• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.73-83
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• 2016

Forest degradation reduces ecosystem services provided by forest and could lead to change in composition of species. In North Korea, there has been significant forest degradation due to conversion of forest into terrace fields for food production and cut-down of forest for fuel woods. This study analyzed the phenological changes in North Korea, in terms of vegetation and moisture in soil and vegetation, from March to Octorber 2013, using MODIS (MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) images and indexes including NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), NDSI (Normalized Difference Soil Index), and NDWI (Normalized Difference Water Index). In addition, marginal farmland was derived using elevation data. Lastly, degraded terrace fields of 16 degree was analyzed using NDVI, NDSI, and NDWI indexes, and marginal farmland characteristics with slope variable. The accuracy value of land cover classification, which shows the difference between the observation and analyzed value, was 84.9% and Kappa value was 0.82. The highest accuracy value was from agricultural (paddy, field) and forest area. Terrace fields were easily identified using slope data form agricultural field. Use of NDVI, NDSI, and NDWI is more effective in distinguishing deforested terrace field from agricultural area. NDVI only shows vegetation difference whereas NDSI classifies soil moisture values and NDWI classifies abandoned agricultural fields based on moisture values. The method used in this study allowed more effective identification of deforested terrace fields, which visually illustrates forest degradation problem in North Korea.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.739-744
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• 2013

In this study, torrefaction was performed to improve fuel properties of Larch. The optimal condition for torrefaction was investigated by response surface methodology. The torrefaction temperature and time ranged $220{\sim}280^{\circ}C$ and 20~80 min, respectively. As the torrefaction temperature and time increased, the carbon content of torrefied biomass increased from 49.36 to 56.65%, while its hydrogen and oxygen contents decreased from 5.56 to 5.48% and from 37.62 to 31.67%, respectively. The weight loss and calorific value increased with SF, while energy yield decreased. At the severe torrefaction condition (SF 7), the weight loss and calorific value were 26.58% and 22.30 MJ/kg, respectively. The energy contained in torrefied biomass increased to 20.41%, when compared with the untreated biomass. As the torrefaction severity increased, the energy yield decreased due to the relatively high weight loss of biomass. Therefore, the highest energy yield was obtained at high calorific value and low weight loss of biomass (SF 5.72).

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.120-128
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• 2015

This study reports the combustion characteristics, such as burner temperature and the concentration of exhausted gas ($O_2$, $CO_x$, $NO_x$) due to the different types and pitches of the fuel supply feeder of the wood pellet boiler. The 1st grade wood pellets composed of mainly larch have been used for the experiment. In case of using the spring feeder, mean temperature of burner was approximately $821.76^{\circ}C$, and the mean concentration of oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide were approximately 8.88%, 93.35ppm, 12.15% and 139.83 ppm, respectively. The test result with the spring feeder was shown to approach the condition of complete combustion compared to that of a screw feeder and were in good agreement with authentication judgement standard. Furthermore, the combustion efficiency was improved according to the growth of screw pitch. The control of air flow rate from the blower and ventilator is needed to achieve the complete combustion.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.732-744
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• 2020

In this study, a torrefaction of Quercus serrata to manufacture a molded charcoal was performed, investigated material properties, fuel characteristics, and performed a quantitative analysis of hazardous gases which occur during a combustion process. In addition, a molded charcoal in market was selected as a control group, and a comparative analysis was performed. As a result, the higher heating value (HHV) of the torrefied specimen was about 14% higher than that of molded charcoal, and its ash content was about 51 times lower. Moreover, after performing a quantitative assessment of hazardous gases (carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and sulfur dioxide) which were produced when each specimen was combusted for 900 seconds in an enclosed chamber, it was confirmed that the maximum value of generated amount of carbon monoxide on the torrefied specimen was about 50 times lower than that of the existing molded charcoal. Therefore, it was shown that the torrefied specimen produced in this study had a higher heating value than the molded charcoal in the market, and a very low amount of carbon monoxide generated during the combustion process.

• Clean Technology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.336-345
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• 2011

The total area of forest land in Korea is 64.2%, and significant forest resources can continuously be produced. However our country didn't separate the recyclable waste wood and was illegal landfill or incinerated. In this study, waste-wood and rice husk of biomass and low-grade-anthracite made refuse derived fuel by mixing and compressing. In addition, the binding effect of binders and additives were analyzed. Physical and chemical characteristics of manufactured refuse derived fuel were analyzed and evaluated suitability by compared with quality standards. A result of change with compressed and relaxed density, added 20% anthracite and 10% rice husk is optimal density change and average density increased large range when 20 wt.% P.V.A., guargum, molasses and 10 wt.% starch were added. All fuel samples be distributed over 3,500 kcal/kg LHV and grade of No. 3~4 fuels appeared. A result of the characteristics of physical and chemical compressed biomass refuse derived fuel with addictive, 12.9% of durability improvement appeared when is mixing asphalt and 5.8% of durability improvement appeared when is mixing rice bran by pretreatment of NaOH 5%.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.412-417
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• 2018

Agroforestry is emerged as climate smart agriculture system and known to help in maintaining soil nutrient sustainability but its rate of expansion is still not appreciable. The present paper incorporates the different species under various agroforestry practices its density, growth and growing stock. The most dominated agroforestry practices in Bilaspur district identified as boundary tree based agri- silviculture (32%) followed with inside field tree based agri-silviculture (21%). Agri-horti-silvicultural system found merely in 5% farmer's field while silvo-pastoral practice in 8% fields. The result depicts that the most prevailing agroforestry tree species in non-forest area of Bilaspur comprises Acacia nilotica 36%, Butea monosperma 22%, Albizia spp 16%, Terminalia arjuna 7%, Azadirachta indica 3.5% and other species 15.5%. More than 90% farmer allows tree species growing naturally in their fields mainly for fuel wood, timber and as source of additional income as these species need not require special attention and care, while only 5% farmer's has adopted Tectona grandis, Dalbergia sissoo etc commercially for higher future return. The paper also discusses the constraints on agroforestry for enabling development of agroforestry in future.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.360-369
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• 2016

In this study, sequential leaching and wet torrefaction were performed to improve the fuel characteristics of empty fruit bunch (EFB). Leaching was carried out at $25{\sim}90^{\circ}C$ for 5~30 min. The highest ash removal efficiency of 55.99% was achieved when leaching was performed at $90^{\circ}C$ for 10 min. The ash removal efficiency was dependent more on leaching temperature than time. Wet torrefaction was carried out at $180{\sim}200^{\circ}C$ for 5~40 min, following the leaching. Most of the inorganic compounds were removed at removal efficiencies of 41.05~63.58% during sequential leaching and wet torrefaction, while silica remained in the biomass. Chloride, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus showed more than 80% removal efficiencies. The calorific value of EFB increased to 7.96% (4730 kcal/kg) in comparison to the raw material (4390 kcal/kg) when wet torrefaction was performed at $200^{\circ}C$ for 40 min following leaching.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.203-210
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• 2014

In this study, combustion behaviour were to analyze by comparing experimental data against predicted values. In developing pellet boiler performance, various factors such as combustion chamber shape, input air velocity, the amount of fuel, temperature, and fuel characteristics need to be analyzed. Analytical model using a numerical method is useful to overcome time and cost consuming by practical experiment. By controlling feeding rate of fuel, flue gas composition and temperature distribution obtained form experiment were compared with predicted values using FLUENT(ANSYS, Inc., Southpointe). Measurement were in good agreement with model predictions : with 0.60 % for $CO_2$ 0.73% for $O_2$ when compared with independent data sets.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.41-46
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• 2007

The combustion characteristics of surface forest fire fuels was analysed using variable external irradiation level. The characteristics such as ignition time, ignition temperature, critical heat flux and mass loss rate were measured. Fuel samples were exposed to incident heat fluxes from 8 to $50\;kW/m^2$. For the measurement of various combustion characteristics, the size of specimen holder was $100\;mm{\times}100\;mm{\times}12\;mm$ and the fuel samples grinded by electric mill were the fallen leaves of Quercus variabilis and Pinus densiflora. As results, the occurrence of ignition is possible to the heat flux more than $9\;kW/m^2$. The fuel of Pinus densiflora keeps its high temperature longer than that of Quercus variabilis during the combustion process. The results of measurement shows that the maximun and average mass loss rate of Quercus variabilis larger than that of Pinus densiflora.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.1035-1039
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• 2010

For 65 national forest areas in 1993 to 2008, the ambient sulfur dioxide ($SO_2$) concentrations were measured monthly using passive samplers and compared to the those of urban areas in order to investigate the characteristics of temporal and spatial distribution. In the forest areas, annual average concentration of sulfur dioxide gradually decreased from the beginning year of monitoring to 1997 and then had no significant change, such as the annual trend in urban areas monitored by Ministry of Environment. For the monitoring term, average concentration of sulfur dioxide in the forest areas was 5.6ppb, which was lower than the 10.1ppb in the urban areas and the EC ecological standard level (7.6 ppb). Seasonally, both in forest areas and urban areas the monthly average concentrations were much higher in winter and spring due to much more heating fuel consumption, and lowest in summer. Regional comparison to other regions of Gyeongbuk and Gyeonggi province showed that the concentration of sulfur dioxide was the highest during year. A significant positive correlation between sulfur oxides' emissions and sulfur dioxide concentration by province was observed, reflecting that the size and proximity of sources of atmospheric sulfur oxides could be important factors in determination.