• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.15-22
• /
• 2011

An experimental variable rate nursery sprayer was developed to adjust application rates for canopy volume in real time. The sprayer consisted of two vertical booms integrated with ultrasonic sensors, and variable rate nozzles coupled with pulse width modulation (PMW) based solenoid valves. A custom-designed microcontroller instructed the sensors to detect canopy size and occurrence and then controlled nozzles to achieve variable application rates. A spray delivery system, which consisted of diaphragm pump, pressure regulator and 4-cycle gasoline engine, offered the spray discharge function. Spray delay time, time adjustment in spray trigger for the leading distance of the sensor, was measured with a high-speed camera, and it was from 50 to 140 ms earlier than the desired time (398 ms) at 3.2 km/h under indoor conditions. Consequently, the sprayer triggered 4.5 to 12.5 cm prior to detected targets. Duty cycles of the sprayer were from 20 to 34 ms for senor-to-canopy (STC) distance from 0.30 to 0.76 m. Outdoor test confirmed that the nozzles were triggered from 290 to 380 ms after detecting tree canopy at 3.2 km/h. The spray rate of the new sprayer was 58.4 to 85.2% of the constant application rate (935 L/ha). Spray coverage was collected at four areas of evergreen canopy by water sensitive papers (WSP), and ranged from 1.9 to 41.1% and 1.8 to 34.7% for variable and constant rate applications, respectively. One WSP area had significant (P < 0.05) difference in mean spray coverage between two application conditions.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.250-257
• /
• 2005

Respiratory tubes with the length of 35 mm and the diameter of 10, 15, and 20 mm were made and both the static($P_{S}$) and dynamic($P_{D}$) pressures were measured for steady flow rates ranging 1-12 l/sec. Regression analysis resulted successful fitting of $P_{S}$ and $P_{D}$ data with quadratic equations with correlation coefficients higher than 0.99. The measurement standards of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) were applied to $P_{S}$ data, which demonstrated the smallest tube diameter of 15 mm to satisfy the ATS standards. The maximum $P_{D}$ value of the velocity type transducer with the diameter of 15 mm was estimated to be 75 cm$H_{2}O$, implying approximately 7 times larger sensitivity than the widely used pneumotachometer. These results showed that the velocity type respiratory air flow transducer is a unique device accomplishing miniaturization with the sensitivity increased, thus would be of great advantage to develop portable devices.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
• /
• v.9 no.6
• /
• pp.430-439
• /
• 2000

$In_2O_3$-based thin film sensor with 500-600 nm thick was fabricated for the detection of CO gas by rf magnetron sputtering. In order to improve both sensitivity to CO gas and selectivity to hydrogen gas containing -CH, ultra-thin transition metal Co catalyst was sputtered over $In_2O_3$ thin film and annealed at $500^{\circ}C$. Sensitivity to CO was maximum at the thickness of Co 2.1 nm and $300^{\circ}C$, and that to $C_3H_8$ was at the thickness of Co 1.4 nm and $350-400^{\circ}C$. From the x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) result, ultra-thin Co was existed into CoO covered with $Co_2O_3$ on $In_2O_3$ particles, and thus p-n junction of $In_2O_3(n-type)$-CoO(p-type) was thought to be formed. In this p-n junction type sensors, sensing mechanism with reducing gases can be explained by the variation of depletion layer thickness formed in the interface.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2012.08a
• /
• pp.222-222
• /
• 2012

Metal oxide gas sensors based on semiconductor type have attracted a great deal of attention due to their low cost, flexible production and simple usability. However, most works have been focused on n-type oxides, while the characteristics of p-type oxide gas sensors have been barely studied. An investigation on p-type oxides is very important in that the use of them makes possible the novel sensors such as p-n diode and tandem devices. Monoclinic cupric oxide (CuO) is p-type semiconductor with narrow band gap (~1.2 eV). This is composed of abundant, nontoxic elements on earth, and thus low-cost, environment-friendly devices can be realized. However, gas sensing properties of neat CuO were rarely explored and the mechanism still remains unclear. In this work, the neat CuO layers with highly ordered mesoporous structures were prepared by a template-free, one-pot solution-based method using novel ink solutions, formulated with copper formate tetrahydrate, hexylamine and ethyl cellulose. The shear viscosity of the formulated solutions was 5.79 Pa s at a shear rate of 1 s-1. The solutions were coated on SiO2/Si substrates by spin-coating (ink) and calcined for 1 h at the temperature of $200{\sim}600^{\circ}C$ in air. The surface and cross-sectional morphologies of the formed CuO layers were observed by a focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) and porosity was determined by image analysis using simple computer-programming. XRD analysis showed phase evolutions of the layers, depending on the calcination temperature, and thermal decompositions of the neat precursor and the formulated ink were investigated by TGA and DSC. As a result, the formation of the porous structures was attributed to the vaporization of ethyl cellulose contained in the solutions. Mesoporous CuO, formed with the ink solution, consisted of grains and pores with nano-meter size. All of them were strongly dependent on calcination temperature. Sensing properties toward H2 and C2H5OH gases were examined as a function of operating temperature. High and fast responses toward H2 and C2H5OH gases were discussed in terms of crystallinity, nonstoichiometry and morphological factors such as porosity, grain size and surface-to-volume ratio. To our knowledge, the responses toward H2 and C2H5OH gases of these CuO gas sensors are comparable to previously reported values.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
• /
• 2004.07c
• /
• pp.1921-1923
• /
• 2004

V-p characteristics and the discharge luminous characteristics in inhomogeneous $SF_6$ gas gap under the positive and negative lightning impulse voltages are presented. The test gap was composed of the plane-to-plane with a needle-shaped protrusion. The applied voltage and the predischarge current were measured by the electric field sensor and the shunt of 50 ${\Omega}$, respectively. The light emission signals were observed by a photomultiplier tube, and a high-speed camera. In a consequence, the dielectric strengths of $SF_6$ gas gap under positive lightning impulse voltages were independent of the gas pressure. In the presence of the positive polarity, the branches of discharge channel were created and the directions of the discharge paths were random. On the other hands, the discharge paths of the negative polarity were more thicker and brighter.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
• /
• 1995.07c
• /
• pp.1114-1116
• /
• 1995

P/N(CuO/ZnO) Heterojunction gas sensors were made by 2-step sintering methods and its gas sensing property was measured by varying the injected gases and the operating temperatures. As the applied voltage was increased in air ambients, the current-voltage characteristics shown the ohmic properties. However, when the CO gas ambients, 500 ppm at $200^{\circ}C$, the current-voltage characteristics behaves like a rectifying diode s after 3 mins later and its conduction mechanism is discussed qualitatively for the first times.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
• /
• 2002.07b
• /
• pp.845-848
• /
• 2002

The study of photoconductor materials is demanded for development for flat-panel digital x-ray Imager. In this paper, We investigated the feasibility of application as x-ray image sensor using Cd(Zn)Te compound with high stopping power on high radiation. These Cd(Zn)Te samples were fabricated by vacuum thermal evaporation method to large area deposition and investigated I-V measurement as applied voltage. The experimental results show that the additional injection Zn in CdTe film reduced the leakage current, for the $Cd_{0.85}Zn_{0.15}Te$ detector, the net charge had the highest value as $144.58pC/cm^2$ at 30 V.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.19 no.6
• /
• pp.482-489
• /
• 2006

Two electrode-based lactate biosensor was prepared by immobilizing lactate oxidase (LOD) obtained from pediococcus species in a poly(vinyl alcohol). Hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) produced by the reaction of lactate and LOD was detected on the Pt-black that was electrochemically deposited on the Au electrode. Sensors fabricated with Pt-black deposited Au electrode provided a high current of $H_2O_2$ oxidation at a substantially lowered applied potential (+300 mV vs. Ag/AgCl), resulting in reduced interferences from easily oxidizable species such as ascorbic acid, acetaminophen, and uric acid. An outer membrane is formulated by adjusting water uptake of hydrophilic polyurethane (HPU). The sensor performance was evaluated in vitro with both flow-through arrangement and static mode. The sensor showed a linear range from 0.1 mM to about 9.0 mM in 0.05 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.6) containing 0.05 M NaCl. Storing the sensors prepared in this work at $4^{\circ}C$ buffer solution while not in use, they provided same electrochemical performance for more than 25 days.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
• /
• 2002.11a
• /
• pp.54-56
• /
• 2002

본 논문에서는 뇌압을 측정하기 위해 LC 공진을 이용한 압력센서를 제작하고 그 성능을 시험하였다. 원격 측정용 압력센서는 움직이는 전극역할을 하는 p+ 박막이 있는 실리콘 기판과 고정된 평면 코일이 있는 유리 기판으로 구성되어 있다. 압력에 따라 두 전극 간의 간격이 달라지고 이에 따른 캐피시턴스가 변화하여 공진주파수가 변화하게 된다. 원격 측정용 외부 안테나를 이용하여 측정회로의 공진 주파수에서 위상의 변화를 측정하여 압력을 측정한다. 상부기판은 실리콘 기판을 도핑하여 p+ 막을 형성하고 금속막을 증착하여 전극을 형성한 후 실리콘을 식각하여 완성하고. 하부기판은 유리 기판 위에 금속막을 증착한 후. 전기도금으로 평면 코일을 형성하고 다시 금속막을 증착하여 전극을 형성하여 제작한다. 압력을 변화시킬 때 전극간의 간격의 변화에 따른 공진주파수에서의 위상의 변화를 외부 안테나에 연결된 측정회로를 통해 측정한다. 측정결과 공진주파수인 160 Mhz에서 -0.08 $deg/mmH_2O$의 감도를 얻을 수 있었다.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 1997.10a
• /
• pp.317-320
• /
• 1997

In the water purification plant, chemicals are injected for quick purification of raw water. It is clear that the amount of chemicals intrinsically depends on the water quality such as turbidity, temperature, pH and alkalinity etc. However, the process of chemical reaction to improve water quality by the chemicals is not yet fully clarified nor quantified. The feedback signal in the process of coagulant dosage, which should be measured (through the sensor of the plant) to compute the appropriate amount of chemicals, is also not available. Most traditional methods focus on judging the conditions of purifying reaction and determine the amounts of chemicals through manual operation of field experts or jar-test results. This paper presents the method of deriving the optimum dosing rate of coagulant, PAC(Polymerized Aluminium Chloride) for coagulant dosing process in water purification system. A neural network model is developed for coagulant dosing and purifying process. The optimum coagulant dosing rate can be derived the neural network model. Conventionally, four input variables (turbidity, temperature, pH, alkalinity of raw water) are known to be related to the process, while considering the relationships to the reaction of coagulation and flocculation. Also, the turbidity in flocculator is regarded as a new input variable. And the genetic algorithm is utilized to identify the neural network structure. The ability of the proposed scheme validated through the field test is proved to be of considerable practical value.