• 한국연소학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.181-186
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• 2004

Catalytic combustion is one of the suitable methods which is applicable to micro heat source due to high energy density and no flame quenching. And hydrogen can be oxidized at room temperature with platinum catalyst. So hydrogen-fueled micro catalytic combustor with platinum catalyst can be good and easy-handling heat source for another micro devices. In this work we focused on general catalytic combustion characteristics of hydrogen-air premixed gas in 10mm scale catalytic combustor for the further application to micro scale. Platinum was coated on dense ceramic monolith which can be installed in simple-structured catalytic combustor. We investigated the effect of flow rate, heat loss and platinum percentage in catalyst-coated monolith on catalytic combustion performance by temperature distribution in the combustor. By those results we confirmed catalytic reactivity and estimated reaction area. And we simulated micro scale catalytic reaction by sliced monolith. The results of this work will be important design factors for micro scale catalytic combustor.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Combustion
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.49-55
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• 2014

Design criterion for the size of micro Pt-catalytic combustor is investigated in terms of heat release rate. One-dimensional plug flow model is applied to determine the surface reaction constants using the experimental data at stoichiometric butane-air mixture. With these reaction constants, the mass fraction of butane and heat release rate predicted by the plug flow model are in good agreement with the experimental data at the combustor exit. The relationship between the size of micro catalytic combustor and mixture flowrate is introduced in the form of product of two terms-the effect of fuel conversion efficiency, and the effect of chemical reaction rate and mass transfer rate.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.32 no.11
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• pp.870-877
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• 2008

Numerical analysis is applied to model Pt-catalyzed reaction in a micro-scale combustor fueled by butane. The reaction constants of catalytic oxidation are determined from plug flow model with the experimental data. Orders of magnitude between the chemical reaction rate and the mass transfer rate are carefully compared to reveal which mechanism plays a dominant role in the total fuel conversion rate. For various conditions of fuel flow rate and surface temperature, the profiles of Sherwood number are investigated to study the characteristics of the mass transport phenomena in the micro-tube combustor.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Combustion
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.46-53
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• 2015

The relationship between mass transfer and reaction within the washcoat is investigated in a monolith type micro-scale Pt-catalytic combustor. Nondimensionalized balance equation of butane is applied in a simplified washcoat geometry having the shape of slab. Both Thiele modulus and effectiveness factor are considered to compare reaction rate and diffusion rate according to the operation temperature and the diameter of alumina nano-pores. The effect of reaction becomes stronger as the temperature increases, while the effect of diffusion becomes relatively dominant as the diameter of nano-pores increases. From the analysis of butane distribution within the washcoat, design criterion for the thickness of washcoat is discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Combustion
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.7-14
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• 2006

Catalytic combustion is one of the suitable methods for micro power source due to high energy density and it can be applied to micro structured chamber without consideration of quenching since it is flameless combustion. Catalyst loading in the micro structured combustion chamber is one of the most important issues in the development of micro catalytic combustors. In this research, to coat catalyst on the chamber wall, two methods were investigated. First, $Al_2O_3$ was selected as a support of Pt and $Pt/Al_2O_3$ was synthesized through the alumina sol-gel procedure. To improve the coating thickness and adhesion between catalyst and substrate, heat resistant and water solvable organic-inorganic hybrid binder was used. Porous silicon was also investigated as a catalyst support for platinum. Through the parametric studies of current density and etching time, fabrication process of $1{\sim}2{\mu}m$ of diameter and about $25{\mu}m$ depth pores was confirmed. Coated substrates were test in the micro channel combustor which was fabricated by the wet etching and machining of SUS 304. Using $Pt/Al_2O_3$ coated substrate and Pt coated porous silicon substrate, conversion rate of fuel was over 95 % for $H_2/Air$ premixed gas.

• 한국연소학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.10a
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• pp.235-241
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• 2006

Catalytic combustion is one of the suitable methods for micro power source due to high energy density and no flame quenching. Catalyst loading in the micro structured combustion chamber is one of the most important issues in the development of micro catalytic combustors. In this research, to coat catalyst on the chamber wall, two methods were investigated. First, $Al_2O_3$ was selected as a support of Pt and $Pt/Al_2O_3$ was synthesized through the alumina sol-gel procedure. To improve the coating thickness and adhesion between catalyst and substrate, heat resistant and water solvable organic-inorganic hybrid binder was used. Porous silicon was also investigated as a catalyst support for platinum. Through the parametric studies of current density and etching time, fabrication process of $1{\sim}2{\mu}m$ of diameter and about $25{\mu}m$ depth pores was confirmed. Coated substrates were test in the micro channel combustor which was fabricated by the wet etching and machining of SUS 304. Using $Pt/Al_2O_3$ coated substrate and Pt coated porous silicon substrate, conversion rate of fuel was over 95% for $H_2$/Air premixed gas.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Combustion
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.17-24
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• 2005

A sub-millimeter scale catalytic combustor with a simple plate-shaped combustion chamber was fabricated. A porous ceramics support coated with platinum catalyst was placed in the chamber. The combustor has a gallium arsenide window on the top that is transparent to infrared ray. The temperature distribution in the combustion chamber was measured using infrared thermal imager while hydrogen-air premixture is steadily supplied to the combustor. The area where the catalytic reaction took place broaden for higher flow rate and lower equivalence ratio made activated area in the combustion chamber broaden. The amount of coated platinum catalyst did not affect the reaction. Stop of reaction, which is similar to flame quenching of conventional combustion, was investigated. Large content of heat generation and broad activated area are essential criteria to prevent stop of reaction that has a bad effect on the combustor performance.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.237-242
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• 2009

MEMS catalytic combustors were fabricated to use in micro-power sources as a heat source. The combustor was fabricated by photolithography and anisotropic wet etching of photosensitive glass wafers. Two different catalyst loading methods were used to complete the fabrication of the combustors. For thin film type, the $Al_2O_3$ was washcoated on the surface of the combustion chamber as a catalyst support, and for packed-bed type, ceramic foam was inserted after Pt was coated. The volume of the combustors was 1.8 $cm^3$ and 16W of heat was generated using the fabricated combustors with hydrogen. The energy density of combustor was about 8.9 W/$cm^3$.

• 한국연소학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.37-44
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• 2007

A nickel foam, one of metal foams was seleced as a catalyst support instead of conventional ceramic materials. $Al_2O_3$ was coated on the surface of nickel foam to increase the surface area. $Al_2O_3$ coating process was based on sol-gel process. SEM image was obtained and $Al_2O_3$ coverage was confirmed. Combustion experiments were carried out using SUS combustor and $H_2$/air mixture. Temperatures were measured with different equivalence ratios and $H_2$ flow rates. $H_2$ conversion rates were calculated by the analysis of product gas using gas chromatography. Catalytic combustion of $H_2$ was complete and stable with Pt/$Al_2O_3$ coated nickel foam and influences of water vapor were confirmed during the beginning of combustion.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Combustion
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.20-26
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• 2005

In the present study, catalytic combustion of hydrogen-air premixture in a millimeter scale monolith coated with Pt catalyst was investigated. As the combustor size decreases, the heat loss increases in proportion with the inverse of the scale of combustion chamber and combustion efficiency decreases in a conventional type of combustor. Combustion reaction assisted by catalyst can reduce the heat loss by decreasing the reaction temperature at which catalytic conversion takes place. Another advantage of catalytic combustion is that ignition is not required. Platinum was coated by incipient wetness method on a millimeter scale monolith with cell size of $1{\times}1mm$. Using this monolith as the core of the reaction chamber, temperatures were recorded at various locations along the flow direction. Burnt gas was passed to a gas chromatography system to measure the hydrogen content after the reaction. The measurements were made at various volume flow rate of the fuel-air premixture. The gas chromatography results showed the reaction was complete at all the test conditions and the reacting species penetrated the laminar boundary layer at the honeycomb and made contact with the catalyst coated surface. At all the measuring locations, the record showed monotonous increase of temperature during the measurement duration. And the temperature profile showed that the peak temperature is reached at the point nearest to the gas inlet and decreasing temperature along the flow direction.