Hyung Keun Song

CO2 Recovery from Flue Gas by PSA Process using Activated Carbon

An experimental study was performed for the recovery of CO2 from flue gas of the electric power plant by pressure swing adsorption process. Activated carbon was used as an adsorbent. The equilibrium adsorption isotherms of pure component and breakthrough curves of their mixture (CO2 : N2 : O2=17 : 79 : 4 vol%) were measured. Pressure equalization step and product purge step were added to basic 4-step PSA for the recovery of strong adsorbates. Through investigation of the effects of each step and total feed rate, highly concentrated CO2 could be obtained by increasing the adsorption time, product purge time, and evacuation time simultaneously with full pressure-equalization. Based on the basic results, the 3-bed, 8-step PSA cycle with the pressure equalization and product purge step was organized. Maximum product purity of CO2 was 99.8% and recovery was 34%.

Effect of Electrical Pulse Forms on the CO2 Reforming of Methane Using Atmospheric Dielectric Barrier Discharge

Methane conversion using an electric discharge has been studied for many years. Recently, many research groups have developed high-frequency pulsed plasma reaction for methane conversion to higher hydrocarbons and synthesis gas. CO2 reforming of methane to synthesis gas has also attracted considerable interest as a method of utilization of the greenhouse gases, CO2 and CH4, which occupy most of man-made greenhouse gases. In this study, the influence of pulse form of applied voltage on methane and carbon dioxide conversions and product selectivity has been investigated using a cylindrical type DBD reactor. For this purpose, two kinds of power supply were compared, that is, AC power supply which has a high-frequency sinusoidal wave form, and AC pulse power supply which has modified AC pulse wave form. The conversions of methane and carbon dioxide were enhanced using pulsed plasma. The lower pulse width was more profitable economically.

Reduction of COD and Color of Acid and Reactive Dyestuff Wastewater Using Ozone

Wastewaters obtained from bromamine acid dye and reactive dye manufacturing were treated by ozone bubbling in a cylindrical batch reactor for the purpose of reducing COD to below 150 mg/L, which is the environmental discharge standard of the Republic of Korea. Remarkable COD reduction and decolorization were observed at pH over 11. High inlet gas flowrate and high concentration of ozone gave better results. Little precipitation was observed under the conditions of remarkable COD reduction. At pH of 11, 15 LPM of inlet gas flowrate and 89.3 g/Nm3 of ozone flowrate, the COD of bromamine acid dyestuff wastewater was reduced to 95 mg/L after 90 minutes, and the COD of reactive dyestuff wastewater was reduced to 120 mg/L after 120 minutes. Decolorization was completed after 30 minutes of reaction.

A direct synthesis tuning method of unstable first-order-plus-time-delay processes

Abstract A direct synthesis tuning method is proposed for the PI controller settings of unstable first-order-plus-time-delay processes. Unlike hitherto-known PI setting rules which often result in overshoots in time response or require the modification of the feedback control structure, this method ensures the overdamped response as desired while retaining the conventional PI control structure. This enhanced performance is possible by introducing a first-order set-point filter and applying simple rules for setting the values of the controller parameters without having any tuning parameters. The comparison with both conventional PI controllers and two-stage IMC method reveals that the proposed method produces not only smooth overdamped closed-loop response for set-point changes, but also fast regulatory control response for load changes. These responses are also shown to be quite robust against the uncertainties of the parameters as well as against the noise in the signal. The stability conditions for the processes having a large time delay or different ratios of time delay/time constant have been investigated as well. ©

Optimal design of a chemical heat pump using the 2-propanol/acetone/hydrogen system

Low-level thermal energy is upgraded by using the reversible reactions of 2-propanol dehydrogenation and acetone hydrogenation. A new design criterion for optimal operation is proposed using modeling and numerical simulation. Optimal values have been obtained for the reflux ratio and the number of trays of the distillation column for given operating conditions. Simulation results show that the enthalpy efficiency is affected by the reflux ratio, feed positions into the distillation column and reaction temperatures.

Conversion of methane to higher hydrocarbons in pulsed DC barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure

Conversion of methane to C2/C3 or higher hydrocarbons in a pulsed DC barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure was studied. Non-equilibrium plasma was generated in the barrier discharge reactor. In this plasma, electrons which had sufficient energy collided with the molecules of methane, which were then activated and coupled to C2/C3 or higher hydrocarbons. The effect of the change of applied voltage, pulse frequency and methane flow rate on methane conversion, selectivities and yields of products was studied. Methane conversion to higher hydrocarbons was about 25% as the maximum. Ethane, propane and ethylene were produced as primary products, including a small amount of unidentified C4 hydrocarbons. The selectivity and yield of ethane as a main product came to about 80% and 17% as the highest, respectively. The selectivities of ethane and ethylene were influenced not by the change of pulse frequency but by the change of applied voltage and methane flow rate. However, in case of propane, the selectivity was independent of those condition changes. The effect of the packing materials such as glass and A12O3 bead on methane conversion was also considered, showing that A12O3 played a role in enhancing the selectivity of ethane remarkably as a catalyst.

Methane Conversion Using Dielectric Barrier Discharge: Comparison with Thermal Process and Catalyst Effects

The direct conversion of methane using a dielectric barrier discharge has been experimentally studied. Experiments with different values of flow rates and discharge voltages have been performed to investigate the effects on the conversion and reaction products both qualitatively and quantitatively. Experimental results indicate that the maximum conversion of methane has been 80% at an input flow rate of 5 ml/min and a discharge voltage of 4 kV. Experimental results also show that the optimum condition has occurred at a high discharge voltage and higher input flow rate. In terms of product distribution, a higher flow rate or shorter residence time can increase the selectivity for higher hydrocarbons. No hydrocarbon product was detected using the thermal method, except hydrogen and carbon. Increasing selectivity for ethane was found when Pt and Ru catalysts presented in the plasma reaction. Hydrogenation of acetylene in the catalyst surface could have been the reason for this phenomenon as the selectivity for acetylene in the products was decreasing.

Reaction pathways of methane conversion in dielectric-barrier discharge

Conversion of methane to C2, C3, C4 or higher hydrocarbons in a dielectric-barrier discharge was studied at atmospheric pressure. Non-equilibrium plasma was generated in the dielectric-barrier reactor. The effects of applied voltage on methane conversion, as well as selectivities and yields of products were studied. Methane conversion was increased with increasing the applied voltage. Ethane and propane were the main products in a dielectric-barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure. The reaction pathway of the methane conversion in the dielectric-barrier discharge was proposed. The proposed reaction pathways are important because they will give more insight into the application of methane coupling in a DBD at atmospheric pressure.

Partial Oxidation of Methane with Sol-Gel Fe/Hf/YSZ Catalyst in Dielectric Barrier Discharge : Catalyst Activation by Plasma

Abstract A 1% Fe-30% Hf over yttria-stabilized zirconia catalyst in combination with novel plasma-assisted activation techniques for a direct partial oxidation of methane to methanol was tested using dielectric barrier discharge plasma at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. However, instead of methanol, the reaction products were dominated by H 2 , CO, CO 2 , C 2 , and H 2 O. A catalytically activated plasma process increased the production of methanol compared with a noncatalytic plasma process. The maximum selectivity of methanol production was achieved using a catalyst that was treated at higher applied power.

The Effect of Vibrational Excitation of Molecules on Plasmachemical Reactions Involving Methane and Nitrogen

An experimental study of plasmachemical reaction involving CH4 and N2 molecules in rf discharge was studied in order to know the effect of vibrational excitation of N2 molecules. When the relative nitrogen concentration was greater than 0.8, the main product of CH4 decomposition was HCN, and the rate of methane decomposition at this condition was faster than that one in pure methane. These results could be confirmed through the mass spectroscopic method. The reason for these results is the vibrational energy of N2 excited by rf discharge. The chain reaction mechanisms of producing HCN by vibrational excitation of N2 were examined closely through numerical simulation. The rate-controlling step was the dissociation reaction of excited nitrogen molecule to the atomic nitrogen, so the process of HCN synthesis was limited by the value of reaction constant, kN.