Abstract: A counter electrode for a photovoltaic cell and a photovoltaic cell including the same include a transparent substrate and a catalyst layer formed on the transparent substrate using a supported catalyst The counter electrode of the present invention has an economical preparation cost and process, and also has an enlarged contact area with an electrolyte layer of the cell, leading to improved catalytic activity. Thus, in the case where the counter electrode is applied to the photovoltaic cell, excellent photoconversion efficiency is exhibited. In an exemplary embodiment, the photovoltaic cell is a dye-sensitized photovoltaic cell including such a counter electrode.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing molten iron. The present invention provides an apparatus for manufacturing molten iron including a charge container receiving the supply of reducing material in which hot fine direct reduced iron from multiple fluidized-bed reactors are mixed; at least one pair of roller presses to which the fine direct reduced iron is supplied to undergo roll pressing, thereby producing continuous compacted material having lumped portions adjacent to each other; a crusher crushing the compacted material produced by the roller presses; and a melter-gasifier to which is charged crushed compacted material that is crushed by the crusher. Each of the pair of roller presses include pressed portions and protruded lines formed between the pressed portions.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing molten iron including the steps of producing reducing material of mixed hot fine direct reduced iron and calcined additives, the reducing material being produced from multiple fluidized beds; charging the reducing material to at least one pair of roller presses; roll pressing the reducing material through the one pair of roller presses to produce continuous compacted material having protrusions formed on pressed surfaces; crushing the compacted material; charging the crushed compacted material to a coal packed bed; and supplying oxygen to the coal packed bed to manufacture molten iron, wherein in the producing compacted material, the compacted material is formed such that acute and obtuse angles are formed between a center line formed along a length of a cross section that is cut along a lengthwise direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the roller presses and connecting lines that connect grooves closest to each other across the cross sectional area.

Abstract: A method of preparing a mesoporous carbon includes mixing a mesophase pitch, a carbon precursor, an acid, and a solvent to obtain a carbon precursor mixture; impregnating an ordered mesoporous silica (OMS) with the carbon precursor mixture; heat-treating and carbonizing the impregnated OMS to form an OMS-carbon composite; and removing the OMS from the OMS-carbon composite. The mesoporous carbon uses the mesophase pitch and the carbon precursor to reduce sheet resistance, and thus can efficiently transfer electric energy. Such mesoporous carbon can be used as a conductive material of electrodes for fuel cells. When the mesoporous carbon is used as a support for catalysts of electrodes, a supported catalyst containing the support can be used to manufacture a fuel cell having high efficiency.

Abstract: A mesoporous carbon composite includes mesoporous carbon having mesopores; a conductive polymer coated on only an outer surface of the mesoporous carbon; and an organic electrolyte. The mesoporous carbon composite may be prepared by impregnating an ordered mesoporous silica (OMS) with a mixture comprising a carbon precursor, an acid, and a solvent; heat-treating and carbonizing the impregnated OMS to form an OMS-carbon composite; mixing the OMS-carbon composite with a monomer that forms a conductive polymer and a solvent to provide a surface of the OMS-carbon composite with the monomer; polymerizing the monomer to obtain a conductive polymer-coated OMS-carbon composite; removing the OMS from the composite to obtain a conductive polymer-coated mesoporous carbon; and doping the conductive polymer-coated mesoporous carbon with an organic electrolyte. A supported catalyst and a fuel cell include the mesoporous carbon composite.

Abstract: A duty control circuit including a clock input unit connected to a first node and a second node, the clock input unit receiving an input clock signal through the first node and changing a voltage of the second node to one of a first voltage level and a second voltage level in response to respective low and high logic levels of the input clock signal, a slew controller connected to the second node, the slew controller including one or more switches controlled by respective control signals, the one or more switches providing one of the first voltage level and the second voltage level to the second node in response to the control signals such that a slew rate of a signal at the second node is varied, and a clock output unit, the clock output unit outputting an output clock signal having a duty that varies.

Abstract: Provided are a mesoporous carbon and a method of preparing the same, where the mesoporous carbon is prepared using phenanthrene as a carbon source and a mesoporous silica as a template. The mesoporous carbon has a significantly low plane resistance, which can be obtained without sacrificing other physical properties, and thus obtains a high conductivity and effectively transfers electrical energy. Accordingly, a fuel cell electrode or a fuel cell which is produced using the mesoporous carbon as a conductive material has high efficiency. Furthermore, the mesoporous carbon may be used in various electrochemical devices as a conductive material.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating energy using sensible heat of an offgas during manufacture of molten iron and a method for generating energy using the same are provided. The method for generating energy includes i) providing an offgas discharged from an apparatus for manufacturing molten iron including a reduction reactor that provides reduced iron that is reduced from iron ore and a melter-gasifier that melts the reduced iron to manufacture molten iron; ii) converting cooling water into high pressure steam by contacting the cooling water with the offgas; and iii) generating energy from at least one steam turbine by supplying the high pressure steam to the steam turbine and rotating the steam turbine.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing compacted irons of the reduced materials containing fine reduce irons and an apparatus for manufacturing molten irons provided with the same. The apparatus for manufacturing compacted irons according to the present invention includes a couple of rollers for compacting reduced materials containing fine reduced irons and manufacturing compacted irons, a guide chute for guiding compacted irons which are discharged from the couple of rollers; and crushers for crushing compacted irons which are guided into the guide chute. A guiding surface of the guide chute, which guides the compacted irons, includes a straight slanted surface and a curved slanted surface.

Abstract: A nanocomposite includes metal-carbon nanotubes and a sulfonated polysulfone. In the nanocomposite, the sulfonated polysulfone and the metal-carbon nanotubes have strong attraction therebetween due to ?-? interactions or van der Waals interactions, and thus the nanocomposite has excellent ionic conductivity and mechanical properties. In addition, the nanocomposite includes a metal that can be used as a catalyst for an anode, and thus the reduction in power generation caused by methanol crossover can be minimized. Therefore, a nanocomposite electrolyte membrane prepared using the nanocomposite can minimize the reduction in power generation caused by the crossover of a polar organic fuel such as methanol. In a fuel cell employing the nanocomposite electrolyte membrane, when an aqueous methanol solution is used as a fuel, crossover of the methanol is more suppressed, and accordingly, the fuel cell has an improved operating efficiency and a longer lifetime.

Abstract: Provided is a silica nanocomposite including silica and a siloxane-based polymer covalently bonded to the silica.

Abstract: A sulfur-containing mesoporous carbon that has mesopores with an average diameter of 2 to 10 nm, a method of preparing the same, a catalyst containing the mesoporous carbon as a catalyst support, and a fuel cell using the catalyst in which the sulfur-containing mesoporous carbon has a good affinity for and adhesion to catalyst particles so as to strongly support the catalyst particles due to the sulfur atoms substituting for carbons in an OMC carbon skeleton structure. The growth of metal catalyst particles is prevented when heat-treating the metal catalyst particles. The catalyst using the sulfur-containing mesoporous carbon can be applied to a fuel cell to prevent a reduction in catalytic activity due to increased particle size by an accumulation of catalyst particles. The catalyst containing the sulfur-containing mesoporous carbon as a catalyst support can be used to manufacture a fuel cell having an improved performance.

Abstract: A catalyst, a method of preparing the catalyst, and a fuel cell using the catalyst. The catalyst includes a catalyst metal particle, and a porous coating layer of a conductive ceramic material disposed on the surface of the catalyst metal particle. The catalyst has a methanol tolerance index of 80%, or more, a smaller particle size than a commercially available Pt-black catalyst manufactured through a polyol process. The catalyst can include a PT catalyst metal particle that is surface treated, or coated, with a conductive ceramic ATO. The catalyst has an excellent ORR activity in the presence of methanol, and an enhanced tolerance with respect to methanol. A fuel cell, including an electrode manufactured using the catalyst, has a high energy density and a high fuel efficiency.

Abstract: A catalyst coated membrane (CCM) comprising an anode catalyst layer having a first catalyst layer composed of a non-supported catalyst and a second catalyst layer composed of a supported catalyst, a cathode catalyst layer composed of a supported catalyst, and an electrolyte membrane interposed between the anode catalyst layer and a cathode catalyst layer, the first catalyst layer of the anode catalyst layer being disposed adjacent to the electrolyte membrane; a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) comprising the catalyst coated membrane; a method of preparing the membrane electrode assembly; and a fuel cell comprising the membrane electrode assembly, are provided. The CCM, which comprises a bilayered anode catalyst layer including the first catalyst layer composed of a non-supported catalyst and the second catalyst layer composed of a supported catalyst, exhibits reduced electrical resistance and interfacial resistance, and has increased catalyst availability.

Abstract: A method of preparing a supported catalyst, the method comprising mixing a first catalytic metal precursor and a first solvent to obtain a first catalytic metal precursor mixture; mixing a carbon support for catalyst and the first catalytic metal precursor mixture, and drying the mixture to obtain a primary supported catalyst precursor; subjecting the primary supported catalyst precursor to a hydrogen reduction heat treatment, to obtain a primary supported catalyst; mixing the primary supported catalyst and a polyhydric alcohol to obtain a primary supported catalyst mixture; mixing a second catalytic metal precursor and a second solvent to obtain a second catalytic metal precursor mixture; mixing the primary supported catalyst mixture and the second catalytic metal precursor mixture to obtain a secondary supported catalyst precursor mixture; and adjusting the pH of the secondary supported catalyst precursor mixture, and then heating the secondary supported catalyst precursor mixture to obtain a supported cata

Abstract: A counter electrode for a photovoltaic cell and a photovoltaic cell including the same include a transparent substrate and a catalyst layer formed on the transparent substrate using a supported catalyst The counter electrode of the present invention has an economical preparation cost and process, and also has an enlarged contact area with an electrolyte layer of the cell, leading to improved catalytic activity. Thus, in the case where the counter electrode is applied to the photovoltaic cell, excellent photoconversion efficiency is exhibited. In an exemplary embodiment, the photovoltaic cell is a dye-sensitized photovoltaic cell including such a counter electrode.

Abstract: Provided are a mesoporous carbon containing at least one heteroatom boron and phosphorus, a manufacturing method thereof, and a fuel cell using the same. The mesoporous carbon contains a heteroatom such as boron and phosphorous to reduce sheet resistance, and thus can efficiently transfer electric energy. Such a mesoporous carbon can be used as a conductive material of electrodes for fuel cells. When the mesoporous carbon is used as a support for catalysts of electrodes, a supported catalyst containing the support can be used to manufacture a fuel cell having high efficiency.

Abstract: A mesoporous carbon is prepared by mixing a carbon precursor, an acid, and a solvent to obtain a carbon precursor mixture; impregnating an ordered mesoporous silica (OMS) with the carbon precursor mixture; carbonizing the impregnated OMS at 800 to 1300° C. by irradiating microwave energy with a power of 100 to 2000 W thereon to form an OMS-carbon composite; and removing the mesoporous silica from the OMS-carbon composite. The method of preparing a mesoporous carbon can significantly reduce a carbonization time by carbonizing a carbon precursor using microwave energy in a silica template compared to a conventional method using a heat treatment. A supported catalyst and a fuel cell include the mesoporous carbon.

Abstract: A membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell provides a current collector adjacent to an electrode catalyst layer. Since electrons passing between the current collector and the electrode catalyst layer do not pass through a diffusion layer or a supporting layer, the diffusion layer or supporting layer may be non-conductive. Thus, various materials that are hydrophilic, hydrophobic, porous, hydrous, or the like can be used for the diffusion layer and the supporting layer, thereby improving the performance of the fuel cell. In addition, manufacturing costs of the membrane electrode assembly can be decreased since the membrane electrode assembly can be manufactured quickly with low energy.

Abstract: A mesoporous carbon composite includes mesoporous carbon having mesopores; a conductive polymer coated on only an outer surface of the mesoporous carbon; and an organic electrolyte comprising a lithium salt and an organic solvent.