• Korean System Dynamics Review
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.25-40
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• 2001

This paper describes the forecast of power plant construction in a competitive korean electricity market. In Korea, KEPCO (Korea Electric Power Corporation, fully controlled by government) was responsible for from the production of the electricity to the sale of electricity to customer. However, the generation part is separated from KEPCO and six generation companies were established for whole sale competition from April 1st, 2001. The generation companies consist of five fossil power companies and one nuclear power company in Korea at present time. Fossil power companies are scheduled to be sold to private companies including foreign investors. Nuclear power company is owned and controlled by government. The competition in generation market will start from 2003. ISO (Independence System Operator will purchase the electricity from the power exchange market. The market price is determined by the SMP(System Marginal Price) which is decided by the balance between demand and supply of electricity in power exchange market. Under this uncertain circumstance, the energy policy planners such as government are interested to the construction of the power plant in the future. These interests are accelerated due to the recent shortage of electricity supply in California. In the competitive market, investors are no longer interested in the investment for the capital intensive, long lead time generating technologies such as nuclear and coal plants. Large unclear and coal plants were no longer the top choices. Instead, investors in the competitive market are interested in smaller, more efficient, cheaper, cleaner technologies such as CCGT(Combined Cycle Gas Turbine). Electricity is treated as commodity in the competitive market. The investors behavior in the commodity market shows that the new investment decision is made when the market price exceeds the sum of capital cost and variable cost of the new facility and the existing facility utilization depends on the marginal cost of the facility. This investors behavior can be applied to the new investments for the power plant. Under these postulations, there is the potential for power plant construction to appear in waves causing alternating periods of over and under supply of electricity like commodity production or real estate production. A computer model was developed to sturdy the possibility that construction will appear in waves of boom and bust in Korean electricity market. This model was constructed using System Dynamics method pioneered by Forrester(MIT, 1961) and explained in recent text by Sternman (Business Dynamics, MIT, 2000) and the recent work by Andrew Ford(Energy Policy, 1999). This model was designed based on the Energy Policy results(Ford, 1999) with parameters for loads and resources in Korea. This Korea Market Model was developed and tested in a small scale project to demonstrate the usefulness of the System Dynamics approach. Korea electricity market is isolated and not allowed to import electricity from outsides. In this model, the base load such as unclear and large coal power plant are assumed to be user specified investment and only CCGT is selected for new investment by investors in the market. This model may be used to learn if government investment in new unclear plants could compensate for the unstable actions of private developers. This model can be used to test the policy focused on the role of unclear investments over time. This model also can be used to test whether the future power plant construction can meet the government targets for the mix of generating resources and to test whether to maintain stable price in the spot market.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.133-137
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• 2006

Evaluation of physiological performance of trehalose-producing transgenic rice line was conducted to investigate drought tolerance at early growth stage. Under artificially induced drought condition of 8% polyethylene glycol 6000, this transgenic rice line had leaf photosynthetic rate of 11.08 uml CO$_2$ $m^{-2}s^{-1}$, leaf transpiration rate of 8.38 mmol $H_2O$ $m^{-2}s^{-1}$ and leaf water potential of -1.12 MPa after 96 hours of treatment. Nakdongbyeo, the parent of this tyansgenic rice line, had photosynthetic rate of 15.42 $\mu$mol CO$_2$ $m^{-2}s^{-1}$, leaf transpiration rate of 8,04 mmol $H_2O$ $m^{-2}s^{-1}$ and leaf water potential of -0.88 MPa. The other variety used in this experiment for comparison, IR 72, showed higher values than both tyansgenic rice line and variety Nakdonbyeo on all three parameters; leaf photosynthetic rate of 20.61 $\mu$mol CO$_2$ $m^{-2}s^{-1}$, leaf transpiration rate of 12.88 mmol $H_2O$ $m^{-2}s^{-1}$, and leaf water potential of -0.82 MPa. So this transgenic rice line did not show superior performance in leaf transpiration rate, leaf photosynthetic rate and leaf water potential compared to variety Nakdongbyeo. This result along with visual observation on leaf rolling and drying during the experimental period indicated poor physiological performance of this transgenic rice line. Further studies on metabolic status of stress-induced trehalose, along with study on physiological response of this transgenic rice line during drought stress would shed more light on overall physiological performance of this transgenic rice line.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.263-274
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• 1979

A statistical approach is used to investigate the relative economic advantages of pressurized water reactor (PWR) and pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR-CANDU) nuclear power plants for hypothetical 900Mwe systems with the throwaway fuel cycle to be built in the Republic of Korea. Power cost is decomposed into the cost components related to the plant capital, operation and maintenance, working capital requirements and fuel cycle operation. The calculation of construction cost is performed with the modified version of computer code ORCOST, and the modified POWERCO-50 is used to evaluate the cost components. Most of economic parameters are treated as statistical variables, each being given with a certain range. Through a random sampling procedures. the probability histograms on unit plant construction costs and power generating costs are obtained. The power cost probability histograms of the PWR and the PHWR plants overlap considerably, and the power costs of two systems appear to be almost same with the PHWR power cost being 0.4mil1/kwh lower compared with 39.4 mills/kwh for the PWR plant (July 1986 US-dollars). When a construction period of PHWR plant is longer by one year than that of PWR plant, there is no difference in the unit power cost of two plants. This comparison leads to no definite conclusion on the cost advantage of the PWR plant versus the PHWR plant. We conclude that the selection issue of nuclear power plants in Korea still remains an open question and that future effort to solve this question should be made toward economic quantification of those factors such as technology transfer and localization.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2022.10a
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• pp.57-57
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• 2022

In many areas of the world, salt damage and drought have had a negative impact on human survival due to a decrease in agricultural productivity. For instance, about 50% of agricultural land will be affected by salt damage by 2050. Biostimulants such as plant extracts can not only increase the nutrient utilization efficiency of plants, but also promote plant growth and increase resistance to abiotic or biotic stress. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine how selected plant extracts might reduce levels of stress caused by drought and salt and to better understand the physiological response mechanisms of rice plants. In this study, we used Soybean leaves, Soybean stems and Allium tuberosum, Allium cepa, Hizikia fusiforme, and Gracilaria verrucosa extracts were used. These extracts had been used in previous studies and were found to be effective. The materials were dried in a dry oven at 50℃ for 5 days and ground using a blender. Each 50 g of materials was put in 1 L of distilled water, stirred for 24 hours, filtered using 4 layers of mirocloth, and then concentrated using a concentrator. Rice (cv. Hopumbyeo) seeds were immersed and germinated, and then sown in seedbeds filled with commercial soil. In drought experiments, three rice seedlings at 1 week after seeding was transplanted into 100 ml cups filled with commercial soils and grown until the 4-leaf stage. For this experiment, the soil weight in a cup was equalized, and water was allowed to become 100% saturated and then drained for 24 hours. Thereafter, plant extracts at 3% concentrations were applied to the soils. For NaCl treatments, rice plants at 17 days after seeding were treated with either 100 mM NaCl or plant extracts at 1%+ 100 mM NaCl combinations in the growth chamber. Leaf injury, relative water content, photosynthetic efficiency, and chlorophyll contents were measured at 3, 5, and 6 days after treatments. Shoot fresh weight of rice under drought conditions increased 28-37% in response to treatments of Soybean leaf, Soybean stem, Allium tuberosum, Allium cepa, Hizikia fusiforme, and Gracilaria verrucosa extracts at 3% when compared with control plants. Shoot fresh weight of rice subjected to 100 mM NaCl treatments also increased by 6-24% in response to Soybean leaf, Soybean stem, Allium tuberosum, Allium cepa, Hizikia fusiforme, and Gracilaria verrucosa extracts at 3% when compared with control plants. Compared to the control, rice plants treated with these six extracts and subjected to drought conditions had significantly higher relative water content, Fv/Fm, total chlorophyll and total carotenoids than control plants. With the exception of relative water contents, rice plants treated with the six extracts and subjected to salt stress (100 mM NaCl treatments) had significantly higher Fv/Fm, total chlorophyll and total carotenoids than control plants. However, the type of extract used did not produce significant difference in these parameters. Thus, all the plant extracts used in this study could mitigate drought and NaCl stresses and could also contribute substantially to sustainable crop production.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.106-110
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• 2016

In this study, a planting density-growth-harvest (PGH) chart was developed to easily read the growth and harvest factors such as crop growth rate, relative growth rate, shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, harvesting time, marketable rate, and marketable yield of common ice plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L.). The plants were grown in a nutrient film technique (NFT) system in a closed-type plant factory using fluorescent lamps with three-band radiation under a light intensity of $140{\mu}mol{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$ and a photoperiod of 12 h. Growth and yield were analyzed under four planting densities ($15{\times}10cm$, $15{\times}15cm$, $15{\times}20cm$, and $15{\times}25cm$). Shoot fresh and dry weights per plant increased at a higher planting density until reached an upper limit and yield per area was also same tendency. Crop growth rate, relative growth rate and lost time were described using quadratic equation. A linear relationship between shoot dry weight and fresh weights was observed. PGH chart was constructed based on the growth data and making equations. For instance, with within row spacing (= 20 cm) and fresh weight per plant at harvest (= 100 g), we can estimate all the growth and harvest factors of common ice plant. The planting density, crop growth rate, relative growth rate, lost time, shoot dry weight per plant, harvesting time, and yield were $33plants/m^2$, $20g{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}d^{-1}$, $0.27g{\cdot}g^{-1}{\cdot}d^{-1}$, 22 days, 2.5 g/plant, 26 days after transplanting, and $3.2kg{\cdot}m^{-2}$, respectively. With this chart, we could easily obtain the growth factors such as planting density, crop growth rate, relative growth rate, lost time and the harvest factors such as shoot fresh and dry weights, harvesting time, marketable rate, and marketable yield with at least two parameters, for instance, planting distance and one of harvest factors of plant. PGH charts will be useful tools to estimate the growth and yield of crops and to practical design of a closed-type plant production system.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.23-31
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• 2013

Microwave remote sensing can help monitor the land surface water cycle and crop growth. This type of remote sensing has great potential over conventional remote sensing using the visible and infrared regions due to its all-weather day-and-night imaging capabilities. In this paper, a ground-based multi-frequency (L-, C-, and X-band) polarimetric scatterometer system capable of making observations every 10 min was developed. This system was used to monitor the wheat over an entire growth cycle. The polarimetric scatterometer components were installed inside an air-conditioned shelter to maintain constant temperature and humidity during the data acquisition period. Backscattering coefficients for the crop growing season were compared with biophysical measurements. Backscattering coefficients for all frequencies and polarizations increased until dat of year 137 and then decreased along with fresh weight, dry weight, plant height, and vegetation water content (VWC). The range of backscatter for X-band was lower than for L- and C-band. We examined the relationship between the backscattering coefficients of each band (frequency/polarization) and the various wheat growth parameters. The correlation between the different vegetation parameters and backscatter decreased with increasing frequency. L-band HH-polarization (L-HH) is best suited for the monitoring of fresh weight (r=0.98), dry weight (r=0.96), VWC (r=0.98), and plant height (r=0.96). The correlation coefficients were highest for L-band observations and lowest for X-band. Also, HH-polarization had the highest correlations among the polarization channels (HH, VV and HV). Based on the correlation analysis between backscattering coefficients in each band and wheat growth parameters, we developed prediction equations using the L-HH based on the observed relationships between L-HH and fresh weight, dry weight, VWC and plant height. The results of these analyses will be useful in determining the optimum microwave frequency and polarizations necessary for estimating vegetation parameters in the wheat.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2007.05b
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• pp.3464-3466
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• 2007

Power uprate is the process of increasing the maximum power level at which a commercial nuclear power plant may operate. Power uprate applications(113 units) for NPPs(Nuclear Power Plants) were recently approved in the United States. Utilities have been using power uprates since the 1970s as a way of increasing the power output of their nuclear plants. To increase the power output of a reactor, typically more highly enriched uranium fuel and/or more fresh fuel is used. This enables the reactor to produce more thermal energy and therefore more steam, driving a turbine generator to produce electricity. In this paper, the propriety of power uprate is explained through the review on the power uprate method and the changes of the physical parameters due to power uprate. The analysis results showed that the CDF(Core Damage Frequency) and LERF(Large Early Release Frequency) are affected in the current probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) model.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.245-260
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• 2013

Biosorption represents a technological innovation as well as a cost effective excellent remediation technology for cleaning up radionuclides from aqueous environment. In the present study, a bacteria strain FB12 with high adsorption rate of uranium ion was isolated from the vicinity of the nuclear power plant. It was tentatively identified as Bacillus sp.FB12 according to the 16S rDNA sequencing. Efforts were made to further improve the adsorption rate and genetic stability by UV irradiation and UV-LiCl cooperative mutagenesis. The improved strain named Bacillus sp.UV32 obtains excellent genetic stability and a high adsorption rate of 95.9%. The adsorption of uranium U (VI) by Bacillus sp.UV32 from aqueous solution was examined as a function of metal ion concentration, cell concentration, adsorption time, pH, temperature, and the presence of some foreign ions. The adsorption process of U (VI) was found to follow the pseudo-second-order kinetic equation. The adsorption isotherm study indicated that it preferably followed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The thermodynamic parameters values calculated clearly indicated that the adsorption process was feasible, spontaneous and endothermic in nature. These properties show that Bacillus sp.UV32 has potential application in the removal of uranium (VI) from the radioactive wastewater.

• Journal of Applied Reliability
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.262-269
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• 2015

Accelerated degradation mechanism of the heat-resistant steel for high temperature plant was analysed in terms of microstructure and hardness. In order to simulate the microstructure of the steel actually used at $540^{\circ}C$ in the field, isothermal exposure was carried out at $630^{\circ}C$ up to 4,800 hours. The artificial degradation mechanism was comparatively verified to successfully simulate degradation of the long-time used field material. For the artificially degraded specimens, databases including size and aspect ratio of carbide, chemical composition (i.e., Cr/Mo ratio) of grain boundary carbide were built up. These degradation parameters were suggested as fingerprints for PHM (i.e., prognostics health management) of power plants.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1772-1780
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• 2003

An optimal soot blowing system has been developed for an optimal operation of power utility boilers by both minimization of the use of steam and the number of soot blowers worked during soot blowing. Traditionally, the soot blowing system has been operated manually by operators. However, it causes the reduction of power and thermal performance degradation because all soot blowers installed in the plant should be worked simultaneously even there are lots of tubes those are not contaminated by slagging or fouling. Heat transfer area is divided into four groups, furnace, convection area including superheater, reheater and economizer, and air preheater in the present study. The condition of cleanness of the tubes is calculated by several parameters obtained by sensors. Then, a part of soot blowers works automatically where boiler tubes are contaminated. This system has been applied in a practical power plant. Therefore, comparison has been done between this system and manual operation and the results are discussed.