• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• 제37권12호
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• pp.1567-1572
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• 2013

To supply electric power in certain extreme environments such as a spacecraft or in military applications, a radioisotope thermoelectric generator has been highlighted as a useful energy source owing to its high energy density, long lifetime, and high reliability. A radioisotope thermoelectric generator generates electric power by using the heat energy converted from the radioactive energy of a radioisotope. In this study, FE analyses such as radiation shield analysis, heat transfer analysis, and power recovery rate analysis have been carried out to achieve an optimal design for a radioisotope thermoelectric generator using $SrTiO_2$.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• 제41권2호
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• pp.135-143
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• 2017

A customized CFD simulator to perform thermo-fluid dynamic simulations of an HVAC for an indoor space is presented. This simulation system has been developed for engineers studying architectural engineering, as the HVAC mechanical systems used in housings and buildings. Hence, all functions and options are so designed to be suitable that they are suitable for non-CFD experts as well as CFD engineers. A Computational mesh is generated by open-source libraries, FEMM (Finite Element Method Magnetics), and OpenFOAM. Once the boundary conditions are set, the fluid dynamic calculations are performed using the OpenFOAM solver. Numerical results are validated by comparing them with the experimental data for a simple indoor air flow case. In this paper, an entirely new calculation process is introduced, and the flow simulation results for a sample office room are also discussed.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제9권6호
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• pp.505-534
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• 2012

The present work deals with second order statistics of post buckling response of piezoelectric laminated composite cylindrical shell panel subjected to hygro-thermo-electro-mechanical loading with random system properties. System parameters such as the material properties, thermal expansion coefficients and lamina plate thickness are assumed to be independent of the temperature and electric field and modeled as random variables. The piezoelectric material is used in the forms of layers surface bonded on the layers of laminated composite shell panel. The mathematical formulation is based on higher order shear deformation shell theory (HSDT) with von-Karman nonlinear kinematics. A efficient $C^0$ nonlinear finite element method based on direct iterative procedure in conjunction with a first order perturbation approach (FOPT) is developed for the implementation of the proposed problems in random environment and is employed to evaluate the second order statistics (mean and variance) of the post buckling load of piezoelectric laminated cylindrical shell panel. Typical numerical results are presented to examine the effect of various environmental conditions, amplitude ratios, electrical voltages, panel side to thickness ratios, aspect ratios, boundary conditions, curvature to side ratios, lamination schemes and types of loadings with random system properties. It is observed that the piezoelectric effect has a significant influence on the stochastic post buckling response of composite shell panel under various loading conditions and some new results are presented to demonstrate the applications of present work. The results obtained using the present solution approach is validated with those results available in the literature and also with independent Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS).

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.141-155
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• 2017

This paper presents an investigation into the magneto-thermo-mechanical vibration and damping of a viscoelastic functionally graded-carbon nanotubes (FG-CNTs)-reinforced curved microbeam based on Timoshenko beam and strain gradient theories. The structure is surrounded by a viscoelastic medium which is simulated with spring, damper and shear elements. The effective temperature-dependent material properties of the CNTs-reinforced composite beam are obtained using the extended rule of mixture. The structure is assumed to be subjected to a longitudinal magnetic field. The governing equations of motion are derived using Hamilton's principle and solved by employing differential quadrature method (DQM). The effect of various parameter like volume percent and distribution type of CNTs, temperature change, magnetic field, boundary conditions, material length scale parameter, central angle, viscoelastic medium and structural damping on the vibration and damping behaviors of the nanocomposite curved microbeam is examined. The results show that with increasing volume percent of CNTs and considering magnetic field, material length scale parameter and viscoelastic medium, the frequency of the system increases and critically damped situation occurs at higher values of damper constant. In addition, the structure with FGX distribution type of CNTs has the highest stiffness. It is also observed that increasing temperature, structural damping and central angle of curved microbeam decreases the frequency of the system.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• 제49권3호
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• pp.264-269
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• 2011

Hydrogen and hydrogen energy have been recognized as clean energy sources and high energy carrier. Mg and Mg alloys are attractive hydrogen storage materials because of their lightweight and low cost materials with high hydrogen capacity (about 7.6 wt.%). However, the commercial applications of the Mg hydrides are currently hinder by its high absorption/desorption temperature, and very slow reaction kinetics. However, Ti and Ti based hydrogen storage alloys have been thought to be the third generation of alloys with a high hydrogen capacity, which makes it difficult to handle because of high reactivity. One of the most methods to develope kinetics was addition of transition metal. Therefore, Mg-Ti-Cr-Nb alloy was fabricated to add TiCrNb by hydrogen induced mechanical alloying. TiCrNb systems have included transition metals, low operating temperatures and hydrogen storage materials. As-received specimens were characterized using X-ray Diffraction analysis (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Thermo Gravimetric analysis/Differential Scanning Calorimetry (TG/DSC). $Mg-TiCr_{10}Nb$ systems were evaluated for hydrogen kinetics by Sievert's type Pressure-Composition-Isotherm (PCI) equipment. The operating temperature range was 473, 523, 573 and 623 K.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• 제40권1호
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• pp.17-23
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• 2024

This study analyzes the thermal effects on the performance of an air foil thrust bearing (AFTB) using COMSOL Multiphysics to approximate actual bearing behavior under real conditions. An AFTB is a sliding-thrust bearing that uses air as a lubricant to support the axial load. The AFTB consists of top and bump foils and supports the rotating disk through the hydrodynamic pressure generated by the wedge effect from the inclined surface of the top foil and the elastic deformation of the bump foils, similar to a spring. The use of air as a lubricant has some advantages such as low friction loss and less heat generation, enabling air bearings to be widely used in high-speed rotating systems. However, even in AFTB, the effects of energy loss due to viscosity at high speeds, interface frictional heat, and thermal deformation of the foil caused by temperature increase cannot be ignored. Foil deformation derived from the thermal effect influences the minimum decay in film thickness and enhances the film pressure. For these reasons, performance analyses of isothermal AFTBs have shown few discrepancies with real bearing behavior. To account for this phenomenon, a thermal-fluid-structure analysis is conducted to describe the combined mechanics. Results show that the load capacity under the thermal effect is slightly higher than that obtained from isothermal analysis. In addition, the push and pull effects on the top foil and bump foil-free edges can be simulated. The differences between the isothermal and thermal behaviors are discussed.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.289-308
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• 2021

This study conducts coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical numerical modeling to investigate the maximum temperature and conditions for securing mechanical stability of the high-level radioactive waste repository when temperature criteria of bentonite buffer are 100℃ and 125℃, respectively. In case of temperature criterion of buffer as 100℃, the maximum temperatures at the interface between canister and buffer are calculated to be 99.4℃ and 99.8℃, respectively for a case with disposal tunnel spacing of 40 m and deposition hole spacing of 5.5 m and for the other case with disposal tunnel spacing of 30 m and deposition hole spacing of 6.5 m. In case of temperature criterion of buffer as 125℃, spacings of disposal tunnel and deposition hole could be decreased to 30 m and 4.5 m, respectively, which reduces the disposal area up to 55% compared to the disposal area of KRS⁺. According to analysis of mechanical stability for various disposal spacings, RMR of rock mass for KRS⁺ should be larger than 72.4 which belongs to good rock in RMR classification to prevent failure of rock mass. As disposal spacing is decreased, required RMR of rock mass is increased. In order to prevent failure of rock mass for a case with disposal tunnel spacing of 30 m and deposition hole spacing of 4.5 m, RMR larger than 87.3 is needed. However, mechanical stability of the repository is secured for all cases with RMR over 75 considering the enhancement of rock strength due to confining stress induced by swelling of the bentonite buffer and backfill.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 대한기계학회 2007년도 춘계학술대회B
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• pp.2626-2631
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• 2007

Air-water two phase natural circulation flow in the T-HERMES (Thermo-Hydraulic Evaluation of Reactor cooling Mechanism by External Self-induced flow)-1D experiment has been evaluated to verify and evaluate the experimental results by using the RELAP5/MOD3 computer code. The RELAP5 results have shown that an increase in the coolant inlet area leads to an increase in the water circulation mass flow rate. However, the water outlet area does not effective on the water circulation mass flow rate. As the coolant outlet moves to a lower position, the water circulation mass flow rate decreases. The water level is not effective on the water circulation mass flow rate. As the height increases in the air injection part, the void fraction increases. However, the void fraction in the upper part of the air injector maintains a constant value. An increase in the air injection mass flow rate leads to an increase in the local void fraction, but it is not effective on the local pressure.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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• 한국철도학회 2011년도 정기총회 및 추계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.966-970
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• 2011

The thermo-mechanical interaction between brake block and wheel tread during braking has been found to cause thermal crack on the wheel tread. Due to thermal expansion of the rim material, the thermal cracks will protrude from the wheel tread and be more exposed to wear during the wheel/block contact than the rest of the tread surface. The wheel rim is in residual compression stress when is new. After service running, the region in the tread has reversed to tension. This condition can lead to the formation and growth of thermal cracks in the rim which can ultimately lead to premature failure of wheel. In the present paper, the thermal cracks of railway wheel, one of severe damages on the wheel tread, were evaluated to understand the safety of railway wheel in running condition. The residual stresses for damaged wheel which are applied to tread brake are investigated. Mainly X-ray diffusion method is used. Under the condition of concurrent loading of continuous rolling contact with rails and cyclic frictional heat from brake blocks, the reduction of residual stress is found to correlate well with the thermal crack initiation.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국신재생에너지학회 2010년도 추계학술대회 초록집
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• pp.76.1-76.1
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• 2010

Recently, many efforts to solve the durability problem of PEM fuel cell are carried on constantly. However, despite this attention, durability researches of gas diffusion layer (GDL) are not much reported yet. Generally, GDL of PEM fuel cell experiences three external attacks, which are dissolution of water, erosion of gas flow, corrosion of electric potential. In this study, among these degradation factors, carbon corrosion of electric potential was focused and investigated with accelerated carbon corrosion test. Through the test, it is confirmed that carbon corrosion occurred at GDL, and corroded GDL decreased a performance of operating fuel cell. The property changes of GDL were measured with various methods such as air permeability meter, pore distribution analyzer, thermo gravimetric analyzer, and tensile stress test to discover the effects of carbon corrosion. Carbon corrosion caused not only loss of weight and thickness, but also degradation of mechanical strength of GDL. In addition, to analysis the reason of GDL property changes, a surface and a cross section of GDL were observed with scanning electron microscope. After 100 hours test, the GDL showed serious damage in center of layer.