March 2024:
Min-Woo Kim

1. Introduction: Min-Woo Kim

 I, Min-Woo Kim, am a Ph.D. student in PNU, and the team leader of my team in the laboratory.

 I believe that there is no works I can’t, and I just don’t know how to do.

 When I was freshman of the laboratory, first few years was tutoring and learning time for me. I, compared with seniors, wasn’t good at research or works in my laboratory. Seniors taught me everything they know about the research method, knowledges, and how to write reports and papers.

 During that time, I watched at graduating my seniors and wondered if I could do as much as they did when I became a senior.

 As time passed, I engaged in projects and research and used to do my research with team members. And now I became both the team leader and the oldest Ph.D. student in the laboratory.

 Until recently, I only needed to focus on my projects and research as a team member. But now, I find myself in a position of leading a group within the laboratory.

 It is truly challenging to be a good leader for me, because I’ve never been a leader. In the past, getting experiences for research was my priority goal. Now, I’m learning how to lead a team. 

 Being a good leader is not easy, but I’m improving myself as a team leader through the experiences such as suggesting solutions for solving problems that team members couldn't solve, delegating tasks for research methods and results, and leading discussions to conclude.

2. Research field and Futurework

 I’m working on the NH3 co-firing in fluidized bed conditions and biocarbon co-firing in pulverized coal injection (PCI) systems (a part of ironmaking process). Optimization of co-firing conditions is the goal of my research.

 NH3 co-firing are one of the methods to reduce carbon emissions in power generation industries. However, NH3 has risk on NOx emissions due to high fuel-N contents of NH3. Especially, N2O can be generated in fluidized bed boilers because greenhouse gas effect of N2O is about 300 times higher than CO2. Therefore, optimal conditions need to be found to reduce not only carbon emissions but also NOx emissions.

 Biocarbon is made by carbonization of biomass which is a carbon neutral fuel. In iron-making processes, high rank coal is necessary to making cokes or to use in PCI system. However, CO2 emission during iron-making processes is about 1220 kg CO2 / t Hot metal. Biocarbon could reduce CO2 emissions, however, combustion characteristics is different. Especially, combustion phenomena, such as fragmentation and agglomeration, can affect on fuel combustion characteristics. Therefore, switching fuels from coal to biocarbon needs to be considered about combustion characteristics.

 For now, I’m working on the paper of NH3 co-firing in a BFB reactor. After finishing the paper, another paper will be proceeded. Biocarbon co-firing in PCI system is a main topic and combustion mechanism will be found by taking images of combustion and measuring NMR methods.

3. My future dream

 I believe that the research makes people to understand the nature a bit more. A bit more understanding is written as papers, reports, and patents, which are based on human’s language. I hope that I would write the results of research as papers, reports, and patents in the future. Therefore, anyone can use the research to improve their life, environment, economic, etc., while I simply interpret a little part of nature.