• Membrane Journal
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.282-292
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• 2021

In this work, we tested commercial organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) membranes using both in-house dead-end and crossflow systems. Four different crosslinked polyimide Duramem (DM) OSN membranes with various MWCO (molecular weight cut off) values were tested in organic solvents such as ethanol, N,N-dimethylformamide, acetone and acetonitrile. The membranes exhibited more reliable and reproducible performance in the crossflow system, and the performance changed significantly depending in the physical properties of the testing solvent. This is due to the initial stabilization period via pressure-induced compaction phenomenon, which can be vastly different between membrane samples. Hence, to obtain reliable and reproducible results, crossflow system is the preferred choice.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.873-879
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• 2024

A sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) core has a potential of prompt criticality due to a change of core material distribution during a severe accident, and the resultant energy release has been one of the safety issues of SFRs. In this study, the safety assessment of an unprotected loss-of-flow (ULOF) in a small SFR (SSFR) has been performed using the SIMMER-IV computer code, which couples the models of space- and time-dependent neutronics and multi-component, multi-field thermal hydraulics in three dimensions. The code, therefore, is applicable to the simulations of transient behaviors of extended disrupted core material motion and its reactivity effects during the transition phase (TP) of ULOF, including a potential of prompt-criticality power excursions driven by fuel compaction. Several conservative assumptions are used in the TP analysis by SIMMER-IV. It was found out that one of the important mechanisms that drives the reactivity-inserting fuel motion was sodium vapor pressure resulted from a fuel-coolant interaction (FCI), which itself was non-energetic local phenomenon. The uncertainties relating to FCI is also evaluated in much conservative way in the sensitivity analysis. From this study, the ULOF characteristics in an SSFR have been understood. Occurrence of recriticality events under conservative assumptions are plausible, but their energy releases are limited.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.32 no.1C
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• pp.1-6
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• 2012

In this study, field tests were performed to evaluate the stability of pre-insulated pipe during the compaction operation and to recommend an alternative backfill material. Three types of natural sand (fine-grained and medium-grained, coarse-grained sand), crushed sand and two types of gravel (10 mm, 20 mm) were used as backfill material in the field tests. Field tests were performed to determine the behavior (earth-pressure and deformation, installation damage) of the pre-insulated pipe due to variation of different types of backfill material. Based on the evaluation and comparison of field test results, it was determined that crushed sand is the most suitable back-fill material that can be used as an alternative for medium grained sand for pre-insulated pipes with respect to the engineering behavior and material supply.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.218-225
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• 2013

The densification behavior and strength of sintered reaction bonded silicon nitrides (SRBSN) that contain $Lu_2O_3-SiO_2$ additives were improved by the addition of fine Si powder. Dense specimens (relative density: 99.5%) were obtained by gas-pressure sintering (GPS) at $1850^{\circ}C$ through the addition of fine Si. In contrast, the densification of conventional specimens did not complete at $1950^{\circ}C$. The fine Si decreased the onset temperature of shrinkage and increased the shrinkage rate because the additive helped the compaction of green bodies and induced the formation of fine $Si_3N_4$ particles after nitridation and sintering at and above $1600^{\circ}C$. The amount of residual $SiO_2$ within the specimens was not strongly affected by adding fine Si powder because most of the $SiO_2$ layer that had formed on the fine Si particles decomposed during nitridation. The maximum strength and fracture toughness of the specimens were 991 MPa and $8.0MPa{\cdot}m^{1/2}$, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.11 no.10
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• pp.851-858
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• 2001

One of the important phase of black titanium oxide is $Ti_4O_7$ which has the excellent properties such as the greatest electrical conductivity among the titanium oxides, chemical resistance against acidic and alkalic conditions and electro-wave absorption etc., so it has been considered as a promising material to be used widely all over the parts of industries. In this study, $Ti_4O_7$ phase was successfully synthesized by the reaction of TiO$_2$/ Mg system. With the change of the mole of TiO$_2$to Mg, the most excellent blackness was appeared in the 3.5 mole which was the smaller amount than the stoichiometric 4.0 mole. In addition, we found that the blackness decreased as the mole ratio of reactent increased. With decreasing particle size of magnesium, blackness of titanium oxide increased. The reaction property was changed with the compaction pressure, and optimum pressure was found to be 10 MPa. At 55$0^{\circ}C$ of reduction temperature, the blackness increased as the reaction time increased. The blackness of synthesized black titanium oxide was 14 to 18, and the average particle size was 0.2 $\mu\textrm{m}$.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.3-15
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• 2004

Geogrid reinforced soil structures with segmental block facing have been increased since 1990's, because of the convenience of installation and the flexible appearance. In this paper, the behavior of the segmental reinforced retaining wall was analysed with the results of field monitoring. The height and length of reinforced wall are 12m and 25m, respectively. The field measurement equipments are horizontal and vertical earth pressure cells, settlement plate, strain gauge, inclinometer, and displacement pin. Based on the field monitoring, the horizontal earth pressure was approximately 0.3times higher than that of the theoretical method and the maximum tensile strength of reinforcement was 26.2kN/m. The displacement of facing wall was 23mm at the point of 7.1m height of the wall and toward the wall facing. The results of the study indicate that the segmental reinforced retaining wall is in a stable condition because of good compaction & reinforcement effects, and long period of construction time. Finally, the computer program of SRWall is very useful tool to design the segmental reinforced retaining wall.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.535-543
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• 2019

Building on/with expansive soils with no treatment brings complications. Compacted expansive soils specifically fall short in satisfying the minimum requirements for transport embankment infrastructures, requiring the adoption of hauled virgin mineral aggregates or a sustainable alternative. Use of hauled aggregates comes at a high carbon and economical cost. On average, every 9m high embankment built with quarried/hauled soils cost $12600MJ.m^{-2}$ Embodied Energy (EE). A prospect of using mixed cutting-arising expansive soils with industrial/domestic wastes can reduce the carbon cost and ease the pressure on landfills. The widespread use of recycled materials has been extensively limited due to concerns over their long-term performance, generally low shear strength and stiffness. In this contribution, hydromechanical properties of a waste tyre sand-sized rubber (a mixture of polybutadiene, polyisoprene, elastomers, and styrene-butadiene) and expansive silt is studied, allowing the short- and long-term behaviour of optimum compacted composites to be better established. The inclusion of tyre shred substantially decreased the swelling potential/pressure and modestly lowered the compression index. Silt-Tyre powder replacement lowered the bulk density, allowing construction of lighter reinforced earth structures. The shear strength and stiffness decreased on addition of tyre powder, yet the contribution of matric suction to the shear strength remained constant for tyre shred contents up to 20%. Reinforced soils adopted a ductile post-peak plastic behaviour with enhanced failure strain, offering the opportunity to build more flexible subgrades as recommended for expansive soils. Residual water content and tyre shred content are directly correlated; tyre-reinforced silt showed a greater capacity of water storage (than natural silts) and hence a sustainable solution to waterlogging and surficial flooding particularly in urban settings. Crushed fine tyre shred mixed with expansive silts/sands at 15 to 20 wt% appear to offer the maximum reduction in swelling-shrinking properties at minimum cracking, strength loss and enhanced compressibility expenses.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.189-207
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• 2003

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the behavior and to study the safety evaluation of the Unmun Dam located in Cheongdo-Gun of GyeongBuk Province, Korea. For this purpose, soil analyses including boring data, geophysical surveys and monitoring the buried geotechnical gauges, such as pore-pressure gauge, earth-pressure gauge, displacement gauge, multi-layer settlement gauge, leakage flow-meter, were conducted. In addition to these data, numerical analyses of behavior of dam were performed to predict and to compare the data which were obtained from the above methods. Since many defects, such as gravel and weathered rock blocks in the dam core, and lots of amounts of leakage, by boring analyses were found, reinforcement by compaction grouting system (CGS) has been conducted in some range of dam. Some geotechnical gauge data were also used to confirm the effects of reinforcement. Analyses of monitoring the data of geotechnical gauges buried in the dam, such as pore-pressure gauge, earth-pressure gauge, displacement gauge, multi-layer settlement gauge, and leakage flow-meter shows the load transfer of dam and the possibility of hydraulic fracturing. As a conclusion, some problems in the dam found. Especially, the dam near spillway shows the high possibility of leakage. It should be pointed out that only the left side of he dam has not a leakage problem. As a whole, the dam has problems of weakness, because of unsatisfactory construction. It is strongly recommended that highly intensive monitoring is required.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.43-50
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• 2015

Lightweight Foamed Soil (LWFS) is a useful material for underground pipe backfill because of reusability of excavated soil and no compaction effect. In this research, a pilot test is carried out and monitoring results are analyzed to investigate behaviors of a flexible pipe, when LWFS is applied as a backfill material. Simultaneously, they are compared with another test case which is backfilled with Saemangeum dredged soil. As a result, the vertical earth pressure of the case backfilled with LWFS slurry presents that decreases as much as 25.6% in comparison with dredged soil and it is only within 10% after solidification. In case backfilled with dredged soil, the horizontal earth pressure is more than 3.6 times of the case used by LWFS and the vertical and horizontal deformation is more than 3.2 and 2.6 times of the case, respectively. It presents excellent effects on earth pressure and deformation reduction of LWFS. The stresses measured at the upper side of the pipe generally present compressive aspects in case backfilled with dredged soil. However, they present tensile aspects in case of LWFS. It is because of negative moment occurred at the center of the pipe due to the buoyancy from LWFS slurry. Conclusively, LWFS using Saemangeum dredged soil is very excellent material to use near the area in comparison with the dredged soil. However, the countermeasure to prevent the buoyancy is required.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.537-546
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• 2020

Oil and natural gas reserves have been recognised abundantly in clayey rich rock formations in deep costal reservoirs. It is necessary to understand the sedimentary history of those reservoir rocks to well explore these natural resources. This work designs a group of laboratory experiments to mimic the physical process of the sedimentary clay-rich rock formation. It presents characterisation results of the physical properties of the artificial clayey rocks synthesized from illite clay, quartz sand and brine water by high-pressure consolidation tests. Special focus is given on the effects of illite clay content and high-stress consolidation on the physical properties. Multi-step loaded consolidation experiments were carried out with stress up to 35 MPa on mixtures constituting of the illite clay, quartz sand and brine water with five initial illite clay contents (w=85%, 70%, 55%, 40% and 25%). Compressibility and void ratio were characterised throughout the physical compaction process of the mixtures constituting of five illite clay contents and their water permeability was measured as well. Results show that the applied stress induces a great reduction of clayey rock void ratio. Illite clay contents has a significant influence on the compressibility, void ratio and the permeability of the physically synthesized clayey rocks. There is a critical illite clay content w=70% that induces the minimum void ratio in the physically synthesised clayey rocks. The SEM study indicates, in the high-pressure synthesised clayey rocks with high illite clay contents, the illite clay minerals are located in layers and serve as the material matrix, and the quartz minerals fill in the inter-mineral pores or are embedded in the illite clay matrix. The arrangements of the minerals in microscale originate the structural anisotropy of the high-pressure synthesised clayey rock. The test findings can give an intuitive physical understanding of the deep-buried clayey rock basins in energy reservoirs.