• Title/Summary/Keyword: Unique Capabilities

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EMERGING POSSIBILITIES FOR NIRS TO CONTRIBUTO TO ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS

  • Malley, Diane
    • Proceedings of the Korean Society of Near Infrared Spectroscopy Conference
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    • 2001.06a
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    • pp.1071-1071
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    • 2001
  • Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is potentially a powerful and revolutionary technology for environmental analysis. It is supported by a large body of scientific and experiential knowledge. The instrumentation is well-developed, with easy-to-use, highly dependable instruments, but at the same time it is still developing, particularly with the production of more portable and rapid instruments, and more powerful software. NIRS is used globally in numerous industries for commodity analysis. Yet NIRS is largely unknown in the field of environmental chemistry and monitoring, and is not even routinely used in soil analysis, where the research literature on NIRS extends over four decades. Part of the explanation for the poor visibility of NIRS is the fact that NIRS is not routinely taught in Chemistry programs in universities, where most environmental chemists and environmental technicians are trained. This presentation examines the unique capabilities of NIRS, such as rapid, real-time analysis; analysis of whole samples; simultaneous analysis of multiple constituents; cost-effectiveness, and portability, as they match needs for analysis in several environmental areas. Examples of NIRS usage and published and unpublished results will be described for such areas as soil and sediment analysis; water quality monitoring; and nutrient loading in application of manures and sewage sludge (biosolids) to land. Present barriers to the use of NIRS in environmental analysis will be discussed. It is argued that emerging environmental problems and increasing attention to some traditional problems will enhance the application of NIRS in the future.

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ADVANCED TEST REACTOR TESTING EXPERIENCE - PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

  • Marshall Frances M.
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.38 no.5
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    • pp.411-416
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    • 2006
  • The Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), is one of the world's premier test reactors for providing the capability for studying the effects of intense neutron and gamma radiation on reactor materials and fuels. The physical configuration of the ATR, a 4-leaf clover shape, allows the reactor to be operated at different power levels in the comer 'lobes' to allow for different testing conditions for multiple simultaneous experiments. The combination of high flux (maximum thermal neutron fluxes of 1E15 neutrons per square centimeter per second and maximum fast [E>1.0 MeV] neutron fluxes of 5E14 neutrons per square centimeter per second) and large test volumes (up to 122 cm long and 12.7 cm diameter) provide unique testing opportunities. The current experiments in the ATR are for a variety of test sponsors - US government, foreign governments, private researchers, and commercial companies needing neutron irradiation services. There are three basic types of test configurations in the ATR. The simplest configuration is the sealed static capsule, which places the capsule in direct contact with the primary coolant. The next level of experiment complexity is an instrumented lead experiment, which allows for active control of experiment conditions during the irradiation. The most complex experiment is the pressurized water loop, in which the test sample can be subjected to the exact environment of a pressurized water reactor. For future research, some ATR modifications and enhancements are currently planned. This paper provides more details on some of the ATR capabilities, key design features, experiments, and future plans.

Binder-free and Full Electrical-Addressing Free-standing Nanosheets with Carbon Nanotube Fabrics for Electrochemical Applications

  • Lee, Tae-Il;JeGal, Jong-Pil;Choe, Ji-Hyeok;Choe, Won-Jin;Lee, Min-Jeong;O, Jin-Yeong;Kim, Gwang-Beom;Baek, Hong-Gu;Xia, Younan;Myeong, Jae-Min
    • Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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    • 2011.05a
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    • pp.40.2-40.2
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    • 2011
  • As the old saying 'nothing is complete unless you put it in final shape', although nanosheets (NSs) are a promising functional building block for various electrochemical applications, their true value cannot be realized until they are well woven into electrical conducting materials. As an effort to determine their ideal shape, in this study, a unique manufacturing route to build a layer-by-layer (LBL) structure of two-dimensionally ordered, free-standing ${\beta}$-nickel hydroxide nanosheets (${\beta}$-NHNSs) that are fully electrically addressed with single-wall carbon nanotube fabrics was demonstrated, and its capabilities were verified through a comparative study on the differences between a simple bulky and LBL-structured electrochemical cathode, representing two extreme cases. The LBL-structured cathode showed a discharging current peak that was 25 times larger than the bulky structured one measured in cyclic voltammetry, which implies that the LBL structure is near an ideal electrode configuration for NS-based electrochemical applications.

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Ultra-High Performance Concrete: Mechanical Performance, Durability, Sustainability and Implementation Challenges

  • Abbas, S.;Nehdi, M.L.;Saleem, M.A.
    • International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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    • v.10 no.3
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    • pp.271-295
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    • 2016
  • In this study, an extensive literature review has been conducted on the material characterization of UHPC and its potential for large-scale field applicability. The successful production of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) depends on its material ingredients and mixture proportioning, which leads to denser and relatively more homogenous particle packing. A database was compiled from various research and field studies around the world on the mechanical and durability performance of UHPC. It is shown that UHPC provides a viable and long-term solution for improved sustainable construction owing to its ultrahigh strength properties, improved fatigue behavior and very low porosity, leading to excellent resistance against aggressive environments. The literature review revealed that the curing regimes and fiber dosage are the main factors that control the mechanical and durability properties of UHPC. Currently, the applications of UHPC in construction are very limited due to its higher initial cost, lack of contractor experience and the absence of widely accepted design provisions. However, sustained research progress in producing UHPC using locally available materials under normal curing conditions should reduce its material cost. Current challenges regarding the implementation of UHPC in full-scale structures are highlighted. This study strives to assist engineers, consultants, contractors and other construction industry stakeholders to better understand the unique characteristics and capabilities of UHPC, which should demystify this resilient and sustainable construction material.

A Model of User Adoption of Mobile Games (모바일게임 플레이 의도의 영향요인 연구)

  • Han, Kwang-Hyun;Kim, Tae-Ung
    • Asia pacific journal of information systems
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    • v.16 no.2
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    • pp.123-141
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    • 2006
  • Mobile games have emerged as the most innovative entertainment technology, adding new revenue streams, taking advantage of the potential of wireless applications and service offerings. Mobile games, as well as PC games, Video games and online games, offer a unique value for users in providing an exciting digital experience in virtual worlds. The overall trend for mobile games is towards bigger, more colorful, more involving and exciting contents, which might build upon the developing capabilities of mobile phones and networks, in order to bring new styles, concepts and experiences of game play to the users. In this paper, we investigate the factors influencing the usage and acceptance of the mobile games, based on the extended version of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Based on data collected from online survey, we show that perceived usefulness, ease of use are the major determinants for mobile game users to play games. Four factors, including ease of use, self-expressiveness, visibility, and innovativeness are empirically shown to determine the level of perceived usefulness; additionally, innovativeness and facilitating conditions are shown to directly affect ease of use. Based upon the statistical results, some useful guidelines for game development and market penetration strategies are also provided.

Conceptual Design of Laser Plasma-based Soft X-ray Microscope system for Biomedical Application (레이저 플라즈마 기반의 생물의료용 연 X-선 현미경 설계)

  • 김경우;윤권하
    • Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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    • 2003.06a
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    • pp.690-693
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    • 2003
  • Soft x-ray microscopy provides a unique set of capabilities in-between those of visible light and electron microscopy. It has long been recognized that nature provides a 'water window' spectral region between the K shell x-ray absorption edges of carbon (~290eV) and oxygen (~540eV), where organic materials show strong absorption and phase contrast, while water is relatively non-absorbing. This enables imaging of hydrated biological specimens that are several microns thick with high intrinsic contrast using x-rays with a wavelength of 2.3~4.4nm. Soft X-ray microscopy is therefore well suited to the study of specimens like single biological cells. The most direct advantage of X-ray microscope is their high spatial resolution when compared with visible light microscopes, combined with an ability to image hydrated specimens that are several microns with a minimum of preparation. Our study describes the conceptual design of soft x-ray microscope system based on a laser-based source for biomedical application with high resolution ($\leq$50nm) and short exposure time ($\leq$30sec).

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Modifications and Assessment of RELAP5/MOD3.2 for HANARO Thermal-Hydraulic Safety Analyses

  • Gee Yang Han;Kwi Seok Ha
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.34 no.5
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    • pp.455-467
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    • 2002
  • RELAP5/MOD3.2 was modified to perform the thermal-hydraulic safety analysis for HANARO transients. Several aspects of RELAP5/MOD3.2 were modified or replaced by new features to properly simulate the unique HANARO characteristics such as the finned fuel element, the cooling mechanisms by both plate type heat exchanger and the natural circulation. Especially, the heat transfer packages were modified to be more appropriate for the safety analysis and the heat transfer models were developed for the plate type heat exchanger as well as natural circulation through the pool water. This modified version of RELAP5/MOD3.2 is renamed as RELAP5/HANARO. The thermal-hydraulic simulations of the single fuel pin test and plate type heat exchanger were peformed to assess the realistic predicting capabilities of RELAP5/HANARO and compared with experimental results and manufacturer's data in this paper. In addition, the natural circulation experiment using the scaled bundle was simulated to validate the capability of RELAP5/HANARO. The simulation results show almost similar trend with experimental data. Therefore, it is proved that RELAP5/HANARO has a confidence to use for the safety analyses of HANARO.

A Study of the Effect on the Level of Knowledge Management for Information Sharing and Knowledge Exchange in Information Center (정보공유와 지식교류 향상을 위한 정보센터의 지식관리 수준에 미치는 영향요인에 관한 연구)

  • Yoon, Jung-Hyeon
    • Journal of the Korean Society for information Management
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    • v.21 no.3
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    • pp.31-44
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    • 2004
  • Information center represents an important source which seems very well suited for knowledge management investigation. Information center is knowledge intensive and the use of advanced technology may transform the knowledge of business processes for delivering an unique capabilities in an organization. To exam knowledge management, organization culture, importance of knowledge, and support of information technology were identified as potential predictors of knowledge management support in information center. Three hypotheses have been tested with 43 database management specialist surveys. This study presents that the level of information sharing and knowledge exchange is significantly influenced by the extent support of information technology.

TOP-MOUNTED IN-CORE INSTRUMENTATION : CURRENT STATUS AND TECHNICAL ISSUES

  • KIM, SUNG JUN;KANG, TAE KYO;CHO, YEON HO;CHANG, SANG GYOON;LEE, DAE HEE;MAENG, CHEOL SOO
    • Journal of Energy Engineering
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    • v.24 no.2
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    • pp.154-166
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    • 2015
  • The in-core instrumentation measures core power distribution and coolant temperature in local regions of the core in pressurized water reactors. The installation types are distinguished by the designs of routing paths that exit either through reactor bottom mounted instrument nozzles or through reactor top mounted instrument nozzles. Although each type has unique advantages, it is generally known that top mounted design is more competitive with respect to emphasizing nuclear safety issues and ability to cope with severe accidents. The international nuclear vendors have provided various types of reactors with top mounted design. Nuclear power reactors in Korea, however, only have been designed to be applicable to the use of bottom mounted design, and it has been pointed out that the capabilities of Korean reactors against severe accidents should be further enhanced. The paper deals with technical issues on reactor internal and external design, in-core instrumentation, support assembly, sealing mechanism with nozzles, handling, and analytical issues in order to establish the ways of development.

Strength and Stiffness Analysis for a Flexible Gripper with Parallel Pinching and Compliant Grasping Capabilities (순응형 파지와 정밀한 집기가 가능한 유연한 그리퍼의 강도 및 강성 분석)

  • Lee, Deok Won;Jeon, Hyeong Seok;Jeong, Young Jun;Kim, Yong Jae
    • Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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    • v.22 no.10
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    • pp.817-825
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    • 2016
  • In this paper, we introduce a flexible gripper that we have engineered to precisely pinch in parallel and compliantly grasp objects. As found in most conventional industrial grippers, the parallel pinching property is essential for precise manipulation. On the other hand, the grippers with a flexible structure are more adept at grasping objects with arbitrary shapes and softness. To achieve these disparate properties, we introduce a flexible gripper mechanism composed of multiple flexible beam structures. Utilizing these beam structures, the proposed gripper is able to grasp arbitrarily shaped objects. Additionally, a unique combination of flexible beams enables the gripper to pinch objects using the parallel fingertips for enhanced precision. A detailed description of the proposed mechanism is provided, and an analysis of the strength and stiffness of the fingertip and finger body is presented. The Results section compares the theoretical and experimental analyses and verifies the properties and performance of the proposed gripper.