• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2016

This study investigates the characteristics of thermal decomposition of an epoxy-based intumescent paint using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and numerical simulation. A mathematical and numerical model is introduced to describe mass loss profiles of the epoxy-based intumescent coating induced by the thermal decomposition process. The decomposition scheme covers a range of complexity by employing simplified 4-step sequential reactions to describe the simultaneous thermal decomposition processes. The reaction rates are expressed by the Arrhenius law, and reaction parameters are optimized to fit the degradation behavior seen during thermogravimetric (TG) experiments. The experimental results show a major 2-step degradation under nitrogen and a 3-step degradation in an air environment. The experiment also shows that oxygen takes part in the stabilization of the intumescent coating between 200 and $500^{\circ}C$. The simulation results show that the proposed model effectively predicts the experimental mass loss as a function of time except for temperatures above $800^{\circ}C$, which were intentionally not included in the model. The maximum error in the simulation was less than 3%.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.1-10
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• 2012

While a performance based sprinkler design method has been widely used in UK and USA according to fire hazards of occupancies, Korean fire safety industry could not yet accept it due to nonstandardization on risk level of various occupancy. Even only two or three spray pattern sprinkler was produced in Korea fire safety industry, therefore, various spray pattern sprinklers have not yet introduced to major occupancies. Spray pattern sprinklers with one of two K value have been used in all occupancies in Korea Market. UK and USA's Fire industry should produced the spray sprinklers with various K-factors and protection area due to performance based sprinkler design requirement. Therefore the fire load density for main occupancies has been investigated in order to compare with installation standard in advanced countries. Eventually a lot of variations in orifice and K factors of standard heads were set up including special heads needed for high hazard areas such as large drop type, enlarged orifice type and early suppression fast response.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.24-29
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• 2002

The purpose of this study is developing the computer program for hydraulic design sprinkler systems have performed the means for the general use of network analysis method. The computer program is based on the theoretical concepts of the related Hazen-Williams equations, a modified Bernoulli equations, and the Hardy Cross method of pipe network analysis. Looped piping calculations are solved by using either the Hardy Cross method or the other iteration methods. While the other methods are solved using simultaneous equations, the Hardy Cross method is concerned with one loop at a time using reiterative process. Due to its simplicity the Hardy Cross method will be the primary method described in this thesis. The purpose of this study is to develope hydraulic calculation program by using algorithm for network analysis method. The development of computer program for the hydraulic design of sprinkler systems will perform the means in the performance-based sprinkler system design.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.1-11
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• 2004

This study explored how simultaneous treatment of monoammonium phosphate (MAP) and boric acid for Pinus densiflora and Populus euramericana influenced the properties such as fire resistance, preservation against Trametes versicolor and Tyromyces palustris, and compressive strength of the treated woods. For specific gravity and compressive strength, the treated woods were higher than the non-treated ones. For the analytical features observed by SEM, the cell walls of the non-treated woods were extremely destructed by T. palustris and T. versicolor while the treated ones relatively remained intact. Especially, P euramericana was more readily exposed to the attack of the rot fungi than P. densiflora.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.57-66
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• 2018

The most urgent requirement in the event of disaster and fire in a skyscraper is to establish a system that enables people inside to evacuate safely. Hence, a practical direction needs to give evacuees confidence in the evacuation by reducing the psychological anxiety caused by the relatively large number of people inside and at the same time, the physically prolonged evacuation travel line. Evacuation tests with large numbers of people were conducted three times to solve these challenges and identify phenomena and issues that occurred during the experiment. The results revealed the factors that could cause a delay in evacuation and suggested improvements. The study results of this paper are as follows. First, a recent fire at a multipurpose high-rise resulted in a number of casualties due to a lack of experience with the disaster prevention system. To prevent such cases from occurring in advance, adaptability was achieved by conducting evacuation tests. Second, the data collected in the evacuation simulation statistics and the actual escape drills were compared and analyzed. Third, in the evacuation experiment, a large number of people could not participate in the experiment. The reasons for not participating were analyzed and their impact on the actual evacuation time was confirmed. Fourth, equipment aids were purchased to establish the optimal response measure to the causes of a delay in escape time and the standards for ensuring the safety of the evacuee were specified by developing improvements to minimize the evacuation delay time through comparative before and after analysis of the experiment. These results can be used for fire safety control of skyscrapers to improve the efficiency of evacuation.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.1-4
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• 2009

Objective: To report an unsuspected adaptive plasticity of single upper motor neurons and of primary motor cortex found after microsurgical connection of the spinal cord with peripheral nerve via grafts in paraplegics and focussed discussion of the reviewed literature. Methods: The research aimed at making paraplegics walk again, after 20 years of experimental surgery in animals. Amongst other things, animal experiments demonstrated the alteration of the motor endplates receptors from cholinergic to glutamatergic induced by connection with upper motor neurons. The same paradigm was successfully performed in paraplegic humans. The nerve grafts were put into the ventral-lateral spinal tract randomly, with out possibility of choosing the axons coming from different areas of the motor cortex. Results: The patient became able to selectively activate the re-innervated muscles she wanted without concurrent activities of other muscles connected with the same cortical areas. Conclusion: Authors believe that unlike in nerve or tendon transfers, where the whole cortical area corresponding to the transfer changes its function a phenomenon that we call "brain plasticity by areas". in our paradigm due to the direct connection of upper motor neurons with different peripheral nerves and muscles via nerve grafts motor learning occurs based on adaptive neuronal plasticity so that simultaneous contractions of other muscles are prevented. We propose to call it adaptive functional "plasticity by single neurons". We speculate that this phenomenon is due to the simultaneous activation of neurons spread in different cortical areas for a given specific movement, whilst the other neurons of the same areas connected with peripheral nerves of different muscles are not activated at the same time. Why different neurons of the same area fire at different times according to different voluntary demands remains to be discovered. We are committed to solve this enigma hereafter.

• Spatial Information Research
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.133-142
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• 2010

Many pedestrian or fire evacuation models have been studied last decades for modeling evacuation behaviors or analysing building structures under emergency situations. However, currently developed models do not consider the differences of visibility of pedestrians by obstacles such as furniture, wall, etc. The visibility of pedestrians is considered one of the important factors that affect the evacuation behavior, leading to making simulation results more realistic. In order to incorporate pedestrian's visibility into evacuation simulation, we should be able to give different walking speeds according to differences of visibility. We improved the existing floor field model based on cellular automata in order to implement the visibility. Using the space syntax theory, we showed how we split the indoor spaces depending on the different visibilities created by different levels of structural depths. Then, we improved the algorithm such that pedestrians have different speeds instead of simultaneous movement to other cells. Also, in order for developing a real time simulation system integrated w ith indoor sensors later, we present a process to build a 3D simulator using a spatial DBMS. The proposed algorithm is tested using a campus building.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.13-20
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• 2015

As building height is increased, more careful decisions about the required safe egress time is needed for evacuation. This study analyzed the influence of three training sessions on the vertical speed of evacuation in the high rise building. Evacuation experiments were done in a high-rise office building in Seoul, and we analyzed the vertical evacuation speed as a function of density using a camera. Controlled and uncontrolled total evacuation were compared using the Pathfinder simulation. The process of repeated training, changed the specific stair utilization rate from 6.3% to 39.5%. The vertical evacuation speed as a function of density was analyzed using the equation s = 1.004 ? 0.288D, which is very similar to the equation used in a different study. The total evacuation time of the special controlled total evacuation was reduced by about 25% compared to the simultaneous evacuation.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.322-329
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• 2017

Perturbation in ambient particulate matter ($PM_1$, $PM_{2.5}$, $PM_{10}$) and black carbon (BC) concentrations was studied during a firecracker bursting episode in Diwali (Festival of Lights) celebrations in Nagpur, India. Firecracker bursting resulted in greater escalation in fine particulates over coarse particulates while $PM_{2.5}$ was found to be dominated by $PM_1$ concentration. On the Diwali day, daily mean concentration of $PM_{2.5}$ and $PM_{10}$ exceeded Indian National Ambient Air Quality Standards by over 1.8 and 1.5 times, respectively, while daily mean BC concentration on the same day was almost two times higher than the previous day. The BC/$PM_1$ ratio reduced remarkably from about 0.26 recorded before fire-cracker bursting activity to about 0.09 during fire-cracker bursting on Diwali night in spite of simultaneous escalation in ambient BC concentration. Such aberration in BC/$PM_1$ was evidently a result of much higher escalation in $PM_1$ than BC in ambient air during firecracker bursting. The study highlighted strong perturbations in ambient $PM_1$, $PM_{2.5}$, $PM_{10}$ concentrations and BC/$PM_1$ during the firecracker bursting episode. Altered atmospheric BC/$PM_1$ ratios could serve as indicators of firecracker-polluted air and similar BC/$PM_1$ ratios in local and regional air masses might be used as diagnostic ratios for firecracker smoke.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.37-42
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• 2016

The dimensionless extinction constants of smoke particles produced from burning of soy methyl ester (B100) biodiesel and ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuels were measured. To this end, optical measurements of smoke volume fraction with the aid of a He-Ne laser at 633 nm were compared to the simultaneous gravimetric measurements. The average value of measured dimensionless extinction constants at 633 nm was 11.8 for biodiesel smoke particles and 11.1 for diesel smoke particles, respectively whose values are very comparable withing the range of measurement uncertainty (${\pm}10.1%$). The analysis of Raman spectroscopy revealed that overall characteristics of light extinction between particles produced from each fuel may differ from each other.