• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.836-844
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• 2009

A denitrification bacterium was isolated from riverbed soil and identified as Ochrobactrum sp., whose specific enzymes for denitrification metabolism were biochemically assayed or confirmed with specific coding genes. The denitrification activity of strain G3-1 was proportional to glucose/nitrate balance, which was consistent with the theoretical balance (0.5). The modified graphite felt cathode with neutral red, which functions as a solid electron mediator, enhanced the electron transfer from electrode to bacterial cell. The porous carbon anode was coated with a ceramic membrane and cellulose acetate film in order to permit the penetration of water molecules from the catholyte to the outside through anode, which functions as an air anode. A non-compartmented electrochemical bioreactor (NCEB) comprised of a solid electron mediator and an air anode was employed for cultivation of G3-1 cells. The intact G3-1 cells were immobilized in the solid electron mediator, by which denitrification activity was greatly increased at the lower glucose/nitrate balance than the theoretical balance (0.5). Metabolic stability of the intact G3-1 cells immobilized in the solid electron mediator was extended to 20 days, even at a glucose/nitrate balance of 0.1.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2005.03a
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• pp.910-915
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• 2005

In this study a series of tests(bench scale test) are carried out for increasing in strength of clayey soil by EK-Injection method. In addition, the effects of strength increase in the treated sample are measured by operating the vane shear test device during 25 days at 5 days intervals in order to estimate the effect of ground improvement caused by diffusion. The test results show that the strength increase was developed approximately double to 7 times in comparison to initial shear strength, and outstanding strength increase was created as much as 7 times while injecting the sodium silicate and phosphoric acid in anolyte and catholyte. In addition, the measured shear strength with the influence of diffusion and reduction of water-content had a tendency to converge in constant value in proportion to elapsed time. As a result of this study, strength increment developed by the influence of EK-Injection and diffusion rather than the reduction of water-content were high as 1000% on average

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.91-96
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• 2001

Restoration of contaminated soils to an environmentally acceptable condition is important. One of the newer techniques in soil remediation is a method based on electrokinetic phenomena in soils. The technology uses electricity to affect chemical concentrations and water flow through the pores of soils. An important advantage of electrokinetic soil remediation over other in-situ processes such as soil flushing is the capability of control over the movement of the contaminants. Because the migration of the contaminants is confined by the electric field, there is little dispersion outside the treatment zone. Furthermore, the process is effective for soils with low and variable permeability. In the present study, the distributions of cadmium in the electrokinetic processing of kaolinite under the condition of constant applied voltage are investigated. Cadmium accumulates near the cathode without reducing the diffusion of hydroxide ion into the soil. In keeping the catholyte pH at neutrality, cadmium migrates toward the cathode without any accumulation of cadmium near the cathode and is successfully removed at the cathode reservoir. It was also found that the progress of electrokinetic processing of cadmium could be gasped to a certain extent by monitoring the local voltage and the current density.

• Journal of ILASS-Korea
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.69-79
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• 2017

When designing a redox flow battery system, compression of battery stack is required to prevent leakage of electrolyte and to reduce contact resistance between cell components. In addition, stack compression leads to deformation of the porous carbon electrode, which results in lower porosity and smaller cross-sectional area for electrolyte flow. In this paper, we investigate the effects of electrode compression on the cell performance by applying multi-dimensional, transient model of all-vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB). Simulation result reveals that large compression leads to greater pressure drop throughout the electrodes, which requires large pumping power to circulate electrolyte while lowered ohmic resistance results in better power capability of the battery. Also, cell compression results in imbalance between anolyte and catholyte and convective crossover of vanadium ions through the separator due to large pressure difference between negative and positive electrodes. Although it is predicted that the battery power is quickly improved due to the reduced ohmic resistance, the capacity decay of the battery is accelerated in the long term operation when the battery cell is compressed. Therefore, it is important to optimize the battery performance by taking trade-off between power and capacity when designing VRFB system.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.1120-1128
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• 2004

The SCBFC was composed of bilayered cathode, the outside of which was modified with $Fe^{3+}$ (graphite-Fe(III) cathode) and the inside of which was porcelain membrane, and of an anode which was modified with $Mn^{4+}$ (graphite­Mn(lV) anode). The graphite-Fe(III), graphite-Mn(IV), and porcelain membrane were designed to have micropores. The outside of the cathode was exposed to the atmosphere and the inside was contacted with porcelain membrane. In all SCBFCS the graphite-Fe(III) was used as a cathode, and graphite-Mn(IV) and normal graphite were used as anodes, for comparison of the function between normal graphite and graphite-Mn(IV) anode. The potential difference between graphite-Mn(IV) anode and graphite-Fe(III) cathode was about 0.3 volt, which is the source for the electron driving force from anode to cathode. In chemical fuel cells composed of the graphite-Mn(IV) anode and graphite-Fe(III) cathode, a current of maximal 13 mA was produced coupled to oxidation of NADH to $NAD^{+}$ the current was not produced in SCBFC with normal graphite anode. When growing and resting cells of E. coli were applied to the SCBFC with graphite-Mn(IV) anode, the electricity production and substrate consumption were 6 to 7 times higher than in the SCBFC with normal graphite anode, and when we applied anaerobic sewage sludge to SCBFC with graphite-Mn(IV) anode, the electricity production and substrate consumption were 3 to 5 times higher than in the SCBFC with normal graphite anode. These results suggest that useful electric energy might possibly be produced from SCBFC without electron mediators, electrode-active bacteria, and extra energy consumption for the aeration of catholyte, but with wastewater as a fuel.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.1019-1027
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• 2009

A noncompartmented microbial fuel cell (NCMFC) composed of a Mn(IV)-carbon plate and a Fe(III)-carbon plate was used for electricity generation from organic wastewater without consumption of external energy. The Fe(III)-carbon plate, coated with a porous ceramic membrane and a semipermeable cellulose acetate film, was used as a cathode, which substituted for the catholyte and cathode. The Mn(IV)-carbon plate was used as an anode without a membrane or film coating. A solar cell connected to the NCMFC activated electricity generation and bacterial consumption of organic matter contained in the wastewater. More than 99% of the organic matter was biochemically oxidized during wastewater flow through the four NCMFC units. A predominant bacterium isolated from the anode surface in both the conventional and the solar cell-linked NCMFC was found to be more than 99% similar to a Mn(II)-oxidizing bacterium and Burkeholderia sp., based on 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The isolate reacted electrochemically with the Mn(IV)-modified anode and produced electricity in the NCMFC. After 90 days of incubation, a bacterial species that was enriched on the Mn(IV)-modified anode surface in all of the NCMFC units was found to be very similar to the initially isolated predominant species by comparing 16S rDNA sequences.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.458-463
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• 2007

An experimental study on scale-up of Electro-electrodialysis(EED) to increase the efficiency of HI decomposition section in the IS(Iodine-Sulfur) process was carried out. The EED stack extends the effective area of the membrane to 20 times of that formerly used in a single EED unit cell. The experiment was carried out using HIx solution($HI:H_2O:I_2=1:8.4{\sim}9:1.85{\sim}1.9$) at $100^{\circ}C$ and various solution flow rates of 20, 30, 40 and 50 cc/min. The increased HI molality in catholyte after one-pass throughout from the EED stack was 3 mol/kg-$H_2O$, 2.2 mol/kg-$H_2O$, 2 mol/kg-$H_2O$ and 1.37 mol/kg-$H_2O$ at 20, 30, 40 and 50 cc/min, respectively. These values satisfied the target of HI molality(the increase of HI molality: 2 mol/kg-$H_2O$) in the IS process for hydrogen production of 20 L/hr.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.1765-1773
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• 2013

The cathode reaction is one of the most seriously limiting factors in a microbial fuel cell (MFC). The critical dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration of a platinum-loaded graphite electrode was reported as 2.2 mg/l, about 10-fold higher than an aerobic bacterium. A series of MFCs were run with the cathode compartment inoculated with activated sludge (biotic) or not (abiotic) on platinum-loaded or bare graphite electrodes. At the beginning of the operation, the current values from MFCs with a biocathode and abiotic cathode were $2.3{\pm}0.1$ and $2.6{\pm}0.2mA$, respectively, at the air-saturated water supply in the cathode. The current from MFCs with an abiotic cathode did not change, but that of MFCs with a biotic cathode increased to 3.0 mA after 8 weeks. The coulomb efficiency was 59.6% in the MFCs with a biotic cathode, much higher than the value of 15.6% of the abiotic cathode. When the DO supply was reduced, the current from MFCs with an abiotic cathode decreased more sharply than in those with a biotic cathode. When the respiratory inhibitor azide was added to the catholyte, the current decreased in MFCs with a biotic cathode but did not change in MFCs with an abiotic cathode. The power density was higher in MFCs with a biotic cathode ($430W/m^3$ cathode compartment) than the abiotic cathode MFC ($257W/m^3$ cathode compartment). Electron microscopic observation revealed nanowire structures in biofilms that developed on both the anode and on the biocathode. These results show that an electron-consuming bacterial consortium can be used as a cathode catalyst to improve the cathode reaction.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 1962

Bench-scale horizontal cation-permeable membrane cells were constructed to study the effect of cell dimensions on the efficiency of electrolytic reduction of uranyl sulphate solutions flowing continuously over a mercury cathode. Current efficiencies were determined for various cells having length-to-width ratios of 10/1 to 40/1, and for catholyte solutions containing from 20 to 100g $U_3O_8/l$ in sulphuric acid. Optimum current density and solution flowrate were determined under these conditions. The effects of the nitrate and chloride ions were briefly examined.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.462-471
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• 2022

In this study, the electrochemical impedance characteristics of CO₂/H₂O co-reduction to produce CO/H₂ syngas were investigated in a low-temperature single cell. The effect of the operating conditions on the single-cell performance was evaluated at different feed concentrations and cell voltages, and the corresponding electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) data were collected and analyzed. The Nyquist plots exhibited two semicircles with separated characteristic frequencies of approximately 1 kHz and tens of Hz. The high-frequency semicircles, which depend only on the catholyte concentration, could be correlated to the charge transfer processes in competitive CO₂ reduction and hydrogen evolution reactions at the cathodes. The EIS characteristics of the CO₂/H₂O co-reduction single cell could be explained by the equivalent circuit suggested in this study. In this circuit, the cathodic mass transfer and anodic charge transfer processes are collectively represented by a parallel combination of resistance and a constant phase element to show low-frequency semicircles. Through nonlinear fitting using the equivalent circuit, the parameters for each electrochemical element, such as polarization resistances for high- and low-frequency processes, could be quantified as functions of feed concentration and cell voltage.