• 한국환경농학회지
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.24-29
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• 2012

BACKGROUND: In recent years, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have emerged as a promising technology for recovering renewable energy from waste biomass, especially wastewater. In this study, the possibility of bioelectricity generation in two chambered mediator-less microbial fuel cells (MFCs) was successfully demonstrated using fermentable and non-fermentable substrates. METHODS AND RESULTS: Two different electron acceptors have been tested in the cathode chamber for the effects of reducing agent on the power generation in MFCs. The average voltages of $0.26{\pm}0.014$ V and $0.36{\pm}0.02$ V were achieved with acetate using oxygen and potassium ferricyanide as reducing agent, respectively. Similarly, with glucose the average voltages of $0.256{\pm}0.05$ V and $0.340{\pm}0.04$ V were obtained using oxygen and ferricyanide, respectively. Using potassium ferricyanide as the reducing agent, the power output increases by 39 and 43% with acetate and glucose, respectively, as compared to the dissolved oxygen. Slightly higher coulombic efficiency (CE%) was obtained in acetate as compared to MFCs operated with glucose. The maximum power densities of 124 mW/$m^2$ and 204 mW/$m^2$ were obtained using dissolved oxygen and $K_3Fe(CN)_6$, respectively. CONCLUSION(s): This study demonstrates that power generation from the MFCs can be influenced significantly by the different types of catholyte. Relatively higher CE was obtained with $K_3Fe(CN)_6$. Thus, application of $K_3Fe(CN)_6$ as the catholyte can be vital for scaling uppower generation from the MFCs forreal time applications.

• 한국물환경학회지
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• 제29권6호
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• pp.808-812
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• 2013

A new type of microbial fuel cell (MFC) with anaerobic membrane filter was designed to produce bioelectricity and to treat domestic sewage at relatively high organic loading rate (OLR) of $6.25kgCOD/m^3/day$ and short hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 1.9 h. A following aeration system was applied to ensure effluent water quality in continuous operation. Glucose was supplemented to increase the influent concentration of domestic sewage. Influent substrate of 95% was removed via the MFC and following aeration system and the corresponding maximum power density was $25.6mW/m^3$. External resistor of $200{\Omega}$ and air-cathode system contributed better MFC performance comparing to $2000{\Omega}$ and dissolved oxygen as a catholyte.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.297-301
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• 2021

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) convert chemical energy to electrical energy via electrochemically active microorganisms. The interactions between microbes and the surface of a carbon electrode play a vital role in capturing the respiratory electrons from bacteria. Therefore, improvements in the electrochemical and physicochemical properties of carbon materials are essential for increasing performance. In this study, a microwave and sulfuric acid treatment was used to modify the surface structure of graphite granules. The prepared expandable graphite granules (EGG) exhibited a 1.5 times higher power density than the unmodified graphite granules (1400 vs. 900 mW/m³). Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed improved physical and chemical characteristics of the EGG surface. These results suggest that physical and chemical surface modification using sulfuric acid and microwave heating improves the performance of electrode-based bioprocesses, such as MFCs.

• 한국해양공학회지
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• 제37권4호
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• pp.172-179
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• 2023

Biofouling initiated by biofilm (slime) formation is a key challenge for practical ocean engineering and construction. This study evaluated a new anti-biofilm technology using bioelectricity. The anti-microfouling electrical technology is based on the principles of the bioelectric effect, known as the application of an electrostatic force for biofilm removal. Previously, the electricity was optimized below 0.82V to avoid electrolysis, which can prevent the production of biocides. A test boat comprised of microelectronics for electrical signal generation with electrodes for an anti-biofouling effect was developed. The tests were conducted in the West Sea of Korea (Wangsan Marina, Incheon) for three weeks. The surface biofouling was quantified. A significant reduction of fouling was observed under the bioelectric effect conditions, with approximately 30% enhanced prevention of fouling progress (P<0.05). This technology can be an alternative eco-friendly technique for anti-microfouling that can be applied for canals, vessels, and coastal infrastructure because it does not induce electrolysis.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.363-367
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• 2014

One chambered sediment microbial fuel cell (SMFC) was equipped with Fe, brass (Cu/Zn), Fe/Zn, Cu, Cu/carbon cloth and graphite felt anode. Graphite felt was used as common cathode. The SMFC was membrane-less and mediator-less as well. Order of anodic performance on the basis of power density was Fe/Zn ($6.90Wm^{-2}$) > Fe ($6.03Wm^{-2}$) > Cu/carbon cloth ($2.13Wm^{-2}$) > Cu ($1.13Wm^{-2}$) > brass ($Cu/Zn=0.24Wm^{-2}$) > graphite felt ($0.10Wm^{-2}$). Fe/Zn composite anode have twisted 6.73% more power than Fe alone, Cu/carbon cloth boosted power production by 65%, and brass (Cu/Zn) produced 65% less power than Cu alone. Graphite felt have shown the lowest electricity generation because of its poor galvanic potential. The estuarine sediment served as supplier of oxidants or electron producing microbial flora, which evoked electrons via a complicated direct microbial electron transfer mechanism or making biofilm, respectively. Oxidation reduction was kept to be stationary over time except at the very initial period (mostly for sediment positioning) at anodes. Based on these findings, cost effective and efficient anodic material can be suggested for better SMFC configurations and stimulate towards practical value and application.

• 한국정보통신학회논문지
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• 제14권12호
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• pp.2827-2835
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• 2010

임계치 이하의 자극이 주어지면 흥분막은 어떤 특이한 반응을 나타내지 않으나 어느 정도 이상이 되면 아주 다른 양상을 띄게 된다. 흥분막에는 이러한 특성이 있다는 것이 진작부터 알려져 있었고, 일부 연구자들이 이러한 현상을 전기적인 회로를 이용하여 정량적으로 해석하려 노력하였으나 그것은 임계치 이하의 경우에 대한 것에 불과하다. 특히 임계치 이상의 자극에 대한 반응을 정량적으로 연구한 경우는 극히 드물다. 그런데 전기회로와 생체는 비슷한 점도 있지만 다른 면도 많아서 그대로 이를 적용하기에는 무리가 있다. 이러한 이유로 인하여 본 논문에서는 생체막이 임계치 이상의 자극을 받았을 때에 어떠한 현상을 나타내는가를 전기적인 관점에서 정량적으로 연구하였다

• 한국물환경학회지
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.681-686
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• 2010

Two different MFC designs were evaluated in batch mode: single compartment combined membrane-electrodes (SCME) design and twin-compartment brush-type anode electrodes (TBE) design (single chamber with two air cathodes and brush anodes at each side of the reactor). In SCME MFC, carbon anode and cathode electrodes were assembled with a proton exchange membrane (PEM). TBE MFC was consisted of brush-type anode and carbon cloth cathode electrodes without the PEM. A brush-type anode was fabricated with carbon fibers and was placed close to the cathode electrode to reduce the internal resistance. Substrates used in this study were glucose, leachate from cattle manure, or sucrose at different concentrations with phosphate buffer solution (PBS) of 200 mM to increase the conductivity thereby reduce the internal resistance. Hydrogen generating bacteria (HGB) were only inoculated in TBE MFC. The peak power densities ($P_{peak}$) produced from the SCME systems fed with glucose and leachate were 18.8 and $28.7mW/m^2$ at external loads of 1000 ohms, respectively. And the $P_{peak}$ produced from TBE MFC were 40.1 and $18.3mW/m^2$ at sucrose concentration of 5 g/L and external loads of 470 ohms, with a mediator (2-hydroxy-1, 4-naphthoquinone) and without the mediator, respectively. The maximum power density ($P_{max}$) produced from mediator present TBE MFC was $115.3mW/m^2$ at 47 ohms of an external resistor.

• 한국컴퓨터산업학회논문지
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• 제8권4호
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• pp.295-302
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• 2007

모바일 컴퓨팅은 무선이동체 통신과 휴대 정보 터미널, 인터넷을 이용하여, 컴퓨터와 인체의 정보 기술을 효과적으로 연계시켜, when, where, who, 이동하면서 사용이 가능한 현대 기술의 중추 적인 역할을 제공하며 새로운 기술을 생리학적 측정으로 재고하고, 창조적으로 재건 할 수 있다. 특히, 고령화 사회에서 병적 징후들이 질병으로 발전되기 이전에 생체 변화를 유도하는 과정에 개입할 수 있는 가능성을 제공해 줄 수가 있다. 그러나 많은 파라미터가 데이터처리, 데이터의 기준화의 모호함, 데이터의 동시수집이 어려움 등을 들 수 있다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 모바일 컴퓨팅을 활용하여 시간적 제한요소를 배제하고, 정확한 분석이 되는 접근으로 분석이 타당하고 생체전기 신호를 바탕으로 하는 모바일 신경역학적 코드화 방법을 채택하여 시스템을 구현하여 실험한 결과, 생체 신호 모바일 분석 장치의 모델이 될 수가 있었다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제26권12호
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• pp.2171-2178
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• 2016

Polyester cloth (PC) was selected as a prospective inexpensive substitute separator material for microbial fuel cells (MFCs). PC was compared with a traditional Nafion proton exchange membrane (PEM) as an MFC separator by analyzing its physical and electrochemical properties. A single layer of PC showed higher mass transfer (e.g., for $O_2/H^+/ions$) than the Nafion PEM; in the case of oxygen mass transfer coefficient ($k_o$), a rate of $50.0{\times}10^{-5} cm{\cdot}s^{-1}$ was observed compared with a rate of $20.8{\times}10^{-5}cm/s$ in the Nafion PEM. Increased numbers of PC layers were found to reduce the oxygen mass transfer coefficient. In addition, the diffusion coefficient of oxygen ($D_O$) for PC ($2.0-3.3{\times}10^{-6}cm^2/s$) was lower than that of the Nafion PEM ($3.8{\times}10^{-6}cm^2/s$). The PC was found to have a low ohmic resistance ($0.29-0.38{\Omega}$) in the MFC, which was similar to that of Nafion PEM ($0.31{\Omega}$); this resulted in comparable maximum power density and maximum current density in MFCs with PC and those with Nafion PEMs. Moreover, a higher average current generation was observed in MFCs with PC ($104.3{\pm}15.3A/m^3$) compared with MFCs with Nafion PEM ($100.4{\pm}17.7A/m^3$), as well as showing insignificant degradation of the PC surface, during 177 days of use in swine wastewater. These results suggest that PC separators could serve as a low-cost alternative to Nafion PEMs for construction of cost-effective MFCs.