• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.339-346
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• 2017

The objective of this study is the evaluation of the performance of a large-scale respirometer (LSR) of 17.7 L in the determination of the methane generation rate constant (k) values. To achieve this objective, a comparison between anaerobic (GB21) and LSR tests was conducted. The data were modeled using a linear function, and the resulting correlation coefficient ($R^2$) of the linear regression is 0.91. This result shows that despite the aerobic conditions, the biodegradability values that were obtained from the LSR test produced results that are similar to those from the GB21 test. In this respect, the LSR test can be an indicator of the anaerobic biodegradability for landfill waste. In addition, the results show the high repeatability of the tests with an average coefficient of variance (CV) that is lower than 10%; furthermore, the CV for the LSR is lower than that of the GB21, which indicates that the LSR-test method could provide a better representation of waste samples. Therefore, the LSR method allows for both the prediction of the long-term biodegradation potential in a shorter length of time and the reduction of the sampling errors that are caused by the heterogeneity of waste samples. The k values are $0.156y^{-1}$ and $0.127y^{-1}$ for the cumulative biogas production (GB21) and the cumulative oxygen uptake for the LSR, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.225-230
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• 2004

Synthesis gas is a high valued compound as a basic chemicals at various chemical processes. Synthesis gas is mainly produced commercially by a steam reforming process. However, the process is highly endothermic so that the process is very energy-consuming process. Thus, this study was carried out to produce synthesis gas by the partial oxidation of methane to decrease the energy cost. The effects of reaction temperature and flow rate of reactants on the methane conversion, product selectivity, product ratio, and carbon deposition were investigated with 13wt% Ni/MgO catalyst in a fluidized bed reactor. With the fluidized bed reactor, $CH_4$ conversion was 91%, and Hz and CO selectivities were both 98% at 850$^{\circ}C$ and total flow rate of 100 mL/min. These values were higher than those of fixed bed reactor. From this result, we found that with the use of the fluidized bed reactor it was possible to avoid the disadvantage of fixed bed reactor (explosion) and increase the productivity of synthesis gas.

• 한국연소학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.05a
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• pp.152-161
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• 2000

The catalytically stabilized combustion of $CH_4$-air mixture on platinum catalyst was investigated numerically using a 2-D boundary layer model with detailed heterogeneous and homogeneous chemistries. The actual surface site density of monolith coated with platinum was decided by the comparison with experimental data. The comparisons were made between results for cases where only heterogeneous chemistry was allowed and both heterogeneous and homogeneous chemistries were allowed. It was found that the homogeneous reaction in the monolith had little effect on the change of temperature profile, methane conversion rate and light off location. The contributions of each reactions related with CO formation were discussed on the surface. The effects of operation conditions such as equivalence ratio, temperature, velocity and pressure at the entrance were studied. In thermal combustor, CO and NOx was produced less than 1 ppm at the exit and the production of $N_{2}O$ was more dominant than that of NO.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.29 no.11 s.242
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• pp.1277-1284
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• 2005

The combustion characteristics of methane oxygen diffusion flames have been investigated to give basic information for designing industrial oxyfuel combustors. NOx reduction has become one of the most determining factors in the combustor design since the small amount of nitrogen is included from the current low cost oxygen production process. Flame lengths decreased with increasing fuel or oxygen velocity because of the enhancement of mixing effect. Correlation equation between flame length and turbulent kinetic energy was proposed. NOx concentration was reduced with increasing fuel or oxygen velocity because of the enhanced entrainment of the product gas into flame zone as well as the reduction of residence time in combustion zone.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.143-148
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• 2006

The ultrasonics is a new technology in waste activated sludge(WAS) treatment. Ultrasonic treatment is well known method for the break up of microbial cells to extract out a variety of intercellular materials inside microorganism cell. This study was done to investigate the effects of the ultrasonic frequency and power on disruption of biosolids in WAS and to examine the effect on methane production of WAS treated by ultrasonics. Biosolids disruption with ultrasound is more effective at ultrasonic frequency of 40 kHz and power of 0.3 watt/mL. In the digestion with WAS pretreated by sonication time for 10 minute at 40 kHz and 0.3 watt/mL, the total quantity of generated methane increased by 75%, as compared with experimental control(non-treatment).

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.161-169
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• 2011

Methane production during anaerobic fermentation in the rumen represents an energy loss to the host animal and induces emissions of greenhouse gases in the environment. Our study focused on comparison in methane production from growing Korean native steers fed different grain sources. Six Hanwoo steers (BW = $180.6{\pm}3.1$ kg) were fed, on a DM basis (TDN 2.80 kg), 40% timothy and 60% barley concentrate (Barley) or corn concentrate (Corn), respectively, based on the Korean Feeding Standards. Each period lasted 18 days including a 14-day adaptation and a 4-day measuring times. The steers were in the head hood chamber system (one cattle per chamber) during each measuring time to measure heat and methane production per day. Different grain sources did not affect digestibilities of dry matter, crude protein, crude fiber, crude fat, NDF, ADF and nitrogen-free extract. The mean methane concentrations per day were 202.0 and 177.1 ppm for Barley and Corn, respectively. Methane emission averaged 86.8 and 77.7 g/day for Barley and Corn, respectively. Methane emission factor by maintenance energy requirement for the growing steers fed barley based concentrate was higher than the steers fed corn based concentrate (Barley vs. Corn, 31.7 kg $CH_4\;head^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$ vs. 28.4 kg $CH_4\;head^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$). Thus, methane conversion rate was 0.065 (6.5%) and 0.055 (5.5%) for Barley and Corn, respectively.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.75-83
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• 2004

Temperature-phased anaerobic digestion (TPAD), anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR), and co-digestion technologies were combined together in order to overcome low efficiencies of conventional anaerobic sewage sludge digestion processes. In the performance, TPAD-ASBR process showed high VS removal efficiency over 60% up to the organic loading rate (OLR) of 2.7 g VS/L/d. The first-stage of TPAD-ASBR and control system played a most significant role in VS destruction and methane production. Methane production rate (0.79 l $CH_4/L/d$) of the system was higher than that (0.59 l $CH_4/L/d$) of the control system. The substrate characteristics of the sewage sludge, such as low VS concentration (1.5%, w/w) and biodegradability, were properly improved by the addition of food waste as a co-substrate, leading to more efficient VS removal and methane production. With several track studies, it was revealed that the independent solid retention time (SRT) of those systems prevented untreated particles from outflowing and also, extended the retention time of the active biomass for further degradation. Consequently, it was confirmed that the sequencing batch operation of the TPAD process using co-substrate was a promising alternative for the recycling of sewage sludge with low VS content.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Combustion
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.63-74
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• 1999

The effects of EGR and premixedness on NO formation have been numerically investigated. The flame structure is classified into three categories; premixed flame($=1)$, rich/lean premixed flame(${\alpha}=0.6$ and 0.8) and diffusion flame(${\alpha}=0$). NO formation/destruction mechanisms are assorted to thermal, reburn and Fenimore mechanisms. The temperature of unburned gas is arranged to 298 and 500 K to have access to the condition in a real internal combustion engine. The results show that all three NO formation/destruction reaction rates in the fuel rich flame zone could be decreased by EGR for rich/lean premixed flames, while those in the fuel lean flame zone are not significantly changed. Near the stagnation plane, however, only the thermal NO reaction rate is decreased. The contribution of reburn and Fenimore mechanisms for the net NO production becomes less significant as the premixedness of a flame increases. The larger amount of NO reduction with EGR is expected under the higher temperature and/or higher fuel/air premixedness conditions due to the increased contribution of the thermal mechanism. The role of Fenimore and reburn mechanisms could be important for rich premixed and diffusion flames; therefore, the effect of EGR on NO reduction could vary with fuel/air premixedness. The premixedness of a partially premixed flame changes the flame structure and could affect the NO production characteristics.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.85-88
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• 2006

A fluidized bed reactor made of quartz with 0.055m I.D. and 1.0m in height was employed for the thermocatalytic decomposition of propane to produce $CO_2$-free hydrogen. The fluidized bed was proposed for the continuous withdraw of product carbons from the reactor. The propane decomposition rate used carbon black N33O as a catalyst. The propane decomposition reaction was carried out at the temperature range of $600{\sim}800^{\circ}C$, paropane gas velocity of $1.0 U_{mf}\;3.0U_{mf}$ and the operating pressure of 1.0 atm. Effect of operating parameters such as reaction temperature, gas velocity on the reaction rates was investigated. The carbon which was by-product of methane decomposition reaction was deposited on the catalyst surface that was observed by SEM. Resulting production in our experiment were not only hydrogen but also several by products such as methane, ethylene, ethane, and propylene.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.36 no.9
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• pp.885-894
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• 2012

A numerical study of a microchannel steam methane reforming reactor has been performed to understand the characteristics of heat and mass transfer. The integration of Rh-catalyzed steam methane reforming and Pt-catalyzed methane combustion has been simulated. The reaction rates for chemical reactions have been incorporated into the simulation. This study investigated the effect of contact time, flow pattern (parallel or counter), and channel size on the reforming performance and temperature distribution. The parallel and counter flow have opposite temperature distribution, and they show a different type of reaction rate and species mole fraction. As the contact time decreases and channel size increases, mass transfer between the catalyst layer and the flow is limited, and the reforming performance is decreased.