• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.415-422
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• 2014

This paper presents a new approach to solve the multi area unit commitment problem (MAUCP) using an evolutionary programming based particle swarm optimization (EPPSO) method. The objective of this paper is to determine the optimal or near optimal commitment schedule for generating units located in multiple areas that are interconnected via tie lines. The evolutionary programming based particle swarm optimization method is used to solve multi area unit commitment problem, allocated generation for each area and find the operating cost of generation for each hour. Joint operation of generation resources can result in significant operational cost savings. Power transfer between the areas through the tie lines depends upon the operating cost of generation at each hour and tie line transfer limits. Case study of four areas with different load pattern each containing 7 units (NTPS) and 26 units connected via tie lines have been taken for analysis. Numerical results showed comparing the operating cost using evolutionary programming-based particle swarm optimization method with conventional dynamic programming (DP), evolutionary programming (EP), and particle swarm optimization (PSO) method. Experimental results show that the application of this evolutionary programming based particle swarm optimization method has the potential to solve multi area unit commitment problem with lesser computation time.

• Architectural research
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.101-108
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• 2017

The use of the air conditioner is increasing due to the rise of the outdoor temperature during summer, and the problems of the fire and the cooling performance deterioration are caused due to lack of maintenance of the outdoor unit. In particular, overall performance of cooling system and efficiency in outdoor units have been degraded due to an intake of high-temperature outdoor air thereby increasing cooling energy and operating cost. Thus, this study aimed to increase efficiency of outdoor units by evaporating and cooling intake air through mist spray at the intake port surface in the outdoor unit. The measurements results showed that total power consumption of misting outdoor unit compared to that of conventional outdoor units was reduced by 21% approximately, and total power consumption of the entire system including pump was reduced by 16.7%. In addition, the operating cost including water use was reduced by 13.5% approximately. In summary, if a mist-spray nozzle kit is installed in air-cooled outdoor units, the reduction in the usage of cooling energy and operating cost will be achieved without replacement of existing cooling systems or a large scale of repairs.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.295-310
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• 1975

A system of model price data for the fuel cost estimation of the Go-ri plant is developed. With the application of MITCOST-II computer code the levelized unit fuel costs over the entire lifetime of the plant are evaluated. It is found that the overall levelized unit fuel cost is 7.332 mills/Kwhe and that the uranium ore and enrichment service represent more than 85% of the unit cost, assuming a simple once-through fuel cycle process with no reprocessing of the spent fuel. The effects of the cost fluctuations in these fuel cycle elements and the capacity factor changes are also evaluated. The results indicate that the fuel costs are most sensitive to the variation of uranium ore price. Efforts must, therefore, be employed for the arrangement of cheap and timely supply of uranium ore in order to achieve the economic generation of nuclear power.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2020.06a
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• pp.204-205
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• 2020

Construction Standard Unit Price is the unit price calculated based on the market price for work items in construction projects that have already been conducted. It is used as basic data for calculating the budget price of public construction projects. In the Construction Standard Unit Price Book implemented in the second half of 2020, there are 1,810 types of unit prices. Since 2017, 100-150 construction standard unit prices have been revised semiannually (on January 1 and July 1 of each year) through Construction Site Surveys. Other work items have been set based on the rate of inflation during the corresponding period. Later in 2020, this procedure was changed, with on-site survey period extended to one year to strengthen the construction standard unit price investigation. The revisions previous announced during the second half of the year were changed only to reflect the price inflation rates. With such changes in the revisions to construction standard unit prices, one important issue that was raised: The timing of announcing the revisions during the second half of the year (reflecting the price inflation rates). The market unit wage, which is the unit price standard of labor cost that takes up a large part of the construction cost, is announced in January and September. The figures announced in September is reflected on the construction standard unit price four months later in January, but the market unit wage announced in January is reflected only six months after in July, which causes a timing issue. As such, the current study analyzed problems rising from the changed timing of the announcements of the construction standard unit price during the second half of the year, in addition to analyzing their impact on public construction projects.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.621-652
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• 2016

A new cable-supported bridge model consisting of suspension parts, self-anchored cable-stayed parts and earth-anchored cable-stayed parts is presented. The new bridge model can be used for suspension bridges, cable-stayed bridges, cable-stayed suspension bridges, and partially earth-anchored cable-stayed bridges by varying parameters. Based on the assumption that each structural member is in either an axial compressive or tensile state, and the stress in each member is equal to the allowable stress of the material, the material quantity for each component is calculated. By introducing the unit cost of each type of material, the estimation formula for the cost of the new bridge model is developed. Numerical examples show that the results from the estimation formula agree well with that from the real projects. The span limit of cable supported bridge depends on the span-to-height ratio and the density-to-strength ratio of cables. Finally, a parametric study is illustrated aiming at the relations between three key geometrical parameters and the cost of the bridge model. The optimization of the new bridge model indicates that the self-anchored cable-stayed part is always the dominant part with the consideration of either the lowest total cost or the lowest unit cost. It is advisable to combine all three mentioned structural parts in super long span cable supported bridges to achieve the most excellent economic performance.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.500-509
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• 2011

Purpose: Time-driven activity-based costing was applied to analyze the nursing activity cost and efficiency of a medical unit. Methods: Data were collected at a medical unit of a general hospital. Nursing activities were measured using a nursing activities inventory and classified as 6 domains using Easley-Storfjell Instrument. Descriptive statistics were used to identify general characteristics of the unit, nursing activities and activity time, and stochastic frontier model was adopted to estimate true activity time. Results: The average efficiency of the medical unit using theoretical resource capacity was 77%, however the efficiency using practical resource capacity was 96%. According to these results, the portion of non-added value time was estimated 23% and 4% each. The sums of total nursing activity costs were estimated 109,860,977 won in traditional activity-based costing and 84,427,126 won in time-driven activity-based costing. The difference in the two cost calculating methods was 25,433,851 won. Conclusion: These results indicate that the time-driven activity-based costing provides useful and more realistic information about the efficiency of unit operation compared to traditional activity-based costing. So time-driven activity-based costing is recommended as a performance evaluation framework for nursing departments based on cost management.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.143-150
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• 2015

PURPOSES : The authors set out to estimate the related carbon emissions, energy use, and costs of the national freeways and highways in Korea. To achieve this goal, a macro-level methodology for estimating those amounts by road type, road structure type, and road life cycle was developed. METHODS : The carbon emissions, energy use, and costs associated with roads vary according to the road type, road structure type, and road life cycle. Therefore, in this study, the road type, road structure type, and road life cycle were classified into two or three categories based on criteria determined by the authors. The unit amounts of carbon emissions and energy use per unit road length by classification were estimated using data gathered from actual road samples. The unit amounts of cost per unit road length by classification were acquired from the standard cost values provided in the 2013 road business manual. The total carbon emissions, energy use, and cost of the national freeways and highways were calculated by multiplying the road length by the corresponding unit amounts. RESULTS: The total carbon emissions, energy use, and costs associated with the national freeways and highways in Korea were estimated by applying the estimated unit amounts and the developed method. CONCLUSIONS: The developed method can be employed in the road planning and design stage when decision makers need to consider the impact of road construction from an environmental and economic point of view.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.337-344
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• 2020

Worldwide, there is a significant surge in the efforts for addressing the issue of global warming; the use of renewable energy is one of the solutions proposed to mitigate global warming. However, severe volatility is a critical disadvantage, and thus, power-to-gas technology is considered one of best solutions for energy storage. Hydrogen is a popular candidate from the perspective of both environment and economics. Accordingly, a hydrogen production system based on renewable energy sources is developed, and the economics of the system are assessed. The result of the base case shows that the unit cost of hydrogen production would be 6,415 won/kg H₂, with a hydrogen production plant based on a 100 MW akaline electrolyzer and 25% operation rate, considering renewable energy sources with no electricity cost payment. Sensitivity study results show that the range of hydrogen unit cost efficiency can be 2,293 to 6,984 Won/kg H₂, depending on the efficiency and unit cost of the electrolyzer. In case of electrolyzer operation rate and electricity unit cost, sensitivity study results show that hydrogen unit cost is in the range 934-26,180 won/kg H₂.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.154-163
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• 2022

Background: The costliness index (CI) is an index that is used in various ways to improve the quality of medical care and the management of appropriate treatment in medical institutions. However, the current calculation method for CI has a limitation in reflecting the actual medical cost of the patient unit because the outpatient and inpatient costs are evaluated separately. It is desirable to calculate the CI by integrating the medical cost into the episode unit. Methods: We developed an episode-based CI method using the episode classification system of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to the National Inpatient Sample data in Korea, which can integrate the admission and ambulatory care cost to episode unit. Additionally, we compared our new method with the previous method. Results: In some episodes, the correlation between previous and episode-based CI was low, and the proportion of outpatient treatment costs in total cost and readmission rates are high. As a result of regression analysis, it is possible that the level of total medical costs of the patient unit in low volume medical institute and rural area has been underestimated. Conclusion: High proportion of outpatient treatment cost in total medical cost means that some medical institutions may have provided medical services in the ambulatory care that are ancillary to inpatient treatment. In addition, a high readmission rate indicates insufficient treatment service for inpatients, which means that previous CI may not accurately reflect actual patient-based treatment costs. Therefore, an integrated patient-unit classification system which can be used as a more effective CI indicator is needed.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.125-136
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• 2022

The costliness index (CI) is an index that is used in various ways to improve the quality of medical care and the management of appropriate treatment in medical institutions. However, the current calculation method for CI has a limitation in reflecting the actual medical cost of the patient unit because the outpatient and inpatient costs are evaluated separately. It is desirable to calculate the CI by integrating the medical cost into the episode unit. We developed an episode-based CI method using the episode classification system of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to the National Inpatient Sample data in Korea, which can integrate the admission and ambulatory care cost to episode unit. Additionally, we compared our new method with the previous method. In some episodes, the correlation between previous and episode-based CI was low, and the proportion of outpatient treatment costs in total cost and readmission rates are high. As a result of regression analysis, it is possible that the level of total medical costs of the patient unit in low volume medical institute and rural area has been underestimated. High proportion of outpatient treatment cost in total medical cost means that some medical institutions may have provided medical services in the ambulatory care that are ancillary to inpatient treatment. In addition, a high readmission rate indicates insufficient treatment service for inpatients, which means that previous CI may not accurately reflect actual patient-based treatment costs. Therefore, an integrated patient-unit classification system which can be used as a more effective CI indicator is needed.