• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.134-142
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• 2012

A bipolar plate is a major component of a fuel cell stack, which occupies 50~60% of the total weight and over 50% of the total cost of a typical fuel cell stack. In this study, a composite bipolar plate is designed and fabricated to develop a compact and light-weight direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) stack for a small-scale Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) application. The composite bipolar plates for DMFCs are prepared by a compression molding method using resole type phenol resin as a binder and natural graphite and carbon black as a conductor filler and tested in terms of electrical conductivity, mechanical strength and hydrogen permeability. The flexural strength of 63 MPa and the in-plane electrical conductivities of 191 S $cm^{-1}$ are achieved under the optimum bipolar plate composition of phenol : 18%; natural graphite : 82%; carbon black : 3%, indicating that the composite bipolar plates exhibit sufficient mechanical strength, electrical conductivity and hydrogen permeability to be applied in a DMFC stack. A DMFC with the composite bipolar plate is tested and shows a similar cell performance with a conventional DMFC with graphite-based bipolar plate.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.266-274
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• 2019

Metal sealing is used to connecting the parts between valves and fuel pipes for a FCEV which utilizes hydrogen gas of 700 bar. Instead of general carbon steel, stainless steel is the primary material used to manufacture fuel pipes due to hydrogen embrittlement. The shape of deformation between metals is an important factor on the air-tightness of the metal to metal contact. Since the stainless steel pipe is hardened using the plastic forming during the tip shaping stage, this work hardening could have an effect on the deformed shape and characteristics of contact surfaces in fastening of pipes. In this paper, the deformation history of the pipe model was considered in order to analyze the hydrogen-tightness on the metal sealing part. The contact distance and the forward displacement for fastening were compared using experimental results and the simulation results. The simulation of the effect of material change on the fitting body demonstrated that the hardness or the strength of the formed tip of the pipe was designed to a proper valued level since the characteristics of the contact surface was exhibited better when the strength of the pipe was lower than that of the fitting body.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.503-513
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• 2022

As part of eco-friendly policies, interest in hydrogen vehicles is growing in the automotive industry to reduce carbon emissions. In particular, it is necessary to investigate the application of aluminum alloy for light weight hydrogen valves among hydrogen supply systems to improve the fuel efficiency of hydrogen vehicles. In this research, we investigated mechanical characteristics of aluminum alloys after hydrogen embrittlement considering the operating environment of hydrogen valves. In this investigation, experiments were conducted with strain rate, applied voltage, and hydrogen embrittlement time as variables that could affect hydrogen embrittlement. As a result, a brittle behavior was depicted when the strain rate was increased. A strain rate of 0.05 mm/min was selected for hydrogen embrittlement research because it had the greatest effect on fracture time. In addition, when the applied voltage and hydrogen embrittlement time were 5 V and 96 hours, respectively, mechanical characteristics presented dramatic decreases due to hydrogen embrittlement.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.167-183
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• 2010

This paper analyzes the backgrounds of the standards for protection against electric shock in Global Technical Regulations (GTR) of Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV). Targets on research were high voltage criteria, safety current, isolation and grounding resistance, time limitation, energy, adequate clearance, and test procedure. Based on human impedance and effect of current in IEC 60479-1, safety of human was examined. Then, isolation and grounding circuit model of FCV were analyzed theoretically. The results give several suggestions: touch voltage less than 25V, AC energy less than 0.0813J, separation considering middle finger length, grounding resistance less than $0.2\Omega$, maximum AC ground voltage of 1V (rms), and isolation resistance between earth and electrical chassis. In MATLAB/Simulink environment, error characteristics of isolation resistance measurement procedure using internal DC sources were analyzed under variations of internal resistance of voltmeter and isolation resistance.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.417-420
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• 2006

FCEV uses electric energy generated from the reaction between Hydrogen and Oxygen in fuel cell stack as driving force. As fossil fuels are exhausted, fuel cell is regarded as a potent substitute for next generation energy source, and thus, most of car-makers make every efforts to develop fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV). In addition, fuel cell is also beneficial in aspect of environment, because only clean water is produced during chemical reaction process instead of harmful exhausted gas. Generally, Hydrogen is supplied from high-pressured fuel tank, and air blower (or compressor) supplies Oxygen by pressurizing ambient air. Air blower which is driven by high speed motor consumes about $7{\sim}8%$ of energy generated from fuel cell stack. Therefore, the efficiency of an air blower is directly linked with the overall performance of FCEV. This study will present developing process of an air blower and its consisting parts respectively.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.485-493
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• 2016

Recently submarine and unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) are equipped with a fuel cell system as an air independent propulsion system. Methanol fuel processor can efficiently supply the hydrogen to the fuel cell system to improve the ability to dive. This study investigated the optimal conditions of the methanol fuel processor that may be used in the closed environment. For this purpose, the numerical model based on Gibbs minimization equation was established for steam reformer and three exhaust gas burners. After simulating the characteristics of steam reformer according to the steam-to-carbon ratio (SCR) and the pressure change, the SCR condition was able to narrow down to 1.1 to 1.5. Considering water consumption and the amount of heat recovered from three burners, the optimum condition of the SCR can be determined to be 1.5. Nevertheless, the additional heat supply is required to satisfy the heat balance of the methanol fuel processor in the SCR=1.5. In other to obtain additional amount of heat, the combustion of methanol is better than the increased of SCR in terms of system design.

• Journal of Auto-vehicle Safety Association
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.43-52
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• 2022

Recently, the government has been expanding the supply of hydrogen vehicles according to the roadmap for vitalizing the hydrogen economy, but is developing safety assessment and inspection technology for the relevant vehicles. This study analyzed the prevention of hydrogen bus accidents' economic effect that arises from the application and development of large-capacity CHSS oil pressure repetition-test assessment technology, hydrogen bus internal chamber pressure transmission and emission volume inspection technology, among various technologies capable of assessing the safety of a hydrogen bus fuel system. To this end, the contingent valuation method (CVM), one of the value evaluation methods of non-market goods, was applied to investigate users' willingness to pay for each inspection technology. The survey for users' willingness to pay was conducted by attaching posters to promote surveys on the internet and within buses to the entire public. As a result of the analysis, the average WTP of the hydrogen bus internal chamber pressure transmission volume inspection technology was 25.3 KRW, the average WTP of the hydrogen bus internal chamber pressure emission volume inspection technology was 18.6 KRW, and the average WTP of the large-capacity CHSS oil pressure repetition-test assessment technology was measured at 16.7 KRW. In addition, the costs and benefits of the introduction of the relevant inspection technology were defined through the interviewing of experts at related research institutions and businesses. As a result of conducting an economic analysis (4.5% discount rate) according to the development of each inspection technology, economic feasibility was seen in all assessment and inspection technologies. As much as the technology is indispensable for the safe use of hydrogen buses, it shows that investment in related technology is very necessary in the future. However, because it was decided that the relevant analysis will differ according to the distribution rate of hydrogen buses, further analysis following this future distribution rate of hydrogen buses is needed, and future users should be made clearly aware of the safety and environmental nature of the technology.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.232-241
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• 2023

The mechanical properties of the hydrogen valve responsible for supplying and blocking hydrogen gas in a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) were researched. Mechanical properties by hydrogen embrittlement were investigated by coating chromium nitride (CrN) and titanium nitride (TiN) on aluminum alloy by arc ion plating method. The coating layer was deposited to a thickness of about 2 ㎛, and a slow strain rate test (SSRT) was conducted after hydrogen embrittlement to determine the hydrogen embrittlement resistance of the CrN and TiN coating layers. The CrN-coated specimen presented little decrease in mechanical properties until 12 hours of hydrogen charging due to its excellent resistance to hydrogen permeation. However, both the CrN and TiN-coated specimens exhibited deterioration in mechanical properties due to the peeling of the coating layer after 24 hours of hydrogen charging. The specimens coated at 350 ℃ presented a significant decrease in ultimate tensile strength due to abnormal grain growth.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.188-193
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• 2009

Fuel cell vehicles are equipped with Pressure Relief Devices(PRDs) installed in pressure tank cylinder to prevent the explosion of the tank during a fire. PRDs are safety devices that perceive a fire and release gas in the pressure tank cylinder before it is exploded. But if the PRD does not actuate, because either the PRD fails or can't be surrounded by the flame of a fire, the tank will rupture and produce a blast wave and hydrogen fire ball. In this paper, we observed the fire behavior of actual fuel cell vehicle, comparing with that of gasoline vehicle.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.405-418
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• 2014

Fuel cells are suitable for a power plant of a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) as it is not only environmentally friendly and quiet but also more efficient than an internal combustion engine. A fuel cell hybrid UAV has better performance in endurance than a fuel cell only or battery only UAV. One of the key purposes of making fuel cell hybrid UAVs is having long endurance and now maximum 26 hours of flight is possible. Because optimal design and control methods for fuel cell hybrid UAVs are absolutely needed for their long endurance we have to check the methods. The aircraft made by using application-integrated design method has less BOP mass and better performances. The optimal design and control methods are generally based on computer simulations or Hardware-In-The-Loop simulations by using dynamic models for their design and control. The Hardware-In-The-Loop simulation (HILS) is to use a hardware device like a fuel cell stack as well as a simulation program and it allows for making optimally designed applications. This paper introduce efficient methods of design, control and evaluation for the fuel cell hybrid UAVs.