• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.23 no.7
• /
• pp.993-1003
• /
• 2013

Methanotrophs are the most important sink of $CH_4$, which is a more highly potent greenhouse gas than $CO_2$. Methanotrophic abundance and community diversity in cover soils from two typical semi-aerobic landfills (SALs) in China were detected using real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time-PCR) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) based on 16S rRNA genes, respectively. Real time-PCR showed that Type I methanotrophs ranged from $1.07{\times}10^6$ to $2.34{\times}10^7$ copies/g soil and that of Type II methanotrophs from $1.51{\times}10^7$ to $1.83{\times}10^8$ copies/g soil. The ratio of Type II to Type I methanotrophic copy numbers ranged from 5.61 to 21.89, indicating that Type II methanotrophs dominated in SAL. DGGE revealed that Type I methanotrophs responded more sensitively to the environment, changing as the community structure varied with different soil types and locations. Methylobacter, Methylosarcina, and Methylomicrobium for Type I, and Methylocystis for Type II were most prevalent in the SAL cover layer. Abundant interflow $O_2$ with high $CH_4$ concentration in SALs is the reason for the higher population density of methanotrophs and the higher enrichment of Type II methanotrophs compared with anaerobic landfills and other ecosystems, which proved a conclusion that increasing the oxygen supply in a landfill cover layer would greatly improve $CH_4$ mitigation.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.16 no.12
• /
• pp.8140-8146
• /
• 2015

The objective of this study is to experimentally investigate the cooling performance characteristics with the consideration of the temperature variations of the enclosure of the 400W ferrofluid active speaker having both woofer and amplifier heat sinks. In order to do this, the heat sinks for both woofer and amplifier was designed ant applied to 400W ferrofluid active speaker. As a result, the cooling performance of the developed 400W ferrofluid active speaker was improved and the temperature of the enclosure after 120 min at steady state increased by $2.8^{\circ}C$ with the increase of the outdoor temperatures from $25^{\circ}C$ to $29^{\circ}C$. In addition, the overall sound pressure level of the developed 400W ferrofluid active speaker showed 111.8 dB and improved 1.9 dB higher than 109.9 dB of the existed speaker.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.161-167
• /
• 2015

In this paper, a novel thermoelectric cooling system utilizing condensed water is introduced and its electrical equivalent circuit model is proposed. The introduced system can deals with the condensed water and improves efficiency by spraying the condensed water on heat sink. The electrical equivalent circuit model is derived by combining the circuit model of the classical thermoelectric cooling system with equation of heat exchange. Because the parameters of the model can be defined from not other experimental data but just the data sheet of the thermoelement, the model can be useful to design and develop the controller of the proposed system. We verify that the proposed model is valid and the introduced system is more efficient than the previous thermoelectric cooling system through simulations.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.130-136
• /
• 2011

Methane is known to be one of the major greenhouse gases. On a global scale, livestock farming may contribute 18% of total greenhouse gas emissions. Though methane contribution is less than 2% of all the factors leading to global warming, it plays an important role because it is 21 times more effective than carbon dioxide. Methane emission is a direct result of the fermentation process performed by ruminal microorganisms and, in particular, the archael methanogens. Reducing methane emission would benefit both ruminant production and the environment. Methane generation can be reduced by electron-sink metabolic pathways to dispose of the reducing moieties. An alternative way for methane control in the rumen is to apply inhibitors against methanogens. Generating methane from manure has considerable merit because it appears to offer at least a partial solution to two pressing problems-environmental crisis and energy shortage. An obvious benefit from methane production is the energy value of the gas itself. Control of methane emission by rumen microbes in Korea has mainly been focused on application of various chemicals, such as BES and PMDI, that inhibit the growth and activity of methanogens in the rumen. Alternatives were to apply long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and oils with or without organic acids (malate and fumarate). The results for trials with methane reducing agents and the situation of biogas production industries and a typical biogas plant in Korea will be introduced here.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.113-120
• /
• 2015

In recent years, the population composition of rural area is changing due to the decreasing population growth of the aged with disability and people returning to farming. Since 1970's the rural community facilities have been spreaded out across most rural villages. Although the rural community facilities are the most widely used facilities, the existing facilities are need to be new built or remodeled according to demographic changes, usage of facilities, and environmental condition. Given this reality, the rural community facilities such as village assembly hall and nursing home for senior citizen are not only used for daily life place but also used like co-residence having meals and sleeping together. Therefore the rural community facilities have the potential to become welfare service space for rural elderly people. This research focuses on the current situation of universal design applied community facilities. According to the research, most of the village community facilities were built in the 1990s and 82% of the buildings were more than 15 years old. Furthermore, 45% of the village community facilities more than 15 years old most have a ground floor in masonry structure. The area of the building is 65% less than $100m^2$. The width of the access entrance, the height of the sink, gas safety valve and so forth were relatively well designed. However, the handrail of the entrance, space in front of the toilet bowl, the height difference between the entrance and floor, the installation of the width of the ramp and stair handrail was relatively incomplete. Village community facilities to be built in the future should be universal design fundamentally.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.249-256
• /
• 2013

The aim of the study was to reveal the scope and benefits derives from establishing carbon forests in a country like Bangladesh. Carbon forestry is the modernized forestry practice that evolves no cutting of trees or vegetation rather conserves them in the wood. Trees might be the source of carbon sink at large scale by establishing carbon forests. To find out how and in what extent forests of Bangladesh could contribute to global emission reduction, tree species of economic importance were taken into account about their carbon sequestration potential. Data source was a secondary one. Bangladesh has subtropical evergreen and deciduous forest tree species. Here trees can sequester almost 45-55 percent organic carbon in their biomass. On an average, trees in different types of stands can sequester 150-300 tC/ha. Carbon value of these forests might be 7,500-15,000 USD per hactre (assuming 50 USD per equivalent $tCO_2$). Thus, accounting tree carbon credits of total forested lands of Bangladesh, there might be a lump sum value of $1.89{\times}10^{10}-3.79{\times}10^{10}$ USD. If soil carbon is added, this amount would jump. Alternatively, there are two times higher spaces as marginal lands than this for starting carbon forestry. However, carbon forestry concept is still a theoretical conception unless otherwise their challenges are addressed and solved. Despite of this, forests of Bangladesh might be the key showcase for conserving biodiversity in association with carbon capture. Protected areas in Bangladesh are of government wealth, however, degraded and denuded waste and marginal lands might be the best fit for establishing carbon forests.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.292-297
• /
• 2007

Global warming and climate changes have been major issues for decades andvarious researches have reported their impact on our environment. According to recent researches, increased carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) concentration in the atmosphere is considered as a dominant contributor to global climate changes and thus numerous researches were conducted to control $CO_2$ concentration in the atmosphere. Soil management practices, such as reducing tillage intensity, returning plant residues, and enhancing cropping system have recommended for restoring organic carbon into the soils effectively. However, few studies on soil carbon sequestration have reported for Korean paddy soils. Therefore, evaluation of soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics in the long-term single rice cropping system is essential in order to find out potential capacity of paddy field as a carbon sink source. The objective of this research was to evaluate SOC dynamics on the long-term single rice cropping system. Research was conducted in the research farm at National Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, Rural Development Administration, Suwon. Long-term phosphorus and potassium fertilization and lime application didn't significantly affect on SOC compared to controls. We found that SOC contents were increased continually at the long-term composting plots with enhanced rate of carbon storage. In conclusion, continuous incorporation of plant residues (i.e., composting) is recommended to effectively sequester soil carbon for Korean paddy soils. This result implies that continuous composting in a paddy field may contributenot only for increasing SOC in the soils but also for mitigating global warming through reducing carbon dioxide emission into atmosphere. Therefore, we recommend that a strategy or policy measures to encourage farmers to return plant residues continuously for mitigation of global warming as well as soil fertility is being developed.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.789-800
• /
• 2013

$N_2O$ and $CH_4$, Greenhouse gas emission, Forest soil, Closed chamber technique, Soil uptake $N_2O$ and $CH_4$ are important greenhouse gases (GHG) along with $CO_2$ influencing greatly on climate change. Their soil emission rates are highly affected by bio-geo-chemical processes in C and N through the land-atmosphere interface. The forest ecosystems are generally considered to be net emission for $N_2O$; however, net sinks for $CH_4$ by soil uptake. Soil $N_2O$ and $CH_4$ emissions were measured at Mt. Taewha in Gwangju, Kyeonggi, Korea. Closed chamber technique was used for surface gas emissions from forest soil during period from May to October 2012. Gas emission measurement was conducted mostly on daytime (from 09:00 to 18:00 LST) during field experiment period (total 25 days). The gas samples collected from chamber for $N_2O$ and $CH_4$ were analyzed by gas chromatography. Soil parameters were also measured at the sampling plot. GHG averages emissions during the experimental period were $3.11{\pm}16.26{\mu}g m^{-2}hr^{-1}$ for $N_2O$, $-1.36{\pm}11.3{\mu}gm^{-2}hr^{-1}$ for $CH_4$, respectively. The results indicated that forest soil acted as a source of $N_2O$, while it acted like a sink of $CH_4$ on average. On monthly base, means of $N_2O$ and $CH_4$ flux during May (spring) were $8.38{\pm}48.7{\mu}gm^{-2}hr^{-1}$, and $-3.21{\pm}31.39{\mu}gm^{-2}hr^{-1}$, respectively. During August (summer) both GHG emissions were found to be positive (averages of $2.45{\pm}20.11{\mu}gm^{-2}hr^{-1}$ for $N_2O$ and $1.36{\pm}9.09{\mu}gm^{-2}hr^{-1}$ for $CH_4$); which they were generally released from soil. During September (fall) $N_2O$ and $CH_4$ soil uptakes were observed and their means were $-1.35{\pm}12.78{\mu}gm^{-2}hr^{-1}$ and $-2.56{\pm}11.73{\mu}gm^{-2}hr^{-1}$, respectively. $N_2O$ emission was relatively higher in spring rather than other seasons. This could be due to dry soil condition during spring experimental period. It seems that soil moisture and temperature mostly influence gas production and consumption, and then emission rate in subsoil environment. Other soil parameters like soil pH and chemical composition were also discussed with respect to GHG emissions.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.75-83
• /
• 2009

In order to understand the impacts of the construction of artificial sea dikes on carbon cycle in Samangeum area being a closed environment after April, 2006, we had measured suspended particulate matters, particulate and dissolved organic carbon in the surface water of inner Saemangeum dike from 2003 to 2006. The significant inputs of suspended particulate matter and organic carbon were mainly occurred during the wet season which suggests that most organic matter loading is concentrated within a short period of time inside the dike. The concentrations of particulate matter and organic carbon have gradually increasing every year inside of dike from the Mangyeong river estuary to Saemangeum dike, which has been closed since 2003 after the construction of the 4th dike. The particulate organic carbon increased due to the phytoplankton blooms by eutrophication. If the large portion of particulate organic matter produced in the surface water sink to the bottom sediment, this will cause the anoxic condition in this closed environment.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.23-30
• /
• 2007

The ultimate objective of this study is to develop oxygen-enriched combustion techniques applicable to the system of practical industrial boiler. To this end the combustion characteristics of lab-scale LNG combustor were investigated as a first step using the method of numerical simulation by analyzing the flame characteristics and pollutant emission behaviour as a function of oxygen enrichment level. Several useful conclusions could be drawn based on this study. First of all, the increase of oxygen enrichment level instead of air caused long and thin flame called laminar flame feature. This was in good agreement with experimental results appeared in open literature and explained by the effect of the decrease of turbulent mixing due to the decrease of absolute amount of oxidizer flow rate by the absence of the nitrogen species. Further, as expected, oxygen enrichment increased the flame temperatures to a significant level together with concentrations of $CO_2$ and $H_2O$ species because of the elimination of the heat sink and dilution effects by the presence of $N_2$ inert gas. However, the increased flame temperature with $O_2$ enriched air showed the high possibility of the generation of thermal $NO_x$ if nitrogen species were present. In order to remedy the problem caused by the oxygen-enriched combustion, the appropriate amount of recirculation $CO_2$ gas was desirable to enhance the turbulent mixing and thereby flame stability and further optimum determination of operational conditions were necessary. For example, the adjustment of burner with swirl angle of $30\sim45^{\circ}$ increased the combustion efficiency of LNG fuel and simultaneously dropped the $NO_x$ formation.