• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.1691-1701
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• 1998

Fly ash produced in coal combustion is a fine-grained material consisting mostly of spherical, glassy, and porous particles. A study on the formation mechanism of the fly ash from coal particles in the pulverized coal power plant is investigated with a physical, morphological, and chemical characteristic analysis of fly ash collected from the Samchonpo power plant. This study may contribute to the data base of domestic fly ash, the improvement of combustion efficiency, fouling phenomena and ash collection in the electrostatic precipitator. The physical property of fly ash is determined using a particle counter for the measurement of ash size distribution. Morphological characteristic of fly ash is performed using a scanning electron micrograph. The chemical components of fly ash are determined using an inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry(ICP). The distribution of fly ash size was bi-modal and ranged from 12 to $19{\mu}m$ in mass median diameter. Exposure conditions of flue gas temperature and duration within the combustion zone of the boiler played an important role on the morphological properties of the fly ash such as shape, particle size and chemical components. The evolution of ash formation during pulverized coal combustion has revealed three major mechanisms by large particle formation due to break-up process, gas to particle conversion and growth by coagulation and agglomeration.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.19-23
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• 2011

It has been proposed that acute phase response can be a mechanism by which inhaled particles exert adverse effects on the cardiovascular system. Although some of the human acute phase proteins have been widely studied as biomarkers of systemic inflammation or cardiovascular diseases, there are only a few studies that investigated the role of serum amyloid P (SAP), a major acute phase protein in mice. In this study, we investigated the changes in SAP, following inhalation exposure to nickel hydroxide nanoparticles (nano-NH). We conducted 1) acute (4 h) exposure to nano-NH at 100, 500, and $1000\;{\mu}g/m^3$ and 2) sub-acute (4h/d for 3d) exposure at $1000\;{\mu}g/m^3$, then measured serum SAP protein levels along with hepatic Sap mRNA levels. The results show that inhaled nano-NH can induce systemic acute phase response indicated by increased serum SAP levels and hepatic Sap mRNA levels. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study showing induction of SAP in response to repeated particle exposure, and the results suggest that SAP can be used as a biomarker for systemic inflammation induced by inhaled particles.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.130-140
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• 1993

Average particle deposition velocity toward a horizontal semiconductor wafer in vertical airflow is measured by a wafer surface scanner(PMS SAS-3600). Use of wafer surface scanner requires very short exposure time normally ranging from 10 to 30 minutes, and hence makes repetition of experiment much easier. Polystyrene latex (PSL) spheres of diameter between 0.2 and $1.0{\mu}m$ are used. The present range of particle sizes is very important in controlling particle deposition on a wafer surface in industrial applications. For the present experiment, convection, diffusion, and sedimentation comprise important agents for deposition mechanisms. To investigate confidence interval of experimental data, mean and standard deviation of average deposition velocities are obtained from more than ten data set for each PSL sphere size. It is found that the distribution of mean of average deposition velocities from the measurement agrees well with the predictions of Liu and Ahn(1987) and Emi et al.(1989).

• Proceedings of the Korea Environmental Mutagen Society Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.40-50
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• 2005

[ $\cdot$ ] Risk is a product of Hazard and Exposure $\cdot$ Cannot assume that nanomaterials are the same as their bulk counterpart $\cdot$ Each particle-type should be tested on a casse-by-case basis

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.1236-1245
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• 2004

In this study, an optical imaging method was developed for the measurements of the sizes and velocities of droplets in sprays. Double-exposure single-frame spray images were captured by the imaging system. An image processing program was developed for the measurements of the sizes and positions of individual particles including separation of the overlapped particles and particle tracking and pairing at two time instants. To recognize and separate overlapping particles, the morphological method based on watershed segmentation as well as separation using the perimeter and convex hull of image was used consecutively. Better results in separation were obtained by utilization of both methods especially for the multiple or heavily-overlapped particles. The match probability method was adopted for particle tracking and pairing after identifying the positions of individual particles and it produced good matching results even for large particles like droplets in sprays. Therefore, the developed optical imaging method could provide a reliable way of analyzing the motion and size distribution of droplets produced by various sprays and atomization devices.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.649-658
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• 2008

In this paper, we proposed an adaptive PSO(APSO) algorithm which changes parameter values with every recursion based on the conventional particle swam optimization(CPSO). In order to solve the optimization problem, the proposed APSO algorithm is applied to some functions, such as the De Jong function, Ackley function, Davis function and Griewank function. The superiority of the proposed APSO algorithm compared with the genetic algorithm(GA) is proved through the numerical experiment. Finally we applied the proposed algorithm to developing a function for personal magnetic field exposure based with real datas which are acquired based on the consumer research and field measuring instrument.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.21-30
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• 2011

The spatial distributions of air pollutants, in particular, ultrafine particles near traffic congestion roads at urban areas need to reduce human exposure levels for protecting public health. In this study, the number concentrations of ultrafine particles larger than 5 nm were measured every second during driving on the major roads of Nowon-gu, Seoul for 1.6 h using a mobile emission laboratory on October 5, 2010. The ultrafine particle number concentrations ranged from 7,009 to $265,600particles/cm^3$ with an average of $55,570particles/cm^3$, and these levels were comparable to concentrations of ultrafine particles larger than 3 or 7 nm on the arterial roads at urban areas in Los Angeles, USA and Zurich, Switzerland. It was frequently observed that the ultrafine particle number increased rapidly when vehicle speed was accelerated and it decreased sharply when vehicle speed was decelerated. The high peak events of ultrafine particle concentration larger than $200,000particles/cm^3$ were observed seven times during the measurement period. From the three repeated measurements during the short period of 50 min, it was concluded that the ultrafine particle number concentration on the road was significantly time-dependent. This on-road measurement approach can be utilized to manage vehicle-related air pollution in urban.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.161-172
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• 2023

Coal-fired power plants handle large quantities of coal, one of the most prominent NORM, and the coal ash produced after the coal is burned can be tens of times more radioactive than the coal. Workers in these industries may be exposed to internal exposure by inhalation of particles while handling NORM. This study evaluated the size, concentration, particle shape and density, and radioactivity concentrations of airborne suspended particles in the main processes of a coal-fired power plant. Finally, the internal radiation dose to workers from particle inhalation was evaluated. For this purpose, airborne particles were collected by size using a multi-stage particle collector to determine the size, shape, and concentration of particles. Samples of coal and coal ash were collected to measure the density and radioactivity of particles. The dose conversion factor and annual radionuclide inhalation amount were derived based on the characteristics of the particles. Finally, the internal radiation dose due to particle inhalation was evaluated. Overall, the internal radiation dose to workers in the main processes of coalfired power plants A and B ranged from 1.47×10^-5~1.12×10^-3 mSv y^-1. Due to the effect of dust generated during loading operations, the internal radiation dose of fly ash loading processes in both coal-fired power plants A and B was higher than that of other processes. In the case of workers in the coal storage yard at power plants A and B, the characteristic values such as particle size, airborne concentration, and working time were the same, but due to the difference in radioactivity concentration and density depending on the origin of the coal, the internal radiation dose by origin was different, and the highest was found when inhaling coal imported from Australia among the five origins. In addition, the main nuclide contributing the most to the internal radiation dose from the main processes in the coal-fired power plants was thorium due to differences in dose conversion factors. However, considering the external radiation dose of workers in coal-fired power plants presented in overseas research cases, the annual effective dose of workers in the main processes of power plants A and B does not exceed 1mSv y^-1, which is the dose limit for the general public notified by the Nuclear Safety Act. The results of this study can be utilized to identify the internal exposure levels of workers in domestic coal-fired power plants and will contribute to the establishment of a data base for a differential safety management system for NORM-handling industries in the future.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.393-397
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• 2012

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to measure passengers' exposure to ultrafine particles (UFP) and to determine effects of fuel, operating condition and position of seat. Method: UFP exposures in front and back seats of the Elephant vehicle in Seoul Grand Park were simultaneously measured by a condensation particle counter (P-Trak model 8525, TSI). The measurements were conducted 7 times with diesel-powered vehicle and 3 times with electricity vehicle in one day. The vehicle stopped at 3 locations along with 2.2 km of driving route. Results: UFP concentration in diesel-powered vehicle was significantly higher than electricity vehicle. At front seat of diesel-powered vehicle, average UFP exposure during stopping was significantly higher than during moving. When diesel-powered vehicle moved, UFP exposure in back seat was significantly higher than in front seat. Conclusions: Passengers in the diesel-powered Elephant vehicle could be exposed to high level of UFP. The UFP exposure was associated with operation condition and position of seat.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.511-521
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• 2022

Decommissioning of nuclear power plants generates a large amount of radioactive waste in a short period. Moreover, Radioactive waste has various forms including a large volumes of metal, concrete, and solid waste. The disposal of decommissioning waste using 200 L drums is inefficient in terms of economics, work efficiency, and radiation safety. Therefore, The Korea Radioactive Waste Agency is developing large containers for the packaging, transportation, and disposal of decommissioning waste. Assessing disposability considering the characteristics of the radioactive waste and facility, convenience of operation, and safety of workers is necessary. In this study, the exposure dose rate of workers during the disposal of new containers was evaluated using Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport code. Six normal and four abnormal scenarios were derived for the assessment of the dose rate in a near surface disposal facility operation. The results showed that the calculated dose rates in all normal scenarios were lower than the direct exposure dose limitation of workers in the safety analysis report. In abnormal scenarios, the work hours with dose rates below 20 mSv·y^-1 were calculated. The results of this study will be useful in establishing the optimal radiation work conditions.