acid) (PSSA) membrane was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), electron magnetic resonancespectroscopy (EMR), and $^1H$- and $^{13}C$ solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. These analyses were performed at room temperature for powdered PSSA specimens with and without dehydration and the following key observations were made. First, FT-IR analysis showed that low-temperature dehydration not only transformed the [${SO_3}^-{\cdots}H^+$] ionic pair in the non-hydrated PSSA to an $SO_3H$ group, but also induced the formation of -C=C- double bonds in the dehydrated PSSA. Second, the ${-SO_3}^{\bullet}$ radical was unambiguously identified by EMR spectroscopy. Third, H-abstraction was detected by $^1H$ magic-angle spinning spectroscopy. Finally, an unexpected color shift from white for the non-hydrated PSSA to a yellowish brown for the dehydrated sample was observed. In order to explain these experimental results, it was proposed that the formation of the intermediate hydrogen ($H^{\bullet}$) or hydroxyl radical ($HO^{\bullet}$) species was initiated by the dehydration process. The sespecies attacked the $SO_3H$ group and the tertiary proton at the ${\alpha}-carbon$, resulting in the formation of $-SO^{\bullet}$ radicals and -C=C- double bonds, which correlated with the color shift in the dehydrated PSSA sample. The semechanisms are useful for understanding the simultaneous loss of an aromatic ring and -SO- groups in the PSSA fuel cell membrane.

• International Journal of Ocean System Engineering
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.209-213
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• 2012

Recently, the fuel using in the diesel engines of marine ships has been changed to a low quality of heavy oil because of the steady increase in the price of oil. Therefore, the wear and corrosion in all parts of the engine such as the cylinder liner, piston crown, and spindle and seat ring of exhaust valves has correspondingly increased. The repair welding of a piston crown is a unique method for prolonging its lifetime from an economic point of view. In this case, filler metals with a high corrosion and wear resistance are mainly being used for repair welding. However, often at a job site on a ship, a piston crown is actually welded with mild filler metals. Therefore, in this study, mild filler metals such as CSF350H, E8000B2, and 435 were welded to SS401 steel as the base metal, and the corrosion properties of the weld metals with and without post weld heat treatment were investigated using some electrochemical methods in a 0.1% $H_2SO_4$ solution. The weld metal welded with CSF350H filler metal exhibited the best corrosion resistance among these filler metals, irrespective of the heat treatment. However, the weld metal zones of the E8000B2 and 435 filler metals exhibited better and worse corrosion resistance with the heat treatment, respectively. As a result, it is suggested that in the case of repair welding with CSF350H and 435 filler metals, no heat treatment is advisable, while heat treatment is desirable if E8000B2filler metal is used with repair welding.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.430-436
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• 2008

Recently, there are many cases to use a ship's engine performance analyzer(SEPA) to measure pressure in cylinder and top dead center(TDC) of piston of engine, and analyze its performance such as fuel injection time and horsepower as well as wear of piston ring. But, SEPA needs TDC pulses($T(1){\sim}T(n)$) generated when pistons of engine are located to the TDC position ($TDC(1){\sim}TDC(n)$), these pulses are gathered from sensors connected to gear wheel of the propeller shaft in the remote distance from the measurement point. Therefore, operators need a long wire cable(WRC) to TDC detecting sensor to get these pulses, but this method is a very uncomfortable and expensive in case of installation, and it might decrease user's purchase desire. In this paper, we design and fabricate a small and inexpensive MODEM cable(M0C) so that it may be available to transmit TDC pulse generated from sensor in propeller shaft through existing power line. We also verify the facts that this MOC can be applied to SEPA and the effectiveness of the system through the experiments.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.346-350
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• 2005

Effects of the changes of a film cooling mass flow rate and operating conditions on the heat flux characteristics of the subscale calorimeter were studied. A film cooling ring with twelve orifices is inserted between the injector head and the calorimeter. The calorimeter is composed of nineteen cooling channels. When a mass flow rate of film cooling is 10.5 % of a main fuel mass flow rate, maximum heat flux at the nozzle throat is decreased by 30% compared to that without film cooling. In the OD3(of-design point) test result, maximum heat flux at the nozzle throat is increased by 31% compared to that of the DP(design point) test when a film cooling flow rate is zero.