• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.678-699
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• 2015

Although the harsh space environment imposes many severe challenges to space pioneers, space exploration is a realistic and profitable goal for long-term humanity survival. One of the viable and promising options to overcome the harsh environment of space is nuclear propulsion. Particularly, the Nuclear Thermal Rocket (NTR) is a leading candidate for nearterm human missions to Mars and beyond due to its relatively high thrust and efficiency. Traditional NTR designs use typically high power reactors with fast or epithermal neutron spectrums to simplify core design and to maximize thrust. In parallel there are a series of new NTR designs with lower thrust and higher efficiency, designed to enhance mission versatility and safety through the use of redundant engines (when used in a clustered engine arrangement) for future commercialization. This paper proposes a new NTR design of the second design philosophy, Korea Advanced NUclear Thermal Engine Rocket (KANUTER), for future space applications. The KANUTER consists of an Extremely High Temperature Gas cooled Reactor (EHTGR) utilizing hydrogen propellant, a propulsion system, and an optional electricity generation system to provide propulsion as well as electricity generation. The innovatively small engine has the characteristics of high efficiency, being compact and lightweight, and bimodal capability. The notable characteristics result from the moderated EHTGR design, uniquely utilizing the integrated fuel element with an ultra heat-resistant carbide fuel, an efficient metal hydride moderator, protectively cooling channels and an individual pressure tube in an all-in-one package. The EHTGR can be bimodally operated in a propulsion mode of $100MW_{th}$ and an electricity generation mode of $100MW_{th}$, equipped with a dynamic energy conversion system. To investigate the design features of the new reactor and to estimate referential engine performance, a preliminary design study in terms of neutronics and thermohydraulics was carried out. The result indicates that the innovative design has great potential for high propellant efficiency and thrust-to-weight of engine ratio, compared with the existing NTR designs. However, the build-up of fission products in fuel has a significant impact on the bimodal operation of the moderated reactor such as xenon-induced dead time. This issue can be overcome by building in excess reactivity and control margin for the reactor design.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.615-635
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• 1996

The animal industry must be environmentally sound to ensure its long-term sustainable growth. Livestock wastes mostly manure, can be a valuable resource as well as a potential hazard to environment. The first option of manure management is developing an 'environmentally sound' feeding program and feeds so there are less excreted nutrients that need to be managed. Once the manure is produced it can be best utilized as a fertilizer of a soil conditioner. In many countries the amount of manure that can be spread on land depends on the nutrient requirements of the crop being grown. The laws specify maximum application rates and not animal stocking rates. Farmer who reduce the N and P component of manure can release pressure on the environment without having to reduce the number of animals. There are alternative system for housing and manure treatment which generate manure that are easier to handle and have less pollutants or more economic value. Treated animal waste may also be used as a feedstuff or fuel source. Most of the options of waste management result in increased costs to implement. It is necessary to assess the economics in order to find an acceptable compromise between the increased costs and the benefit to the environment. Animal welfare is also becoming more and more of an issue and it will lead to systems where animals are kept in less confined environment. The new system will have a great impact in the waste management system in the future.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1997.10a
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• pp.1516-1519
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• 1997

With disseminationof Distributed Control Systems(DCS), the huge amounts of process operation data could have been available and led to figure out process behaviors better on the statistical basis. Until now, the statistical modeling technology has been susally applied to process monitoring and fault diagnosis. however, it has been also thought that these process information, extracted from statistical analysis, might serve a great opportunity for process operation improvements and process improvements. This paper proposed a general methodolgy for process operation improvements including data analysis, backing up the result of analysis based on the methodology, and the mapping physical physical phenomena to the Principal Components(PC) which is the most distinguished feature in the methodology form traditional statistical analyses. The application of the proposed methodology to the Balst Furnace(BF) process has been presented for details. The BF process is one of the complicated processes, due to the highly nonlinear and correlated behaviors, and so the analysis for the process based on the mathematical modeling has been very difficult. So the statisitical analysis has come forward as a alternative way for the useful analysis. Using the proposed methodology, we could interpret the complicated process, the BF, better than any other mathematical methods and find the direction for process operation improvement. The direction of process operationimprovement, in the BF case, is to increase the fludization and the permeability, while decreasing the effect of tapping operation. These guide directions, with those physical meanings, could save fuel cost and process operator's pressure for proper actions, the better set point changes, in addition to the assistance with the better knowledge of the process. Open to set point change, the BF has a variety of steady state modes. In usual almost chemical processes are under the same situation with the BF in the point of multimode steady states. The proposed methodology focused on the application to the multimode steady state process such as the BF, consequently can be applied to any chemical processes set point changing whether operator intervened or not.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.212-222
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• 2000

This study was performed to investigate the performance of heat recovery device attached to exhaust gas flue connected to combustion chamber of greenhouse heating system. The experimental heat recovery system is mainly consisted of LPG combustion chamber and two heat recovery units; unit-A is attached directly to the exhaust gas flue, and unit-B is connected with unit-A. Heat recovery performance was evaluated by estimating total energy amounts by using enthalpy difference between two measurement points together with mass flow rate of gas and/or air passing through each heat recovery unit depending on 5 different flow rates controlled by voltage meter. The results of this experimental study, such as heat exchange behavior of supply air tubes and exhaust air passages crossing the tubes, pressure drop between inlet and outlet, heat recovery performance of exchange unit, etc., will be used as fundamental data for designing optimum heat recovery device to be used for fuel saving purpose by reducing heat loss amounts mostly wasted outside of greenhouse through flue.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.229-234
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• 2004

In this study, we proposed new forming process for a porous ceramic body with unique pore structure. h tubular-type porous NiO-YSZ body with radially aligned pore channels was prepared by freeze-drying of aqueous slurry. A NiO-YSZ slurry was poured into the mold, which was designed to control the crystallization direction of the ice, followed by freezing. Thereafter the ice was sublimated at a reduced pressure. SEM observations revealed that the NiO-YSZ porous body showed aligned large pore channels parallel to the ice growth direction, and fine pores are formed around the outer surface of the tube. It was considered that the difference in the ice growth rate during the freezing process resulted in such a characteristic microstructure. Bilayer consisting of dense thin electrolyte film of YSZ onto the tubular type porous body has been successfully fabricated using a slurry-coating process followed by co-firing. It was regarded that the obtained bilayer structure is suitable for constructing electrode-support type electrochemical devices such as solid oxide fuel cells.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.113-121
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• 1994

Since two oil shocks in 1970s, all of engine makers have persevered in their efforts to reduce specific fuel consumption and to increase engine power rate as much as possible in marine diesel engines. As a result, the maximum pressure in cylinders of these engines has been continuously increased. It causes direct axial vibration. The axial stiffness of crank shaft is low compared to old types of engine models by increasing the stroke/bore ratio and its major critical speed might occur within engine operation range. An axial damper, therefore, needs to be installed in order to reduce the axial vibration amplitude of the crankshaft. Usually the main critical speed of axial vibration for the propulsion shafting system with a 4-8 cylinder engine exists near the maximum continuous revolution(MCR). In this case, when the damping coefficient of the damper is increased within the allowance of the structural strength, its stiffness coefficient is also increased. Therefore, the main critical speed of axial vibration can be moved beyond the MCR. It has the same function as a conventional detuner. However, in the case of a 9-12 cylinder engine, the main critical speed of axial vibration for the propulsion shafting system exists below the MCR and thus the critical speed cannot be moved beyond the MCR by using an axial damper. In this case, the damping coefficient of an axial damper should be adjusted by considering the range of engine revolution, the location and vibration amplitude of the critical speed, the fore and aft vibration of the hull super structure. It needs to clarify the dynamic characteristics of the axial vibration damper to control the axial vibration appropriately. Therefore authors suggest the calculation method to analyse the dynamic characteristics of axial vibration damper. To confirm the calculation method proposed in this paper, it is applied to the propulsion shafting system of the actual ships and satisfactory results are obtained.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.102-108
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• 2008

In China, energy and environmental problems are becoming serious owing to rapid economic development. Coal is the most problematic energy source because it causes indoor and outdoor air pollution, acid rain, and global warming. One type of clean coal technology that has been developed is the coal-biomass briquette (or bio-briquette, BB) technique. BBs, which are produced from pulverized coal, biomass (typically, agricultural waste), and a sulfur fixation agent (slaked lime, $Ca(OH)_2$) under high pressure without any binder, have a high sulfur-fixation effect. In addition, BB combustion ash, that is, the waste material, can be used as a neutralization agent for acidic soil because of its high alkalinity, which originates from the added slaked lime. In this study, we evaluated the suitability of alternative biomass sources, namely, aquatic plants, as a BB constituent from the perspective of their use as a source of energy. We selected three types of aquatic plants for use in BB preparation and compared the fuel, handling, and environmental characteristics of the new BBs with those of conventional BBs. Our results showed that air-dried aquatic plants had a higher calorific value, which was in proportion to their carbon content, than agricultural waste biomass; the compressive strength of the new BBs, which depends on the lignin content of the biomass, was high enough to bear long-range intracontinental transport in China; and the new BBs had the same emission control capacity as the conventional BBs.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.9-15
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• 2018

The turbochargers, which are used widely in diesel and gasoline engines, are an effective device to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. On the other hand, turbo-lag is one of the main problems of a turbocharger. Bearing friction losses is a major cause of turbo lag and is particularly intense in the lower speed range of the engine. Current turbochargers are mostly equipped with floating bearings: two journal bearings and one thrust bearing. This study focused on the bearing friction at the lower speed range and the experimental equipment was established with a drive-motor, load-cell, magnetic coupling, and oil control system. Finally, the friction losses of turbochargers were measured considering the influence of the rotating speed from 30,000rpm to 90,000rpm, oil temperature from $50^{\circ}C$ to $100^{\circ}C$, and oil supply pressure of 3bar and 4bar. The friction power losses were increased exponentially to 1.6 when the turbocharger speed was increased. Friction torques decreased with increasing oil temperature and increased with increasing oil pressure. Therefore, the oil temperature and pressure must be maintained at appropriate levels.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.67-79
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• 1996

Clay soils typically have low hydraulic conductivities in the presence of high polarity pore fluid, such as water. Low polarity fluids, such as hydrocarbon fuels and halogenated organic solvents, typically cannot migrate into clay pores because they cannot displace the pore water. Oxygenated additives in gasoline, such as alcohols and methyl-tert-butyl ether, are increasingly used to control air pollution emissions. These relatively polar and highly water-soluble compounds may facilitate displacement of pore water and enhance migration of fuels and solvents through clay-rich soil strata. In the reported research, the migration of gasoline-alcohol fuel mixtures (gasohol) through consolidated clay was examined. Prepared kaolinite clay samples were consolidated from slurry, and various combinations of gasoline, alcohol, and water were applied to the clays under 152 Pa gauge pressure. Movement of the fluids into the clay samples was monitored by measur ing displaced pore fluid and by magnetic resonance imaging of the samples. The structures of selected samples were examined using environmental scanning electron microscopy. Results of the research suggest that alcohol added to hydrocarbon fuels can enhance migration through some clays significantly. Gasoline did not migrate appreciably into water saturated clay, even after 14 days under pressure. The gasohol mixture migrated readily into the clay in only 20 minutes. Increased hydraulic conductivity of the clay in the presence of gasohol is hypothesized to be due to the collapse of the clays pore structure when ethanol is present, creating larger pores. Increasing pore diameter decreases the capillary pressure needed for the gasohol to replace water and allows gasohol to migrate through the clay.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.171-186
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• 2009

Various Earth-Moon transfer trajectories are designed and analyzed to prepare the future Korea's Lunar missions. Minimum fuel trajectory solutions are obtained for the departure year of 2017, 2020, 2022, and every required mission phases are analyzed from Earth departure to the final lunar mission orbit. N-body equations of motion are formulated which include the gravitational effect of the Sun, Earth and Moon. In addition, accelerations due to geopotential harmonics, Lunar J2 and solar radiation pressures are considered. Impulsive high thrust is assumed as the main thrusting method of spacecraft with launcher capability of KSLV-2 which is planned to be developed. For the method of injecting a spacecraft into a trans Lunar trajectory, both direct shooting from circular parking orbit and shooting from the multiple elliptical intermediate orbits are adapted, and their design results are compared and analyzed. In addition, spacecraft's visibility from Deajeon ground station are constrained to see how they affect the magnitude of TLI(Trans Lunar Injection) maneuver. The results presented in this paper includes launch opportunities, required optimal maneuver characteristics for each mission phase as well as the trajectory characteristics and numerous related parameters. It is confirmed that the final mass of Korean lunar explorer strongly depends onto the initial parking orbit's altitude and launcher's capability, rather than mission start time.