• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.759-764
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• 2018

3D porous carbon electrodes (cNPIM), prepared by solution casting of a polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-1) followed by nonsolvent-induced phase separation (NIPS) and carbonization are presented. In order to effectively control the pore size of 3D porous carbon structures, cNPIM was prepared by varying the THF ratio of mixed solvents. The SEM analysis revealed that cNPIMs have a unique 3D macroporous structure having a gradient pore structure, which is expected to grant a smooth and easy ion transfer capability as an electrode material. In addition, the cNPIMs presented a very large specific surface area ($2,101.1m^2/g$) with a narrow micropore size distribution (0.75 nm). Consequently, the cNPIM exhibits a high specific capacitance (304.8 F/g) and superior rate capability of 77% in an aqueous electrolyte. We believe that our approach can provide a variety of new 3D porous carbon materials for the application to an electrochemical energy storage.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.171-177
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• 2011

PVA/GLA/$Al_2O_3{\cdot}3SiO_2$ composite membranes were prepared through the reaction polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with glutaraldehyde (GLA) as a cross-linking agent and subsequently adding aluminum silicate ($Al_2O_3{\cdot}3SiO_2$) as an inorganic material. The water uptake decreased as the GDL contents increased due to cross-linking process of PVA with GDL, and the ion conductivity increased as the $Al_2O_3{\cdot}3SiO_2$ contents increased in PVA/GLA/$Al_2O_3{\cdot}3SiO_2$ composite membranes. The cross-linking structure of the polymers was confirmed using IR and the tendency of water uptake. The thermal analysis of the copolymers was carried out by TGA. TGA results showed that PVA/GLA composite membrane were more heat-resistant than PVA due to the cross-linking of PVA, and the heat stability of the composite membranes improved much more as the concentration of $Al_2O_3{\cdot}3SiO_2$ increased. Membranes prepared in this study seem to be have thermal stability and increase a tendency of the cation conductivity up to $60^{\circ}C$, but to be exhibit lower performance tendency at over $90^{\circ}C$. Therefore, it is necessary to do more aggressive effort to explore the possibility of application as an ion-conductive composite electrolyte.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.283-291
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• 2011

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) use the bipolar plate of various materials between electrolyte and contact electrode for the stable hydrogen ion exchange activation. The bipolar plate of various materials has representatively graphite and stainless steel. Specially, stainless steels have advantage for low cost and high product rate. In this study, SUS 316 was effectively coated with 600 nm thick F-doped tin oxide (SnOx:F) by electron cyclotron resonance-metal organic chemical vapor deposition and investigated in simulated fuel cell bipolar plates. The results showed that an F-doped tin oxide (SnOx:F) coating enhanced the corrosion resistance of the alloys in fuel cell bipolar plates, though the substrate steel has a significant influence on the behavior of the coating. Coating SUS 316 for fuel cell bipolar plates steel further improved the already excellent corrosion resistance of this material. After coating, the increased ICR values of the coated steels compared to those of the fresh steels. The SnOx:F coating seems to add an additional resistance to the native air-formed film on these stainless steels.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.245-257
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• 2017

The separation of nicotine and tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines is a tough problem in tobacco industry. In this study, separation of nicotine from 4-(methylnitrosamino) -1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) mixtures was investigated using electrodialysis by taking the principle of the protonation status difference between these two components. The results indicated that the solution pH has a dominant impact on the separation process. In a pH range of 5-7, nicotine molecules are existed as mono- and di-protonated ions and can be separated from the uncharged NNK molecules. The acidic electrolyte is conducive to the separation process from the point of flux and energy consumption; while the alkaline electrolyte has negative impact on the separation process. A current density of $10mA/cm^2$ is an appropriate value for the separation process. The lowest energy consumption of the separation process is 0.58 kWh/kg nicotine with the process cost to be estimated at only $0.208 /kg nicotine. Naturally, electrodialysis is a high-efficiency, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly process to separate and purify nicotine from tobacco juice.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.8 no.2 s.23
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• pp.15-27
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• 2004

The purpose of this paper is to improve the performance of Polymer electrolyte fuel cell(PEMFC) by studying the channel dimension of bipolar plates using commercial CFD program 'Fluent'. Simulations are done ranging from 0.5 to 3.0mm for different size in order to find the channel size which shoves the highst hydrogen consumption. The results showed that the smaller channel width, land width, channel depth, the higher hydrogen consumption in anode. When channel width is increased, the pressure drop in channel is decreased because total channel length Is decreased, and when land width is increased, the net hydrogen consumption is decreased because hydrogen is diffused under the land width. It is also found that the influence of hydrogen consumption is larger at different channel width than it at different land width. The change of hydrogen consumption with different channel depth isn't as large as it with different channel width, but channel depth has to be small as can as it does because it has influence on the volume of bipolar plates. however the hydrogen utilization among the channel sizes more than 1.0mm which can be machined in reality is the most at channel width 1.0, land width 1.0, channel depth 0.5mm and considered as optimum channel size. The fuel cell combined with 2cm${\times}$2cm diagonal or serpentine type flow field and MEA(Membrane Electrode Assembly) is tested using 100W PEMFC test station to confirm that the channel size studied in simulation. The results showed that diagonal and serpentine flow field have similarly high OCV and current density of diagonal (low field is higher($2-40mA/m^2$) than that of serpentine flow field under 0.6 voltage, but the current density of serpentine type has higher performance($5-10mA/m^2$) than that of diagonal flow field under 0.7-0.8 voltage.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.255-260
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• 2011

$NH_4{^+}-{\beta}^{{\prime}{\prime}}$-alumina which is expected to an inorganic solid electrolyte of high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) was prepared by ion-exchange reaction of $K^{+}-{\beta}^{{\prime}{\prime}}$-alumina pellet with $NH_4NO_3$ aqueous solution and molten $NH_4NO_3$ salts as an ion-exchange medium in the autoclave and the heating mentle reaction. In the autoclave reaction, the concentrations of $NH_4NO_3$ solution was chosen at 5 and 10 M. Each ion-exchange reaction was carried out at 130, 150, 170, and $200^{\circ}C$ for 2, 4, 6 and 8 h. In the heating mentle reaction, ion-exchange was performed at $200^{\circ}C$ for 2, 4, 6 and 8 h with molten $NH_4NO_3$ salts. In order to determine the effect of reaction times, each ion-exchange reaction was repeated 3 times. The phase stability and the ion-exchange rate of $NH_4{^+}-{\beta}^{{\prime}{\prime}}$-alumina were analyzed by XRD and ICP.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.32-39
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• 2024

The key components of a Phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC) are an electrode catalyst, an electrolyte matrix and a gas diffusion layer (GDL). In this study, we introduced a microporous layer on the GDL of PAFC to enhance liquid electrolyte management and overall electrochemical performance of PAFC. MPL is primarily used in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells to serve as an intermediate buffer layer, effectively managing water within the electrode and reducing contact resistance. In this study, electrodes were fabricated using GDLs with and without MPL to examine the influence of MPL on the performance of PAFC. Internal resistance and polarization curves of the unit cell were measured and compared to each other to assess the impact of MPL on PAFC electrode performance. As the results, the application of MPL improved power density from 170.2 to 192.1 mW/cm². MPL effectively managed electrolyte and water within the matrix and electrode, enhancing stability. Furthermore, the application of MPL reduced internal resistance in the electrode, resulting in sustained and stable performance even during long-term operation.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.124.2-124.2
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• 2010

Generally, a coolant of the nuclear power plant is manufactured by electrolyzing the sea water near the plant for making the sodium hypochlorite(NaOCl), which is used for sterilizing the bacteria and the shellfishes sticking to the drains or the pumps at the outlet of the cooling system due to $8-10^{\circ}C$ warmer temperature than the inlet sea water. During manufacturing the sodium hypochlorite, the hydrogen with the high purity is also produced at the anode side of the electrolyzer. This paper describes a novel power plant system combined with the polymer electrolyte membrane(PEM) fuel cell, the wasted hydrogen from the sea water electrolyzer and the wasted heat of the nuclear power plant. The present status over the exhausted hydrogen at twenty nuclear power plants in Korea was investigated in this study, from which an available power generation is estimated. Furthermore, the economic feasibility of the PEM fuel cell power plant is also evaluated by a current regulations over the power production and exchange using a renewable energy shown in Korea Power Exchange(KRX).

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 2020

Epoxy/carbon composite was used to prepare a bipolar plate for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Phenol novolac-type epoxy and diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA)-type epoxy mixture was used as a matrix and graphite powder, carbon fiber (CF) and graphite fiber (GF) were used as carbon materials. In order to improve the mechanical properties of the bipolar plate, surface-modified CF was incorporated into the epoxy/carbon composite. To determine the cure temperature of the epoxy mixture, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis was performed and the data were introduced to Kissinger equation in order to get reaction activation energy and pre-exponential factor. Tensile and flexural strength was obtained by using universal testing machine (UTM). The surface morphology of the fractured specimen and the interfacial morphology between epoxy matrix and CF or GF were observed by a scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.132-145
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• 2014

There is a general agreement that performance of hydrogen fuel cell vehicle(FCV) with respect to cold start, packaging, acceleration, refueling time and range has progressed to the point where vehicles that could be brought to market in 2015_2020 will satisfy customer expectations. However cost, durability and the lack of refueling infrastructure remain significant barriers. Cost have been dramatically reduced and durability has been enhanced over the past decade, yet are still about twice what appears to be needed sustainable market success. Advanced Technologies for the commercialization of hydrogen FCV were reviewed.