• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.10 no.7
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• pp.33-41
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to analyse the state of the energy industry and to determine the efficiency of its functioning on the basis of energy conservation principle and application of innovative technologies aimed at improving the ecological modernisation of agricultural sectors of Kazakhstan. The research methodology is based on an integrated approach of financial and economic evaluation of the effectiveness of the investment project, based on calculation of elasticity, total costs and profitability, as well as on comparative, graphical and system analysis. The current stage is characterised by widely spread restructuring processes of electric power industry in many countries through introduction of new technical installations of energy facilities and increased government regulation in order to enhance the competitive advantage of electricity market. Electric power industry features a considerable value of creating areas. For example, by providing scientific and technical progress, it crucially affects not only the development but also the territorial organisation of productive forces, first of all the industry. In modern life, more than 90% of electricity and heat is obtained by Kazakhstan's economy by consuming non-renewable energy resources: different types of coal, oil shale, oil, natural gas and peat. Therefore, it is significant to ensure energy security, as the country faces a rapid fall back to mono-gas structure of fuel and energy balance. However, energy resources in Kazakhstan are spread very unevenly. Its main supplies are concentrated in northern and central parts of the republic, and the majority of consumers of electrical power live in the southern and western areas of the country. However, energy plays an important role in the economy of industrial production and to a large extent determines the level of competitive advantage, which is a promising condition for implementation of energy-saving and environmentally friendly technologies. In these circumstances, issues of modernisation and reforms of this sector in Kazakhstan gain more and more importance, which can be seen in the example of economically sustainable solutions of a large local monopoly company, significant savings in capital investment and efficiency of implementation of an investment project. A major disadvantage of development of electricity distribution companies is the prevalence of very high moral and physical amortisation of equipment, reaching almost 70-80%, which significantly increases the operating costs. For example, while an investment of 12 billion tenge was planned in 2009 in this branch, in 2012 it is planned to invest more than 17 billion. Obviously, despite the absolute increase, the rate of investment is still quite low, as the total demand in this area is at least more than 250 billion tenge. In addition, industrial infrastructure, including the objects of Kazakhstan electric power industry, have a tangible adverse impact on the environment. Thus, since there is a large number of various power projects that are sources of electromagnetic radiation, the environment is deteriorated. Hence, there is a need to optimise the efficiency of the organisation and management of production activities of energy companies, to create and implement new technologies, to ensure safe production and provide solutions to various environmental aspects. These are key strategic factors to ensure success of the modern energy sector of Kazakhstan. The contribution of authors in developing the scope of this subject is explained by the fact that there was not enough research in the energy sector, especially in the view of ecological modernisation. This work differs from similar works in Kazakhstan in the way that the proposed method of investment project calculation takes into account the time factor, which compares the current and future value of profit from the implementation of innovative equipment that helps to bring it to actual practise. The feasibility of writing this article lies in the need of forming a public policy in the industrial sector, including optimising the structure of energy disbursing rate, which complies with the terms of future modernised development of the domestic energy sector.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.501-512
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• 2016

The study evaluated methods to measure condensable fine particles in flue gases and measured particulate matter by fuel and material to get precise concentrations and quantities. As a result of the method evaluation, it is required to improve test methods for measuring Condensable Particulate Matter (CPM) emitted after the conventional Filterable Particulate Matter (FPM) measurement process. Relative Standard Deviation (RSD) based on the evaluated analysis process showed that RSD percentages of FPM and CPM were around 27.0~139.5%. As errors in the process of CPM measurement and analysis can be caused while separating and dehydrating organic and inorganic materials from condensed liquid samples, transporting samples, and titrating ammonium hydroxide in the sample, it is required to comply with the exact test procedures. As for characteristics of FPM and CPM concentrations, CPM had about 1.6~63 times higher concentrations than FPM, and CPM caused huge increase in PM mass concentrations. Also, emission concentrations and quantities varied according to the characteristics of each fuel, the size of emitting facilities, operational conditions of emitters, etc. PM in the flue gases mostly consisted of CPM (61~99%), and the result of organic/inorganic component analysis revealed that organic dusts accounted for 30~88%. High-efficiency prevention facilities also had high concentrations of CPM due to large amounts of $NO_x$, and the more fuels, the more inorganic dusts. As a result of comparison between emission coefficients by fuel and the EPA AP-42, FPM had lower result values compared to that in the US materials, and CPM had higher values than FPM. For the emission coefficients of the total PM (FPM+CPM) by industry, that of thermal power stations (bituminous coal) was 71.64 g/ton, and cement manufacturing facility (blended fuels) 18.90 g/ton. In order to estimate emission quantities and coefficients proper to the circumstances of air pollutant-emitting facilities in Korea, measurement data need to be calculated in stages by facility condition according to the CPM measurement method in the study. About 80% of PM in flue gases are CPM, and a half of which are organic dusts that are mostly unknown yet. For effective management and control of PM in flue gases, it is necessary to identify the current conditions through quantitative and qualitative analysis of harmful organic substances, and have more interest in and conduct studies on unknown materials' measurements and behaviors.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.6-13
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• 2018

Utilizing the heat of cooling water discharge of coal-fired power plant, pipeline investment costs for businesses that supply heat to agricultural facilities near power plants increase in proportion to installation distance. On one hand, the distance from the power plant is a factor that brings difficulties to secure economic efficiency. On the other, if the installation distance is short, there is a problem of securing the heating demands, facility houses, which causes economical efficiency to suffer. In this study, the economic efficiency of 1km length of standard heat pipeline was evaluated. The sensitivity of the heat pipe to the new length variation was analyzed at the level of government subsidy, amount of heating demand and the incremental rate of pipeline with additional government subsidy. As a result of the analysis, it was estimated that NPV 131 million won and IRR 15.73%. The sensitivity analysis showed that NPV was negative when the length of heat pipe facility exceeded 2.6 km. If the government supports 50% of the initial investment, the efficiency is secured within the estimated length of 5.3 km, and if it supports 80%, the length increases within 11.4 km. If the heat demand is reduced to less than 62% at the new length of the standard heat pipe, it is expected economic efficiency is not obtained. If the ratio of government subsidies to initial investment increases, the elasticity of the new bloc will increase, and the fixed investment, which is the cost of capital investment for one unit of heating demand, will decrease. This would result in a reduction in the cost of production per unit, and it would be possible to supply heat at a cheaper price level to the facility farming. Government subsidies will result in the increased economic availability of hot plumbing facilities and additional efficiencies due to increased demand. The greater government subsidies to initial investment, the less farms cost due to the decrease in the price per unit. The results of the study are significant in terms of the economic evaluation of the effectiveness of the government subsidy for the thermal power plant heat utilization project. The implication can be applied to any related pilot to come.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.18 no.2 s.92
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• pp.267-274
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• 2006

Greenhouse gas reduction will be highlighted as the most pending question in the cement industry in future because the production of Portland cement not only consumes limestone, clay, coal, and electricity, but also release waste gases such as $CO_2,\;SO_3$, and NOX, which can contribute to the greenhouse effect and acid rain. To meet the increase of cement demand and simultaneously comply with the Kyoto Protocol, cement that gives less $CO_2$ discharge should be urgently developed. This study aims to manufacture non-sintering cement(NSC) by adding phosphogypsum(PG) and waste lime(WL) to granulated blast furnace slag(GBFS) as sulfate and alkali activators. This study also Investigates the hydration reaction of NSC through analysis of scanning electron microscopy(SEM), X-ray diffraction(XRD), differential thermal analysis(DTA), and pH. Results obtained from analysis of the hydrate have shown that the glassy films of GBFS are destroyed by the activation of alkali and sulfate, ions eluted from the inside of GBFS react with PG and produce ettringite, and consequently the remaining component in GBFS slowly produced C-5-H(I) gel. Here, PG is considered not only to play the role of simple activator, but also to work as a binder reacting with GBFS.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.23-45
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• 2020

The rapid economic growth has brought tremendous pressure on the environment and caused severe air pollution in China. This study empirically examines causes of air pollution in China. Panel-corrected standard errors procedure (PCSE) was used to analyze major determinants of increasing or reducing emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NO_X) in 30 Chinese provinces. The estimation results show that SO₂ emission is mitigated as per capita regional GDP increases, but the relation between emission of NO_X and per capita regional GDP is found to have an inverse N-shaped curve, which implies that emission of NO_X is ultimately expected to decline with economic growth. As for increasing factors of air pollutants, electricity consumption is a significant common source of SO₂ and NO_X emissions. Moreover, the results show that increment of coal consumption significantly affects emission of SO₂ while increase of natural gas consumption reduce emission of SO₂. On the other side, investment in energy industry, and investment on treatment of waste gases are determinants of mitigating emissions of SO₂, but have no impact on NO_X. Consumption of diesel, truck ratio and number of vehicles increase emission of NO_X. Meanwhile, higher precipitation rate is a common determinant of mitigating emissions of SO₂ and NO_X. Policy implications are suggested in the conclusion.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.4 s.179
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• pp.403-416
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• 2006

Magnetic method is rapid, cheap and simple geophysical exploration technique, and has wide range of applications such as resources prospecting, geological structure investigation and even geotechnical and environmental problems. Especially, aeromagnetics gives fundamental and useful geoscientific data fnr not only assessment of potential resources, but also national land planning. Magnetic method, perhaps the oldest geophysical technique, was relatively early introduced into Korea. Documents during Japanese occupation says that magnetic method was used for exploring metallic ore deposits and hot spring, and that a geomagnetic observatory was operated. From mid 1950's, after Korean War, magnetic explorations for natural resources such as metallic ore, uranium, coal, and groundwater were intensively executed for industrialization. Apache aeromagnetic survey project during $1958{\sim}1959$ and its ground follow-up surveys are typical and important cases in those days. Magnetic survey techniques were rapidly advanced during 1970's and 1980's with improvements of instruments, growth of geophysical manpower, and availability of computers. The national aeromagnetic mapping project by KIGAM in 1981 showed the improved technical capability of those days. Decline of mining industry since mid 1980's moved the exploration objects from traditional resources to new ones such as groundwater and geothermal resources, and applications to investigation of geological structure were revived. Recently appeared applications such as natural hazard assessment, and engineering and environmental studies increased the magnetic method's utility in the realm of exploration.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.543-547
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• 1999

The utilization of fly-ash containing high levels of the unburned carbon was investigated. In this study adsorbents were manufactured from fly-ash ad a raw material and the manufactured adsorbents were applied to the waste-water treatment including heavy metals. Varying the anthracite(Jangsung coal) content, three types of pellet were made. The carbon content of pellet increased appreciably upon the addition of anthracite. After carbonization and activation using the pellets, adsorbents showed following characteristics; the range of hardness was between 85% and 96%, iodine number was from 100 mg/g to 300 mg/g. In proportion to the anthracite addition, hardness and iodine number increased. Through the adsorption experiments of heavy metals, removal efficiencies of Pb and Cr by manufactured adsorbents were over 90%. In case of fly-ash, removal efficiencies of Pb and Cr were 31.5% and 5.6% respectively. The reason why removal capacities of manufactured adsorbents were higher than fly-ash was postulated that adsorption capability was improved by unburned carbon and $SiO_2$ which included in fly-ash during steam activation.

• Journal of Surface Science and Engineering
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.95-103
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• 2018

Recently, many types of constructional steels have been often exposed to under severe corrosive environments due to acid rain with increasing environmental contamination. In order to inhibit their corrosion in severe corrosive environments, a painting method has been widely applied to numerous constructional steels of land as well as marine. Therefore, development of paint having a good quality of corrosion resistance is considered to be very important. In this study, four types of anti-corrosive paints (AP: Phenol epoxy, AC: Ceramic epoxy, AT: Coal tar epoxy, AH: High solid epoxy) were coated to the specimens, and then, were immerged in various salt solutions (0.1, 0.3, 3, 6, 9 and 15% NaCl solutions) for 11 days. And, the corrosion resistance of these samples by effect of osmotic pressure with salt concentration was investigated with electrochemical methods such as measurement of corrosion potential, impedance and corrosion current density. The corrosion current densities of all samples (AC, AT and AH) submerged in 3% NaCl solution exhibited the smallest values compared to other salt solutions. However, in the case of lower values of salt solutions than 3% NaCl solution, the corrosion current density increased again because it makes easier for water, dissolved oxygen and chloride ion etc. to invade toward inner side of coating film due to increasing of the osmotic pressure than 3% NaCl solution, but in the case of higher values of salt solutions than 3% NaCl solution, the coating film is easily deteriorated due to high concentration of chloride ion rather than the osmotic pressure, which resulted in increasing the corrosion current density. In particular, the AC sample indicated the best corrosion resistance in 6% NaCl solution compared to other samples. Consequently, it is considered that the corrosion mechanism of the coated steel plate is completely different from bare steel plate, and the corrosion resistance of coating film by osmotic pressure and chloride ion depend on various types of epoxy of paint in NaCl solution.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.95 no.1
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• pp.60-72
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• 2006

The aim of this paper is to identify and evaluate relations for forest greening and the firewood substitution for home use after 1945 Liberation of Korea. Korea faced serious forest degradation by the early 1960s due to the enormous firewood consumption, which was about ten million cubic meters annually, for home use. If the trend of firewood consumption was maintained until 1955's, the total forest area in Korea could be thoroughly degraded within 10 years. The firewood substitution for home use had to be solved as soon as possible. For this purpose, energy sector by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry carried out the substitution policy for home using the briquettes which was the only natural resources for energy produced in Korea. Firewood was prohibited being carried in the major cities by forestry sector, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, from 1958. Only 5.2% of household in the cities used the forest products consumed as a fuel in 1970 because these inter-sectoral substitution measures of firewood for home use turned out a success gradually. After the 1970s, firewood consumption for home use was naturally decreased due to rural people's explosive move to cities, who were major consumers of firewood for home use at that time. Firewood for cooking was substituted by LPG gas after 1985 and firewood for house heating was substituted by coal and oil after 1980. Finally, on the basis of the firewood substitution for home use, the forest degradation that lasted over one hundred years was put a period.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.1041-1051
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• 2003

Neutron induced prompt gamma activation analysis (PGAA) offers a nondestructive, sensitive and relatively rapid method for the determination of trace and major elements and is proven to be convenient for online analysis of minerals, metals, coal, cement, petrochemical, coating, paper as well as many other materials and products. The technique has found many uses in medicine, industry, research, security and the detection of contraband items. This report reviews the present status and future trends of the PGAA techniques. Requirements for the system are neutron source, high resolution HPGe detectors with a high-voltage power supply, an amplifier, analog-to-digital converter, and a multichannel analyzer for the detection and measurement of prompt ${\gamma}$-ray emit form the neutron capture elements. Introducing a ${\gamma}$-${\gamma}$ coincidence system also improves the quality of the ${\gamma}$-ray spectrum by suppressing the background created from the Compton scattering of high energy prompt ${\gamma}$-rays. A PGAA system using a $^{252}Cf$ neutron source is currently under construction for the on-line measurement of several elements in aqueous samples at KAERI. The system can be applied for the detection of chemical weapons and explosives as well as various narcotics.