• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.464-470
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• 2023

Objectives: This study evaluated occupational exposures to noise and heat stress during routine non-outage works in three coal-fired power plants in the Republic of Korea. Methods: The data were collected during the summer of 2020. Full shift noise exposure of 52 workers were measured using noise dosimeters. Heat stress of 16 worksites were measured for 70 minutes using wet-bulb globe temperature monitors. Results: The noise dosimetry results revealed time-weighted averages that ranged from 47.5 to 88.9 dBA. 2 out of 52 noise measurements exceeded 85 dBA. Based on the arithmetic mean, the coal service group showed the highest level at 80.2 dBA by job tasks. Noise exposures exceeding 85 dBA were measured in the coal service and plant operator group. Heat stress index measurements ranged from 20.3℃ to 37.2℃. 1 out of 9 indices measured in coal facilities and 4 out of 7 indices measured in boiler house exceeded 1 hour TWA during moderate work. Heat stress indices measured from boiler houses were significantly higher than those measured from coal equipment. Conclusions: The results show that overexposure to noise and heat stress may be encountered during routine non-outage work activities in coal-fired power plants. Appropriate actions should be taken to reduce future health outcome from occupational exposure to noise and heat stress in the industry.

• IE interfaces
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.269-281
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• 2004

How to maintain the optimal electric power generation mix is one of the important problems in electric power industry. The objective of this study is to develop a computer model which can be used to forecast the investment in power generation unit by the plant owners after restructuring of electric power industry. Restructuring of electric power industry will make difference in decision making process of investment in power generation unit. After Privatiazation of Power Industry, Gencos will think that profit is the most important factor among all others attracting the investment in the industry. Coal power generation is better than LNG CCGT in terms of profit. However, many studies show that LNG CCGT will be main electric power generation source because the rest of factors other than profit in LNG CCGT are superior than Coal power generation. The impacts of the various government policies can be analyzed using the computer model, thus the government can formulate effective policies for achieving the desired electric power generation mix.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.26-35
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• 2019

This study aims to introduce and economical review on the possibilities of rare earth elements(REEs) recovery from coal ashes and the analysis of economical evaluation factors based on the data for securing domestic rare earth elements. The cut-off grade of REEs on recovering from coal ash was confirmed to be 1,000 ppm on total rare earth oxides(TREO) basis, and while the economic value of coal ash changed with contents and specific elements of rare earth elements. This shall be resulted in the price differences of rare earth elements required by the current industry, and it probably varies depending on the future demand of rare earth components. For developing of commercial recovery technology on REEs in coal ashes, many researches have been carried out by various analyzing methods, such as evaluation of holding value of REEs in ashes, assessment between supply and demand of industry, comparison of investment and its profitability for the REEs's production from coal ashes, and so on. Although these methods have been suggested, its recovery system with economical feasibility could not been confirmed up to present. In this reason, the process design of recovering REEs from coal ash shall be researched continuously to solve the problems of the global rare earth market. And also these researches shall be conducted actively in Korea for the purpose of securing the REEs resources and their recovering technologies.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.98-102
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• 1964

As a practical method to produce the carbonaceous binder, the destructive distillation of coal tar has been studied. The optimum condition on binder in various temp. and cutting time were examined and the compositions of pitch were also examined in connection with ${\alpha},\;{\beta}\;and\;{\gamma}$ by solvent extraction. Coke powder was mixed with binder as treated pitch in the proportions of 77% of coke to 23% of pitch, to give a plastic mix which could then be pressed into molding. The properties of baked body after molding was tested. It was found that cutting of the coal tar at 350${\circ}C$, for 30 min., at 300${\circ}C$. for 1 hr., and at 250${\circ}C$. for 8 hrs. were good condition. Particularly, we found that the cutting of the coal tar obtained by destructive distillation at high temp. and in minimum period of time had shown the best condition for utilization of carbonaceous pitch as binder. The above mentioned cutting condition results in good quality of pitch which is available to be used as binder in carbon industry.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2004.09a
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• pp.37-47
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• 2004

In Korea, over three hundreds of the coal mines were closed or abandoned due to the depression of the mining industry since the late 1980s. Many of them locate in the steep mountain valleys and the coal mine wastes had been disposed without a proper treatment From these mines, enormous amounts of coal mine overburdens have been abandoned in the slopes and the ample amounts of acid mine drainage (AMD) from either portal or overburdens have been discharging directly to the streams, causing the detrimental effects on soil and water qualities. Objectives of this research were to reclaim the coal mine overburdens using the lime waste cake from the soda ash production by stabilizing the overburden slopes, introducing the vegetation alleviate the environmental problems caused by the closed coal mines. The percentages of the grass distribution ratio (%) and the surface coverage ($\textrm{cm}^2$) in each treatment plot were determined during June to August after seed spraying grasses such as orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata L), Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) and Eulalia (Miscanthus sinensis Anderss) at the end of May. The grasses covered only 15.5 % of the coal overburden plot at the early stage but the coverage was increased with time to 33% in August. Growth of such grasses was enhanced with the combined treatments of lime waste and topsoil resulting in the increased surface coverage by the grasses. The Increment of the surface coverage from June to August was higher with lime waste treatments. The distribution percentages and surface coverage were highest when the lime wastes were treated at 25 % of the lime requirement. This might be related with the high salt contents in the hire wastes. Results demonstrated that the amounts of lime wastes at 25% of the lime requirement were sufficient for neutralizing the acidic coal overburden and introducing the re-vegetation. Either layering between the coal waste and topsoil or mixing with coal overburdens could be adopted as the lime waste treatment method. The combined treatment of lime wastes and topsoil was recommended for re-vegetation in the coal overburden slopes. The lime wastes from the soda ash production might have a potential to be recycled for the reclamation of the abandoned coal mines to alleviate the environmental problems associated with coal mine waste.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.630-638
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• 2001

The electrical resistivity of sinter dusts generated from the steel industry and coal fly ash from the coal power plant has been investigated using the high voltage conductivity cell based on JIS B 9915 as a function of temperature and water content. Dust characterization such as the chemical composition, size distribution, atomic concentration, and surface structure has been conducted. Major constituents of sinter dusts were Fe$_2$O$_3$(40∼74.5%), CaO (6.4∼8.2%), SiO$_2$(4.1∼6.0%), and unburned carbon (7.0∼14.7%), while the coal fly ash consisted of mainly SiO$_2$(51.4%), Al$_2$O$_3$(24.1%), and Fe$_2$O$_3$(10.5%). Size distributions of the sinter dusts were bi-modal in shape and the mass median diameters (MMD) were in the range of 24.7∼137㎛, whereas the coal fly ash also displayed bi-modal distribution and the MMD of the coal fly ash was 35.71㎛. Factors affecting resistivity of dusts were chemical composition, moisture content, particle size, gas temperature, and surface structure of dust. The resistivity of sinter dusts was so high as 10(sup)15 ohm$.$cm at 150$\^{C}$ that sinter dust would not precipitate well. The resistivity of the coal fly ash was measured 1012 ohm$.$cm at about 150$\^{C}$. Increased water contents of the ambient air lowered the dust resistivity because current conduction was more activated for absorption of water vapor on the surface layer of the dust.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.33-47
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• 2004

Even though the price of extracted but unprocessed coal has been available in Korea, the use of it as scarcity index would be inappropriate because of price subsidy. Following Halvorsen and Smith(1984), Kim and Lee(2002) derived estimates of the shadow price of unextracted coal by estimating the restricted cost function and differentiating with respect to the quantity of coal extracted. In Korea, however, due to the limited data the capital prices have been computed inconsistently case by case without relying on the robust formula like the Christensen-Jorgenson methodology used in US, which could result in biased estimators of the restricted cost function. In the paper the shadow prices of the resources in situ are obtained by measuring an input distance function defined by Shephard (1970), which requires only the data on the quantities of inputs and output. Empirical results for the Korean coal mining industry show that these shadow prices as a coal scarcity have increased fast by approximately three times in comparisons with those obtained by Kim and Lee.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.78-83
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• 2010

In this study, the possibility of the use of a new raw material in paperboard industry was investigated. Fly ash is one of the residues generated in the combustion of coal and generally captured from the chimney of coal-fired power plant. This material is utilized in many industries including cement, soil stabilization, composite etc., but it is not used in paper industry. Three types of fly ashes were collected from Hadong, boryeong and Seocheon steam power plants and we investigated their properties by scanning electron micrographs and particle size distribution. Papers were manufactured with KOCC and fly ashes, and the physical properties such as bulk, tensile strength, internal bond strength and ISO brightness were measured to identify the effects of fly ash on the paper properties.

• Plant Journal
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.58-66
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• 2011

The power plant companies reached the culmination for growth in the domestic market. Besides, we have faced many challenges such as an electricity opening market trend for overseas, banning the use of coal due to the United nations framework convention on climate change, and the meticulous attention regarding the government's electricity charge plan. On the other hand, the overseas business has been a critical issue since China and many other developing countries expanded their projects abroad. Another factor is that power plant industry is being privatized, and it made the market regulation a bit loose. Thus, the market environment became favorable toward those companies which planned many overseas businesses. In this research, the power plant company's current condition for construction and operation as well as its technical competitiveness were analyzed, and an alternative plan using SWOT analysis for entering an oversea market was made. It dealt with both internal and external factors. Also, examined was the current situation under the power plant industry dealing with restructure for electric industry, lack of fossil fuel, and the United nations framework convention on climate change. From the research, it was suggested that many successful strategies to enter the overseas business by using the market trend I researched.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.49-57
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• 2001

With reducing coal mining industry the number of coal mine sites between 1988 and 1998 was dropped from 347 to 12. Since the abandoned coal mine sites have been kept without any cares, they have raised various environmental and safety problems. Then, Korean government initiated a special law in 1995 for enhancing economic conditions and solving environmental problems with promoting developmental projects in the abandoned mining sites. As a result, casino business in Chungsun area has been opened to publics, and other large-scale developments such as ski slopes and resorts are planned. In addition, Boryung area in Chungchung province also will launch a large-scale project building golf courses. Based on this developmental trend, it is expected that lots of large-scale developments in other places will be taken place. In general, the large-scale developments have caused various environmental problems, and, thus, environmental aspects should be considered in a decision-making process. This paper examine the status of the abandoned mine sites in Korea and U.S. and suggests the alternatives of its utilization.