• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.49 no.3
• /
• pp.149-158
• /
• 2023

Background: Injury is one of the major health problems in South Korea. Few studies have evaluated both intentional and unintentional injury when investigating the association between exposure to air pollutants and injury. Objectives: We aimed to explore the association between short-term exposure to ambient air pollution and years of life lost (YLLs) due to injury. Methods: Data on daily YLLs for 2002~2019 were obtained from the the Death Statistics Database of the Korean National Statistical Office. This study estimated short-term exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of <10 ㎛ (PM₁₀), particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of <2.5 ㎛ (PM_2.5), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O₃). This time series study was conducted using a generalized additive model (GAM) assuming a Gaussian distribution. We also evaluated a delayed effect of ambient air pollution by constructing a lag structure up to seven days. The best-fitting lag was selected based on smallest generalized cross validation (GCV) value. To explore effect modification by intentionality of injury (i.e., intentional injury [self-harm, assault] and unintentional injury), we conducted stratified subgroup analyses. Additionally, we stratified unintentional injury by mechanism (traffic accident, fall, etc.). Results: During the study period, the average daily YLLs due to injury was 307.5 years. In the intentional injury, YLLs due to self-harm and assault showed positive association with air pollutants. In the unintentional injury, YLLs due to fall, electric current, fire and poisoning showed positive association with air pollutants, whereas YLLs due to traffic accident, mechanical force and drowning/submersion showed negative associations with air pollutants. Conclusions: Injury is recognized as preventable, and effective strategies to create a safe society are important. Therefore, we need to establish strategies to prevent injury and consider air pollutants in this regard.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.55-66
• /
• 2022

Tall buildings are often subjected to steady and unsteady forces due to external wind flows. Measurement and mitigation of these forces becomes critical to structural design in engineering applications. Over the last few decades, many approaches such as modification of the external geometry of structures have been investigated to mitigate wind-induced load. One such proven geometric modification involved the rounding of sharp corners. In this work, we systematically analyze the impact of rounded corner radii on the reducing the flow-induced loading on a square cylinder. We perform 3-Dimensional (3D) simulations for high Reynolds number flows (Re=1 × 105) which are more likely to be encountered in practical applications. An Improved Delayed Detached Eddy Simulation (IDDES) method capable of capturing flow accurately at large Reynolds numbers is employed in this study. The IDDES formulation uses a k-ω Shear Stress Transport (SST) model for near-wall modelling that prevents mesh-induced separation of the boundary layer. The effects of these corner modifications are analyzed in terms of the resulting variations in the mean and fluctuating components of the aerodynamic forces compared to a square cylinder with no geometric changes. Plots of the angular distribution of the mean and fluctuating coefficient of pressure along the square cylinder's surface illustrate the effects of corner modifications on the different parts of the cylinder. The windward corner's separation angle was observed to decrease with an increase in radius, resulting in a narrower and longer recirculation region. Furthermore, with an increase in radius, a reduction in the fluctuating lift, mean drag, and fluctuating drag coefficients has been observed.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
• /
• v.32 no.spc3
• /
• pp.185-193
• /
• 2012

Recently rapid urbanization facilitates development of high-rise building complex including apartment and office building in urban area. Many problems related with high -rise building are reported. Especially, unpleasant strong winds in pedestrian area are frequently encountered around the high-rise building. CFD simulation methods are used to analyze the wind environment of pedestrian level in high-rise building block. However, the results show differences between CFD and measurement. This difference is attributed to improper use of CFD. Conventional CFD simulation for wind environment around high-rise building does not describe the effect of trees, shrubs and plants near ground which affect the wind environment of pedestrian level. Canopy model can be used to reproduce the aerodynamic effects of trees, shrubs and plants near ground. In this paper, CFD simulation methods coupled with the tree canopy model to predict wind environment of pedestrian level in high-rise residential building block were suggested and the validity was analyzed by comparison between measurement and CFD results.

• Journal of Korean Association for Spatial Structures
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.97-104
• /
• 2013

Recent tall buildings tend to have unconventional shapes as a prevailing, which is effective for suppressing across-wind responses. Suppression of across-wind responses is a major factor in tall building projects, and the so called aerodynamic modification method is comprehensively used. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the pressure fluctuations on tapered and setback tall buildings, including peak pressures, power spectra and coherences through the synchronous multi-pressure sensing system techniques. And flow measurements around the models were conducted to investigate the condition of vortex shedding. The results show that by tapering and setback, different distributions of mean pressure coefficients at leeward surface were found, which is caused by the geometric characteristics of the models. And the power spectra of wind pressures at sideward surface become wideband and the peak frequencies are different depending on heights, which makes the correlation near the Strouhal component low or even negative. The differences in shedding frequencies were also confirmed by the flow fields around the models.

• Journal of Korean Association for Spatial Structures
• /
• v.5 no.4 s.18
• /
• pp.101-108
• /
• 2005

The investigations for mitigating wind-induced excitations of tall buildings have been carried out. The aerodynamic modification of a building shape changing the cross-section with height through tapering, which alters the flow pattern around the building, could reduce wind induced excitations of tall buildings. The fart that a tapered tall building might spread the vortex-shedding over a broad range of frequencies makes more effective for reducing acrosswind responses has been established. In this paper, to investigate the tapering effect for reducing wind-induced responses of a tapered tall building, high-frequency force-balance test was conducted. The six types of building models which have different taper ratio of 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10%, 15% and one basic building model of a square cross-section were tested under the two typical boundary layers representing suburban and urban flow environment. The effect of wind direction was also considered.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.48-53
• /
• 2014

A low-noise regenerative blower is developed for fuel cell application by combining the FANDAS-Regen code and design optimization algorithm under several performance constraints for flow capacity, static pressure, efficiency and power consumption. The optimized blower design model is manufactured with some impeller modification based on low noise design concept and tested by using aerodynamic performance chamber facility and narrow-band noise measurement apparatus. The measured results of the optimized blower satisfy the performance requirements and are also compared favorably with the FANDAS-Regen prediction results within a few percent relative error. Furthermore, the present study shows the remarkable noise reduction by 26 dBA can be achieved through design optimization and low noise design concept.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.76-80
• /
• 2012

This paper demonstrates how to implement inherent pitching stability in an insect-mimicking flapping-wing system for vertical takeoff. Design and fabrication of the insect-mimicking flapping-wing system is briefly described focusing on the recent modification. Force produced by the flapping-wing systems is estimated using the UBET (Unsteady Blade Element Theory) developed in the previous work. The estimation shows that the wing twist placed in the modified system can improve thrust production for about 10 %. The estimated thrust is compared with the measured thrust, which proves that the UBET provides fairly good estimations for the thrust produced by the flapping-wing systems. The vertical takeoff test shows that inherent pitching stability can be implemented in an insect-mimicking flapping-wing system by aligning the aerodynamic force center and center of gravity.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
• /
• v.37 no.5
• /
• pp.292-299
• /
• 2018

The vehicle exterior design is the main parameter of aerodynamic wind noise, but the modification of it is nearly impossible at a proto-type stage. Therefore, it is very important to verify exterior design and estimate the correct wind noise level at the early vehicle design stages. The numerical simulations of aerodynamic wind noises around A-pillar and wiper were developed for specific vehicle exterior designs, but could not be directly used for the discussions with designers because these need complex modeling and simulation process. This study proposes new approach to A-pillar and wiper wind noise estimation at design stage using response surface methodology of modeFRONTIER, of which database is composed of PowerFLOW simulation, PowerCLAY modeling, SEA-Baced (Statistical Energy Analysis-Based) interior noise simulation, and turbulent acoustic power simulation. New design parameters are defined and their contributions are analyzed. A state-of-the-art, easy and reliable CAT (Computer Aided Test) tool for A-pillar and wiper wind noise are acquired from this study, which shows high usefulness in car development.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
• /
• v.16 no.8
• /
• pp.1154-1164
• /
• 2002

Losses on the turbine consist of the mechanical loss, tip clearance loss, secondary flow loss and blade profile loss etc.,. More than 60 % of total losses on the turbine is generated by the two latter loss mechanisms. These losses are directly related with the reduction of turbine efficiency. In order to provide a new design methodology for reducing losses and increasing turbine efficiency, a two-dimensional axial-type turbine blade shape is modified by the optimization process with two-dimensional compressible flow analysis codes, which are validated by the experimental results on the VKI turbine blade. A turbine blade profile is selected at the mean radius of turbine rotor using on a heavy duty gas turbine, and optimized at the operating condition. Shape parameters, which are employed to change the blade shape, are applied as design variables in the optimization process. Aerodynamic, mechanical and geometric constraints are imposed to ensure that the optimized profile meets all engineering restrict conditions. The objective function is the pitchwise area averaged total pressure at the 30% axial chord downstream from the trailing edge. 13 design variables are chosen for blade shape modification. A 10.8 % reduction of total pressure loss on the turbine rotor is achieved by this process, which is same as a more than 1% total-to-total efficiency increase. The computed results are compared with those using 11 design variables, and show that optimized results depend heavily on the accuracy of blade design.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.127-142
• /
• 2016

Aerodynamic effects, such as drag force and flow-induced vibration (FIV), on civil engineering structures can be minimized by optimally modifying the structure shape. This work investigates the turbulent wake of a square prism with its faces modified into a sinusoidal wave along the spanwise direction using three-dimensional large eddy simulation (LES) and particle image velocimetry (PIV) techniques at Reynolds number $Re_{Dm}$ = 16,500-22,000, based on the nominal width ($D_m$) of the prism and free-stream velocity ($U_{\infty}$). Two arrangements are considered: (i) the top and bottom faces of the prism are shaped into the sinusoidal waves (termed as WSP-A), and (ii) the front and rear faces are modified into the sinusoidal waves (WSP-B). The sinusoidal waves have a wavelength of $6D_m$ and an amplitude of $0.15D_m$. It has been found that the wavy faces lead to more three-dimensional free shear layers in the near wake than the flat faces (smooth square prism). As a result, the roll-up of shear layers is postponed. Furthermore, the near-wake vortical structures exhibit dominant periodic variations along the spanwise direction; the minimum (i.e., saddle) and maximum (i.e., node) cross-sections of the modified prisms have narrow and wide wakes, respectively. The wake recirculation bubble of the modified prism is wider and longer, compared with its smooth counterpart, thus resulting in a significant drag reduction and fluctuating lift suppression (up to 8.7% and 78.2%, respectively, for the case of WSP-A). Multiple dominant frequencies of vortex shedding, which are distinct from that of the smooth prism, are detected in the near wake of the wavy prisms. The present study may shed light on the understanding of the underlying physical mechanisms of FIV control, in terms of passive modification of the bluff-body shape.