• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.613-625
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• 1998

This paper addresses a fundamental and theoretical model for the shape of a cucumber and its human-oriented proper definition of length and curvature in order to sort cucumbers electronically. In addition, we design a T-shaped array of sensors to minimize the number of sensors and the processing number of A/D(Analog/Digital) conversions, and we analyze regular patterns of a series of 1's and 0's which are converted from an A/D module. Finally we suggest an algorithm for measuring the length and curvature providing a rule from the regular patterns. The methodology suggested in this paper could be applied to electronical classification of some crops and fruits such as tomatoes, apples, and so on, and can be a basis for developing other sorting machines.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.571-577
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• 2012

In this study, a small movable batch treatment system for dredging soil deposited in a rain water tube is proposed; further, a vacuum silo sorting separation device with a vacuum silo, first-stage sorting separator, and conveyor is designed. The vacuum silo sorting separation device also consists of a storage tank, transferring screw, vacuum gate, screen bar, screen bar cleaner, and vacuum discharging device. In view of the fact that the flow of drawn air in the storage tank is a major factor influencing the sorting separation performance, the optimum shape of the tank is determined by CFD flow analysis. In addition, by using CAE structure analysis, the safety of a storage tank made of boards is examined. The specifications of the vacuum silo sorting separation device are determined by conducting mechanical and dynamic simulations of the driving mechanism of the vacuum silo sorting separation device through 3D-CAD modeling. Following this study, we will design a drum-screen-type second sorter, a decanter-type dehydration device, and waste water tank and pump as a secondary device. Further, on the basis of this design, we will construct a prototype model and carry out a field test.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.28-35
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• 2002

A study on the grinding characteristics of metal components in printed circuit boards (PCBs) scrap by a swing-hammer typeimpact mill was conducted. The PCBs scrap crushed to sizes less than 3 mm were pulverized to liberate metal components by the impact mill. The effect of rotation speed of hammer on the grinding characteristics was investigated. The particle size distribution and degree of liberation of metals such as copper and solder were measured. The effect of rotation speed and particle size on the shape sorting of metal Particles from milled PCBs was investigated using an inclined vibrating Plate. At the hammer speed of 61.3 m/s about 80% of the copper particles became larger than 297 $\mu$m while 90% of solder particles was smaller than 297 $\mu$m. In the shape sorting method, the recovery location becomes shorter as the rotation speed of hammer increases. The recovery location for particles larger than 297$\mu$m was shorter than for particles sized between 149$\mu$m and 297$\mu$m. As the recovery location becomes shorter, KI value increases towards unity while $\phi_{c}$ value decreases towards unity indicating the more roundness of metal particles.

• Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.8-15
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• 2003

In Korea, quality evaluation of dried oak mushrooms are done first by classifying them into more than 10 different categories based on the state of opening of the cap, surface pattern, and colors. And mushrooms of each category are further classified into 3 or 4 groups based on its shape and size, resulting into total 30 to 40 different grades. Quality evaluation and sorting based on the external visual features are usually done manually. Since visual features of mushroom affecting quality grades are distributed over the entire surface of the mushroom, both front (cap) and back (stem and gill) surfaces should be inspected thoroughly. In fact, it is almost impossible for human to inspect every mushroom, especially when they are fed continuously via conveyor. In this paper, considering real time on-line system implementation, image processing algorithms utilizing artificial neural network have been developed for the quality grading of a mushroom. The neural network based image processing utilized the raw gray value image of fed mushrooms captured by the camera without any complex image processing such as feature enhancement and extraction to identify the feeding state and to grade the quality of a mushroom. Developed algorithms were implemented to the prototype on-line grading and sorting system. The prototype was developed to simplify the system requirement and the overall mechanism. The system was composed of automatic devices for mushroom feeding and handling, a set of computer vision system with lighting chamber, one chip microprocessor based controller, and pneumatic actuators. The proposed grading scheme was tested using the prototype. Network training for the feeding state recognition and grading was done using static images. 200 samples (20 grade levels and 10 per each grade) were used for training. 300 samples (20 grade levels and 15 per each grade) were used to validate the trained network. By changing orientation of each sample, 600 data sets were made for the test and the trained network showed around 91 % of the grading accuracy. Though image processing itself required approximately less than 0.3 second depending on a mushroom, because of the actuating device and control response, average 0.6 to 0.7 second was required for grading and sorting of a mushroom resulting into the processing capability of 5,000/hr to 6,000/hr.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.239-247
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• 2001

The Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorter (FACS) is a well-established instrument used for identifying, enumerating, classifying and sorting cells by their physical and optical characteristics. For a miniaturized FACS device, a disposable plastic microchip has been developed which has a hydrodynamic focusing chamber using soft lithography. As the characteristics of the spatially confined sample stream have an effect on sample throughput, detection efficiency, and the accuracy of cell sorting, systematic fluid dynamic studies are required. Flow visualization is conducted with a laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), and three-dimensional flow structure of the focused sample stream is reconstructed from 2D slices acquired at $1\mutextrm{m}$ intervals in depth. It was observed that the flow structure in the focusing chamber is skewed by unsymmetrical velocity profile arising from trapezoidal cross section of the microchannel. For a quantitative analysis of a microscopic flow structure, Confocal Micro-PIV system has been developed to evaluate the accelerated flow field in the focusing chamber. This study proposes a method which defines the depth of the measurement volume using a detection pinhole. The trajectories of red blood cells (RBCs) and their interactions with surrounding flow field in the squeezed sample stream are evaluated to find optimal shape of the focusing chamber and fluid manipulation scheme for stable cell transporting, efficient detection, and sorting

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.49-55
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• 2009

This paper presents the optimal shape of microelectrode that generates dielectrophoretic(DEP) force to separate particles in homogeneous medium. The principle of the particles sorting is based on the use of the relative strengths of negative DEP (nDEP) and drag forces, as in a general DEP-activated cell sorter (DACS). To numerically calculate the DEP force and drag force, the simulation is implemented in MATLAB 7.0. The properties of particles, which are used in simulation, are similarly selected as those of cells to apply cell separation. The most optimized shape of electrode is selected by numerical simulation according to a variety of electrode shape such as rectangle, trapezoidal, and right-triangle. Through, in addition, parameter study, we found that applied frequency is more significant factor on the separation than various parameters, such as applied voltage and permittivity of medium, that decide on the strength of DEP force.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.37-43
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• 1996

The recovery of metals from printed circuit board(PCBs) scraps was investigated by utilizing a shape sorting method.After all electronic parts mounted on the board were removed. PCBs were pulverized to particles smaller than 1 mm by aswing hammer type impact mill in order to liberate metal components. Metals were separated from nonmetalliccomponents by an inclined vibrating plate (IVP). The metal separation efficiency was measured as a function of vihrationintensity and inclined angle. The maximum efficiency was obtained when IVP was operated at the vibration intensity(Kv)of 1.40 and the inclined angle of 10". The grade of the metal components was recovered from PCBs exceeding 90% byusing IVP.0% by using IVP.

• Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.106-110
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• 2000

An integrated on-line inspection system was constructed with seven cameras, half mirrors to split images. 720 nm and 970 nm band pass filters, illumination chamber having several tungsten-halogen lamps, one main computer, one color frame grabber, two 4-channel multiplexors, and flat plate conveyer, etc. A total of seven images, that is, one color image form the top of an apple and two B/W images from each side (top, right and left) could be captured and displayed on a computer monitor through the multiplexor. One of the two B/W images captured from each side is 720nm filtered image and the other is 970 nm. With this system an on-line grading software was developed to evaluate appearance quality. On-line test results with Fuji apples that were manually fed on the conveyer showed that grading accuracies of the color, defect and shape were 95.3%, 86% and 88.6%, respectively. Grading time was 0.35 second per apple on an average. Therefore, this on-line grading system could be used for inspection of the final products produced from an apple sorting system.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
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• 2000.11c
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• pp.551-559
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• 2000

An integrated on-line inspection system was constructed with seven cameras, half mirrors to split images, 720 nm and 970 nm band pass filters, illumination chamber having several tungsten-halogen lamps, one main computer, one color frame grabber, two 4-channel multiplexors, and flat plate conveyer, etc., so that a total of seven images, that is, one color image from the top side of an apple and two B/W images from each side (top, right and left) could be captured and displayed on a computer monitor through the multiplexor. One of the two B/W images captured from each side is 720nm filter image and the other is 970nm. With this system an on-line grading software was developed to evaluate appearance quality. On-line test results to the Fuji apples that were manually fed on the conveyer showed that grading accuracies of the color, defective and shape were 95.3%, 86% and 91%, respectively. Grading time was 0.35 sec per apple on an average. Therefore, this on-line grading system could be used for inspection of the final products produced from an apple sorting system.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.147-156
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• 2008

A new approach based on cone prism intersection method combined with sorting algorithm is proposed for the fast and robust signed distance field computation. In the method, the space bounding the geometric model composed of triangular net is divided into multiple smaller cells. For the efficient calculation of distance fields, valid points among the triangular net which will generate minimum distances with current cell are selected by checking the intersection between current cell and cone prism generated at each point. The method is simple to implement and able to achieve an order of magnitude improvement in the computation time as compared to earlier approaches. Further the method is robust in handling the traditional sign problems. The validity of the suggested method was demonstrated by providing numerous examples including Boolean operation, shape deformation and morphing of complex geometric models.