• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.1013-1021
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• 2020

A combination of simultaneous thermal analysis, evolved gas analysis and non-ambient XRD techniques was used to characterise and investigate the conversion reactions of ammonium uranates into uranium oxides. Two solid phases of the ternary system NH₃ - UO₃ - H₂O were synthesised under specified conditions. Microspheres prepared by the sol-gel method via internal gelation were identified as 3UO₃·2NH₃·4H₂O, whereas the product of a typical ammonium diuranate precipitation reaction was associated to the composition 3UO₃·NH₃·5H₂O. The thermal decomposition profile of both compounds in air feature distinct reaction steps towards the conversion to U₃O₈, owing to the successive release of water and ammonia molecules. Both compounds are converted into α-U₃O₈ above 550 ℃, but the crystallographic transition occurs differently. In compound 3UO₃·NH₃·5H₂O (ADU) the transformation occurs via the crystalline β-UO₃ phase, whereas in compound 3UO₃·2NH₃·4H₂O (microspheres) an amorphous UO₃ intermediate was observed. The new insights obtained on these uranate systems improve the information base for designing and synthesising minor actinide-containing target materials in future applications.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.286-290
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• 2011

Syngas was produced out of pellet refuse derived fuel (RDF) produced from an RDF production facility of W city, Korea. A two-stage gasification system was developed to use the RDF char as an auxiliary heat source for gasification reaction. The composition and heating value of syngas as well as the heating value of residual product (char) were measured at a different residence time to investigate the optimal operating condition of the two-stage gasification system for syngas production. The optimal char residence time to minimize the energy cost due to an external heat source supply was also deduced.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.1325-1334
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• 2022

Global warming has accelerated in recent decades due to the continuous consumption of petroleum-based fuels. Cyanobacteria-derived biofuels are a promising carbon-neutral alternative to fossil fuels that may help achieve a cleaner environment. Here, we propose an effective strategy based on the large-scale cultivation of a newly isolated cyanobacterial strain to produce phycobiliprotein and biodiesel, thus demonstrating the potential commercial applicability of the isolated microalgal strain. A native cyanobacterium was isolated from Goryeong, Korea, and identified as Pseudanabaena mucicola GO0704 through 16s RNA analysis. The potential exploitation of P. mucicola GO0704 was explored by analyzing several parameters for mixotrophic culture, and optimal growth was achieved through the addition of sodium acetate (1 g/l) to the BG-11 medium. Next, the cultures were scaled up to a stirred-tank bioreactor in mixotrophic conditions to maximize the productivity of biomass and metabolites. The biomass, phycobiliprotein, and fatty acids concentrations in sodium acetate-treated cells were enhanced, and the highest biodiesel productivity (8.1 mg/l/d) was achieved at 96 h. Finally, the properties of the fuel derived from P. mucicola GO0704 were estimated with converted biodiesels according to the composition of fatty acids. Most of the characteristics of the final product, except for the cloud point, were compliant with international biodiesel standards [ASTM 6761 (US) and EN 14214 (Europe)].

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.343-352
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• 2022

Co/Al₂O₃ nanopowder was used as a catalyst to investigate the effect of catalyst support, reduction temperature, sodium borohydride (NaBH₄) concentration, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) concentration, and reaction temperature on the characteristics of NaBH₄ hydrolysis. The Co/Al₂O₃ nanopowder showed a high catalytic activity among various catalysts. Catalyst reduction at 250℃ exhibited a relatively good activity. The activity decreased with an increase in the NaBH₄ concentration. Conversely, the activity increased and then decreased with an increase in the NaOH concentration. Additionally, the activity increased with an increase in the reaction temperature. The value of apparent activation energy was 40.81 kJ/mol, which was lower than the other Co-based catalysts. Thus, Co/Al₂O₃ nanopowder catalyst can be widely used for NaBH₄ hydrolysis owing to its superior catalytic activity.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.845-855
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• 2022

In response to climate change, the world is continuing efforts to reduce fossil fuels, expand renewable energy, and improve energy efficiency with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality. In particular, R&D is being made on the value chain covering the entire cycle of hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and utilization in order to shift the energy supply system to focus on hydrogen energy. Hydrogen-based energy sources can produce heat and electricity at the same time, so it is possible to utilize heat energy, which can increase overall efficiency. In this study, calculation of the optimal scale for hydrogen-based cogeneration and the composition of heat sources were reviewed. It refers to a method of the optimal heat source size according to the external heat supply and heat storage to be considered. The results of this study can be used as basic data for establishing a hydrogen-based energy supply model in the future.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.531-537
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• 2023

Municipal solid waste landfills are unpredictable bioreactors which in cases of mishandling and bad supervision presents numerous risks. The key to municipal waste landfills is to approach them from the point of prevention of the possible consequences, which means using methods of organized waste disposal, and also utilizing landfill gas, as an unavoidable consequence with disposal of municipal solid waste with a high share of biodegradable organic matter. This paper presents an overview about problems of solid municipal waste management, type and composition of waste, and an overview of waste management condition. Further, the problem of landfill and landfill gasses is described with the calculation models of landfill production, as well as the use of the SWM GHG Calculator and LandGEM software on a specific example of gas production for the central zone at Sarajevo landfill "Smiljevici". Main focus of this thesis is the analysis of potentials of greenhouse gas emission reduction measures from the waste management. Overview of the best available techniques in waste management is presented as well as the methodology used for calculations. Scenarios of greenhouse gas emission reduction in waste management were defined so that emissions were calculated using the appropriate model. In the final section of the paper, its description of the problem of collection and utilization the landfill gas at the sanitary landfill "Smiljevici", and implementation of the system for landfill gas collection and solution suggestion for the gasification and exploitation of gas. Energy, environmental and economic benefits can be accomplished by utilizing municipal solid waste as fuel in industry and energy and moreover by utilizing energy generation from landfill gas, which this thesis emphasizes.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.258-267
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• 2017

In this study, pitch pine (Pinus rigida, PIR) and Mongolian oak (Quercus mongolica, QUM) pellets were fabricated with bark or/and drying waste liquor (DWL) of larch (Larix kaempferi, LAK) as an additive. Based on the results of fuel characteristics of the pellets, optimal conditions for producing the high-quality pellets were provided. In the analysis of chemical composition, bark contained holocelluose and lignin of 90% and over. DWL had 0.1% solid assumed to sugars which are generated from the oven-drying of LAK logs. QUM showed high ash content (2.2%) by containing of bark in the sawdust. Bark and DWL of LAK had high ash content of 4% and over. Calorific values of all specimens and additives were higher than that of the $1^{st}$-grade standard of wood pellets designated by NIFOS (18.0 MJ/kg). PIR and QUM pellets were fabricated with additive of 2 wt% based on the solid weight of oven-dried sawdust using a piston-type flat-die pelletizer, and thus ash content and calorific value of the pellets did not affect by the use of additive. Durability of the pellets increased with the use of additive. Durabilties of pellets, which were fabricated with bark as an additive and DWL as a controller of moisture content for sawdust, did not differ from those of pellets without additives and were lower than those of pellets either with bark or DWL. However, use of both bark and DWL for the production of wood pellets might be favorable because it can make a profit from the collection process of DWL. Based on the results of fuel characteristics of the pellets, QUM and PIR pellets were produced by a flat-die pelletizer. Moisture content (MC), bulk density and durability of the pellets improved with the use of additive. Particularly, sawdust MC of 10% and the addition of bark or DWL for PIR as well as sawdust MC of 12% and the addition of bark for QUM might be optimal conditions for the production of high-quality pellets. Except for the ash content of QUM pellets, other properties of PIR and QUM pellets exceeded the $1^{st}$-grade wood pellets standards of NIFOS.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.10 no.7
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• pp.1086-1091
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• 1999

$K^+-{\beta}/{\beta}"-Al_2O_3$ in the ternary system $K_2O-MgO-Al_2O_3$ was directly synthesized by solid state reaction. The phase formation and phase relation were carefully investigated in relation to starting composition, calcining temperature and time, and dispersion medium. The optimal synthetic condition was also examined for the formation of ${\beta}"-Al_2O_3$ phase with a maximum fraction. As a composition range, the mole ratio of $K_2O$ to $Al_2O_3$ was changed from 1:5 to 1:6.2 and the amount of MgO used as a stabilizer was varied from 4.2 wt % to 6.3 wt %. The calcining temperature was selected between $1000^{\circ}C$ and $1500^{\circ}C$. At $1000^{\circ}C$, the ${\beta}/{\beta}"-Al_2O_3$ phases began to form resulted from the combining of ${\alpha}-Al_2O_3$ and $KAlO_2$ and increased with temperature rising. All of ${\alpha}-Al_2O_3$ phase disappeared to be homogenized to the ${\beta}/{\beta}"-Al_2O_3$ phase at $1200^{\circ}C$. Near the temperature at $1300^{\circ}C$, the fraction of ${\beta}"-Al_2O_3$ phase showed a maximum value with the composition of $K_{1.67}Mg_{0.67}Al_{10.33}O_{17}$. At temperatures above $1300^{\circ}C$, the fraction of ${\beta}"-Al_2O_3$ phase decreased gradually owing to $K_2O$ loss caused by a high potassium vapor pressure, and the appropriate calcining time was about 5 hours. Acetone was more effective than distilled water as a dispersion medium for milling and mixing.

• Clean Technology
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• v.13 no.1 s.36
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• pp.54-63
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• 2007

Even traces of CO in the hydrogen-rich feed gas to proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) poison the platinum anode electrode and dramatically decrease the power output. In this work, a variety of catalytic materials consisting of $Cu/Ce_xZr_{1-x}O_2$, (x = 0.0-1.0) were synthesised, characterized and tested for CO oxidation and preferential oxidation of CO (PROX). These catalysts prepared by hydrothermal and deposition-precipitation methods. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, XRF, SEM, BET, $N_2O$ titration and oxygen storage capacity (OSC) measurement. The effects of composition of the support and degree of excess oxygen were investigated fur activity and $CO_2$ selectivity with different temperatures. The composition of the support markedly influenced the PROX activity. Among the various $Cu/Ce_xZr_{1-x}O_2$ catalysts having different composition, $Cu/Ce_{0.9}Zr_{0.1}O_2$ and $Cu/Ce_{0.7}Zr_{0.3}O_2$ showed the highest activities (>99%) and selectivities (ca.50%) in the temperature range of $150{\sim}160^{\circ}C$. It was found that by using of $Ce_xZr_{1-x}O_2$ mixed oxide support which possesses a high oxygen storage capacity, oxidation-reduction activity of Cu-based catalyst was improved, which resulted in the increase of catalytic activity and selectivity of CO oxidation in excess $H_2$ environments.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.114-121
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• 2002

Alkali metal compounds existed in original coal or sorbents are exhausted as vapor or small particle at the outlet of combustor when operating PFBC power plant. These compounds can be removed with dust removal equipment, but total generation efficiency will be decreased because of lower operating temperature of dust removal equipment. Alkali metal contained in vapor phase is initially deposited onto turbine blade results in serious corrosion. The concentration of alkali vapor in the PFBC flue gas is 20∼40 ppm which is dependent on mineral characteristics and composition as well as operating condition of PFBC. However, the allowance limit of alkali metal vapor is assigned as less than 50 ppb for gas turbine when coal or oil is used as fuel. Therefore, alkali metal vapor in PFBC or IGCC process should be removed by solid sorbents to prevent corrosion of turbine blade and improve plant efficiency. In the present investigation, powder of Bauxite, Kaolinite and Limestone is used in the preparation of cylinder-type pellet which is inserted into the pressurized alkali removal reactor for the alkali absorption experiment. Experimental results showed that the alkali removal efficiency in the order of Bauxite, Kaolinite and Limestone. Alkali vapor removal efficiency is related with reaction temperature, porosity of pellet and alkali vapor concentration of flue gas.