• 유체기계공업학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.08a
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• pp.305-308
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• 2006

For controlling micro-flows inside a LOC (lab-on-a-chip) a syringe pump or an electronic device for EOF(electro-osmotic flow) have been used in general. However, these devices are so large and heavy that they are burdensome in the development of a portable micro-TAS (total analysis system). In this study, a new flow control system employing pressure chambers, digital switches and speed controllers was developed. This system could effectively control the micro-scale flows inside a LOC without any mechanical actuators or electronic devices We also checked the feasibility of this new control system by applying it to a LOC of micro-mixer type. Performance tests show that the developed control system has very good performance. Because the flow rate in LOC is controlled easily by throttling the speed controller, the flows in complicate microchannels network can be also controlled precisely.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Visualization
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.45-50
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• 2005

Electro-osmotic flow (EOF) instability in a microchannel has been experimentally investigated using a micro-PIV system. The micro-PIV system consisting of a two-head Nd:Yag laser and cooled CCD camera was used to measure instantaneous velocity fields and vorticity contours of the EOF instability in a T-shape glass microchannel. The electrokinetic flow instability occurs in the presence of electric conductivity gradients. Charge accumulation at the interface of conductivity gradients leads to electric body forces, driving the coupled flow and electric field into an unstable dynamics. The threshold electric field above which the flow becomes unstable and rapid mixing occurs is about 1000V/cm. As the electric field increases, the flow pattern becomes unstable and vortical motion is enhanced. This kind of instability is a key factor limiting the robust performance of complex electrokinetic bio-analytical devices, but can also be used for rapid mixing and effective flow control fer micro-scale bio-chips.

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.494-499
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• 2011

One of the devices to prevent separated flow over a wing or a flap at high angle of attack is a vortex generator. In the present work, we numerically study the flow around a low-profile or micro vortex generator whose height is less than local boundary layer thickness which can delay separation with a minimum drag penalty owing to its very small wetted surface area. As a first step toward a parametric study to efficiently design this MVG flow control system, we simulate the flow around a single MVG on a flat plate. For the simulation, we employ OpenFOAM with Launder-Sharma ${\kappa}$-epsilon model. The analysis results are validated by comparing with experimental results of a rectangular MVG at an angle of attack of 10 degrees whose height is 20% of local boundary layer. Important results and aspects of this numerical study are discussed. We also simulate the flow around rectangular, triangular and trapezoidal MVGs and the results are compared

• Journal of the Korean Society of Visualization
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.47-51
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• 2003

Microfluidic chips such as lab-on-a-chip (LOC) include micro-channels for sample delivery, mixing, reaction, and separation. Pressure driven flow or electro-osmotic flow (EOF) has been usually employed to deliver bio-samples. Having some advantages of easy control, the flow characteristics of EOF in microchannels should be fully understood to effectively control the electro-osmotic pump for bio-sam-pie delivery. In this study, a micro PIV system with an epifluorescence inverted microscope and a cooled CCD was used to measure velocity fields of EOF in a glass microchannel and a PDMS microchannel. The EOF velocity fields were changed with respect to electric charge of seeding particles and microchannel materials used. The EOF has nearly uniform velocity distribution inside the microchannel when pressure gradient effect is negligible. The mean streamwise velocity is nearly proportional to the applied electric field. Glass microchannels give better repeatability in PIV results, compared with PDMS microchannels which are easy to fabricate and more suitable for PIV experiments.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.549-558
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• 2017

DC distribution has several differences compared to AC distribution. DC distribution has a higher efficiency than AC distribution when distributing electricity at the same voltage level. Accordingly, power can be transferred further with low-voltage DC. In addition, power flow in a DC grid system is produced by only a voltage difference in magnitude. Owing to these differences, operation of a DC grid system significantly differs from that of an AC system. In this paper, the power flow problem in a bipolar-type DC grid with unbalanced load conditions is organized and solved. Control strategy of energy storage system on a slow time scale with power references obtained by solving an optimization problem regarding the DC grid is then proposed. The proposed strategy is verified with computer simulations.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.30 no.2 s.245
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• pp.110-116
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• 2006

A syringe pump or a device using high electric voltage has been used for controlling flows inside a LOC (lab-on-a-chip). Compared to LOC, however, these microfluidic devices are large and heavy that they are burdensome for a portable ${\mu}-TAS$ (micro total analysis system). In this study, a new flow control technique employing pressure regulators and pressure chambers was developed. This technique utilizes compressed air to control the micro-scale flow inside a LOC, instead of a mechanical actuator or an electric power supply. The pressure regulator controls the output air pressure by adjusting the variable resistor attached. We checked the feasibility of this system by measuring the flow rate inside a capillary tube of $100{\mu}m$ diameter in the Re numbers ranged from 0.5 to 50. In addition, the performance of this flow control system was compared with that of a conventional syringe pump. The developed flow control system was found to show superior performance, compared with the syringe pump. It maintains automatically the: air pressure inside a pressure chamber whether the flow inside the capillary tube is on or off. Since the flow rate is nearly proportional to the resistance, we can control flow in multiple microchannels precisely. However, the syringe pump shows large variation of flow rate when the fluid flow is blocked in the microchannel.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.79-88
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• 2002

This study was conducted to develop system for high speed rice transplanting machines. The control system includes a sensor detecting the tilt angle of the seedling bed, a micro-controller and a hydraulic system consisting of a double acting cylinder, a four-way three-position solenoid valve, a relief valve and a hydraulic pump. The levelling system shared the pump with the existing steering control, resulting in a tandem center circuit for the steering and levelling control systems. Using the input signal from the sensor, the micro-controller determined and generated the output signal to control the cylinder through the solenoid valve to keep the seedling bed always parallel to the water surface regardless of soil unevenness during the transplanting operations. Both an ON/OFF and a PWM control schemes were tested. When the flow rate was more than 1 ι/min in the ON/OFF control, the system showed unstable rolling. However, in the PWM control, the system worked stably although the flow rate was more than 1 ι/min. The PWM control showed a better performance when a large difference between the angle and the dead band of the control system occurred. The characteristics of tile system response to given tilt angles were predicted by a computer simulation. Both the ON/OFF and the PWM control systems worked well providing that the operating and waiting times were properly adjusted.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.278-286
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• 1999

To predict the behavior of the intravascular micro active endoscope in the real human vascular system, a human mock circulation system was developed. The intravascular micro active endoscope which consists of micro active bending catheter and micro drug infusion catheter was driven in the velocity, Re number and temperature controlled flow. The three SMA (Shape Memory Alloy) zigzag type spring in the micro active bending catheter was heated by the electric current generated by PWM controller, and the shape memory effect made the actuator bend to any direction. The micro drug infusion catheter was driven through the inner hole of the micro active bending catheter. A mock circulation system is shaped from Ascending Arota to Femoral artery according to a human data (the data contains many vascular sizes and hydrographs of many control points). We developed a vascular model with glass and silicone tubes, and set the flow system with circulation parts, flow settling parts, and lots of valves. The heater and heat-controller was added to the How system to centre! the temperature of the How at 36.5$^{\circ}C$. The result showed that the developed intravascular micro active endoscope could be induced to any point in the vascular model.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.273-276
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• 2005

Performance analysis of a solid oxide fuel cell/micro gas turbine hybrid system is conducted at design-point and part-load conditions and its results are discussed in this study. With detailed considerations of the heat and mass transfer phenomena along various flow streams of the SOFC, the analysis based on a quasi-2D model reasonably predicts its performance at the design-point operating conditions. In case of part-load operations, performance of the hybrid system to three different operation modes(fuel only control, speed control, and VIGV control) is compared. It is found that the simultaneous control of both supplied fuel and air to the system with a variable MGT rotational speed mode is the optimum choice for the high performance operation. And then, the dynamic characteristics of a solid oxide fuel cell are briefly introduced.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2000.05a
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• pp.1051-1054
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• 2000

We developed the micro CSF (celebrospinal fluid) shunt valve with surface and bulk micromachining technology in polymer MEMS. This micro CSF shunt valve was formed with four micro check valves to have a membrane connected to the anchor with the four bridges. The up-down movement of the membrane made the CSF on & off and the valve characteristic such as open pressure was controlled by the thickness and shape of the bridge and the membrane. The membrane, anchor and bridge layer were made of the $O_2$ RIE (reactive ion etching) patterned Parylene thin film to be about 5~10 microns in thickness on the silicon wafer. The dimension of the rectangular nozzle is 0.2＊0.2 $\textrm{mm}^2$ and the membrane 0.45 mm in diameter. The bridge width is designed variously from 0.04 mm to 0.12 mm to control the valve characteristics. To protect the membrane and bridge in the CSF flow, we developed the packaging system for the CSF micro shunt valve with the deep RIE of the silicon wafer. Using this package, we can control the gap size between the membrane and the nozzle, and protect the bridge not to be broken in the flow. The total dimension of the assembled system is 2.5＊2.5 $\textrm{mm}^2$ in square, 0.8 mm in height. We could precisely control the burst pressure and low rate of the valve varing the design parameters, and develop the whole CSF shunt system using this polymer MEMS fabricated CSF shunt valve.