• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.63-75
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• 2018

Objectives: The aim of this research is to explore the total heavy metals from a coal-fired power plant burning bituminous coal with wood pellets due to the implementation of the Renewable Portfolio Standard policy (RPS, 10% of electricity from renewable energy resources by 2023). Methods: The research was carried out by collecting archival data and using the USEPA's AP-42 & EMEP/EEA compilation of emission factors for use in calculating emissions. The Monte Carlo method was also applied for carrying out the calculations of measurement uncertainty. Results: In this paper, the results are listed as follows. Sb was measured at 110 kg (2015) and calculated as 165 kg (2019) and 201 kg (2023). Cr was measured at 1,597 kg (2015) and calculated as 1,687 kg (2019) and 1,728 kg (2023). Cu was measured at 2,888 kg (2015) and calculated as 3,133 kg (2019) and 3,264 kg (2023). Pb was measured at 2,580 kg (2015) and calculated as 2,831 kg (2019) and 2,969 kg (2023). Mn was measured at 3,011 kg (2015) and calculated as 15,034 kg (2019) and 23,014 kg (2023). Hg was measured at 510 kg (2015) and calculated as 513 kg (2019) and 537 kg (2023). Ni was measured at 1,720 kg (2015) and calculated as 1,895 kg (2019) and 1,991 kg (2023). Zn was measured at 7,054 kg (2015) and calculated as 9,938 kg (2019) and 11,778 kg (2023). Se was measured at 7,988 kg (2015) and calculated as 7,663 kg (2019) and 7,351 kg (2023). Conclusion: This shows that most heavy metals would increase steadily from 2015 to 2023. However, Se would decrease by 7.9%. This analysis was conducted with EMEP/EEA's emission factors due to the limited emission factors in South Korea. Co-firewood pellets in coal-fired power plants cause the emission of heavy metals. For this reason, emission factors at air pollution control facilities would be presented and the replacement of wood pellets would be needed.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.25-35
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• 2024

Background: There are concerns about the health effects of various environmental pollution exposures among residents living near coal-fired power plants (CFPP). Objectives: This study attempted to compare the concentrations of heavy metals in blood and urine and those of urinary volatile organic compound (VOC) metabolites according to the residential separation distance. Methods: Participants in the study totaled 334 people who have lived for more than 10 years in areas within 10 km of a CFPP. The separation distance was analyzed in quartiles by dividing it into Q1 (88 people), Q2 (89 people), Q3 (89 people), and Q4 (68 people). We explained the purpose of this study to the participants and collected blood and urine after obtaining signatures on a participation agreement. Results: The study participants were 102 males (30.5%) and 232 females (69.5%), with an average age of 71. The average length of residence and distance were 43.8 years and 4,800 meters. The geometric mean concentrations of Pb, Cd, and Hg in blood and As and Cd in urine were respective 1.35 ㎍/dL, 1.43 ㎍/L, 3.16 ㎍/L. They were 167.88 ㎍/g for creatinine and 1.58 ㎍/g creatinine. The metabolite concentrations of VOCs were 50.67 ㎍/g creatinine in t, t-muconic acid (t, t-MA), 10.73 ㎍/g creatinine in benzyl mercapturic acid, 317.05 ㎍/g creatinine in phenylglyoxylic acid, 123.55 ㎍/g creatinine in methylhippuric acid, and 190.82 ㎍/g creatinine in mandelic acid. The concentration of Pb in the blood and Cd and t, t-MA in the urine of residents within affected area of the CFPP showed statistically significant differences among distance groups. Conclusions: The concentration of urinary VOCs metabolites, especially t, t-MA, differed according to the distance groups of residents within the affected area of CFPP (p<0.05).

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.401-418
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• 2000

1. Production of the artificial zeolite from coal ash Coal fly ash is mainly composed of several oxides including $SiO_2$ and $Al_2O_3$ derived from inorganic compounds remained after burning. As minor components, $Fe_2O_3$ and oxides of Mg, Ca, P, Ti (trace) are also contained in the ash. These components are presented as glass form resulting from fusion in the process of the combustion of coal. In other word, coal ash may refer to a kind of aluminosilicate glass that is known to easily change to zeolite-like materials by hydrothermal reaction. Lots of hot seawater is disposing near thermal power plants after cooling turbine generator periodically. Using seawater in the hydrothermal reaction caused to produce low price artificial zeolite by reduction of sodium hydroxide consumption, heating energy and water cost. As coal ash were reacted hydrothermally, peaks of quartz and mullite in the ash were weakened and disappeared, and new Na-Pl peaks were appeared strengthily. Si-O-Si bonding of the bituminous coal ash was changed to Si-O-Al (and $Fe^{3+}$) bonding by the reaction. Therefore the produced Na-Pl type zeolite had high CEC of 276.7 $cmol^+{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ and well developed molecular sieve structure with low concentration of heavy metals. 2. Utilization of the artificial zeolite in agro-environment The artificial zeolite(1g) could remove 123.5 mg of zinc, 164.7 mg copper, 184.4 mg cadmium and 350.6 mg lead in the synthetic wastewater. The removability is higher 2.8 times in zinc, 3.3 times in copper, 4.7 times in cadmium and 4.8 times in lead than natural zeolite and charcoal powder. When the heavy metals were treated at the ratio of 150 $kg{\cdot}ha^{-1}$ to the rice plant, various growth inhibition were observed; brownish discoloration and death of leaf sheath, growth inhibition in culm length, number of panicles and grains, grain ripening and rice yield. But these growth inhibition was greatly alleviated by the application of artificial zeolite, therefore, rice yield increased $1.1{\sim}3.2$ times according to the metal kind. In addition, the concentration of heavy metals in the brown rice also lowered by $27{\sim}75%$. Artificial Granular Zeolites (AGZ) was developed for the purification of wastewater. Canon exchange capacity was 126.8 $cmol^+{\cdot}kg^{-1}$. AGZ had Na-Pl peaks mainly with some minor $C_3S$ peaks in X-ray diffractogram. In addition, AGZs had various pore structure that may be adhere the suspended solid and offer microbiological niche to decompose organic pollutants. AGZ could remove ammonium, orthophosphate and heavy metals simultaneously. Mixing ratio of artificial zeolite in AGZs was related positively with removal efficiency of $NH_4\;^+$ and negatively with that of $PO_4\;^{3-}$. Root growth of rice seedling was inhibited severely in the mine wastewater because of strong acidity and high concentration of heavy metals. As AGZ(1 kg) stayed in the wastewater(100L) for 4days, water quality turned into safely for agricultural usage and rice seedlings grew normally.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.538-545
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• 2020

The outdoor coal storage sheds of thermal power plants are being converted to indoor coal storage sheds worldwide because of the environmental pollution problems in the surrounding areas. On the other hand, indoor coal storage sheds are causing problems, such as indoor coal scattering and harmful gas generation. In this study, the ventilation method of indoor coal storage sheds was analyzed in terms of the internal flow characteristics and ventilation according to the outside wind velocity and direction. CFD analysis was performed based on the actual flow measurement information inside the indoor coal storage sheds. A comparison of the wind speed of 6 m/s and 2 m/s when the outside wind direction was easterly showed that the stream velocity to the monitor louver was faster and the recirculation area was clearer at 6 m/s than at 2 m/s. In addition, the trend of a westerly wind was similar to that of the easterly wind. The ventilation rate according to the wind speed was 13.1 times and 4.4 times for a wind speed of 6 m/s and 2 m/s, respectively. If the wind speed is 2 m/s, the situation does not meet the required number of ventilations per hour in a general plant, and needs to be improved.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.53-58
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• 2013

The design for horizontal drain layer on soft ground starts from the decision that the material could be used or not, by verifying material condition in permeability of horizontal drain material according to the weight percent of the dry soil retained on #200 sieve. In the next step of the design, we estimate the thickness of horizontal drain layer to confirm trafficability of heavy machinery in construction work. Successively, the long-term functionality for good drainage of horizontal drain layer is checked and if needed, some means are considered. In this study, the system to recycle mixed coal ash in ash pond successfully as a horizontal drain material on soft ground is presented through the process and the result of its practical construction work. Namely, the pact is confirmed that mixed coal ash in ash pond should be sorted out by sieve screen to a certain extent and the remainders of this mixed coal ash on sieve openings be recycled, because the amount of finer particles than $75{\mu}m$ contained in mixed coal ash in ash pond is quite massive and irregular depending on the coal power plant or the location in same ash pond. In order to sort at large scale in situ, the dimension of a sieve squre hole and the sort-out method, etc. should be decided before the sort-out process. And, it is described that we need to manufacture classifier to sort out mixed coal ash in ash pond, too.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.43-47
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• 2016

KHNP CRI has developed APR+ nuclear power plant since 2007, which is GEN III+ model with 1500 MWe capacity. To develop safer nuclear power plant than APR1400, we investigated advanced design features of ALWR being constructed in Korea and being developed/constructed in foreign countries. We applied the advanced design features and lessons learned from Fukushima accident to develop APR+ standard design suitable for both domestic construction and overseas construction business. One economic assessments have performed during safety design improvement phase(2013.1 ~ 2015.12) of APR+. The result of the economic analysis for APR+ safety inhancement design showed that APR+ N-th plant is about 39.2% more economical than coal-fired 1,000MW power plant. Also APR+ plant is more cost advantage over foreign advanced nation ALWRs.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.39 no.12
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• pp.1265-1273
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• 2015

A coal handling machine is a type of equipment used for loading coal, the main material in a steam power plant, along a conveyer belt from a ship, and is placed after the driving chain bucket. However, studies on the boom hoisting cylinder, which is a hydraulic system used to control the angle of the boom based on loading location, indicate that domestic models are insufficient, and are thereby often substituted with a foreign product. In this study, a technique for analyzing the contact pressure in a thick-walled cylinder was established by comparing the contact pressure, which is calculated theoretically based on the results obtained from FEM simulation, and by checking whether the working oil is leaking from the boom hoisting cylinder using a v-seal. In addition, the driving motion was simulated according to the strokes of the cylinder, and the structural stability was verified under the maximum output conditions.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2009

The glass-ceramics composed of coal bottom ash produced from a thermal power plant, $Na_{2}O$ and $Li_{2}O$ as a flux agent and $TiO_2$ as a nucleation agent were fabricated and its microstructures were analyzed. The nepheline was a major crystal phase in the glass-ceramics fabricated and its amount increased with $TiO_2$ addition. The glass-ceramics without $TiO_2$ addition had the thick surface crystals induced by a surface-crystallization mechanism and no crystal in the interior matrix. The surface crystallization, however, was restrained and the interior matrix was completely crystallized showing dendrite shape spread with fine particles < $1{\mu}m$ when added with $TiO_2$ above 4 wt%. For the glass-ceramics containing 6 wt% $TiO_2$, the $5{\mu}m$-long dendrite crystal; were interlocked each other which could suppress the crack propagation effectively at the external loading applied.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.7-14
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• 2009

This study describes to analyze the pressure drop characteristics for the air-particle flow in pneumatic coal powder conveying system and to proper design of the orifice located in the system to enhance combustion efficiency in furnace of the coal-fired power plant. Usually the system consists of the straight type pipe, the curved type pipe and the elbow, which cause increase of the pressure drop. In this study, the pressure drop arised in the system with straight and curved type pipes is analyzed with interactions of motion of air flow and particles. It is realized that total pressure drop increases with increasing of the pipe length and the angle of curved type pipe due to friction loss of air and particles in the system. The program for analysis of the pressure drop and optimum design of the orifice size for air flow control in the system is developed. The result is also compared with the existing system.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.1959-1974
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• 2024

Nuclear energy plays a crucial role in energy supply in the 21st century, and more and more Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) will be in operation to contribute to the development of human society. However, as a typical complex system engineering, the operation and development of NPPs require efficient and stable control methods to ensure the safety and efficiency of nuclear power generation. Reinforcement learning (RL) aims at learning optimal control policies via maximizing discounted long-term rewards. The reward-oriented learning paradigm has witnessed remarkable success in many complex systems, such as wind power systems, electric power systems, coal fire power plants, robotics, etc. In this work, we try to present a systematic review of the applications of RL on these complex systems, from which we believe NPPs can borrow experience and insights. We then conduct a block-by-block investigation on the application scenarios of specific tasks in NPPs and carried out algorithmic research for different situations such as power startup, collaborative control, and emergency handling. Moreover, we discuss the possibilities of further application of RL methods on NPPs and detail the challenges when applying RL methods on NPPs. We hope this work can boost the realization of intelligent NPPs, and contribute to more and more research on how to better integrate RL algorithms into NPPs.