• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.201-207
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• 2016

Purpose: A water-spraying type automatic glochids removal system for cactus (Opuntia humifusa) stem was developed, and its performance was evaluated. The system was developed to reduce intensive human labor in removing glochids from cactus stem skin without inducing damage prior to further processing into value-added products. Methods: The developed system consists of conveyor and water-spraying systems. The conveyor system delivers cactus stems through water-spraying compartments and finally to a collecting box. In order to remove the glochids, rotating nozzles spray water over all areas (i.e., front and back faces and sides) of the cactus skin under controlled water pressure. Operating conditions such as conveyor speed, water pressure, angle of water-spraying nozzles, distance between conveyor belt and rotating nozzles, and angle of cactus flipping slide were adopted from our previous study and applied on the system design and manufacturing. The performance of glochids removal was evaluated by counting the number of glochids on the cactus stem before and after processing on the system. Results: The developed system performed efficiently and effectively under the pre-studied operating conditions except for the angle of cactus flipping slide. The new system had a glochids removal ratio of 94.1% without damaging the cactus skin. Considering the original number (approximately 30-60) of glochids, the remaining number was low (1-4), and most of them were found at the side edge of the cactus stem. This system can remove glochids from 360 cactus stems in 1 hr regardless of cactus size. Conclusions: The performance of the new system in glochids removal without damaging cactus skin is superior to any other existing device (i.e., brush type, rubber-friction type, and agitation type). The system is expected to be applied in cactus (O. humifusa) processing facilities.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.727-733
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• 2007

In this study, a newly developed biotrickling system, combined with a non-thermal plasma reactor, was investigated to effectively treat gaseous contaminants such as VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). Three kinds of non-thermal plasmas (NTPs) such as a rod type dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma, a packed bead type DBD plasma and a gliding arc (GA) plasma, were tested and compared in terms of power consumption. The rod type DBD plasma was selected as one for integration with biotrickling system due to its relatively high VOC removal efficiency, low power consumption and low pressure drop. Toluene and xylene as representatives of VOCs were used as test gases. The experiment results showed that the efficiency of biotrickling system was especially very low at the high gas concentration and high flow rate and the removal efficiencies of VOCs were considerably enhanced in the biotrickling system, when the DBD plasma was worked in front of that even at the high gas concentration and high flow rate.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.407-412
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate removal efficiencies of contaminants in night soil treatment plant using the B3 system. The samples were collected from retaining tank and settlement tank in Yechon night soil plant. We experimented concentrations of BOD, COD, SS, TN and TP. Concentration data were processed using removal efficiencies by season and correlation analysis with pilot running parameters. Removal efficiencies of total organic carbon was over 96%, TN was 98% during summer, 80.9% during winter. In the case of TP, the highest removal efficiencies was 94.1% during fall and the lowest removal efficiencies was 82% during spring. Results of correlation analysis showed two positive correlation groups and one negative group. Positive correlations were among temperature, BOD and TN. The others were pH, BOD, COD, SS, TN and TP. Negative correlation were among MLSS, BOD, COD, SS, TN, TP.

• KIEE International Transactions on Electrophysics and Applications
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• v.5C no.1
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• pp.33-38
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• 2005

Recently, lasers have become widely used throughout the medical treatment field. Several types of lasers have been used for the purpose of hair removal since the Alexandrite laser was approved by the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) for clinical epilation. In this study, a long-pulsed Alexandrite laser system for hair removal adopting a multi-discharge method in which three flash lamps are turned on consecutively was designed and fabricated. This laser system shows the technology that makes it possible to create extended pulse by turning on three flash lamps consecutively. With this technique, the pulse width can be varied from 4ms∼10ms. Then using this Alexandrite laser system with the pulse width 10ms and the beam size 7mm, hair removal was performed on the back portion of a human hand and leg. This study shows that treatment by the long-pulsed Alexandrite laser produces hair removal with no relevant side effects.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.418-427
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• 2015

This study was carried out to evaluate the performance of a lab-scale novel septic tank system for improving the conventional septic tank in the developing countries of water shortages. The lab-scale novel septic tank system consists of sepetic tank, aeration tank with HBC-ring, and sand filter. Optimum HRT was reguired about 1.5days to get a total COD removal efficiency of 90%, COD, BOD and SS removal efficiency was about 70%, 60%, and 85% in sepetic tank only. The structure of sepetic tank with two stages results in the high removal efficiency of organic matter. When sepetic tank, aeration tank, and sand filter were more than HRT 1.5days, 18hrs, and 12hrs, respectively, final effluent was less than 20 mg/L of BOD, 14 mg/L of SS, so that there is a high potential of its use for reusing water in flush toilet. There is no significant effect of HRT change on nutrient removal. Total nitrogen removal efficiency was about 40%, final effluent was 30~40 mg/L of TN, total phosphorus removal efficiency was about 11~25%, final effluent was 9~12 mg/L of TP. Because there is very small amounts of organic nitrogen and phosphorus in effluent, it was possible to reuse water for agricultural use.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.208-214
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• 2004

Dissolved air flotation (DAF) is an effective solid/liquid separation process for low density floc particles such as algal, color-alum and clay-alum flocs produced from low turbidity water. The removal of taste and odor-causing organics (2-mthylisoboneol and geosmin) originating from algae in drinking water is a local and worldwide concern. Although DAF has been effectively applied for the removal of suspended solid, its application for the treatment of dissolved organic carbon is very limited. In this study, a new hybrid system consisting of adsorption and DAF processes was introduced for the simultaneous removal of algae and taste and odor-causing organics. Powdered activated carbon (PAC) was used as an adsorbent. In this proposed system, the major concern of eliminating the spent PAC from the system was also addressed. It was found that zeta potential of algae and PAC was increased with coagulant dosage, and the removal efficiency in DAF was also enhanced up to 90~95% under the given experimental conditions. Based on this study, the hybrid process was found to be a promising technology for the simultaneous removal of algae and dissolved organic pollutants.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.111-116
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• 2012

This study investigates the complete removal of nitrate and the recovery of valuable ammonium salt by the combination of nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI) and a membrane contactor system. The NZVI used for the experiments was prepared by chemical reduction without a stabilizing agent. The main end-product of nitrate reduction by NZVI was ammonia, and the solution pH was stably maintained around 10.5. Effective removal of ammonia was possible with the polytetrafluoroethylene membrane contactor system in all tested conditions. Among the various operation parameters including influent pH, concentration, temperature, and contact time, contact time and solution pH showed significant effects on the ammonia removal mechanism. Also, the osmotic distillation phenomena that deteriorate the mass transfer efficiency could be minimized by pre-heating the influent wastewater. The ammonia removal rate could be maximized by optimizing operation conditions and changing the membrane configuration. The combination of NZVI and the membrane contactor system could be a solution for nitrate removal and the recovery of valuable products.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.80-86
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• 2013

In this study, the photocatalytic reactor system equipped with photocatalyst-carrying-silica-media cartridges [photocatalytic reactor system (1)] was used to perform the treatment of waste air containing malodor and volatile organic compound (VOC). The result of its performance was evaluated and compared with that of the photocatalytic reactor system equipped with commercial photocatalyst-carrying-nonwoven filter-media cartridges [photocatalytic reactor system (2)]. In case of photocatalytic reactor system (1), at the 1st stage of run the removal efficiencies of ethanol and toluene continued to be 80% and 20%, respectively. However, unlike toluene, the removal efficiency of ethanol dropped to 40% at the end of the 1st stage of run. The removal efficiency of hydrogen sulfide decreased from 100% to 90%. At the 2nd stage of its run the removal efficiency of ethanol decreased to 10% while the removal efficiencies of hydrogen sulfide and toluene remained as same as 90% and 20%, respectively, even though the inlet load of toluene increased by factor of four. In the 3rd stage of its run, as the result of application of aluminium-coated reflector film to the inner wall of photocatalytic reactor system, the removal efficiencies of ethanol and toluene increased by 5% to be 15% and 25%, respectively. In case of photocatalytic reactor system (2), at the 1st stage of its run, the removal efficiencies of ethanol, hydrogen sulfide and toluene continued to be 10%, 97% and 100%, respectively. However, at 2nd stage of its run their removal efficiencies became 5%, 95% and 2~3%, respectively, which showed that the removal efficiencies of ethanol and hydrogen sulfide decreased insignificantly while the removal efficiency of toluene dropped significantly from the perfect elimination. Moreover, the reflector film did not affect the performance of photocatalytic reactor system (2) at all. Therefore the removal of ethanol, hydrogen sulfide and toluene by photocatalytic reactor system (2) was mainly attributed to hydrophobic adsorption of its nonwoven filter media and its extent of photocatalytic removal turned out to be negligible, compared to that of photocatalytic reactor system (1).

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.55-61
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• 2011

Unit cost for asbestos removal work which have been made out at government contract award for recent three years has been reviewed and shown with table. And the cost have been compared with ones made out by two agencies, American asbestos removal specialists, government ministry for making out comparison tables. First, legal and practical work status survey have been made to determine reasonability of introducing separate contract-awarding system, as a part of ensuring reasonable unit work cost. And then, two different status have been compared and there in introduction possibility of separate contract-awarding system, it is found out. In interior removal work case, it is thought that 50% by owner, 60% unit work cost by the expert of which removal specialist think as reasonable unit cost. the results for exterior and spray work method are shown with almost same context. Impact factors for determining unit work cost such as project mount, project kind, contract-awarding method, subcontract method have been compared with parties. Removal specialist and expert group have almost same ideas for project amount which has been hightestly weighed but owner's recognition has partially lower than specialists idea. There are almost no difference of recognition between three(3) parties for project kind. Idea comparison of reasonable unit work cost for asbestos removal work between three concerned parties has been analyzed and found out that expert group do unit work cost, 65% of which removal specialists estimate, in interior tex removal. And there is almost no difference between them in exterior roof slate removal. But there is considerable difference between them that owner estimates 50% unit cost of specialist one while expert group estimate 50% of specialist idea of unit removal cost.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.212-221
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• 2013

Objectives: Asbestos fibers are accumulated in negative pressure unit (NPU) or vacuum cleaner in asbestos removal. Failure of operation or poor use performance of the NPU or vacuum cleaner causes asbestos fibers to spread in the air. Asbestos contractors should have an NPU fitted with a HEPA , vacuum cleaner, decontamination area, respirators, wetting equipment, and differential pressure manometer to register with the Ministry of Employment and Labor. There should be performance criteria of equipment used in asbestos removal. But there are none such criteria used in asbestos removal. This study was performed to investigate international or national performance criteria of equipment used in asbestos removal. Methods: Regulations, approved code of practice, guidance and national standards of the UK, USA and Korea were reviewed. A survey was done to investigate the requirements for equipment used in asbestos removal in Korea. Results: Air flow of NPUs used in Korea usually covers from$500m^3/h$ to over $3000m^3/h$. Some requirements for NPUs used in Korea were missing compared to the requirements of British standards for NPUs. All NPUs have different missing requirements. The UK also has separate British standard for leak tests for NPUs. Highly hazardous class vacuum cleaners should be used in asbestos removal in the UK. It has national standards on the operation of vacuum cleaners used in asbestos removal. There is only a certification system for less than 2.5kw rated voltage vacuum cleaners for home use in Korea. Powered (-assisted) respirators with mask are recommended in asbestos removal. Type 5 coveralls should be used in asbestos removal in the UK. There are international standards for requirements and leak tests of type 5 coveralls. A manometer for measuring differential pressure is needed in asbestos removal. The manometer's measuring range should cover less than ${\pm}125$ Pa and the gradation of manometer should be less than 2.5 Pa. The definition of decontamination area should be corrected. Installation of airlock and minimum area should be considered in decontamination area. Conclusions: Equipment should be used in asbestos removal proper performance and no leaks. There should be a certification system for equipment used in asbestos removal. This study can help to a certification system for equipment used in asbestos removal in Korea.