Water electrolysis is an efficient method to enrich heavy hydrogen isotopes (tritium and deuterium) in the aqueous phase. Although an alkaline water electrolyzer has been commercialized for mass production of hydrogen, such a method requires additional purification steps to remove electrolytes from the final concentrates. On the other hand, proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) does not require additional electrolyte treatment steps, and PEMWE is operated at higher current density compared to the alkaline water electrolysis. In this study, we investigated deuterium and tritium separation from light water by PEMWE. Separation behaviors at the anode and cathode were analyzed, and H/D and H/T separation factors were compared.

Hydrogen isotopes (H, D, T) separation technologies have received great interest for treatments of tritiated liquid waste produced in Fukushima. In addition, the separated deuterium and tritium can be utilized in various industries such as semiconductors and nuclear fusion as expensive and rare resources. However, separating hydrogen isotopes in gas and liquid forms still requires energyintensive processes. To improve efficiency and performance of hydrogen isotope separation, we are developing water electrolysis, cryosorption, distillation, isotope exchange, and hydrophobic catalyst technologies. Furthermore, an analytical method is studied to evaluate the separation of hydrogen isotopes. This presentation introduces the current status of hydrogen isotope research in this research group.

This study reassess safety margin of the current Peak Cladding Temperature (PCT) limit of dry storage in terms of hydrogen migration by predicting axial hydrogen diffusion throughout dry storage with respect to wet storage time and average burnup. Applying the hydride nucleation, growth, and dissolution model, an axial finite difference method code for thermal diffusion of hydrogen in zirconium alloy was developed and validated against past experiments. The developed model has been implemented in GIFT – a nuclear fuel analysis code developed by Seoul National University. Various discharge burnups and wet storage time relevant to spent fuel characteristics of Korea were simulated. The result shows that that the amount of hydrogen migrated towards the axial end during dry storage for reference PWR spent fuel is limited to ~50 wppm. This result demonstrates that the current PCT margin is sufficient in terms of hydrogen migration.

Sulfur is an essential element in plants, including amino acids, vitamin synthesis, and acting as an antioxidant. However, the interaction between endogenous sulfur and proline synthesis has not been yet fully documented. White clover (Trifolium repens L.) is known as a species highly sensitive to sulfate supply. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the role of sulfur in regulating proline metabolism in relation to ammonia detoxification and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) accumulation in white clover. The detached leaves of white clover were immersed in solution containing different concentration of sulfate (0, 10, 100, and 1000 mM MgSO4). As MgSO4 concentrations were increased, the concentration of H2O2 increased up to 2.5-fold compared to control, accompanied with H2O2 detection in leaves. Amino acid concentrations significantly increased only at higher levels (100 and 1000 mM MgSO4). No significant difference was observed in protein concentration. Proline and Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C) concentrations slightly decreased at 10 and 100 mM MgSO4 treatments, whereas it rapidly increased over 1.9-fold at 1000 mM MgSO4 treatment. Ammonia concentrations gradually increased up to 8.6-fold. These results indicate that exogenous sulfur levels are closely related to H2O2 and ammonia synthesis but affect proline biosynthesis only at a higher level.

Hydrogen embrittlement refers to a phenomenon in which the ductility and toughness of steel materials are lowered by hydrogen absorbed in metal materials, especially steel, and the tendency to fracture without plastic deformation increases. Fracture due to hydrogen absorption is also called delayed fracture, and it mainly occurs at grain boundaries, stress concentration areas, or areas subject to tensile stress. From a practical point of view, hydrogen embrittlement is frequently associated with corrosion, welding, pickling, electroplating, etc., and in materials, it is prominently displayed in stainless steel or high tensile steel. Regarding the embrittlement mechanism, there is no generally accepted orthodoxy. In this study, A hydrogen embrittlement mechanism is proposed. In addition, the method of suppressing hydrogen embrittlement will be considered.

수소는 산소와 반응하여 전기에너지를 만들고 부산물로 물을 생성하므로 친환경 선박의 대체 연료로 대두되고 있다. 그러나 수소는 일반 화석연료와는 달리 낮은 점화 에너지와 높은 가연성 범위로 인하여 폭발의 위험성이 높은 물질이다. 그래서 선박에서 사용 되는 수소의 안전성을 확보하기 위해서 수소의 누출․확산에 관한 유동 특성을 연구하는 것은 매우 중요하다. 본 연구에서는 선박 내부 와 같은 밀폐공간에서 수소가 누출되었을 때 누출량, 통풍량, 환기 방식 등이 환기 성능에 어떤 영향을 미치는지에 대하여 수치적 해석을 수행하였다. 수치해석에는 CFD 상용 소프트웨어인 ANSYS CFX ver 18.1을 이용하였다. 누출량은 1  = 1 g/s로 하여 1 , 2 , 3 로 변경하 였고, 통풍량은 1 Q = 0.91 m/s로 하여 1 Q, 2 Q, 3 Q로 변경하였으며 환기 방식은 typeⅠ, typeⅡ, typeⅢ로 변경하면서 환기 성능을 분석하였 다. 누출량이 1 에서 3 로 증가할수록 저장실 내의 수소 몰분율(HMF)는 약 2.4 ~ 3.0배 높게 나타났으며 통풍량 증가는 누출량에 대비하 여 약 62.0 ~ 64.8 % 정도 환기 성능이 개선에 효과가 있었다. 그리고 폭발의 위험성을 낮추기 위한 통풍량은 최소 2 Q 이상 되어야 하며, 수 소탱크 저장실 내부의 부압 형성을 위해서는 type Ⅲ가 가장 적합한 방식이라고 판단하였다.

The effect of hydrogen peroxide on the electrochemical behavior of iron was investigated in perchlorate solutions. Iron showed four distinct behaviors in the perchlorate solutions of pH 3.0. First, the active dissolution regions of Fe with two current waves were observed in the potential range of −0.7 to 0 V (vs. SCE). Second, the stable passivation was found in the potential range between 0 and 0.3 V (vs. SCE). Third, unstable passivation region was observed in the potential range of 0.3 to 1.2 V (vs. SCE). Finally, pitting corrosion was observed at a potential above 1.2 V (vs. SCE). The pH increase stabilized the passivation process of iron, whereas the increase in temperature had a negative influence by enhancing the passivation and pitting behaviors of iron. The presence of hydrogen peroxide at the concentrations below 1.45 mM had an adverse effect on the formation of the passive layer. However, at concentrations above 1.45 mM, hydrogen peroxide affected a beneficial influence on the formation of stable iron oxide layer in the active dissolution region. In addition, regardless of the hydrogen peroxide concentration, the presence of hydrogen peroxide mitigated the pitting corrosion of iron.

The International Atomic Energy Agency recommends the deep geological disposal system as one of the disposal methods for high-level radioactive waste (HLW), such as spent nuclear fuel. The deep geological disposal system disposes of HLW in a deep and stable geological formation to isolate the HLW from the human biosphere and restrict the inflow of radionuclides into the ecosystem. It mainly consists of an engineered barrier and a natural barrier. Safety evaluation using a numerical model has been performed primarily to evaluate the buffer’s long-term stability. However, although the gas generation rate input for long-term stability evaluation is the critical factor that has the most significant influence on the long-term hydraulic-mechanical behavior of the buffer, in-depth research and experimental data are lacking. In this study, the gas generation rate on the interface between the disposal canister and the buffer material, a component of the engineered barrier, was mainly studied. Gas can be generated between the disposal canister and the buffer material due to various causes such as anaerobic corrosion of the disposal canister metal, organic matter decomposition, radiation decomposition, and steam generation due to high temperature. The generation of gas in such a disposal environment increases the pore gas pressure in the buffer and causes internal cracks. The occurred cracks increase the intrinsic permeability of the buffer, which leads to a decrease in the primary performance of the buffer. For this reason, it is essential to apply the appropriate gas generation rate according to the disposal condition and buffer material for accurate long-term stability analysis. Therefore, the theoretical models regarding the estimation of gas generation were summarized through a literature study. The amount of gas generated was estimated according to the disposal environment and material of the disposal canister. It is expected that estimated values might be used to estimate the long-term stability analysis of buffer performance according to the disposal condition.

수소는 지구 온난화의 주범인 온실가스(GHG) 배출을 감소시키고 선박용 친환경 연료로서 대두되고 있다. 수소는 가연 하한계 (Lower Flammability Limit, LFL)가 4 ~ 75 %이고 폭발 위험성이 큰 물질이다. 그래서 선박용으로 사용되려면 누출에 대비한 안전성이 충분히 확보되어야 한다. 본 연구에서는 수소탱크 저장실에서 수소 누출이 발생한 경우, 급․배기구의 면적 변화가 환기 성능에 미치는 영향을 분석하였다. 급․배기구의 면적은 1A = 740 mm × 740 mm이며 저장실 표면에 크기 및 위치 변경이 쉽도록 설정하였다. CFD 상용 소프트웨 어인 ANSYS CFX ver 18.1을 이용하여 급․배기구의 면적을 1A, 2A, 3A, 5A로 변경하였고, 면적 변화에 따른 저장실 내의 수소 몰분율을 분석하였다. 그 결과 급기구 면적이 배기구 면적 증가에 비해 누출 수소의 농도를 더 감소시켰으며 단일 급기구보다 최소 2A 이상에서 환기 성능이 향상되었다. 급기구의 면적이 증가할수록 수소 층화가 저장실 상부부터 균일하게 형성되었지만 LFL 범위는 벗어나 있었다. 그러나 배기구는 면적을 단순히 증가하는 것만으로는 환기 성능에 미치는 영향은 미비하였다.

강화되는 환경규제에 대응하기 위해서 세계 각국이 수소 경제로의 전환을 본격화하고 있으며, 이에 중장기적으로 수소의 국가 간 물동량도 증가할 것으로 예상된다. 국가간 수소의 거래는 수출국의 신재생 에너지 자원과 수입국의 수소 사용 형태, 기술 성숙도 등을 고려하여 암모니아, 액화수소, LOHC 등의 형태로 이루어질 것이나, 어느 한 가지 형태로만 거래되지는 않을 것이다. 액화수소 대비 암모 니아와 LOHC의 해상운송은 상대적으로 성숙한 기술임에 본 글에서는 향후 액화수소 운반선 개발을 위하여 필요한 세부 기술들의 식별 및 다양한 기술적 대안들을 통해 가능한 설계안을 확보하면서, 그에 따른 기술적 타당성을 분석하였다.

본 실험에서는 α-Al2O3 세라믹 중공사를 지지체로 사용하였고, 무전해 도금을 통해 Pd 및 Pd-Ag가 도금된 수소 분리막을 제조하였다. Pd-Ag 분리막은 Pd와 Ag 합금 형태로 만들기 위하여 500°C, 10 h 동안의 annealing 과정을 거쳤으며, EDS (Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy) 분석을 통해 Pd-Ag 합금이 되었다는 것을 확인하였다. 또한, SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) 분석을 통해 제조된 Pd 및 Pd-Ag 도금층의 두께는 약 8.98, 9.29 μm으로 측정되었다. 제조된 수소 분 리막은 350~450°C, 1-4 bar의 범위에서 수소 단일 가스, 혼합가스(H2, N2)를 이용하여 수소 투과 실험을 진행하였다. 수소 단 일 가스에서 Pd와 Pd-Ag 분리막은 최대 각각 21.85, 13.76 mL/cm2⋅min의 flux를 가지며, 혼합가스에서는 450°C, 4 bar의 조건일 때, 1216, 361의 separation factor가 각각 나오는 것을 확인하였다.

Herein a rich, Se-nanoparticle modified Mo-W18O49 nanocomposite as efficient hydrogen evolution reaction catalyst is reported via hydrothermal synthesized process. In this work, Na2SeSO3 solution and selenium powder are used as Se precursor material. The structure and composition of the nanocomposites are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), EDX spectrum analysis and the corresponding element mapping. The improved electrochemical properties are studied by current density, and EIS analysis. The as-prepared Se modified Mo-W18O49 synthesized via Na2SeSO3 is investigated by FE-SEM analysis and found to exhibit spherical particles combined with nanosheets. This special morphology effectively improves the charge separation and transfer efficiency, resulting in enhanced photoelectric behavior compared with that of pure Mo-W18O49. The nanomaterial obtained via Na2SeSO3 solution demonstrates a high HER activity and low overpotential of -0.34 V, allowing it to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm2.

Breakthrough analysis has widely been explored for the dynamic separation of gaseous mixtures in porous materials. In general, breakthrough experiments measure the components of a flowing gas when a gaseous mixture is injected into a column filled with an adsorbent material. In this paper, we report on the design and fabrication of a breakthrough curve measurement device to study the dynamic adsorptive separation of hydrogen isotopologues in porous materials. Using the designed system, an experiment was conducted involving a 1:1 mixture of hydrogen and deuterium passed through a column filled with zeolite 13X (1 g). At room temperature, both hydrogen and deuterium were adsorbed in negligible amounts; however, at a temperature of 77 K, deuterium was preferentially adsorbed over hydrogen. The selectivity was different from that in the existing literature due to the different sample shapes, measurement methods, and column structures, but was at a similar level to that of cryogenic distillation (1.5).