• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.332-340
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• 2015

Acoustic emission (AE) is an effective nondestructive test that uses transient elastic wave generated by the rapid release of energy within a material to detect any further growth or expansion of existing defects. Over the past decades, because of environmental issues, the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) as an alternative fuel for vehicles is increasing because of environmental issues. For this reason, the importance and necessity of detecting defects on a CNG fuel tank has also come to the fore. The conventional AE method used for source location is highly affected by the wave speed on the structure, and this creates problems in inspecting a composite CNG fuel tank. Because the speed and dispersion characteristics of the wave are different according to direction of structure and laminated layers. In this study, both the conventional AE method and the energy based contour map method were used for source location. This new method based on pre-acquired D/B was used for overcoming the limitation of damage localization in a composite CNG fuel tank specimen which consists of a steel liner cylinder overwrapped by GFRP. From the experimental results, it is observed that the damage localization is determined with a small error at all tested points by using the energy based contour map method, while there were a number of mis-locations or large errors at many tested points by using the conventional AE method. Therefore, the energy based contour map method used in this work is more suitable technology for inspecting composite structures.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.542-553
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• 2018

Since many previous studies reported the health effect of air pollution and indicated traffic as a major pollution source, significant policy efforts have been made to control traffic to reduce air pollution. However, there have been few studies that evaluated such policy implementation. In Seoul, Korea, the exclusive median bus lane system was implemented in 2004, and the metropolitan government applied air pollution reduction policies such as conversion of diesel buses to compressed natural gas buses and installation of emission control devices. This paper aimed to investigate the impact of the exclusive median bus lane system on air pollution reduction. Using hourly concentrations of particulate matter ($PM_{10}$) and nitrogen dioxide ($NO_2$) measured at 131 regulatory monitoring sites in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do for 2001-2014, we calculated annual and daily average concentrations at each site. We assessed the impact of the policy using differences-in-differences analysis by annual and daily average models after adjusting for geographic and/or meteorological variables. This method divides population into treatment and control groups with and without policy application, and compares the difference between the two time periods before and after the policy implementation in the treatment group with the difference in the control group. We classified all monitoring sites into treatment and control groups using two definitions: 1) Seoul vs. Gyeonggi-do; 2) within vs. outside 300 meters from the median bus lane. Pre- and post-policy periods were defined as 2001-2005 and 2006-2014, and 2004 and 2014 in the annual and daily models, respectively. The decrease in $PM_{10}$ concentrations between the two periods across monitoring sites in the treatment group was larger by $1.73-5.88{\mu}g/m^3$ than in the control group. $NO_2$ also showed the decrease without statistical significance. Our findings suggest that an efficient public transport policy combined with pollution abatement policies can contribute to reduction in air pollution.

• Clean Technology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.263-272
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• 2019

Air pollutants have a high impact on everyday life as well as on human health; therefore, new technologies such as low-emission vehicles and add-on systems for air pollutant reduction are needed for our society. However, the environmental benefits and costs of those technologies are not taken into account in existing economic feasibility assessments, which is a barrier that needs to be overcome for green technology to achieve wide dissemination and fast penetration in the market. Thus, this study develops a methodology to assess the economic feasibility of an air pollutant reduction technology by taking into account the social costs from air pollutants and carries out a case study to validate the methodology. Because the social unit costs for air pollutants have not been evaluated yet in South Korea, the methodology uses the social unit costs evaluated for the European Union that are then converted to those for South Korea based on the measuring criteria for vehicle emission gases, parity purchasing price, foreign currency exchange rate, and customer price index. The social unit costs for South Korea are used to assess economic feasibility. A case study was performed to assess the economic feasibility of a dual fuel system using diesel and compressed natural gas by taking into account social costs from air pollutants as well as economic costs. This study could contribute to assessing the true economic feasibility of green technology, projects, and policy related with air pollutant reduction.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.558-570
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• 1996

Background : The detection of Collapsible airways has important therapeutic implications in chronic airway disease and bronchial asthma. The distinction of a purely collapsible airways disease from that of asthma is important because the treatment of the dormer may include the use of pursed lip breathing or nasal positive pressure ventilation whereas in the latter, pharmacologic approaches are used. One form of irreversible airflow limitation is collapsible airways, which has been shown to be a Component of asthma or to emphysema, it can be assessed by the volume difference between what exits the lung as determined by a spirometer and the volume compressed as measured by the plethysmography. Method : To investigate whether volume difference between slow and forced vital Capacity(SVC-FVC) by spirometry may be used as a surrogate index of airway collapse, we examined pulmonary function parameters before and after bronchodilator agent inhalation by spirometry and body plethysmography in 20 cases of patients with evidence of airflow limitation(chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 12 cases, stable bronchial asthma 7 cases, combined chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with asthma 1 case) and 20 cases of normal subjects without evidence of airflow limitation referred to the Pusan National University Hospital pulmonary function laboratory from January 1995 to July 1995 prospectively. Results : 1) Average and standard deviation of age, height, weight of patients with airflow limitation was $58.3{\pm}7.24$(yr), $166{\pm}8.0$(cm), $59.0{\pm}9.9$(kg) and those of normal subjects was $56.3{\pm}12.47$(yr), $165.9{\pm}6.9$(cm), $64.4{\pm}10.4$(kg), respectively. The differences of physical characteristics of both group were not significant statistically and male to female ratio was 14:6 in both groups. 2) The difference between slow vital capacity and forced vital capacity was $395{\pm}317ml$ in patients group and $154{\pm}176ml$ in normal group and there was statistically significance between two groups(p<0.05). Sensitivity and specificity were most higher when the cut-off value was 208ml. 3) After bronchodilator inhalation, reversible airway obstructions were shown in 16 cases of patients group, 7 cases of control group(p<0.05) by spirometry or body plethysmography d the differences of slow vital capacity and forced vital capacity in bronchodilator response group and nonresponse group were $300.4{\pm}306ml$, $144.7{\pm}180ml$ and this difference was statistically significant. 4) The difference between slow vital capacity and forced vital capacity before bronchodilator inhalation was correlated with airway resistance before bronchodilator(r=0.307 p=0.05), and the difference between slow vital capacity and forced vital capacity after bronchodilator was correlated with difference between slow vital capacity and forced vital capacity(r=0.559 p=0.0002), thoracic gas volume(r=0.488 p=0.002) before bronchodilator and airway resistance(r=0.583 p=0.0001), thoracic gas volume(r=0.375 p=0.0170) after bronchodilator, respectively. 5) The difference between slow vital capacity and forced vital capacity in smokers and nonsmokers was $257.5{\pm}303ml$, $277.5{\pm}276ml$, respectively and this difference did not reach statistical significance(p>0.05). Conclusion : The difference between slow vital capacity and forced vital capacity by spirometry may be useful for the detection of collapsible airway and may help decision making of therapeutic plans.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.34-45
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• 2016

Global warming and climate change have been caused by combustion of fossil fuels. The greenhouse gases contributed to the rise of temperature between $0.6^{\circ}C$ and $0.9^{\circ}C$ over the past century. Presently, fossil fuels account for about 88% of the commercial energy sources used. In developing countries, fossil fuels are a very attractive energy source because they are available and relatively inexpensive. The environmental problems with fossil fuels have been aggravating stress from already existing factors including acid deposition, urban air pollution, and climate change. In order to control greenhouse gas emissions, particularly CO2, fossil fuels must be replaced by eco-friendly fuels such as biomass. The use of renewable energy sources is becoming increasingly necessary. The biomass resources are the most common form of renewable energy. The conversion of biomass into energy can be achieved in a number of ways. The most common form of converted biomass is pellet fuels as biofuels made from compressed organic matter or biomass. Pellets from lignocellulosic biomass has compared to conventional fuels with a relatively low bulk and energy density and a low degree of homogeneity. Thermal pretreatment technology like torrefaction is applied to improve fuel efficiency of lignocellulosic biomass, i.e., less moisture and oxygen in the product, preferrable grinding properties, storage properties, etc.. During torrefacton, lignocelluosic biomass such as palm kernell shell (PKS) and empty fruit bunch (EFB) was roasted under an oxygen-depleted enviroment at temperature between 200 and $300^{\circ}C$. Low degree of thermal treatment led to the removal of moisture and low molecular volatile matters with low O/C and H/C elemental ratios. The mechanical characteristics of torrefied biomass have also been altered to a brittle and partly hydrophobic materials. Unfortunately, it was much harder to form pellets from torrefied PKS and EFB due to thermal degradation of lignin as a natural binder during torrefaction compared to non-torrefied ones. For easy pelletization of biomass with torrefaction, pellets from PKS and EFB were manufactured before torrefaction, and thereafter they were torrefied at different temperature. Even after torrefaction of pellets from PKS and EFB, their appearance was well preserved with better fuel efficiency than non-torrefied ones. The physical properties of the torrefied pellets largely depended on the torrefaction condition such as reaction time and reaction temperature. Temperature over $250^{\circ}C$ during torrefaction gave a significant impact on the fuel properties of the pellets. In particular, torrefied EFB pellets displayed much faster development of the fuel properties than did torrefied PKS pellets. During torrefaction, extensive carbonization with the increase of fixed carbons, the behavior of thermal degradation of torrefied biomass became significantly different according to the increase of torrefaction temperature. In conclusion, pelletization of PKS and EFB before torrefaction made it much easier to proceed with torrefaction of pellets from PKS and EFB, leading to excellent eco-friendly fuels.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.13-20
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• 2008

The flow rate measurements in a multi-phase flow pipeline were evaluated quantitatively by means of a clamp-on sealed radioisotope based on a cross correlation signal processing technique. The flow rates were calculated by a determination of the transit time between two sealed gamma sources by using a cross correlation function following FFT filtering, then corrected with vapor fraction in the pipeline which was measured by the ${\gamma}$-ray attenuation method. The pipeline model was manufactured by acrylic resin(ID. 8 cm, L=3.5 m, t=10 mm), and the multi-phase flow patterns were realized by an injection of compressed $N_2$ gas. Two sealed gamma sources of $^{137}Cs$ (E=0.662 MeV, ${\Gamma}$ $factor=0.326\;R{\cdot}h^{-1}{\cdot}m^2{\cdot}Ci^{-1}$) of 20 mCi and 17 mCi, and radiation detectors of $2"{\times}2"$ NaI(Tl) scintillation counter (Eberline, SP-3) were used for this study. Under the given conditions(the distance between two sources: 4D(D; inner diameter), N/S ratio: $0.12{\sim}0.15$, sampling time ${\Delta}t$: 4msec), the measured flow rates showed the maximum. relative error of 1.7 % when compared to the real ones through the vapor content corrections($6.1\;%{\sim}9.2\;%$). From a subsequent experiment, it was proven that the closer the distance between the two sealed sources is, the more precise the measured flow rates are. Provided additional studies related to the selection of radioisotopes their activity, and an optimization of the experimental geometry are carried out, it is anticipated that a radioisotope application for flow rate measurements can be used as an important tool for monitoring multi-phase facilities belonging to petrochemical and refinery industries and contributes economically in the light of maintenance and control of them.