• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.269-275
• /
• 2019

This study was conducted to evaluate the microbial communities in coupled system of a microbial electrolysis cell and an anaerobic digestion. Glucose, butyric acid, propionic acid and acetic acid were used as substrates. The maximum methane production and methane production rate of propionic acid respectively were $327.9{\pm}6.7mL\;CH_4/g\;COD$ and $28.3{\pm}3.1mL\;CH_4/g\;COD{\cdot}d$, which were higher than others. Microbial communities' analyses indicated that acetoclastic methangens were predominant in all systems. But the proportion of hydrogenotrophic methanogens was higher in the system using propionic acid as a substrate when compared to others. In coupled system of a microbial electrolysis cell and anaerobic digestion, the methane production was higher as the distribution of hydrogen, which was generated by substrate degradation, and proportion of hydrogenotrophic methanogens was higher.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.327-338
• /
• 2001

In this study, the short-term variability of methane concentrations were investigated over 24-hr scale. The data obtained form the Moo-Ahn (MAN) station located in the western coastal area of Korea were analyzed from various respects to describe its distribution characteristics over short term scale. The MAN data were compared with those obtained from the two major background observatory sites: Point Barrow (Alaska) and Mauna Loa (Hawaii). The mean concentration of methane for the whole study period, when computed using the daily mean values, was found to be 1898${\pm}$85.3ppb (N=812). The mean values for the two comparable sites were observed to be 1832${\pm}$29.6ppb (N=823) for Point Barrow and 1745${\pm}$14.8ppb (N=818) for Mauna Loa. According to the analysis of frequency distribution. the mode value for the MAN area is found to be 1900ppb, but the mean concentration for Point Barrow and Mauna Loa are shown to have relatively low values of 1850 and 1750ppb, respectively. When examined over diurnal scale, the CH$_4$data for the MAN area exhibit a rather consistent trend; CH$_4$level is low during the daytime (after 6:00 A.M) and rises during the nighttime. The findings of the generally enhanced methane concentration in the MAN station may be explained form various respects. One of the most important reasons is that the MAN area is under the influence of various source processes relative to all the other stations under consideration. The short-term distribution patterns for the MAN station are hence characterized not only by the high methane concentration but also by the high oscillation in its CH$_4$concentration level.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
• /
• v.15 no.1 s.45
• /
• pp.52-59
• /
• 2006

This paper examined the conversion of methane to hydrogen and other higher hydrocarbons using dielectric barrier discharge with AC pulse power. Two metal electrodes of a coaxial-type plasma reactor were separated by gas gap and an alumina tube. The inner electrode was located inside the alumina tube. The alumina tube was located inside the stainless steel tube, which was used as the outer electrode. Effect of feed gas composition (methane, oxygen, argon, water and helium), flow rate, applied frequency, input volt-age on methane conversion and product distribution were studied. The major products of plasma chemical reactions were ethylene, ethane, propane, buthane, hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. The increment of applied voltage and the usage of inert gas as the background (helium and argon) enhanced the selectivity of hydrocarbons and methane conversion. The addition of water in the feed stream enhanced the conversion of methane and yield of hydrogen. Higher voltage leads to higher yield of $C_2H_6,\;C_3H_8,\;C_4H_{10}$ and yield or $C_2H_2\;and\;C_2H_4$ appeared highly in lower voltage.

• Carbon letters
• /
• v.1 no.3_4
• /
• pp.143-147
• /
• 2001

Under the irradiation of radiofrequency wave, the dipole materials vibrate as microwave phase changes. This causes friction between adjacent molecules and enables an unique characteristics of interior heating of the materials. Using this principle, when harmful material pass through anthracite- bed which play a role as a absorber of radiofrequency wave, the material can be easily decomposed by the microwave energy. To remove benzene vapour and other solvents in the process of industry, we examined decomposition of benzene in this manner. It was found that benzene was decomposed to the methane, ethane, propane and butane, etc. during passing through the carbon-bed under the microwave impingement and distribution of methane in the products reached about 85 vol.%. The decomposition rate of benzene was high within 5 minutes from start of reaction. For a lower concentration of benzene gas, general cases in the field of industry, almost complete decomposition of benzene is believed possible and this method is surely expected to be useful for the prevention of air pollution and improvement of ambient condition.

• New & Renewable Energy
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.126-134
• /
• 2024

Biogas, composed mainly of methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂), is a renewable gas that can serve as an alternative energy source. In this study, we developed a new microwave reformer and analyzed its reforming characteristics. We observed that higher temperatures of the microwave receptor led to increased reforming efficiency. By supplying appropriate amounts of methane and steam, we could prevent carbon generated from the thermal decomposition reaction of carbon dioxide from depositing on the catalytic active layer, thus avoiding the inhibition of catalytic activity. Hydrogen generation was enhanced when maintaining the biogas ratio and steam supply at adequate levels. Increasing the SiC ratio in the receptor improved the uniformity of temperature distribution and growth rate, resulting in higher conversion rates of the reforming process.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.76-83
• /
• 2017

Biogas, combine with ever-increasing natural gas demand, has been on the center stage in South Korea for the early part of twenty first century in an effort to reduce the emission of global warming gases. With the passage of legal system of City Gas Business Law in 2014, the biogas has its place of production and distribution to consumers. However, it has a room for its technological improvements in terms of enrichment, by separating carbon dioxide and removing impurities efficiently. For these improvements, four different methane enrichment processes were tested in this study; membrane separation, water absorption, Chemical Absorption and Adsorption. A variety of operation scenarios were applied to the processes and the best practices were drawn out. The optimum process was selected based on case study results. Methane produced in this study showed 97% purity and 98% recovery rate, which meets the requirements of the City Gas quality standards.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.139-148
• /
• 1994

The partial oxidation of methane with nitrous oxide on silica-supported metal-oxygen cluster compounds, known as heteropoly acids, has been studied. The effects of several variables such as reaction temperature, partial pressure of reactants, residence time, loading of the catalysts, and pretreatment temperature, on the conversion and product distribution were observed. The kinetics also has been studied. The conversion and yield of formaledehyde show maximum values at a loading of 20 wt%. The apparent reaction order of methane conversion is ca. 1.0 with respect to $CH_4$ and ca. 0.4 with respect to $N_2O$. In addition, the apparent activation energy is 30.78 kcal/mole. The addition of small quantities methane whereas water introduced to the reactant decreased the activity of catalyst under present study.

• Atmosphere
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.367-377
• /
• 2010

Variation of tracer distribution during the vortex-breakup period in the Antarctic region was observed by the data from the Improved Limb Atmospheric Spectrometer (ILAS) and ILAS-II. All four trace species including methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, and water vapor show similar patterns of vertical gradient in spite of different structures of zonal mean mixing ratio. Timings of vortex breakup on each level are estimated by two different methods, and they are compared with zonal standard deviations following the latitude circle of each trace species. Although the tracers have different chemical life times and sink/source, the zonal standard deviation patterns show remarkable similarities. The zonal standard deviation shown here to measure the zonal asymmetry of tracer distribution is believed to diagnose the timing of the Antarctic polar-vortex breakup reasonably well.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.251-262
• /
• 2004

It is for the purpose of investigating the tritium distribution in the leachates, the raw and treated leachates and the condensates of the methane gas, which have occurred from domestic solid waste landfills. Also it aims to measure the tritium distribution level on the colloid size of the leachates, the raw and treated leachates. It was found that the major inorganic contaminants of the leachates were Na, K, Ca, Mg, $NH{_4}^+$-N and $Cl^-$. The mean tritium level of the raw leachates of the investigated 13 landfill sites for 6 months was 17 ~ 1196 TU. It corresponded to a several scores or hundreds of magnitude higher value than that of the normal environmental sample level except for two landfill sites. Also such a high concentration of the tritium was found in the treated leachates and methane gas condensates as well. Nevertheless it is important to emphasize that the tritium level which was found in this research is about 100 times lower than the tritium limit for the drinking water quality. And most of the tritium existed in the dissolved colloid of the leachate of which the colloid size is below $0.45{\mu}m$. Also, according to the tritium analysis results of the leachates after filtration with $0.45{\mu}m$ membrane filter for some landfills, it is likely that some tritium of the leachate would be distributed in a colloid size over $0.45{\mu}m$. In general the relationship between the tritium and other contaminants in the raw leachate was low, but it was relatively high between the tritium and TOC. However, the tritium content in the leachate had no meaningful relationship with the scale, hydrological characteristics and age of the landfill.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.96-103
• /
• 2014

A liquefied natural gas(LNG) in cryogenic liquid is converted back into gaseous form for distribution to residential and industrial consumers. In this re-gasification process, LNG supplies a plenty of cold thermal energy about $83.7{\times}10^4kJ/kg$. The LNG cold thermal energy is utilized for the re-liquefaction process of cryogenic fluids such as Nitrogen, Hydrogen and Helium, and ice manufacturing process and air-conditioning system in some advanced countries. Therefore, it is also necessary to establish the recovery systems of the LNG cold thermal energy around Incheon, Pyungtaek and Tongyung LNG import terminals in our country. Methane is used as working fluid in this paper, which is the major component of LNG over 85 % by volume, in order to investigate the flow behavior characteristics of LNG with phase change at low heat flux. This paper presents the effects of pipe diameters, pipe inclinations and saturation pressures on the flow boundaries of methane flowing in a cryogenic heat exchanger tube, together with those of nitrogen, propane, R11 and R134a. The outcomes obtained from this theoretical researches are also compared with previous experimental data. It was also found that the effect of pipe inclination on the methane flow boundaries was significant.