• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.253-260
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• 2008

A method based on transient shear flow dynamics of red cell aggregates was developed to investigate reversible re-aggregation processes with decreasing shear flow. In the microchannel-flow aggregometry, the aggregated red blood cells that are subjected to continuously decreasing shear stress in microchannel flow were measured with the use of a laser-scattering technique. Both the laser-backscattered intensity and pressure were simultaneously measured with respect to time, resulting in shear stress ranging from $0{\sim}35\;Pa$ for a time period of less than 30 seconds. The time dependent recording of the backscattered light intensity (syllectogram) yielded an upward convex curve with a peak point, which reflected the transition threshold of aggregation in the RBC suspensions. Critical-time and critical-shear stress corresponding to the peak point were examined by varying the initial pressure-differential and the micro channel depth, and these results showed good potential for being used as new aggregation indices. In the present study, these newly proposed indices were also validated by differentiating the effect of fibrinogen on RBC aggregation and then these indices were compared to the conventional indices that were measured by a rotational aggregometer.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.57 no.5
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• pp.730-734
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• 2019

Thermophoresis is a transport phenomenon of particles driven by a temperature gradient of a medium. In this paper, we discuss the thermophoresis of particles in microfluidic channels. In a non-fluidic, stagnant channel, the thermophoretic transport of micro-particles was found to be larger in proportion to the voltage applied to the platinum wire heat source installed in the channel. The variation of the temperature around the platinum wire depending on the voltage was estimated, by using the Callendar-van Dusen equation. The thermophoretic behavior of nano-particles in the same system was observed, which is similar to that of the microparticles. Finally, we fabricated a Y-shaped microfluidic channel with a platinum wire heat source installed in the channel, to realize the thermophoretic phenomenon of the particles in the suspension flowing through the channel. It is shown that the flow of the suspension can be controlled based on the thermophoretic principle.

• Design & Manufacturing
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.37-43
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• 2019

This study conducted a research as to condensation heat transfer friction loss headby using three types of flat micro multi-channel tubes with different processing of micro-fin and number of channels inside the pipes and different sizes of appearances. In addition, identical studies were conducted by using smoothing circular tubes with 5mm external diameter to study heat enhancement factor and pressure drop penalty factor. 1) The friction head loss showed an increase as the vapor quality and mass flux increased. In case of saturation temperature, it shows an increase as it gets lower. These factors are the reason occurring as the lower the saturation temperature is, the higher the density of refrigerant vapor gets. The influence of heat flux is similar as the dryness is low, but as it gets higher, it lowers in heat flux, and as the high temperature of high heat flux, it is a factor that occurs as the density gets lower. 2) RMS error of the in case of friction head loss, it showed to be predicted as 0.45~0.67 by Chisholm, Friedel, Lockhart and Martinelli. 3) As forfriction head loss penalty factor, the smaller the aspect ratio is, the larger the penalty factor gets, and as for the effect of micro-fin, the penalty factor increased because it decreases to the gas fluid the way groove for the refrigerant's flow.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.77-82
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• 2010

Our study aims to understand the flow of liquid in an open-top rectangular microchannel that can be used in micro total analysis systems ($\mu$-TAS) because it has advantages in terms of light transmission and energy efficiency. We measured the liquid velocity using particle tracking technique and conducted a simulation with computational fluid dynamics by altering the area of channel cross section and channel length for the capillary-driven flow in the open-top rectangular microchannel. When liquid water drops to an entrance of the fabricated microchannel with a height of 20 μm and a width of 20 ${\mu}m$, it flows along the microchannel by only capillary force. In the wetting behavior of the liquid, important parameters of this flow are channel size, contact angle and liquid properties such as surface tension and viscosity, which are used to control the flow of liquid in the microchannel.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.84-89
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• 2011

A Xenon Feed System (XFS) has been developed for hall-effect thruster to small satellite space-propulsion system applications. The XFS delivers low pressure gas to the Anode and Cathode of thruster head unit from a xenon storage tank. Accurate throttling of the propellant mass flow rate is independently required for each channel of the thruster head unit. The mass flow rate to each channel is controlled using the accumulator tank pressure regulation through a micron orifice and isolation valve. This paper discusses the Xenon Feed System design including the component selections, performance estimation and functional test.

• Design & Manufacturing
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.11-16
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• 2021

Recently, three-dimensional (3D) cell culture systems, which are superior to conventional two-dimensional (2D) vascular systems that mimic the in vivo environment, are being actively studied to reproduce drug responses and cell differentiation in organisms. Conventional two-dimensional cell culture methods (scaffold-based and non-scaffold-based) have a limited cell growth rate because the culture cannot supply the culture medium as consistently as microvessels. To solve this problem, we would like to propose a 3D culture system with an environment similar to living cells by continuously supplying the culture medium to the bottom of the 3D cell support. The 3D culture system is a structure in which microvascular structures are combined under a scaffold (agar, collagen, etc.) where cells can settle and grow. First, we have manufactured molds for the formation of four types of microvessel-mimicking chips: width / height ①100 ㎛ / 100 ㎛, ②100 ㎛ / 50 ㎛, ③ 150 ㎛ / 100 ㎛, and ④ 200 ㎛ / 100 ㎛. By injection molding, four types of microfluidic chips were made with GPPS (general purpose polystyrene), and a 100㎛-thick PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) film was attached to the top of each microfluidic chip. As a result of observing the flow of the culture medium in the microchannel, it was confirmed that when the aspect ratio (height/width) of the microchannel is 1.5 or more, the fluid flows from the inlet to the outlet without a backflow phenomenon. In addition, the culture efficiency experiments of colorectal cancer cells (SW490) were performed in a 3D culture system in which PDMS films with different pore diameters (1/25/45 ㎛) were combined on a microfluidic chip. As a result, it was found that the cell growth rate increased up to 1.3 times and the cell death rate decreased by 71% as a result of the 3D culture system having a hole membrane with a diameter of 10 ㎛ or more compared to the conventional commercial. Based on the results of this study, it is possible to expand and build various 3D cell culture systems that can maximize cell culture efficiency by cell type by adjusting the shape of the microchannel, the size of the film hole, and the flow rate of the inlet.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.82-91
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• 2010

Grouting technology is one of the ground improvement methods used in water controlling and reinforcement of rock mass in underground structure construction. It is necessarily required to find out the characteristics of grout flow through discontinuities in a rock mass for an adequate grout design and performance assessment. Laminar flow is not always applicable in simulating a grout flow in a rock mass, since the rock joints usually have apertures at a micro-scale and the flow through these joints is affected by the joint roughness and the velocity profile of the flow changes partially near the roughness. Thus, the influence of joint roughness and aperture on the grout flow in rough rock joint was numerically investigated in this study. The commercial computational fluid dynamics code, FLUENT, was applied for this purpose. The computed results by embedded Herschel-Bulkley model and VOF (volume of fluid) model, which are applicable to simulate grout flow in a narrow rock joint that is filled with air and water, were well compared with that of analytical results and previously published laboratory test for the verification. The injection pressure required to keep constant injection rate of grout was calculated in a variety of Joint Roughness Coefficient (JRC) and aperture conditions, and the effect of joint roughness and aperture on grout flow were quantified.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Visualization
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.9-11
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• 2007

We introduce an in vivo imaging flow cytometer, which provides fluorescence images simultaneously with quantitative information on the cell population of interest in a live animal. As fluorescent cells pass through the slit of light focused across a blood vessel, the excited fluorescence is confocally detected. This cell signal triggers a strobe beam and a high sensitivity CCD camera that captures a snap-shot image of the cell as it moves down-stream from the slit. We demonstrate that the majority of signal peaks detected in the in vivo flow cytometer arise from individual cells. The instrument's capability to image circulating T cells and measure their speed in the blood vessel in real time in vivo is demonstrated. The cell signal irradiance variation, clustering percentage, and potential applications in biology and medicine are discussed.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2007.05b
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• pp.2648-2653
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• 2007

Recently, increasing demand on not only lighter but also extremely mobile battery make micro fuel cell device very attractive alternative. By reducing the size of fuel cell, surface tension becomes dominant factor with minor gravitational effect. Therefore, it is very difficult to detach the $CO_2$ bubble generating on a cathode side in ${\mu}DMFC$ (micro direct methanol fuel cell). The degassing of a $CO_2$ bubble has drawn quite attention especially for ${\mu}DMFC$ due to its considerable effect on overall machine performance. Our attention has been paid to the dynamic behavior of immiscible bubble attached to the one side of the wall on 2D rectangular channel subject to external shear flow. We use Level Contour Reconstruction Method (LCRM) which is simplified version of front tracking method to track the bubble interface motion. Effects of Reynolds number, Weber number, advancing/receding contact angle and property ratio on bubble detachment characteristic has been numerically identified.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.2457-2460
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• 2003

There is a great demand to manipulate biological cell autonomously since biologist should spend much time to obtain skillful manipulation techniques. For this purpose, we propose a cell chip to control, carry, fix and locate the cell. In this paper, we focus on the cell rotator to rotate individual biological cell based on a micro fluidics technology. The cell rotator consists of injection hole and rotation well to rotate a biological cell properly. Under the variation of flow rate in injection hole, the angular velocity of a biological cell is evaluated to find the feasibility of the proposed rotation method. As a practical experiment, Zebrafish egg is employed. Based on this research, we find the possibility of non-contact rotation way that can highly reduce the damage of the biological cell during manipulation. To realize an autonomous biological cell manipulation, a cell chip with manipulation well and micro channel in this research will be utilized effectively in near future.