• KIEAE Journal
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.43-50
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• 2013

Recent researches on plant factory system deal with the convergence of lighting technology, agricultural technology inclusive to the high-tech industries worldwide in order to respond to the decreasing crop harvest due to global warming and abnormal weather phenomena. However, the fundamental performance standard is not currently being introduced in the case of plants factory and its commercialization is not activated because of high initial investment and operating cost. Large portion of the initial investment and operating cost of a plant factory is ascribed to artificial light sources and thermal control facilities, therefore, innovation should be provided in order to improve the economics of the plant factory. As an alternative, new plant factory could harness solar thermal and geothermal systems for heating, cooling and ventilation. In this study, a natural light dependent multi-layer plant factory's thermal environment was analyzed with two-dimensional numerical methods to elicit efficient operation conditions for optimized internal physical environment. Depending on the supply air temperature and airflow rate introduced in the facility, the temperature changes around the crops was interpreted. Since the air supplied into the plant factory does not stay long enough, the ambient temperature predicted around the plating trays was not significantly different from that of the supplied air. However, the changes of airflow rate and air flow pattern could cause difference to the temperature around the planting trays. Increasing the amount of time of air staying around the planting trays could improve energy performance in case the thermal environment of a natural light based multi-layer plant factory is considered.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.461-471
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• 2016

Numerical modules based on a conventional thermo-hydrological numerical model, TOUGH2, are developed to provide a numerical modeling technique for a standing column well (SCW). Cooling and heating operations for two different types of SCW are then simulated using these modules. Modeling showed these operations to be significantly influenced by heat exchange and fluid mixing between the SCW and the adjacent geologic formation and groundwater. The results also reveal that heat exchange between the oppositely flowing outflow and inflow in the PVC or PE pipe and the SCW borehole is an important factor. Overall, the numerical modeling technique developed here can reasonably simulate fluid flow and heat transport phenomena in the complex internal structures of a SCW. The proposed technique can be used practically for the quantitative analysis of heat exchange in a SCW at the design, construction, and operation stages.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.32-43
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• 2014

This study set out to identify the importance of each factor influencing facility selection with a survey among public medical facilities under the category of public buildings and apply the importance of economy, technology and environment with the weighting factor method, thus proposing optimal application plans. The research content of each section can be summarized as follows:1) Estimated energy consumption according to the energy simulation was 65,129MWh/yr, which was 18.7% higher than that according to the calculation equation. Of the energy consumption, more than 80% was used by heating and cooling facilities and construction facilities, and 20% was used by electronics such as medical equipments and in and outdoor lighting. 2) The results of a survey on the factors influencing the importance when selecting a new and renewable energy system reveal that the upper items had a priority in economy, environment, and technology in the descending order and that the lower item shad a priority in initial investments, maintenance and repair costs=energy costs, supply reliability, energy efficiency and $CO_2$ emissions in the descending order. 3) The application alternatives were analyzed in economy, technology, and environment. As a result, a geothermal system turned out to be the most excellent one a cross all the upper and lower comparison items. Of the other systems, a solar thermal system was superior in initial investments, maintenance and repair costs, and energy efficiency, where as a photovoltaic system was superior in energy costs, supply reliability, and $CO_2$ emissions. 4) As for the mixed application ratio among economy, technology, and environment, when the percentage of a geothermal system was approximately 80% or higher in anew and renewable energy system, it was the best and most optimal application plan.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Geothermal and Hydrothermal Energy
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.39-51
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• 2007

Unconsolidated and permeable alluvial deposit composed of sand and gravel is distributed along the fluvial plain at the Iryong study area. Previous studies on the area show that a single alluvial well can produce at least 1,650m3d-1 of bank infilterated shallow groundwater(BIGW) from the deposit. This study is aimed to evaluate and simulate the influence that seasonal variation of water levels and temperatures of the river have an effect on those of BIGW under the pumping condition and also to compare seasonal variation of COPs when indirectly pumped BIGW or directly pumped surface water are used for a water to water heat pump system as an heat source and sink using 3 D flow and heat transport model of Feflow. The result shows that the magnitude influenced to water level of BIGW by fluctuation of river water level in summer and winter is about 48% and 75% of Nakdong river water level separately. Seasonal change of river water temperature is about $23.7^{\circ}C$, on other hand that of BIGW is only $3.8^{\circ}C$. The seasonal temperatures of BIGW are ranged from minimum $14.5^{\circ}C$ in cold winter(January) and maximum $18.3^{\circ}C$ in hot summer(July). It stands for that BIGW is a good source of heat energy for heating and cooling system owing to maintaining quite similar temperature($16^{\circ}C$) of background shallow groundwater. Average COPh in winter time and COPc in summer time of BIGW and surface water are estimated about 3.95, 3.5, and about 6.16 and 4.81 respectively. It clearly indicates that coefficient of performance of heat pump system using BIGW are higher than 12.9% in winter time and 28.1% in summer time in comparision with those of surface water.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.833-841
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• 2007

The groundwater heat pump system(GWHP) is one of the most efficient ground source heat pump system(GSHP) which uses low grade and shallow geothermal energy for cooling and heating purpose. The GWHP system shall be designed properly based on peak block load performance and optimum pumping rate of groundwater comparable to ground coupled heat pump system(GCHP). The optimum pumping rate depends on groundwater temperature at a specific site, size of plate heat exchanger, and total head loss occurred by whole system comprising pumps and pipings. The required optimum flow rates of the system per RT are ranged from 3.8 to 9.8lpm being less than the typical building loop flow of 9.5 to 11.4lpm.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.65-73
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• 2013

Ground-coupled heat pump system has attracted attention as a promising renewable energy technology due to its improving energy efficiency and eco-friendly mechanism for space cooling and heating. Pipes buried in the ground play a role of direct thermal interaction between circulating fluid inside the pipe and surrounding soils in the geothermal exchange system. However, both complexities of turbulent flow coupling thermal-hydraulic phenomena and very long aspect ratio of the pipe make it difficult to model the heat exchange system directly. Energy balance for fluid flow inside the pipe was derived to model thermal-hydraulic phenomena, and one-dimensional pipe element was proposed through Galerkin formation and time integration of the equation. Developed element is combined to pre-developed FEM code for THM phenomena in porous media. Numerical results of Thermal Response Test showed that line-source model overestimates equivalent thermal conductivity of surrounding soils due to thermal interaction between adjacent pipes and finite length of the pipe. Thus, inverse analysis for the TRT simulation was conducted to present optimal transformation matrix with utmost convergence.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.73-80
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• 2014

This study introduces and analyzes the geothermal energy availability in Non-active volcanic region. Jeju island in Korea is situated in non-active volcanic region. The island is composed of rock with high pore and clinker, scoria geological layer formed by volcanic activity about two million ago. Volcanic geological layers with porous characteristics have air, vapor, water and a underground structure through which air or water can move easily. For this reason, it is probable that the mechanism of energy acquisition is by convective heat transfer. For this presumption, the availability of underground air as energy source has been studied here through theoretical analysis and experimental data. The energy output of our system ranged from 2,485,076 kJ/day to 4,060,978 kJ/day monitored using variable velocity air flow controller. Our system has capability to be a reliable energy source irrespective of environmental changes. Consequently, underground air can be utilized for energy source and provide the optimal design of heating/cooling system.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.492-507
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• 2010

This article reviews the papers published in the Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering during 2009. It is intended to understand the status of current research in the areas of heating, cooling, ventilation, sanitation, and indoor environments of buildings and plant facilities. Conclusions are as follows. (1) Research trends of thermal and fluid engineering have been surveyed as groups of general thermal and fluid flow, fluid machinery and piping, and new and renewable energy. Various topics were covered in the field of general thermal and fluid flow such as an expander, a capillary tube, the flow of micro-channel water blocks, the friction and anti-wear characteristics of nano oils with mixtures of refrigerant oils, etc. Research issues mainly focused on the design of micro-pumps and fans, the heat resistance reliability of axial smoke exhaust fans, and hood systems in the field of fluid machinery and piping. Studies on ground water sources were executed concerning two well type geothermal heat pumps and multi-heat pumps in the field of new and renewable energy. (2) Research works on heat transfer area have been reviewed in the categories of heat transfer characteristics and industrial heat exchangers. Researches on heat transfer characteristics included the heat transfer in thermoelectric cooling systems, refrigerants, evaporators, dryers, desiccant rotors. In the area of industrial heat exchangers, researches on high temperature ceramic heat exchangers, plate heat exchangers, frosting on fins of heat exchangers were performed. (3) In the field of refrigeration, papers were presented on alternative refrigerants, system improvements, and the utilization of various energy sources. Refrigeration systems with alternative refrigerants such as hydrocarbons, mixed refrigerants, and $CO_2$ were studied. Efforts to improve the performance of refrigeration systems were made applying various ideas of suction line heat exchangers, subcooling bypass lines and gas injection systems. Studies on heat pump systems using unutilized energy sources such as river water, underground water, and waste heat were also reported. (4) Research trend in the field of mechanical building facilities has been found to be mainly focused on field applications rather than performance improvements. In the area of cogeneration systems, papers on energy and economic analysis, LCC analysis and cost estimating were reported. Studies on ventilation and heat recovery systems introduced the effect on fire and smoke control, and energy reduction. Papers on district cooling and heating systems dealt with design capacity evaluation, application plan and field application. Also, the maintenance and management of building service equipments were presented for HVAC systems. (5) In the field of architectural environment, various studies were carried to improve indoor air quality and to analyze the heat load characteristics of buildings by energy simulation. These studies helped to understand the physics related to building load characteristics and to improve the quality of architectural environment where human beings reside in.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.427-446
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• 2008

A review on the papers published in the Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering in 2006 has been accomplished. Focus has been put on current status of research in the aspect of heating, cooling, ventilation, sanitation and building environments. The conclusions are as follows. (1) The research trends of fluid engineering have been surveyed as groups of general fluid flow, fluid machinery and piping, etc. New research topics include micro heat exchanger and siphon cooling device using nano-fluid. Traditional CFD and flow visualization methods were still popular and widely used in research and development. Studies about diffusers and compressors were performed in fluid machinery. Characteristics of flow and heat transfer and piping optimization were studied in piping systems. (2) The papers on heat transfer have been categorized into heat transfer characteristics, heat exchangers, heat pipes, and two-phase heat transfer. The topics on heat transfer characteristics in general include thermal transport in a cryo-chamber, a LCD panel, a dryer, and heat generating electronics. Heat exchangers investigated include pin-tube type, plate type, ventilation air-to-air type, and heat transfer enhancing tubes. The research on a reversible loop heat pipe, the influence of NCG charging mass on heat transport capacity, and the chilling start-up characteristics in a heat pipe were reported. In two-phase heat transfer area, the studies on frost growth, ice slurry formation and liquid spray cooling were presented. The studies on the boiling of R-290 and the application of carbon nanotubes to enhance boiling were noticeable in this research area. (3) Many studies on refrigeration and air conditioning systems were presented on the practical issues of the performance and reliability enhancement. The air conditioning system with multi indoor units caught attention in several research works. The issues on the refrigerant charge and the control algorithm were treated. The systems with alternative refrigerants were also studied. Carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons and their mixtures were considered and the heat transfer correlations were proposed. (4) Due to high oil prices, energy consumption have been attentioned in mechanical building systems. Research works have been reviewed in this field by grouping into the research on heat and cold sources, air conditioning and cleaning research, ventilation and fire research including tunnel ventilation, and piping system research. The papers involve the promotion of efficient or effective use of energy, which helps to save energy and results in reduced environmental pollution and operating cost. (5) Studies on indoor air quality took a great portion in the field of building environments. Various other subjects such as indoor thermal comfort were also investigated through computer simulation, case study, and field experiment. Studies on energy include not only optimization study and economic analysis of building equipments but also usability of renewable energy in geothermal and solar systems.