• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.1969-1976
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• 2003

In the early phases of the product life cycle, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is recently used to support the decision-making for the product concepts, and the best alternative can be selected based on its estimated LCA and benefits. Both the lack of detailed information and time for a full LCA for a various range of design concepts need a new approach for the environmental analysis. This paper explores a new approximate LCA methodology for the product concepts by grouping products according to their environmental characteristics and by mapping product attributes into environmental impact driver (EID) index. The relationship is statistically verified by exploring the correlation between total impact indicator and energy impact category. Then, a neural network approach is developed to predict an approximate LCA of grouping products in conceptual design. Trained learning algorithms for the known characteristics of existing products will quickly give the result of LCA for newly designed products. The training is generalized by using product attributes for an EID in a group as well as another product attributes for the other EIDs in other groups. The neural network model with back propagation algorithm is used, and the results are compared with those of multiple regression analysis. The proposed approach does not replace the full LCA but it would give some useful guidelines for the design of environmentally conscious products in conceptual design phase.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.221-229
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• 2003

In the early phases of the product life cycle, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is recently used to support the decision-making fer the conceptual product design and the best alternative can be selected based on its estimated LCA and its benefits. Both the lack of detailed information and time for a full LCA fur a various range of design concepts need the new approach fer the environmental analysis. This paper suggests a novel approximate LCA methodology for the conceptual design stage by grouping products according to their environmental characteristics and by mapping product attributes into impact driver index. The relationship is statistically verified by exploring the correlation between total impact indicator and energy impact category. Then a neural network approach is developed to predict an approximate LCA of grouping products in conceptual design. Trained learning algorithms for the known characteristics of existing products will quickly give the result of LCA for new design products. The training is generalized by using product attributes for an ID in a group as well as another product attributes for another IDs in other groups. The neural network model with back propagation algorithm is used and the results are compared with those of multiple regression analysis. The proposed approach does not replace the full LCA but it would give some useful guidelines fer the design of environmentally conscious products in conceptual design phase.

• Journal of Advanced Engineering and Technology
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.431-436
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• 2011

This study was carried out to reduce the problem during distillation process, which separate U, TRU (TRans Uranium) metal electro deposit, Cd and LiCl-KCl eutectic salt generating from LCC (Liquid Cadmium Cathode) electro winning process. The cadmium recovering apparatus was manufactured to separate for each metal using solid-liquid separation method. The apparatus consists of the first sieve for the separation of U and TRU metal electrodeposit, the second sieve for the separation of LiCl-KCl eutectic salt, cadmium collection basket, and a heating furnace. In addition, the size of each sieve is 2 mm to 3 mm. In this experiment, a metal wire was employed to replace TRU metal electrodeposit and U, which exist actually in a LCC crucible. In the solid state, The LiCl-KCl is separated at 340℃ at which the solid and the liquid of the remaining cadmium and LiCl-KCl eutectic salt coexists in each, after the metal wire separated at 500℃. As a result, it seems that it would be beneficial to set the processing condition in the distillation process with the additional treatment process of cadmium and LiCl-KCl eutectic salt.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.780-783
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• 2002

This paper proposes an approximate LCA methodology fur the conceptual design stage by grouping products according to their environmental characteristics and by mapping product attributes Into impact driver (ID) index. The relationship Is statistically verified by exploring the correlation between total impact indicator and energy impact category. Then an artificial neural network model is developed to predict an approximate LCA of grouping products in conceptual design stage. The training is generalized by using identified product attributes for an ID In a group as well as another product attributes for another IDs in other groups. The neural network model with back propagation algorithm is used and the results are compared with those of multiple regression analysis. The proposed approach does not replace the full LCA but it would give an approximate LCA results for design concepts.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2004.11b
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• pp.176-178
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• 2004

HTS (High Temperature Superconducting) Transformer has the several useful characteristics in the viewpoints of technical and economical. Especially, an HTS transformer replaces the copper wire coils in a conventional transformer with lower loss HTS wire In addition, inexpensive, environmentally benign liquid nitrogen replaces the conventional oil as the electrical insulation (dielectric) and provides the necessary cooling for the HTS transformer Therefore, the Life-cycle cost of an HTS transformer is much more attractive than conventional because it is more energy efficient, lighter in weight, smaller in size, and environmentally compliant. HTS transformer can be the best way to replace with conventional transformer in the future. In this paper, we investigate the expected price of HTS transformer to have a merit in viewpoint of economic aspect. First, life-cycle cost of conventional transformer is calculated and based on this, the expected price of HTS transformer is evaluated, which HTS transformer is competitive against conventional transformer.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers A
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• v.53 no.9
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• pp.507-512
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• 2004

HTS (High Temperature Superconducting) Transformer has the several useful characteristics in the viewpoints of technical and economical. Especially, an HTS transformer replaces the copper wire coils in a conventional transformer with lower loss HTS wire. In addition, inexpensive, environmentally benign liquid nitrogen replaces the conventional oil as the electrical insulation (dielectric) and provides the necessary cooling for the HTS transformer Therefore, the Life-cycle cost of an HTS transformer is much more attractive than conventional because it is more energy efficient, lighter in weight, smaller in size, and environmentally compliant. HTS transformer can be the best way to replace with conventional transformer in the future. In these days, companies world-wide have conducted researches on HTS transformer. A development project for a 154kV HTS transformer is proceeding at a research center and university in Korea. In this paper, we investigate the expected price of HTS transformer to have a merit in viewpoint of economic aspect. First, life-cycle cost of conventional transformer is calculated and based on this, the expected price of HTS transformer is evaluated. which HTS transformer is competitive against conventional transformer.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.382-390
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• 2007

To check the feasibility of SMART(Steam Methane Advanced Reforming Technology) system, an experimental investigation was performed. A fluidized bed reactor of diameter 0.052m was operated cyclically up to 10th cycle, alternating between reforming and regeneration conditions. FCR-4 catalyst was used as the reforming catalyst and calcined limestone(domestic, from Danyang) was used as the $CO_2$ absorbent. Hydrogen concentration of 98.2% on a dry basis was reached at $650^{\circ}C$ for the first cycle. This value is much higher than $H_2$ concentration of 73.6% in the reformer of conventional SMR (steam methane reforming) condition. The hydrogen concentration decreased because the $CO_2$ capture capacity decreased as the number of cycles increased. However, the average hydrogen concentration at 10th cycle was 82.5% and this value is also higher than that of SMR. Based on these results, we could conclude that the SMART system can replace SMR system to generate pure hydrogen without HTS (high tempeature shift), LTS (low temperature shift) and $CO_2$ separation process.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.351-359
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• 2016

The Korean Prototype Gen-IV sodium-cooled fast reactor (PGSFR) is supposed to be loaded with a relatively-costly low-enriched U fuel, while its envisaged transuranic fuels are not available for transmutation. In this work, the U-enrichment reduction by improving the neutron economy is pursued to save the fuel cost. To improve the neutron economy of the core, a new reflector material, PbO, has been introduced to replace the conventional HT9 reflector in the current PGSFR core. Two types of PbO reflectors are considered: one is the conventional pin-type and the other one is an inverted configuration. The inverted PbO reflector design is intended to maximize the PbO volume fraction in the reflector assembly. In addition, the core radial configuration is also modified to maximize the performance of the PbO reflector. For the baseline PGSFR core with several reflector options, the U enrichment requirement has been analyzed and the fuel depletion analysis is performed to derive the equilibrium cycle parameters. The linear reactivity model is used to determine the equilibrium cycle performances of the core. Impacts of the new PbO reflectors are characterized in terms of the cycle length, neutron leakage, radial power distribution, and operational fuel cost.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.74-81
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• 2021

A simple and efficient scheme is presented that attempts to implement the site-specific denitrification rate in the reactive transport modeling for the nitrate in groundwater. A series of correlation analyses were conducted using 133 datasets obtained from different nitrate-contaminated sites to find the empirical relationships between denitrification rates and various subsurface properties. Based on Pearson's correlation analysis, the soil organic carbon concentrations showed a statistically significant correlation (r = 0.75, p < 0.05) with the denitrification rates. A linear regression was performed, which could be utilized to effectively determine the site-specific denitrification rate based on the soil organic carbon concentration of a site. The proposed method is expected to effectively replace the conventional methods which either were too complicated for practical application or impose large uncertainties that might end up with unreliable results.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2008

Recently a new technology called the flexible-fiber deep-bed filter (FDF) claimed to replace the conventional sand filter including coagulation and sedimentation filter (CSF) processes in the water treatment plant. Therefore the life cycle assessment (LCA) approach was applied for evaluating the life cycle impacts of FDF compared with those of CSF. The used LCA softwares were the Simapro 6 and PASS and their life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methodologies were the Eco-indicator 99 and the Korean Eco-indicator, respectively. The goal of this LCA was to identify environmental loads of CSF and FDF from raw material to disposal stages. The scopes of the systems have been determined based on the experiences of existing CSF and FDF. The function was to remove suspended solids by filtration and the functional unit was $1\;m^3$/day. Both systems showed that most environmental impacts were occurred during the operation stage. To reduce the environmental impacts the coagulants and electricity consumptions need to be cut down. If the CSF was replaced with the FDF, the environmental impacts would be reduced in most of the impact categories. The LCA results of Korean Eco-indicator and Eco- indicator99 were quite different from each other due to the indwelling differences such as category indicators, impact categories, characterization factors, normalization values and weighting factors. This study showed that the life cycle assessment could be a valuable tool for evaluating the environmental impact of the new technology which was introduced in water treatment process.