• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.86-95
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• 2007

This paper presents the optimal design of an exhaust system of a vacuum-compatible air bearing using a genetic algorithm. To use the air bearings in vacuum conditions, the differential exhaust method is adopted to minimize the air leakage, which prevents air from leaking into a vacuum chamber by recovering air through several successive seal stages in advance. Therefore, the design of the differential exhaust system is very important because several design parameters such as the number of seals, diameter and length of an exhaust tube, pumping speed and ultimate pressure of a vacuum pump, seal length and gap(bearing clearance) influence on the air leakage, that is, chamber's degree of vacuum. In this paper, we used a genetic algorithm to optimize the design parameters of the exhaust system of a vacuum-compatible air bearing under the several constraint conditions. The results indicate that chamber's degree of vacuum after optimization improved dramatically compared to the initial design, and that the distribution of the spatial design parameters, such as exhaust tube diameter and seal length, was well achieved, and that technical limit of the pumping speed was well determined.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.145-160
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• 2018

Long subsea tunnel is subject to many restrictions in terms of spatial limitation when vertical or inclined shafts are built for tunnel ventilation. So, the construction of some artificial island is required to provide ventilation. But, because of construction difficulty and cost increase, it is necessary to minimize the artificial island construction. As a result, ventilation distance become longer and supply airflow becomes excessive due to air leakage, So, duct mounting for temporary ventilation is impossible or fan pressure and power increase exponentially. Therefore, in order to build a long subsea tunnel, it is necessary to overcome these practical problems and to develop technical solution that can keep the comfortable condition of tunnel environment during construction. In previous study, we have found that air leakage is the key factor in solving these problems and experimental results show that the new connection method has a leakage rate of about $1.46mm^2/m^2$ (Jo et al., 2017). In this study, we present the experimental results of the measurement of the leakage rate of the prototype with the new connection method, and analyze experimentally the improvement of the leakage rate when applying the flexible cover inside the duct to improve the leakage performance of the existing connection method.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.29 no.12 s.243
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• pp.1645-1652
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• 2005

Pick-and-place systems using suction cups have been being widely used and continuously developed in production automation. There are, however, some drawbacks in constructing such systems. One of them is that it generates high level noise due to air compressors. And the system must have complex constitutions of mechanical component such as air compressors, air tubes, air valves, etc. Moreover, it needs continuous air supply to maintain vacuum in suction cups. If there is a failure in any suction cup, the total suction system may fail owing to air leakage. To overcome these drawbacks, we propose PMS (Permanent Magnet Suction) mechanism which has permanent magnets for vacuuming suction cups with no air compressor. The basic concept of PMS mechanism is to rotate permanent magnets with fixed angle. Simple rotation of permanent magnets changes the direction of the magnetic force applied at the suction cups. Since each suction cup has no direct connection with any of the others, the air leakage at one suction cup is not critical. The proposed suction mechanism was designed and fabricated. With some experiments, the feasibility and performance of the PMS mechanism was shown. The strong points of the PMS mechanism are in its simple structure, generating low noise, high energy efficiency, and no need of continuous energy supply.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.477-479
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• 2010

A case of delayed progressive extradural pneumatocele after microvascular decompression (MVD) is presented. A 60-year-old male underwent MVD for hemifacial spasm; the mastoid air cell was opened and sealed with bone wax during surgery. One month after surgery, the patient complained of tinnitus, and progressive extradural pneumatoceles without cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage was observed. Revision surgery was performed and the opened mastoid air cell was completely sealed with muscle patch and glue. The patient's symptoms were resolved, with no recurrence of pneumatoceles at 6 month follow up. Progressive extradural pneumatocele without CSF leakage after posterior fossa surgery is a very rare complication. Previous reports and surgical management of this rare complication are discussed.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 2014

Purpose: In this study, we performed ventilation simulations for a standard isolation ward including three intensive care rooms, one anteroom(buffer room), and its recommended ventilation equipments. The purpose of this study is to predict outflow of pathogenic bacteria from patient breath to verify the reliability and the safety of the isolation ward. Methods: We suppose three scenarios of the movement of medical staff. The leakage of patient's breath to out of the ward is predicted in these scenarios using CFD simulations. Results: The patient's breath leakage rate to out of the ward in scenario 1 according to room air changes per hour(ACH : 6 and 12) is predicted to be 0.000057% and 0.00002%, respectively. The patient's breath leakage rate to out of the ward in scenario 2 according to room air changes(ACH : 6 and 12) is predicted to be 0.00063% and 0.00019%, respectively. The patient's breath leakage rate to out of the ward in scenario 3, which is the worst case(6 room air changes) is predicted to be 0.1%. Implications: Through the ventilation simulation like that in this study, the reliability and the safety on isolation performance of various plan of isolation ward are predicted quantitatively.

• Proceedings of the Safety Management and Science Conference
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• 2010.04a
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• pp.81-95
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• 2010

Gas turbines generating power operate in high temperature condition and use natural gas as fuel. For that reason, there are many cases where damage is done to the hot gas parts caused by the high temperature and many accidents occur like gas explosions, then various efforts are needed to maintain the hot gas parts and prevent accidents. It is difficult to find the root causes of damage to the hot gas parts from the gas explosion caused by gas leakage through rotor cooling air line from fuel gas heat exchanger during the shut down. To prevent gas turbine from damage, removal of gas leakage inside of gas turbine is required by purging the turbine before firing, improving the fuel gas heating system and installing alarm systems for detecting gas leakage from stop valve to turbine while the gas turbine has shut down.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.75-82
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• 2010

Gas turbines for power generating operate in a very high temperature condition and use natural gas for fuel. For this reason, many cases of damage happen at hot gas parts which are severely affected by high temperature gas and many cases of explosion occur by fuel gas. So a lot of efforts should be made to prevent hot gas parts damage and gas explosion accidents. Though there are many damage cases and explosion accidents, it is very difficult to find out the root causes of hot gas parts damage caused by gas explosion due to gas leakage in the heat exchanger for air cooling and gas heating. To prevent gas turbine from damage caused by gas explosion, removal of leakage gas from gas turbine is inevitably required before firing the gas turbine and installing alarm systems is also required for detecting gas leakage at stop valve to turbine while shut down.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.1528-1539
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• 2023

Since the leakage of sodium in an SFR (sodium-cooled fast reactor) causes an explosion upon reaction with air and water, sodium leakages represent an important safety issue. In this study, a novel technique for improving the reliability of sodium leakage detection applying DDVR (dynamic data validation and reconciliation) is proposed and verified to resolve this technical issue. DDVR is an approach that aims to improve the accuracy of a target system in a dynamic state by minimizing random errors, such as from the uncertainty of instruments and the surrounding environment, and by eliminating gross errors, such as instrument failure, miscalibration, or aging, using the spatial redundancy of measurements in a physical model and the reliability information of the instruments. DDVR also makes it possible to estimate the state of unmeasured points. To validate this approach for supporting sodium leakage detection, this study applies experimental data from a sodium leakage detection experiment performed by the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. The validation results show that the reliability of sodium leakage detection is improved by cooperation between DDVR and hardware measurements. Based on these findings, technology integrating software and hardware approaches is suggested to improve the reliability of sodium leakage detection by presenting the expected true state of the system.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.93-99
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• 2015

In case of PAS test, the air is sometimes leaked although the mask is tightly attached to the face, which is not reliable on the measured values. Therefore, this study aimed to assist the clinical practice suggesting the test method of PAS without air leakage. In the healthy subjects with 12 males and 12 females over 19 years old, three types of tests were performed on the voicing efficiency among the protocol of PAS Model 6600. They are; first, to attach the mask tightly to the face holding the handle of PAS with the subject's two hands (Method 1); second, to attach the mask tightly to the face holding the handle of PAS with the subject's one hand and pushing the body of PAS strongly with the other hand (Method 2); and third, to attach the mask tightly to the face pushing the upper part of the mask by the tester when the subject attached the mask to his or her face holding the handle of PAS with two hands (Method 3). Upon the study analyses, the mean negative pressure, the mean phonogram, subglottic air pressure, and voicing efficiency were shown to be statistically significantly different during PAS test in males depending on the methods. (p<.05) In case of females, only the target airflow rate showed significant difference depending on the methods during PAS test. (p<.001) In conclusion, Method 2 enhanced the noise level and strength while Method 1 was likely to leak the air more compared to the other two methods in males. In case of females, Method 1 showed significant leakage of the air flow. Not to allow the air flow leakage without affecting the outcome of PAS test, it will be the most useful for the tester to push the mask to the subject's face tightly (Method 3).

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.429-437
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• 2018

The process gas piping of the offshore plant can cause a massive explosion if the gas leakage occurs during operation. For the purpose of precaution of gas leakage accident, an air pressure test is performed on the process equipment tests using a test pump as much as the power to the piping inner side, mix 99% nitrogen gas and 1% helium gas. The purpose of the air pressure test is to check the work conformity process by handling and regulation for initial piping process, assembly, installation of module, welding, center alignment of the pipes assembling flange gasket in an unrestrained free state. In this paper, the regulation of the problematic air pressure test was analyzed and the solution criteria were established. And leakage tests of existing equipment were performed applying these solution methods. As a result, it was confirmed that there was no problem.