• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.99-110
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• 2023

When a fire accident accompanied by an explosion occurs, the surrounding firewalls are affected by impact and thermal loads. Damaged firewalls due to accidental loads may not fully perform their essential function. Therefore, this paper proposes an advanced methodology for evaluating the fire resistance performance of firewalls damaged by explosions. The fragments were assumed to be scattered, and fire occurred as a vehicle exploded in a large compartment of a roll-on/roll-off (RO-RO) vessel. The impact velocity of the fragments was calculated based on the TNT equivalent mass corresponding to the explosion pressure. Damage and thermal-structural response analyses of the firewall were performed using Ansys LS-DYNA code. The fire resistance reduction was analyzed in terms of the temperature difference between fire-exposed and unexposed surfaces, temperature increase rate, and reference temperature arrival time. The degree of damage and the fire resistance performance of the firewalls varied significantly depending on impact loads. When naval ships and RO-RO vessels that carry various explosive substances are designed, it is reasonable to predict that the fire resistance performance will be degraded according to the explosion characteristics of the cargo.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.46-51
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to analyze the utilization forms of hydrogen fuel cells, which are the core of building a smart city, and suggest ways to solve them. In the case of power plants to utilize hydrogen fuel cell, it was analyzed as the most promising form of use in the future due to the advantage of being free from intermittence problems. However, despite many advantages, local residents' opposition continues to emerge due to concerns about explosions and the problem of carbon dioxide generation in the case of certain hydrogen production methods, and it is analyzed that resolving them will be the main key to establishing the smart city. Finally, by analyzing the current hydrogen production method and identifying the problems facing it, the solution for the complete construction of the smart city was presented.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.121-129
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• 2022

With the advent of the post-2020 climate regime, the hydrogen industry is growing rapidly around the world. In order to build the hydrogen economy, it is important to identify social issues related to hydrogen and prepare countermeasures for them. Accordingly, this study conducted a semantic network analysis on hydrogen news from NAVER. As a result of the analysis, the number of hydrogen news in 2020 increased by 4.5 times compared to 2016, and as of 2018, the hydrogen issue has shifted from an environmental aspect to an economic aspect. In addition, although the initial government-led hydrogen industry is expanding to the mobility field such as privately-led fuel cell electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel, terms showing concerns about the safety such as explosions are constantly being exposed. Thus, it is necessary not only to expand the hydrogen ecosystem through the participation of private companies, but also to promote hydrogen safety.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.65-79
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• 2023

This paper presents a development of empirical evaluations, which can be used to evaluate the damage of fiber-reinforced concrete composites (FRC) wall subjected to close-in blast loads. For this development, a combined application of numerical simulation and machine learning approaches are employed. First, finite element modeling of FRC wall under blast loading is developed and verified using experimental data. Numerical analyses are then carried out to investigate the dynamic behavior of the FRC wall under blast loading. In addition, a data set of 384 samples on the damage of FRC wall due to blast loads is then produced in order to develop machine learning models. Second, three robust machine learning models of Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) are employed to propose empirical evaluations for predicting the damage of FRC wall. The proposed empirical evaluations are very useful for practical evaluation and design of FRC wall subjected to blast loads.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.60 no.6
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• pp.433-440
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• 2023

This study aims to establish safety zones for bunkering operations of hydrogen propulsion ships in coastal areas through risk assessment and evaluate their validity. Using a 350 kW-class ferry operating in Busan Port as the subject of analysis, with quantitative risk assessment based on accident consequence and frequency analysis, along with a social risk assessment considering population density. The results of the risk assessment indicate that all scenarios were within acceptable risk criteria and ALARP region. The most critical accident scenarios involve complete hose rupture during bunkering, resulting in jet flames (Frequency: 2.76E-06, Fatalities: 9.81) and vapor cloud explosions (Frequency: 1.33E-08, Fatalities: 14.24). For the recommended safety zone criteria in the 6% hose cross-sectional area leakage scenario, It could be appropriate criteria considering overall risk level and safety zones criteria for hydrogen vehicle refueling stations. This research contributes to establishing safety zone for bunkering operations of hydrogen propulsion ships through risk assessment and provides valuable technical guidelines.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.757-763
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• 2023

Major industrial accidents in which workers die due to fires or explosions while working at chemical substance handling workplaces continue to occur. Among the major industrial accidents that occurred between 2005 and 2021, the accident status by work situation and equipment was analyzed. Through analysis, it was confirmed that storage, reaction, and piping facilities were the main causes of the accident, and a self-checklist for each facility was developed. Verification was conducted through the supply and use groups to evaluate the suitability of the use, duties, and items of the self-checklist. The user group showed higher satisfaction than the supplier group for all three suitability of use, job, and item. In particular, since the inspection items of the self-checklist were organized around the cause of the accident derived through the analysis of actual accident cases, the satisfaction level was high in all groups. It is expected that the self-checklist developed through this study will be useful not only for large companies but also for small and medium-sized chemical industries that lack professional manpower.

• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.15-23
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• 2023

Lithium-ion batteries are predominantly employed in electric vehicles and energy storage devices, offering the advantage of high energy density. However, they are susceptible to efficiency degradation when operated at high temperatures due to their sensitivity to the external environment. In this study, we conducted experiments using an indirect cooling method to prevent thermal runaway and explosions in lithium-ion batteries. The results were validated by comparing them with heat transfer simulations conducted through a commercial finite element analysis program. The experiments included single-cell exothermic tests and cooling experiments on a battery pack with 10 cells connected in series, utilizing 21700 lithium-ion batteries. To block external temperature influences, the experimental environment featured an extrusion method insulation in the environmental chamber. The cooling system, suitable for indirect cooling, was constructed with copper tubes and pins. The heat transfer analysis began by presenting a single-cell heating model using commercial software, which was then employed to analyze the heating and cooling of the battery pack.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.1-12
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• 2023

A basic assessment of techniques to mitigate the risk of blast shock waves from proximity explosions was conducted. Common existing techniques include using mitigant materials to form barriers around the explosive or in the direction of propagation of the shock wave. Various explosive energy dissipation mechanisms have been proposed, and research on blast shock wave mitigation utilizing impedance differences has drawn considerable interest. In this study, shear thickening fluid (STF) was applied as a blast mitigation material to evaluate the effectiveness of STF mitigation material on explosion shock wave mitigation through explosion experiments and numerical analysis. As a result, the effectiveness of the STF mitigant material in reducing the explosion shock pressure was verified.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.56-61
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• 2023

The plant is an important facility as a infrastructure, and ensuring safety against possible accidents such as gas leaks and explosions must be considered in the design. However, there is little study on explosion pressure in plants for reasons such as economic feasibility, and overpressure data on this field is insufficient. In this study, an experimental design plan considering the explosion scenario that may occur in the plant was presented, and the explosion pressure was confirmed through an explosion experiment. Hydrogen-methane mixed gas was used as a combustible material, and the effect of confinement and congestion on overpressure was studied. The effect of overlapping pressure waves during deflagration and the turbulence effect by congested pipes are discussed. The results of this study can be used as input data in various safety designs.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.9-21
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• 2024

Static-electricity-induced fires and explosions persistently occur every year, averaging approximately 80 and 20 cases annually according to fire statistics provided by the National Fire Agency and industrial accident statistics provided by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, respectively. Despite the relatively low probabilities of these accidents, their potential risks are high. Consequently, effective risk assessment methodologies and accident investigation strategies are essential for efficiently managing static-electricity hazards in fire- and explosion-prone areas. Accordingly, this study aimed to identify the causal variables essential for accident investigations, thereby facilitating risk assessments and the implementation of effective recurrence prevention measures to mitigate static-electricity hazards in fire-and explosion-prone regions. To this end, industrial accident statistics recorded over the past decade (2012 to 2021) by the Ministry of Employment and Labor were analyzed to identify major fire and explosion incidents and related industrial accidents wherein static electricity was identified as a potential ignition source. Subsequently, relevant investigation reports (63 cases) were thoroughly analyzed. Based on the results of this analysis, existing electrostatic fire and explosion risk assessment techniques were refined and augmented. Moreover, factors essential for investigating electrostatic fire and explosion disasters were delineated, and the primary causal variables necessary for effective risk assessments and scientific investigations were derived.