The slow cathodic oxygen reduction rate (ORR) of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) is still one of the main bottlenecks in its industrialization. As an ORR catalyst, metal oxides are expected to significantly enhance ORR efficiency by providing active sites, regulating reaction pathways, and enhancing stability. In this paper, four bimetallic oxide catalysts, CuO/Co3O4, CuO/ MnO2, CuO/NiO, and CuO/Fe2O3, were synthesized by sol–gel method, and their structural characteristics were characterized. The results showed that CuO/Co3O4 exhibited the largest specific surface area and optimized pore structure, and the synergistic effect of Cu and Co significantly improved the electrochemical performance. As the cathode catalyst of MFCs, CuO/Co3O4 shows high ORR catalytic activity, low charge transfer resistance, and good stability. In MFCs application, CuO/ Co3O4 catalyst achieved the maximum power density of 227 mW m− 2. In the five-cycle test, the output voltage is stable at about 240 mV, and the COD removal rate reaches 91.9%, which shows great application potential in wastewater treatment.

기후변화 위기에 대응하기 위하여 우리나라는 국가 온실가스 감축 목표로 2030년까지 온실가 스 배출량을 2018년 대비 40% 감축을 목표로 제시하였으며, 수송부문은 37.8% 감소한 61백만톤CO2eq으 로 제시하였다. 온실가스 배출량 감축 방안 중 신‧재생에너지 연료 혼합의무화제도(RFS)에 따른 수송용 연 료의 바이오디젤 혼합의무비율을 2030년까지 기존 5%에서 8%로 상향한다는 계획을 제시하였다. 그러나 국내에 상용화되어 있는 기존 바이오디젤은 원료에 따라 품질이 크게 좌우되며 저온 특성, 산화안정성 등 의 문제로 혼합비율 상향에는 한계가 있다. 본 연구에서는 이를 극복하기 위해 수첨바이오디젤과 기존 바 이오디젤의 품질을 비교하고 자동차용 경유에 혼합하여 물리적 특성을 살펴보았다. 수첨바이오디젤의 필터 막힘점은 –35 ℃으로 측정되었으며 기존 바이오디젤과 비교하여 저온 특성이 우수한 것을 확인할 수 있었 다. 또한 자동차용 경유에 기존 바이오디젤과 수첨바이오디젤을 최대 12%까지 혼합하여 영향성을 분석하 였으며 국내 자동차용 경유 품질기준의 주요 항목을 만족하는 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 이번 연구 결과를 통해 수첨바이오디젤의 국내 상용화를 위한 기술적 기초자료를 제시하고 신규 석유대체연료로서의 적용 가능성을 확인하고자 하였다.

Developing highly durable and active catalysts is essential for improving the performance and longevity of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). In this study, we propose a novel strategy to enhance catalyst dispersion and stability by incorporating pyrrolic nitrogen-rich carbon (pNC) quantum dots into highly crystalline carbon supports. The introduction of pNC generates strong anchoring sites for Pt nanoparticles, facilitating uniform dispersion and minimizing aggregation, which are key factors in enhancing catalytic performance and durability. The synthesized Pt/CVC150 catalyst exhibited excellent oxygen reduction reaction activity, with a half-wave potential of 0.842 V and a limiting current density of 6.3 mA cm− 2. Under accelerated stress test conditions, the catalyst retained 61.4% of its initial peak power density after prolonged cycling, indicating enhanced durability. Furthermore, single cell testing confirmed its improved electrochemical activity and stability of the Pt/CVC150 catalyst in a practical PEMFC operating environment. These findings suggest that the incorporation of heteroatom-doped carbon moieties onto carbon supports represents a promising strategy for the development of nextgeneration PEMFC catalysts with enhanced performance and longevity.

This paper is to study SOFC(Solid Oxide Fuel Cell) technology which is becoming increasingly more important in recent power development market. I will propose the most suitable fuel cell type through efficiency analysis by type of fuel cell in operation. In this paper, I analyzed the characteristics of SOFC development, theoretical study of the system technology and the level of progress in SOFC technology for each generation. In conclusion, through analysis of the operation data of the installed and operating fuel cell power generation system, it was found that SOFC is 45% more efficient than PAFC and 25% more efficient than MCFC.

This study investigates nozzle diameter and fuel type effects on combustion characteristics and NOx emissions in radiant tube heating systems through numerical simulation. Four fuels were analyzed: LPG, natural gas, coke oven gas, and hydrogen under varying nozzle conditions using computational fluid dynamics with energy conservation, species transport, and thermal NOx formation models. Results show that nozzle diameter optimization significantly enhances internal recirculation, improving fuel-air mixing and reducing NOx formation. Hydrogen exhibits higher flame temperatures, potentially increasing thermal NOx generation, but optimal nozzle design controls this effect through enhanced mixing patterns. The optimized configuration achieved substantial NOx reduction while maintaining combustion stability across all tested fuels.

공유 유기 골격체(covalent organic frameworks, COF)는 기능성을 정밀하게 설계하고 제어할 수 있는 결정성 다 공성 소재로서, 차세대 연료전지 멤브레인으로 주목받고 있다. 표준 양성자 교환막인 나피온(Nafion)은 높은 비용과 좁은 가 용 범위 등의 한계에 직면해 있다. 본 논문은 COF를 다양한 고분자 매트릭스에 도입하여 이러한 단점을 극복하기 위한 최신 연구 전략을 심도 있게 다룬다. 특히 양성자 교환막 연료전지(proton exchange membrane fuel cells, PEMFC), 음이온 교환막 연료전지(anion exchange membrane fuel cells, AEMFC), 그리고 고온(high-temperature) PEMFC (HT-PEMFC)용 COF 기반 복합막의 설계와 성능 특성에 집중한다. 다양한 COF 기능화 및 복합화 전략을 통해 이온 전도도, 기계적 강도 및 운전 안정 성을 향상시킨 주요 연구들을 비평적으로 논하며, 연료전지의 전반적인 효율 향상에 대한 COF의 잠재력을 조명한다.