A study on the preparation of fine and low soda alumina

A simple process to produce fine and low soda α-alumina (α-Al₂O₃) from a commercial grade aluminium trihydroxide (gibbsite, Al(OH)₃) produced by KC Corporation Ltd was developed. There are two options for this process with the first one producing low soda α-alumina (< 0.05% Na₂O) having a mean particle size of 50 μm. The second option yields a fine product with a mean size of less than 10 μm. In the first option, a plant aluminium trihydroxide containing 0.20% Na₂O was first fluidized with nitrogen at 400–600 °C to yield an amorphous activated alumina. This intermediate product was then treated with acetic or oxalic acid, washed with water and heated to 1200 °C to form calcined α-alumina, having a Na₂O content of less than 0.05%. A 20 min leaching using 0.2 M acetic or oxalic acid could yield an alumina product containing 0.04% Na₂O. In the second option, a new technique for the preparation of fine and low soda α-alumina was evaluated using an attrition mill working also as a leaching vessel at 80 °C. Fine (< 10 μm in mean particle size) and low soda (< 0.04% Na₂O) alumina was produced by a 20 min leaching step with 0.2 M acetic acid and concurrent attrition milling.     

Eastern Asian hydrometeorology simulation using the Regional Climate System Model

We present the hydrometeorology of eastern Asia during April 1995 simulated by the Regional Climate System Model. The amount and location of simulated monthly precipitation agrees well with observations. Soil water content variation was closely correlated with precipitation. Land-surface evaporation and the surface energy budget were strongly controlled by soil moisture content. A sensitivity test with reduced initial soil moisture content suggested that near-surface soil moisture spins up quickly after heavy precipitation events. However, variations in the initial soil moisture field may alter details of the simulated precipitation which can introduce further complexity in climate simulations.     

Geostatistical integration of MT and borehole data for RMR evaluation

The geostatistical approach was applied to integrate MT (Magneto-telluric) resistivity data and borehole information for the spatial RMR (Rock Mass Rating) evaluation. Generally, resistivity of the subsurface is believed to be positively related to the RMR, thus the resistivity and borehole RMR information was combined in a geostatistical approach. To relate the two different sets of data, the MT resistivity data were used as secondary information and the RMR mean values were estimated at unsampled points by identification of the resistivity to the borehole data. Two types of approach are performed for the estimation of RMR mean values. Then the residuals of the RMR values around the borehole sites are geostatistically modeled to infer the spatial structure of difference between real RMR values and estimated mean values. Finally, this geostatistical estimation is added to the previous means. The result applied to a real situation shows prominent improvements to reflect the subsurface structure and spatial resolution of RMR information.     

Effect of boundary element details on the seismic deformation capacity of structural walls

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of boundary element details of structural walls on their deformation capacities. Structural walls considered in this study have different sectional shapes and/or transverse reinforcement content at the boundaries of the walls (called boundary element details hereafter). Four full‐scale wall specimens (3000mm (h_w)×1500mm (l_w)×200mm (T)) were fabricated and tested. Three specimens are rectangular in section and the other specimen has a barbell‐shaped cross‐section (a wall with boundary columns). The rectangular wall specimens are reinforced according to the common practice used for reinforced concrete residence buildings in Korea and Chile. In this study, the primary variable for these rectangular specimens is the content of transverse reinforcement to confine the boundary elements of a wall. The barbell‐shaped specimen was designed in compliance with ACI 318‐95. The response of the barbell‐shaped specimen is compared with those of other rectangular specimens. The effective aspect ratio of the specimens is set to two in this study. Based on the experimental results, it is found that the deformation capacities of walls, which are represented by displacement ductility, drift ratio and energy dissipation capacities, are affected by the boundary element details. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Summer monsoon rainfall patterns over South Korea and associated circulation features

Summary Seasonal summer monsoon (June through August) rainfall patterns over South Korea are classified by an objective method using data for a 40-year period (1961–2000). The rainfall patterns are represented by the percentage departures from the normal rainfall of 12 stations spread uniformly over South Korea. The statistical technique employed is the k-means (KM) clustering method. The Euclidean distance has been used as a measure of similarity between the patterns. Four dominant types are obtained by this method. Intercorrelations among the types suggest that the dominant patterns are distinct. The summer monsoon rainfall shows an increasing trend. Investigation of the physical processes associated with these patterns using NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis data clearly reveals contrasting circulation features associated with the dominant types during the summer monsoon period. In particular, contrasting circulation features are related to the position, shape and strength of the North Pacific Subtropical High. Received October 30, 2000 Revised November 12, 2001     

Determination of ductility factor considering different hysteretic models

In current seismic design procedures, base shear is calculated by the elastic strength demand divided by the strength reduction factor. This factor is well known as the response modification factor, R, which accounts for ductility, overstrength, redundancy, and damping of a structural system. In this study, the R factor accounting for ductility is called the ‘ductility factor’, R_μ. The R_μ factor is defined as the ratio of elastic strength demand imposed on the SDOF system to inelastic strength demand for a given ductility ratio. The R_μ factor allows a system to behave inelastically within the target ductility ratio during the design level earthquake ground motion. The objective of this study is to determine the ductility factor considering different hysteretic models. It usually requires large computational efforts to determine the R_μ factor. In order to reduce the computational efforts, the R_μ factor is prepared as a functional form in this study. For this purpose, statistical studies are carried out using forty different earthquake ground motions recorded at a stiff soil site. The R_μ factor is assumed to be a function of the characteristic parameters of each hysteretic model, target ductility ratio and structural period. The effects of each hysteretic model to the R_μ factor are also discussed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A frequency‐dependent and intensity‐dependent macroelement for reduced order seismic analysis of soil‐structure interacting systems

The computational demand of the soil‐structure interaction analysis for the design and assessment of structures, as well as for the evaluation of their life‐cycle cost and risk exposure, has led the civil engineering community to the development of a variety of methods toward the model order reduction of the coupled soil‐structure dynamic system in earthquake regions. Different approaches have been proposed in the past as computationally efficient alternatives to the conventional finite element model simulation of the complete soil‐structure domain, such as the nonlinear lumped spring, the macroelement method, and the substructure partition method. Yet no approach was capable of capturing simultaneously the frequency‐dependent dynamic properties along with the nonlinear behavior of the condensed segment of the overall soil‐structure system under strong earthquake ground motion, thus generating an imbalance between the modeling refinement achieved for the soil and the structure. To this end, a dual frequency‐dependent and intensity‐dependent expansion of the lumped parameter modeling method is proposed in the current paper, materialized through a multiobjective algorithm, capable of closely approximating the behavior of the nonlinear dynamic system of the condensed segment. This is essentially the extension of an established methodology, also developed by the authors, in the inelastic domain. The efficiency of the proposed methodology is validated for the case of a bridge foundation system, wherein the seismic response is comparatively assessed for both the proposed method and the detailed finite element model. The above expansion is deemed a computationally efficient and reliable method for simultaneously considering the frequency and amplitude dependence of soil‐foundation systems in the framework of nonlinear seismic analysis of soil‐structure interaction systems.     

M2 Tidal Current Estimation from One-day Observation Data off the Western and Southern Coasts of Korea

Ocean Science Journal - A practical method to estimate the M2 tidal current is proposed based on one-day current observations. In this method, the semi-diurnal constituent, composed of several...     

Investigating the Effects of Different LED Wavelengths on Aggregation and Swimming Behavior of Chub Mackerel (Scomber japonicus)

Ocean Science Journal - Efficient fish aggregation systems are essential for catching chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus), which is a major target of purse seine fisheries in South Korea. To aid the...     

Effects of Resonances in Corrugated Horn Antennas for a 22-GHz Balancing Radiometer

The Stratospheric WAter vapor RAdiometer (SWARA) is a microwave radiometer designed for ground-based measurements of water vapor (H₂O) in the middle atmosphere (20 to 80 km), including the stratosphere and mesosphere. The instrument is operating in a noncryogenic balancing calibration mode. Since its deployment, features have been observed in the spectrum which can be attributed to resonant variations of the antenna pattern of the corrugated horn. This paper presents copolar and crosspolar antenna pattern measurements of two sister antennas of the SWARA horn, as well as water vapor measurements from both antennas on the ground-based microwave radiometer MI ddle Atmospheric WAter vapor RA diometer. We show that small irregularities in the frequency spectrum at the -20-dB level are visible in the copolar pattern, which, due to the balancing operation scheme used for the radiometer, lead to features in the spectrum that have the same or even higher brightness temperature as the line of interest.