• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.400-414
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• 2021

Under high-level radioactive waste repository conditions, bentonite as an engineered barrier material undergoes thermal, hydrological, mechanical, and chemical processes. We report the applications of X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) imaging technique on the characterization and analysis of bentonite over the past decade to provide a reference of the utilization of this technique and the recent research trends. This overview of the X-ray CT technique applications includes the characterization of the bentonite either in pellets or powder form. X-ray imaging has provided a means to extract grain information at the microscale and identify crack networks responsible for the pellets' heterogeneity. Regarding samples of pellets-powder mixtures under hydration, X-ray CT allowed the identification and monitoring of heterogeneous zones throughout the test. Some results showed how zones with pellets only swell faster compared to others composed of pellets and powder. Moreover, the behavior of fissures between grains and bentonite matrix was observed to change under drying and hydrating conditions, tending to close during the former and open during the latter. The development of specializing software has allowed obtaining strain fields from a sequence of images. In more recent works, X-ray CT technique has served to estimate the dry density, water content, and particle displacement at different testing times. Also, when temperature was added to the hydration process of a sample, CT technology offered a way to observe localized and global density changes over time.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.233-245
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• 2021

Many studies on the microstructures in rocks have been conducted using experimental methods with various equipment as well as natural rock studies to see the development of microstructures and understand their mechanisms. Grain boundary migration of mineral aggregates in rocks could cause grain growth or grain size changes during metamorphism or deformation as one of the main recrystallization mechanisms. This study suggests improved ways regarding the analog material experiments with reformed equipment to see sequential observations of these grain boundary migration. It can be more efficient than the existing techniques and carry out an appropriate microstructure analysis. This reformed equipment was implemented to enable optical manipulation by mounting polarizing plates capable of rotating operation on a stereoscopic microscope and a deformation rig capable of experimenting with analog materials. The equipment can automatically control the temperature and strain rate of the deformation rig by microcontrollers and programming and can take digital photomicrographs with constant time intervals during the experiment to observe any microstructure changes. The composite images synthesized using images by rotated polarizing plates enable us to see more accurate grain boundaries. As a rock analog material, norcamphor(C7H10O) was used, which has similar birefringence to quartz. Static grain growth and simple shear deformation experiments were performed using the norcamphor to verify the effectiveness of the equipment. The static grain growth experiments showed the characteristics of typical grain growth behavior. The number of grains decreases and the average grain size increases over time. These case experiments also showed a clear difference between the growth curves with three temperature conditions. The result of the simple shear deformation experiment under the medium temperature-low strain rate showed no significant change in the average grain size but presented the increased elongation of grain shapes in the direction of about 53° regarding the direction perpendicular to the shearing direction as the shear strain increases over time. These microstructures are interpreted as both the plastic deformation and the internal recovery process in grains are balanced by the deformation under the given experimental conditions. These experiments using the reformed equipment represent the ability to sequentially observe changing the microstructure during experiments as desired in the tests with the analog material during the entire process.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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• v.32 no.8B
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• pp.509-520
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• 2007

In this paper, we propose a real-time sensor node platform that guarantees the real-time scheduling of periodic and aperiodic tasks through a multitask-based software decomposition technique. Since existing sensor networking operation systems available in literature are not capable of supporting the real-time scheduling of periodic and aperiodic tasks, the preemption of aperiodic task with high priority can block periodic tasks, and so periodic tasks are likely to miss their deadlines. This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of how to structure periodic or aperiodic task decomposition in real-time sensor-networking platforms as regard to guaranteeing the deadlines of all the periodic tasks and aiming to providing aperiodic tasks with average good response time. A case study based on real system experiments is conducted to illustrate the application and efficiency of the multitask-based dynamic component execution environment in the sensor node equipped with a low-power 8-bit microcontroller, an IEEE802.15.4 compliant 2.4GHz RF transceiver, and several sensors. It shows that our periodic and aperiodic task decomposition technique yields efficient performance in terms of three significant, objective goals: deadline miss ratio of periodic tasks, average response time of aperiodic tasks, and processor utilization of periodic and aperiodic tasks.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.23-29
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• 2017

The packaged optical fiber Bragg grating sensors which were networked by multiplexing the Bragg grating sensors with WDM technology were investigated in application for the structural health monitoring of the marine trestle structure transporting the ship. The optical fiber Bragg grating sensor was packaged in a cylindrical shape made of aluminum tubes. Furthermore, after the packaged optical fiber sensor was inserted in polymeric tube, the epoxy was filled inside the tube so that the sensor has resistance and durability against sea water. The packaged optical fiber sensor component was investigated under 0.2 MPa of hydraulic pressure and was found to be robust. The number and location of Bragg gratings attached at the trestle were determined where the trestle was subject to high displacement obtained by the finite element simulation. Strain of the part in the trestle being subjected to the maximum load was analyzed to be ${\sim}1000{\mu}{\varepsilon}$ and thus shift in Bragg wavelength of the sensor caused by the maximum load of the trestle was found to be ~1,200 pm. According to results of the finite element analysis, the Bragg wavelength spacings of the sensors were determined to have 3~5 nm without overlapping of grating wavelengths between sensors when the trestle was under loads and thus 50 of the grating sensors with each module consisting of 5 sensors could be networked within 150 nm optical window at 1550 nm wavelength of the Bragg wavelength interrogator. Shifts in Bragg wavelength of the 5 packaged optical fiber sensors attached at the mock trestle unit were well interrogated by the grating interrogator which used the optical fiber loop mirror, and the maximum strain rate was measured to be about $235.650{\mu}{\varepsilon}$. The modelling result of the sensor packaging and networking was in good agreements with experimental result each other.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.586-603
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• 2004

One of the subtle problems that make noise control difficult for engineers is “the invisibility of noise or sound.” The visual image of noise often helps to determine an appropriate means for noise control. There have been many attempts to fulfill this rather challenging objective. Theoretical or numerical means to visualize the sound field have been attempted and as a result, a great deal of progress has been accomplished, for example in the field of visualization of turbulent noise. However, most of the numerical methods are not quite ready to be applied practically to noise control issues. In the meantime, fast progress has made it possible instrumentally by using multiple microphones and fast signal processing systems, although these systems are not perfect but are useful. The state of the art system is recently available but still has many problematic issues : for example, how we can implement the visualized noise field. The constructed noise or sound picture always consists of bias and random errors, and consequently it is often difficult to determine the origin of the noise and the spatial shape of noise, as highlighted in the title. The first part of this paper introduces a brief history, which is associated with “sound visualization,” from Leonardo da Vinci's famous drawing on vortex street (Fig. 1) to modern acoustic holography and what has been accomplished by a line or surface array. The second part introduces the difficulties and the recent studies. These include de-Dopplerization and do-reverberation methods. The former is essential for visualizing a moving noise source, such as cars or trains. The latter relates to what produces noise in a room or closed space. Another mar issue associated this sound/noise visualization is whether or not Ivecan distinguish mutual dependence of noise in space : for example, we are asked to answer the question, “Can we see two birds singing or one bird with two beaks?"

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SC
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.6-11
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• 2010

Amount of power generated from solar photovoltaic can vary according to solar flux of sunlight due to nature of solar cell panel, and an angle that the sun and the surface of cell makes brings difference in amount of power generation. Solar flux is decided by location of surface of the Earth that is classified into longitude and latitude, but on the other hand, an angle that the sung and the surface of cell makes can be changed by changing the angle of a solar power generation device at the fixed location. A method of changing the angle of a solar power generation device as a measure for improving practical power generation efficiency. and studies about a solar tracking device for this are in active. This study conducted a research on a solar tracking system for improvement of solar power generation efficiency. A solar tracking system of this study is composed of a sensor part to confirm a location of the sun with a semiconductor photosensor using the photo conductive effect, and it analyzed output signal of a sensor by using microprocessor and it produced a control signal of driving part for tracking the sun. A solar power generator (25W) was produced to analyze performance of a solar tracking system and usefulness of a solar tracking device that was designed and produced in this study was confirmed through experiments.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.163-170
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• 2002

This paper proposes a $10\;{\mu}m$ thick oxide air-bridge structure which can be used as a substrate for RF circuits. The structure was fabricated by anodic reaction, complex oxidation and micromachining technology using TMAH etching. High quality films were obtained by combining low temperature thermal oxidation ($500^{\circ}C$, 1 hr at $H_2O/O_2$) and rapid thermal oxidation (RTO) process ($1050^{\circ}C$, 2 min). This structure is mechanically stable because of thick oxide layer up to $10\;{\mu}m$ and is expected to solve the problem of high dielectric loss of silicon substrate in RF region. The properties of the transmission line formed on the oxidized porous silicon (OPS) air-bridge were investigated and compared with those of the transmission line formed on the OPS layers. The insertion loss of coplanar waveguide (CPW) on OPS air-bridge was (about 2dB) lower than that of CPW on OPS layers. Also, the return loss of CPW on OPS air-bridge was less than about -20 dB at measured frequency region for 2.2 mm. Therefore, this technology is very promising for extending the use of CMOS circuitry to higher RF frequencies.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.38-45
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• 2016

The power transformation system of High Speed rolling stocks like KTX-Sancheon has shown excellent control capacities in the areas of riding comfortability, switching efficiency, safety and energy consumption due to technical developments in power-electronics, high speed & large scale integrated semiconductors and microprocessors. However, harmonics from IGBT, a high speed switching device used in the Convertor & Invertor equipment of rolling stocks have given rise to various problems in transformer substations, signaling systems, data transmission systems and facility monitoring systems. Especially, TI21 non-insulated track circuits have malfunctioned due to the influence of returning current harmonics which were generated at around of integer times of the number of power transformation equipment in the frequency domain. This paper, measures and analyzes various schemes to analyze the traveling path of the returning current harmonics generated due to the relationship between the rolling stocks and track circuits on site. Ultimately, theseschemes will be used to design high speed rolling stocks, AF track circuits and a common grounding network.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.288-294
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• 2011

BACKGROUND: Methylmercury is analyzed by HPLC-ICP/MS because of the simplicity for sample preparation and interference. However, most of the pre-treatment methods for methylmercury need a further pH adjustment of the extracted solution and removal of organic matter for HPLC. The purpose of this study was to establish a rapid and accurate analytical method for determination of methylmercury in fish by using HPLC-ICP/MS. METHOD AND RESULTS: We conducted an experiment for pre-treatment and instrument conditions and analytical method verification. Pre-treatment condition was established with aqueous 1% L-cysteine HCl and heated at $60^{\circ}C$ in microwave for 20 min. Methylmercury in $50{\mu}L$ of filtered extract was separated by a C18 column and aqueous 0.1% L-cysteine HCl + 0.1% L-cysteine mobile phase at $25^{\circ}C$. The presence of cysteine in mobile phase and sample solution was essential to eliminate adsorption, peak tailing and memory effect problems. Correlation coefficient($r^2$) for the linearity was 0.9998. The limits of detection and quantitation for this method were 0.15 and $0.45{\mu}g/kg$ respectively. CONCLUSION: Result for analytical method verification, accuracy and repeatability of the analytes were in good agreement with the certified reference materials values of methylmercury at a 95% confidence level. The advantage of the established method is that the extracted solution can be directly injected into the HPLC column without additional processes and the memory effect of mercury in the ICP-MS can be eliminated.

• Korean Journal of Cognitive Science
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.109-132
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• 2012

According to recent embodied cognition approach, understanding of actions is not based on abstract symbolic process but based on mental simulation of sensory-motor information related to those actions. As supporting evidence, motor resonance effect is a facilitation/interference effect of motor response in terms of similarity between observed action and concurrent own action. In the current research, we investigated this effect in the situation to perceive a complex social action perception and how it would be modulated by perspectives of construals of the social action scene. For this purpose, we created three kinds of fighting action scenes of two people in terms of body actions of the subject(ie., hitting, stepping, biting), and described them in two perspectives; active and passive. During the experiment, subjects had to verify the congruency of the picture and the description first, and if they are congruent, they had to do two different actions in terms of color of following cues. In the first experiment, subjects' response time for stepping on a pedal and pressing a button were analyzed for measuring motor resonance effect for the foot movement. In the second experiment, voice response time with a microphone and button pressing time were analyzed for the mouth movement motor resonance effect. Results showed the facilitation of the foot movement(in Exp1), and the mouth movement(in Exp2) only when the action scene was described in active perspective. Our results indicate that the motor resonance effect can be occurred during perception of social actions in the real life situation, but it can be also modulated by the perspective of the mental construal of the action event.