Solid-liquid mixture flow through a slim hole annulus with rotating inner cylinder

An experimental study was conducted to study solid-liquid mixture upward hydraulic transport of solid particles in vertical and inclined annuli with rotating inner cylinder. Lift forces acting on a fluidized particle play a central role in many important applications, such as the removal of drill cuttings in horizontal drill holes, sand transport in fractured reservoirs and sediment transport, etc. Annular fluid velocities varied from 0.4 m/s to 1.2 m/s. Effect of annulus inclination and drill pipe rotation on the carrying capacity of drilling fluid, particle rising velocity, and pressure drop in the slim hole annulus have been measured for fully developed flows of water and of aqueous solutions of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and bentonite, respectively. For higher particle feed concentration, the hydraulic pressure drop of mixture flow increases due to the friction between the wall and solids or among solids. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Gihun Son Sang-Mok Han received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Sung-kyunkwan University in 2001. He then went on to receive his M.S. degrees from Sungkyunkwan University in 2003. He is a candidate for Ph.D. from 2006 to the present at the School of Mechanical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University in Suwon, Korea. His research interests are in the area of Multi-phase flow and drilling. Nam-Sub Woo received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Sungkyunkwan University in 1997. He then went on to receive his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Sunkyunkwan University in 1999 and 2007, respectively. Dr. Woo is currently a Senior Researcher at the Fire & Engineering Services Research Center at Korea Institute of Construction and Technology in Goyang, Korea. Dr. Woo’s research interests are in the area of fluid dynamics and plant engineering. Young-Kyu Hwang received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Sungkyunkwan University in 1977. He then went on to receive his M.S. from University of Wis-consin at Madison in 1980 and Ph.D. degrees from State Uni-versity of New York at Buffalo in 1984, respectively. Dr. Hwang has served as a Professor, from 1984 to the present at the School of Mechanical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University in Suwon, Korea. His research interests are in the area of drilling hydraulics, molecular gas flow and hydrodynamic instability.     

An enhanced real-time dynamic imbalance correction for precision rotors

Even a moderate mass imbalance of a high-precision rotor produces a significant level of vibration when it spins at high revolutionary speed such as 10,000 rpm or faster. As a result, many attempts have been made for the development of dynamic rotor balancing methods mostly by the precision mechanical system industry; however, intensive studies about the fundamental principles from a theoretical point of view should be carried out further. In the present paper, a new dual axes dynamic imbalance correction method is introduced and tested through simulations. The proposed method is more efficient and effective than its predecessors. This paper was presented at the 4th Asian Conference on Multibody Dynamics(ACMD2008), Jeju, Korea, August 20–23, 2008. Jung Kwan Lee is currently a masteral student in the School of Mechanical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University Korea. He received his B.S. degree from Sungkyunkwan University. His primary research interests are rotor design, analysis, and rotor dynamics. Hyungpil Moon received his Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan in 2005. He was a postdoctoral fellow at Carnegie Mellon University. He joined the faculty of the School of Mechanical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University in 2008. Dongho Oh received his Ph.D. degree from KAIST in 1996. He worked as a Principal En-gineer of Samsung Electronics and SAIT. Dr. Oh is currently an Associate Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Chungnam National University. Ja Choon Koo is an associate professor of the School of Mechanical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University Korea. He was an engineer at IBM Corporation, San Jose, California. He received his Ph.D from the University of Texas at Austin. His primary research interests are analysis, and control of dynamic systems, mechatronics, sensors, and actuators.     

A study on cooling efficiency using 1-d analysis code suitable for cooling system of thermoforming

Thermoforming is one of the most versatile and economical processes available for polymer products, but cycle time and production cost must be continuously reduced in order to improve the competitive power of products. In this study, water spray cooling was simulated to apply to a cooling system instead of compressed air cooling in order to shorten the cycle time and reduce the cost of compressed air used in the cooling process. At first, cooling time using compressed air was predicted in order to check the state of mass production. In the following step, the ratio of removed energy by air cooling or water spray cooling among the total removed energy was found by using 1-D analysis code of the cooling system under the condition of checking the possibility of conversion from 2-D to 1-D problem. The analysis results using water spray cooling show that cycle time can be reduced because of high cooling efficiency of water spray, and cost of production caused by using compressed air can be reduced by decreasing the amount of the used compressed air. The 1-D analysis code can be widely used in the design of a thermoforming cooling system, and parameters of the thermoforming process can be modified based on the recommended data suitable for a cooling system of thermoforming. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Dongsik Kim Zhen-Zhe Li received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Yanbian University, China, in 2002. He then received his M.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering from Konkuk University, South Korea, in 2005. He then received his Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Chonnam National University, South Korea, in 2009. Dr. Li is currently a Researcher of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, South Korea. Dr. Li’s research interests include applied heat transfer, fluid mechanics and optimal design of thermal and fluid systems. Kwang-Su Heo received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Chonnam National University, South Korea, in 1998. He then received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Chonnam National University, South Korea, in 2003 and 2008, respectively. Dr. Heo is currently a Post-doctorial Researcher of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST(Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), South Korea. Dr. Heo’s research interests include applied heat transfer, fluid mechanics and thermal analysis of superconductor. Dong-Ji Xuan received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Harbin Engineering University, China, in 2000. He then received his M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Chonnam National University, South Korea, in 2006. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, South Korea. His research interests include control & optimization of PEM fuel cell system, dynamics & control, mechatronics. Seoung-Yun Seol received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Design from Seoul National University, South Korea, in 1983. He then received his M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from KAIST(Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), South Korea, in 1985. He then received his Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Texas Tech University, USA, in 1993. Dr. Seol is currently a Professor of the School of Mechanical and Systems Engineering, Chonnam National University, South Korea. Dr. Seol’s research interests include applied heat transfer, fluid mechanics and thermal analysis of superconductor.     

Optimal operating points of PEM fuel cell model with RSM

The output power efficiency of the fuel cell system mainly depends on the required current, stack temperature, air excess ratio, hydrogen excess ratio, and inlet air humidity. Therefore, the operating conditions should be optimized to get maximum output power efficiency. In this paper, a dynamic model for the fuel cell stack was developed, which is comprised of a mass flow model, a gas diffusion layer model, a membrane hydration, and a stack voltage model. Experiments have been performed to calibrate the dynamic Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) stack model. To achieve the maximum output power and the minimum use of hydrogen in a certain power condition, optimization was carried out using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) based on the proposed PEMFC stack model. Using the developed method, optimal operating conditions can be effectively selected in order to obtain minimum hydrogen consumption. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Tong Seop Kim Dong-Ji Xuan received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Harbin Engineering University, China in 2000. He then received his M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Chonnam National University, South Korea in 2006. Currently, he is a Ph.D. candidate of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, South Korea. His research interests include control and optimization of PEM fuel cell system, dynamics and control, and mechatronics. Zhen-Zhe Li received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Yanbian University, China in 2002. He then received his M.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering from Konkuk University, South Korea in 2005 and his Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Chonnam National University, South Korea in 2009. Dr. Li is currently a Researcher of the Department of Mechanical Engineering in Chonnam National University, South Korea. Dr. Li’s research interests include applied heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and optimal design of thermal and fluid systems. Jin-Wan Kim received his B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering from Chosun University, South Korea in 1990. He then received his M.S. degree in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering from Korea Aerospace University, South Korea in 2003 and his Ph.D degree in Mechanical Engineering from Chonnam National University, South Korea in 2008. He is currently a Post Doctor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering in Chonnam National University, South Korea. His research interests include control of hydraulic systems, dynamics and control, and mechatronics. Young-Bae Kim received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Design from Seoul National University, South Korea in 1980. He then received his M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), South Korea in 1982 and his Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University, USA in 1990. Dr. Kim is currently a Professor of the School of Mechanical and Systems Engineering in Chonnam National University, South Korea. Dr. Kim’s research interests include mechatronics, dynamics and control, and fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle (FCHEV) systems.     

Experimental study on heat transfer characteristics of internal heat exchangers for CO2 system under cooling condition

This paper presents the heat transfer characteristics of the internal heat exchanger (IHX) for CO₂ heat pump system. The influence on the IHX length, the mass flow rate, the shape of IHX, the operating condition, and the oil concentration was investigated under a cooling condition. Four kinds of IHX with a coaxial type and a micro-channel type, a mass flow meter, a pump, and a measurement system. With increasing of the IHX length, the capacity, the effectiveness, and the pressure drop increased. For the mass flow rate, the capacity of micro-channel IHX are higher about 2 times than those of coaxial IHX. The pressure drop was larger at cold-side than at hot-side. In the transcritical CO₂ cycle, system performance is very sensitive to the IHX design. Design parameters are closely related with the capacity and the pressure drop of CO₂ heat pump system. Along the operating condition, the performance of CO₂ IHXs is different remarkably. For oil concentration 1, 3, 5%, the capacity decreases and the pressure drop increased, as compared with oil concentration 0%. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Yong Tae Kang Prof. Young-Chul Kwon received his B.S. degree in Precision Mechanical Engineering from Pusan National University, Korea, in 1989. He then received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from POSTECH, in 1991 and 1996, respectively. Dr. Kwon is currently a Professor at the Division of Mechanical Engineering at Sunmoon University in Chungnam, Korea. He serves as a chief of the Institute of Automation and Energy Technology. Dr. Kwon’s research interests include heat exchanger, CO₂ cycle, heat pump, and energy recovery ventilator for HVAC&R. Mr. Dae-Hoon Kim is currently Doctoral student at the Mechanical Engineering from Hanyang University in Seoul, Korea. His research topics include experimental and numerical of CO₂ heatpump system. He has conducted a study on the Analysis of Refrigerating & Air-Conditioning Equipment Industry and Its Forecasting Supervising and Testing for Performance of Refrigerator, Freezer and Air-Conditioner. Prof. Jae-Heon Lee received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul National University, Korea, in 1971. He then received his M.S. and Ph. D. degree from Seoul National University in 1977 and 1980, respectively. Dr. Lee is currently a Professor at the school of Mechanical Engineering at Hanyang University in Seoul, Korea. Dr. Lee is currently a president at the Korea Institute research interests include simulation of thermal fluid and Plant engineering and construction. Dr. Jun-Young Choi received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Yonsei University, Republic of Korea, in 1989. He then received his M.S. and Ph. D. degrees from Yonsei University in 1991 and 1999, respectively. Dr. Choi is currently a chief researcher with the 18 years experience on the energy performance testing of HVAC/R product. He is now assigned to the Energy Technology Center at Basic Industry Division at Korea Testing Laboratory. He has been involved in the development of Design and Manufacturing Technology for Air-Conditioner E.E.R. and Performance Testing Equipment for Cooling and Heating System with Non-CFCs, and natural refrigerants. He has conducted a study on the Analysis of Refrigerating & Air-Conditioning Equipment Industry and Its Forecasting Supervising and Testing for Performance of Refrigerator, Freezer and Air-Conditioner. Dr. Sang Jae Lee received his Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Hanyang University, KOREA, in 2008. Dr. Lee is currently a Researcher at the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology in Cheonan, Korea. Dr. Lee’s research interests CO₂ heatpump system, liquid desiccant air conditioning system and Micro heat exchanger.     

Asymmetric loading of erector spinae muscles during sagittally symmetric lifting

Functional asymmetry is among the multitude of risk factors for low-back pain (LBP), the most common injury under general industrial and agricultural conditions. However, previous studies showed that normal healthy individuals exhibit some functional asymmetry, indicating that not all asymmetry causes LBP. Therefore, the threshold value that is able to discriminate between normal and pathological situations is used as critical information to predict LBP. As a preliminary study to find threshold, the purpose of this study is to quantify the magnitude of bilateral asymmetries of erector spinae muscle forces of a healthy group during sagittally symmetric lifting. Ten healthy male subjects with no history of back pathology participated in this study, which collected motion capture, force data, and electromyography signals from six infrared cameras (MCam2, Vicon), two force platforms (AMTI), and surface EMG (BME Korea). In order to quantify the magnitude of bilateral asymmetry in the trunk muscle forces, we used 3D linked segment and EMG-assisted modeling approaches, both of which were verified based on their recapitulation of previously-proposed models. The results indicated that each muscle force in the lumbar region exhibited asymmetry during the entire lifting process. In particular, the erector spinae muscle forces exhibited an approximate 24% difference between bilateral sites (p<0.05). The results of this study provided data from normal individuals by which to identify pathological situations and predict LBP incidence within general industrial and agricultural conditions. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Young Eun Kim Ahn Ryul Choi received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Bio-Mechatronic engineering from Sungkyunkwan University in 2005 and 2007, respectively. Ahn-Ryul Choi is currently a Researcher at the Bio-Mechatronics center and also a candidate in the biomedical Ph.D. program at Sungkyunkwan University, Korea. His research interests are in the area of digital human modeling and simulation. Tae Sun Yun received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering from Korea Aero-space University in 2005 and 2007, respectively. Tae-Sun Yun is currently a Researcher at the Bio-Mechatronics center and also a candidate in the biomedical Ph.D. program at Sungkyunkwan University, Korea. His research interests are in the area of digital human modeling and simulation. Kyung Suk Lee is a specialist with many years experience of the agricultural health and safety in Republic of Korea. Her personal interests and most publications are in various hazards including ergonomic risk factors and management system set-up in local and national system. She has been doing her researches in National Academy of Agricultural Science (NIAST). She has also managed lots of network system that is composed of scientists, national officer, farmers union for agricultural safety and hearth. She is currently in the Group who is consultant with “safe farm model intervention” in local areas and national safety and health. Kyoung Kee Min received his Ph.D degree Sungkyunkwan University in 2008. Dr. Min is currently a researcher at the Bio-Mechatronics Center in Sungkyunkwan University. Dr. Min’s research interests are in the area of disease classification using artificial neural network, digital human modeling & control. Heon Hwang received his Ph.D. degree majoring in Engineering Science from the Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge in 1988. Dr. Hwang is currently a Professor at the Department of Bio-Mechatronic Engineering, Sung-kyunkwan University in Korea. Dr. Hwang’s research interests are intelligent motion control based on human motor and brain behavior, tele-operative biorobotic system and interface, and real time on-line bio-image processing and bio-sensing. Ki Young Lee received a B.S., M.S. and Ph D. degree in Electronic Engineering from Myongji University in 1984, 1986 and 1992, respectively. Since 2004, he also has interested to study on Bioengineering, and finished the Ph D. course from Sungkyunkwan University. Dr. Lee is currently a Professor at the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Kwandong University in Kangneung, Korea. His research interests are the area of Bioelectronics and Bio-signal processing. Euichaul Oh received a B.S. degree in Pharmacy (1983) and a M.S. degree in Physical Pharmacy (1985) from Seoul Nation University, respectively. He then acquired his Ph.D. degree in Pharmaceutics from the University of Iowa in 1996. Dr. Oh is currently a Chief Scientific Officer at the R&D Center of Kuhnil Pharm. In Seoul, Korea. He had worked at the pharmaceutical companies in USA as a Senior Research Scientist for 10 years. He is currently serving as an Editor Board of the Journal of Korean Pharmaceutical Sciences. Dr. Oh’s research interests are in the areas of Drug Delivery System, Physical and Industrial Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Engineering. Joung Hwan Mun received his Ph.D. degree majoring in mechanical engineering from the University of Iowa in 1998. Dr. Mun is currently a Professor at the Department of Bio-Mechat-ronic engineering at Sungkyun-kwan University in Suwon, Korea. He is currently serving as a director of the Bio-Mechatronics center with regard to an international IMS project. Dr. Mun’s research interests are in the area of digital human modeling, sports biomechanics, bio-electronics and digital factory for human oriented production system.     

A study on performance improvement of corrugated type total heat exchanger considering the structure of flow passage on surface

Three types of flow passage structure of a total heat exchanger (perforated type, slit type, and embossed and perforated type) are studied to enhance the heat exchange performance of a heat recovery ventilation system (total heat exchanger). The perforated type has four punched rows of 6mm holes in the flow passage channel, and the slit type has six processed rows of 40mm length. The embossed and perforated type has holes of about 1mm diameter and protrusions of about 0.2mm height on all surfaces. The heat exchange efficiency of the modified total heat exchanger was compared to that of a general total heat exchanger with a smooth surface. The Korean Standard (KS) heat recovery ventilator test condition was applied for tests. In the case of cooling operation based on a typical Reynolds number of 140 (typical air flow rate of 100 m³/hr), the perforated type, slit type, and embossed and perforated type showed temperature efficiency improvement of 1.2%, 2.5%, and 5.0%; latent efficiency improvement of 18.0%, 32.3%, and 24.5%; and enthalpy efficiency improvement of 7.9%, 11.5%, and 11.2%, respectively. The corresponding improvements of heating operation were 3.0%, 3.4%, and 4.0%; 5.0%, 6.6%, and 18.7%; 3.2%, 4.3%, and 7.7%, respectively. On the other hand, the air pressure drop throughout the modified flow passage of the total heat exchanger increased by up to 1.7% at the typical Reynolds number of 140, from the air pressure drop of the regular total heat exchanger. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Dae Hee Lee Kyungmin Kwak received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Yeungnam University, Korea, in 1993, 1995 and 1999, respectively. Dr. Kwak is currently a Researcher at the Automotive RIC at Kyungil University, Korea. His research interests include heat transfer, refrigeration and air control. Cheolho Bai received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul Na-tional University, Korea, in 1984 and 1986, respectively. He then received his Ph.D. from UCLA, USA, in 1992. Dr. Bai is currently a Professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering at Yeungnam University in Kyungsan, Korea. His research interests include heat transfer, refrigeration and air control.     

Application of averaging bidirectional flow tube for measurement of single-phase flow rate in a piping system

A new instrument, an averaging bidirectional flow tube (BDFT), is proposed to measure single-phase flow rates. This averaging BDFT has unique measuring characteristics foremost among which is the capability to measure bidirectional flow and insensitivity of the fluid attack angle. Single phase calibration tests were conducted to demonstrate the performance of the averaging BDFT. Likewise, to enhance the applicability of the averaging BDFT on various flow conditions, flow analyses using CFD code were performed focusing on design optimization of the BDFT. The calibration test results indicated that this averaging BDFT has a linearity within 0.5 % in the Reynolds (Re) number range of above 10,000 where it is meaningful in terms of application. The flow analyses results demonstrate a good linearity of the averaging BDFT with various design features. Therefore, averaging BDFT can be applied for measurement of flow rates within a wide range of flow conditions. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Won-Gu Joo Kyoung-Ho Kang received his B.S. and M. S. degrees in Nuclear Engineering from SNU (Seoul National University), KOREA in 1993 and 1995, respectively. He then received his Ph.D. degree in Nuclear and Quantum Engineering from KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) in 2009. Dr. Kang is currently a senior researcher at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute in Daejeon, Korea. Dr. Kang’s research interests include analysis and experiments for the nuclear safety, thermal hydraulics, and experiments and modeling for the severe accidents. Byong-Jo Yun received his B.S. degree in Nuclear Engineering from SNU (Seoul National University), KOREA in 1989. He then received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from SNU in 1991 and 1996, respectively. Dr. Yun is currently a principal researcher at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute in Daejeon, Korea. Dr. Yun’s research interests include analysis and experiments for the nuclear safety, thermal hydraulics, two-phase flow, scaling analysis, and development of instrumentation for two-phase flow. Dong-Jin Euh received his B.S. degree in Nuclear Engineering from Seoul University, Korea, in 1993. He then received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from same university in 1995 and 2002, respectively. Dr. Euh is currently a researcher at thermal hydraulic safety research department of Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute in Daejeon, Korea. Dr. Euh’s research interests include two-phase thermal hydraulics in the Nuclear Systems and Fundamental Phenomena. Won-Pil Baek has been working at KAERI as the general project manager (director) for development of nuclear thermalhydraulic experiment and analysis technology since 2001. He received his B.S. degree in nuclear engineering from Seoul National University and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from KAIST. In 1991–2000, he worked for KAIST as a researcher and research professor. Currently he also serves as an executive editor of the Nuclear Engineering and Technology, an international journal of the Korean Nuclear Society. His research interests include critical heat flux, integral effect tests, modeling, nuclear safety, and advanced reactor development.     

Approximate velocity scale for primary and secondary dual-inlet side-dump flows

Effects of the bulk inlet velocity on the characteristics of dual-inlet side-dump flows are numerically investigated. Non-reacting subsonic turbulent flow is solved by a preconditioned Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equation system with low-Reynolds number k − ɛ turbulence model. The numerical method is properly validated with measured velocity distributions in the head dome and the combustor. With substantial increase in the bulk inlet velocity, general profiles of essential primary and secondary flows normalized by the bulk inlet velocity are quantitatively invariant to the changes in the bulk inlet velocity. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Do Hyung Lee Seung-chai Jung received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Yonsei University, Korea, in 2001. He then received his M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Yonsei University, Korea, in 2005. Mr. Jung is currently a Ph. D. candidate at Yonsei University, where he is majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Mr. Jung’s research interests include propulsion system and particle-surface collision dynamics. Byung-Hoon Park received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Design and Production Engineering from Yonsei University in 2003. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea. His research interests include performance design of propulsion systems and nu-merical analysis of instability in multiphase turbulent reacting flow-fields. Hyun Ko received his B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering from Chonbuk National University, Korea, in 1996. He then received his M.S. degree in Mechanical Design from Chonbuk National University, Korea, in 1998. In 2005, he obtained his Ph.D. degree from Yonsei University, where he majored in mechanical engineering. Dr. Ko is currently a Principal Research Engineer of the MicroFriend Co., Ltd. in Seoul, Korea. His research interests include propulsion related systems and computational fluid dynamics. Woong-sup Yoon received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Yonsei University, Korea, in 1985. He then received his M.S. degree from University of Missouri-Rolla in 1989. In 1992, he obtained his Ph.D. degree from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, where he majored in mechanical and aerospace engineering. Dr. Yoon is currently a professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea. His research interests include propulsion system and particle-related environmental/ thermal engineering.     

Characteristics of Sn-2.5Ag flip chip solder joints under thermal shock test conditions

The interfacial reaction between Cu pad coated with Au/Ni and solder bump of flip chip package, using Sn97.5wt.%-Ag2.5wt%, was studied under thermal shock stress. All joints were subjected to thermal shock test with −65°C/+150°C temperature range. For the Sn-2.5Ag solder, a scallop-like (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ intermetallic compound was formed in the solder matrix after 20 cycles of thermal shock. (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ was detached from the interface as (Ni,Cu)₃Sn₄ grew underneath the (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ IMC(Intermetallic Compound), whereas the elements of Sn, Ni and Cu were moved by interdiffusion at the interface between solder alloy and Cu pad. The composition of the IMCs in the solder joints and elemental distribution across the joint interfaces were quantitatively measured with EPMA (electron probe micro analysis). Finally, it was found that the crack initiation point and its propagation path could be influenced by the thermal shock conditions, two underfills, and their properties. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Chongdu Cho Kyoung Chun Yang received his B.E. and M.E. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Chung-Ang University, Korea, in 2006 and 2008, respectively. His research interests include reliability in electronic packages, micro joints evaluation, advanced IC packaging/assembly technologies. Seong Hyuk Lee received his Ph. D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Chung-Ang University, Korea, in 1999. Dr. Lee is currently an Associate Professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering of Chung-Ang University in Seoul, Korea. His research interests are mainly in the micro/nanoscale energy conversion and transport, the computational physics associated with thin film optics, and thermal and fluid engineering. Jong-Min Kim received his B.E. and M.E. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Chung-Ang University, Korea, in 1997 and 1999, respectively. He then received his Ph.D. degree in Manufacturing Science from Osaka University, Japan, in 2002. Dr. Kim is currently an Associate Professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering at Chung-Ang University in Seoul, Korea. He has been mainly engaged in the fields of the interconnection & packaging technology in microelectronics and the intelligent assembly process in micro/nano systems. Young Ki Choi received his B.E. and M.E. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul National University, Korea, in 1978 and 1980, respectively. He then received his Ph.D. degree in Manufacturing Science from Univ. of California, Berkeley, U.S.A., in 1986. Dr. Choi is currently a Professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering at Chung-Ang University in Seoul, Korea. He has been mainly engaged in the fields of the heat transfer in micro-nano systems and the numerical analysis of the heat transfer system. Dave F. Farson received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Welding Engineering and Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from The Ohio State University in 1987. He worked at Westinghouse R&D and Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State University before returning Ohio State University in 1995, where he is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Integrated Systems Engineering. He is a past-president and Fellow of the Laser Institute of America and was co-editor of its Handbook of Laser Materials Processing. He is also active in the American Welding Society. He does research in laser materials processes and materials joining for a range of applications including biomedical and electronics device fabrication. Young Eui Shin received his B.E.degree Mechanical Engineering from Chung-Ang University in Korea, and M.S and Ph.D degrees from Nihon Univ. and Osaka Univ. in 1985 and 1992 respectively. He worked as principal researcher in the Technical central lab of Daewoo Heavy industry from 1985 to 1988, and as a chief researcher in Technical Center of Samsung Electronics from 1992 to 1994. At present, he is a Professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering, Chung-Ang Univ., in Korea. He is also working as President, Korea Micro Joining Association. He has been mainly engaged in eco friendly materials application for micro system packaging and reliability evaluation for micro joints.     

Effect of wave conditions on the performance and internal flow of a direct drive turbine

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the effect of wave conditions on the performance and internal flow of a newly developed direct drive turbine (DDT) model for wave energy conversion experimentally. All the experiments using the test turbine models are conducted in a 2-D wave channel. Monochromatic waves of various conditions of wave height and wave period are applied to the turbine performance test. The influences of turbine configuration on turbine performance are also investigated. Test results show that rotational speed, differential pressure, incident flow rate, maximum output power, and best efficiency of the turbine model vary considerably depending on the wave conditions. Installation of a front guide nozzle and a rear water reservoir to the test turbine improves the turbine performance. Large passage vortex occurs both at the front and rear turbine nozzles in turn through a reciprocating flow in the turbine passage. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Jun Sang Park Young-Do Choi received his B.E. and M.E. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Korea Maritime University, Korea in 1996 and 1998, respectively. He received his Ph.D. in Engineering from the Yokohama National University, Japan in 2003. Dr. Choi is currently a research professor at the School of Mechatronics, Chanwon National University in Changwon, Korea. His research interests include ocean energy, wind power, small hydro power, fluid machinery, PIV and CFD. Chang-Goo Kim received his B.E. and M.E. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Korea Maritime University, Korea in 2007 and 2009, respectively. Mr. Kim is currently a doctorate student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Graduate School, Korea Maritime University. His research interest includes ocean energy. Young-Ho Lee received his B.E. and M.E. degrees from Korea Maritime University, Korea. He received his Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Tokyo, Japan. Dr. Lee is currently a Professor at the Division of Mechanical and Information Engineering, Korea Maritime University. His research interests include ocean energy, wind energy, small hydro power, fluid machinery, PIV, and CFD.     

Tunnel ventilation control via an actor-critic algorithm employing nonparametric policy gradients

The appropriate operation of a tunnel ventilation system provides drivers passing through the tunnel with comfortable and safe driving conditions. Tunnel ventilation involves maintaining CO pollutant concentration and VI (visibility index) under an adequate level with operating highly energy-consuming facilities such as jet-fans. Therefore, it is significant to have an efficient operating algorithm in aspects of a safe driving environment as well as saving energy. In this research, a reinforcement learning (RL) method based on the actor-critic architecture and nonparametric policy gradients is applied as the control algorithm. The two objectives listed above, maintaining an adequate level of pollutants and minimizing power consumption, are included into a reward formulation that is a performance index to be maximized in the RL methodology. In this paper, a nonparametric approach is adopted as a promising route to perform a rigorous gradient search in a function space of policies to improve the efficacy of the actor module. Extensive simulation studies performed with real data collected from an existing tunnel system confirm that with the suggested algorithm, the control purposes were well accomplished and improved when compared to a previously developed RL-based control algorithm. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Hong Hee Yoo Baeksuk Chu received his B.S. degree in 1999, M.S. degree in 2001, and Ph.D. in 2006, respectively in Mechanical Engineering from Korea University. Dr. Chu is currently a Research Professor at the Division of Mechanical Engineering at Korea University in Seoul, Korea. Dr. Chu’s research interests are in the area of robotics, control engineering, and reinforcement learning. Daehie Hong received his B.S. degree in 1985 and M.S. degree in 1987, respectively in Mechanical Engineering from Korea University. He then went on to receive his Ph.D. degree from UC Davis in 1994. Dr. Hong is currently a Professor at the Division of Mechanical Engineering at Korea University in Seoul, Korea. He is currently serving as an Editor of the International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing. Dr. Hong’s research interests are in the area of mechatronics and field robotics. Jooyoung Park received his B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Seoul National University in 1983, and his Ph.D. degree in Electrical and Computer Engi-neering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1992. He joined Korea University in 1993, where he is currently a Professor in the Department of Control and Instrumentation Engineering. Dr. Park’s recent research interests are in the area of rein-forcement learning and kernel methods.     

Numerical analysis of flow characteristics of fire extinguishing agents in aircraft fire extinguishing systems

If fire breaks out on an airplane, a large amount of fire extinguishing agents should be discharged within a very short time. For effective fire extinguishing, increased discharge velocity of the fire extinguishing agents is required. This can be achieved by using a large-sized vessel in which the fire extinguishing agents are highly pressurized by noncombustible gases. It is important to understand the flow characteristics of a fire extinguishing system for optimal system design. This study reports a numerical analysis of the flow characteristics of an airplane fire extinguishing system using halon-1301 as a fire extinguishing agent. The unsteady flow model was simulated with the general-purpose software package “FLUENT”, to study the flow characteristics of the fire extinguishing agents in the system. The effects of the rupture surface area and tube diameter on the flow characteristics were investigated for optimal system design. From the analysis results, it was clarified that the characteristics of the halon discharge from the end of tube are very sensitive to the rupture surface area and significantly affected by the tube diameter. This paper was presented at the 7th JSME-KSME Thermal and Fluids Engineering Conference, Sapporo, Japan, October 2008. Byung-Joon Baek received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul National University, KOREA, in 1979. He then received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Seoul National University, KOREA, in 1981 and University of Missouri-Rolla USA, in 1989, respectively. Dr. Baek is currently a Professor at Division of Mechanical System Engineering at Chonbuk National University in Jeonju, Korea. Dr. Baek’s research interests include the thermal control of micro-fluidics. Jee-Keun Lee received his B.S. degree in Precision Mechanical Engineering from Chonbuk National University, KOREA, in 1986. He then received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Chonbuk National University, KOREA, in 1992 and in 1998, respectively. Dr. Lee is currently an associate Professor at Division of Mechanical System Engineering at Chonbuk National University in Jeonju, Korea. Dr. Lee’s research interests include the measurement of a turbulent flow and sprays using the laser diagnostics.     

Development of rapid mixing fuel nozzle for premixed combustion

Combustion in high-preheat and low oxygen concentration atmosphere is one of the attractive measures to reduce nitric oxide emission as well as greenhouse gases from combustion devices, and it is expected to be a key technology for the industrial applications in heating devices and furnaces. Before proceeding to the practical applications, we need to elucidate combustion characteristics of non-premixed and premixed flames in high-preheat and low oxygen concentration conditions from scientific point of view. For the purpose, we have developed a special mixing nozzle to create a homogeneous mixture of fuel and air by rapid mixing, and applied this rapidmixing nozzle to a Bunsen-type burner to observe combustion characteristics of the rapid-mixture. As a result, the combustion of rapid-mixture exhibited the same flame structure and combustion characteristics as the perfectly prepared premixed flame, even though the mixing time of the rapid-mixing nozzle was extremely short as a few milliseconds. Therefore, the rapid-mixing nozzle in this paper can be used to create preheated premixed flames as far as the mixing time is shorter than the ignition delay time of the fuel. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Ohchae Kwon Masashi Katsuki received his B.E. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Osaka University, Japan, in 1965. He received his Dr. Eng. from O. U. in 1985. Dr. Katsuki is currently a Visiting Professor at the Department of Environmental Engineering at Hoseo University in Chungnam, Korea. He was a Vice President of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers. Dr. Katsuki’s research interests include combustion, computational thermo-fluid dynamics, and molecular dynamics. Jin-Do Chung received his B. S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Chungnam University, Korea in 1983, 1985 and 1990. He then received another Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Kanazawa University, Japan in 1996. After that he worked as Post-doc researcher for 1,6 year at KIMM and Senior researcher for 6years at KEPCO Research Center. Dr. Chung is currently a Professor at the Department of Environmental Engineering at Hoseo University in Asan, Korea. Dr. Chung’s research interests include thermal-fluid and environmental engineering. Jang-Woo Kim received his B. S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Chungnam University, Korea, in 1990. He then received his M. S. and Ph. D. degrees from Kyushu University, Japan in 1994 and 1998, respectively. Dr. Kim is currently a Professor at the School of Display Engineering at Hoseo University in Asan, Korea. Dr. Kim’s research interests include CFD, aerodynamics, and display equipment technology. Seung-Min Hwang received the Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering at Osaka University in 2005. After that he worked as visiting researcher for 3 years at CRIEPI (central research institute of electric power industry) and Osaka University in Japan. He is currently a Professor at the Graduate School of Venture at Hoseo University in Korea. His major research is thermal-fluid, energy issue and environment. Seung-Mo Kim received his Ph. D. degrees in Mechanical engineering from Osaka University, Japan, in 2004. Dr. Kim is currently a research Professor at Pusan Clean Coal Center at Pusan National University in Pusan, South Korea. Dr. Kim’s research interests include coal combustion, oxy-fuel combustion, coal gasification, coal de-watering, power generation plant system and energy issues. Chul-Ju Ahn received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Hanyang University, Korea, in 1998. He then received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Osaka University, Japan, in 2001 and 2006, respectively. Dr. Ahn is currently a Senior Research Engineer at Samsung Techwin CO. LTD. in Changwon, Korea. Dr. Ahn’s research interests include gas turbine engine, biomass gasification, and power system.     

Optimization of rapid thermal processing for uniform temperature distribution on wafer surface

An optimization of rapid thermal processing (RTP) was conducted to obtain uniform temperature distribution on a wafer surface by using linear programming and radiative heat transfer modeling. The results show that two heating lamp zones are needed to maintain uniform wafer temperature and the optimal lamp positions are unique for a given geometry and not affected by wafer temperatures. The radii of heating lamps, which were obtained by optimization, are 45 mm and 108 mm. The emissivity and temperature of the chamber wall do not significantly affect the optimal condition. With obtained optimum geometry of the RTP chamber and lamp positions, the wafer surface temperatures were calculated. The uniformity allowance of the wafer surface is less than ±1°C when the mean temperature of the wafer surface is 1000°C. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Dongsik Kim Hyuck-Keun Oh received the B.S. and M.S degrees in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering from Seoul National University in 2000 and 2002, respectively. He had experienced mechanical and electrical engineering in the Samsung SDI Corporation on various display devices between 2002 and 2007. He is now pursuing the Ph.D degree in Mechanical & Aerospace engineering at Seoul National University, Korea. His research interests are heat transfer and thermal management with a focus on power generation and energy efficiency. Sae Byul Kang received the B.S degree in Mechanical engineering from Korea University in 1996. He then went on to receive his M.S and Ph.D. degrees from Seoul National University in 1998 and 2003, respectively. Dr. Kang is currently a senior researcher at the Korea Institute of Energy Research in Daejeon, Korea. Dr. Kang’s research interests are development of industrial boiler and burner for bio-mass. Young Ki Choi received the B.S and M.S degrees in Mechanical engineering from Seoul National University in 1978 and 1980, respectively and the Ph.D. de-gree in mechanical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley in 1986. He is currently a professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering, Chung Ang University, Korea. His research interests are in the area of micro/nanoscale energy conversion and transport, computational fluid dynamics, and molecular dynamics simulations. Joon Sik Lee received the B.S and M.S degrees in Mechanical engineering from Seoul National University in 1976 and 1980, respectively and the Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley in 1985. He is currently a professor at the School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, Korea. He is also the director of Micro Thermal System Research Center. His research interests are in the area of micro/nanoscale energy conversion and transport, thermal management for power generation and energy efficiency, and various convective heat transport phenomena such as pool boiling and nanofluid.     

Predicting performance of radial flow type impeller of centrifugal pump using CFD

The main objective of this work is to use the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique in analyzing and predicting the performance of a radial flow-type impeller of centrifugal pump. The impeller analyzed is at the following design condition: flow rate of 528 m³/hr; speed of 1450 rpm; and head of 20 m or specific speed (N_s) of 3033 1/min in US-Units. The first stage involves the mesh generation and refinement on domain of the designed impeller. The second stage deals with the identification of initial and boundary conditions of the mesh-equipped module. In the final stage, various results are calculated and analyzed for factors affecting impeller performance. The results indicate that the total head rise of the impeller at the design point is approximately 19.8 m. The loss coefficient of the impeller is 0.015 when 0.6 < Q/Q_design < 1.2. Maximum hydraulic efficiency of impeller is 0.98 at Q/Q_design = 0.7. Based on the comparison of the theoretical head coefficient and static pressure rise coefficient between simulation results and experimental data, from previous work reported in the literature [Guelich, Kreiselpumpen, Springer, Berlin, 2004], it is possible to use this method to simulate the performance of a radial-flow type impeller of a centrifugal pump. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Seungbae Lee Somchai Wongwises is currently a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangmod, Thailand. He received his Doktor Ingenieur (Dr.Ing.) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Hannover, Germany, in 1994. His research interests include two-phase flow, heat transfer enhancement, and thermal system design. Professor Wongwises is the head of the Fluid Mechanics, Thermal Engineering and Two-Phase Flow Research Laboratory (FUTURE). Suthep Kaewnai obtained a B. S. degree in Mechanical Engineering, 1980 from the King Monkut’s University of Technology Thonburi and M. S. degree in Mechanical Engineering, 1983 from Chulalongkorn University. He is currently an assistant professor at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi. Suthep’s research interests are in the area of pumps and small hydroturbine. Manuspong Chamaoot received a B. S. degree, 1972 and M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering, 1979 from the King Monkut’s University of Technology Thonburi. He is currently an assistant professor at King Monkut’s University of Technology Thonburi. His research interests are in the field of mechanical vibration for rotating equipment and computational fluid dynamics.     

Measurements of air temperature distribution and optimum cooling condition inside the computer system

Measurements of the temperature distributions of the cooling air flow inside a computer system have been made. An investigation of the optimum cooling condition for the computer system has also been made. Seventy-one K-type (Chromega-Alumega) thermocouples were used to measure distributions of the air flow temperature inside the computer system. They were calibrated against the standard platinum resistance thermometer (PRT) in a constant water circulating bath within an accuracy of ± 0.15 °C. It was found that the number and position of cooling fans as well as their operating condition, whether air intake or air discharge, can greatly influence the cooling effectiveness in the computer system. The results show that the flow rate of intake air should not be higher than that of the discharge air for the most effective cooling. It follows that the optimum cooling has been achieved inside the computer when the three fans are positioned in the inlet front, outlet back, and outlet top in the computer, respectively. Under these conditions, not only is the average temperature inside the computer system maintained at an appropriate level, but the most effective cooling around the central processor (CPU) and graphic card which are responsible for the largest amount of heat dissipation can be accomplished. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Man-Yeong Ha Dae Hee Lee received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Hanyang University in 1984. He then went on to receive his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from University of California at Davis in 1984 and 1987, respectively. Dr. Lee is currently a Professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering and a Dean of Academic Affairs at Inje University in Korea. Dr. Lee’s research interests are in the area of Convection Heat Transfer, Liquid Crystal Thermography, Co-generation, and Renewable Energy.     

Micro machining of an STS 304 bar by magnetic abrasive finishing

A magnetic abrasive finishing process is a method of non-traditional precision machining in which the finishing process is completed using magnetic force and magnetic abrasives. In this research, a STS 304 cylindrical workpiece was finished using a magnetic abrasive finishing process at 30,000 rpm, and the roughness, roundness, and changes in the micro-diameter were investigated. The study showed that it is possible to control the micro-diameter and weight of the STS 304 cylindrical workpiece by using a near linear approach. Surface roughness as fine as 0.06 μm (Ry) and roundness as fine as 0.12 μm (LZS) were achievable by using a diamond paste with 1 μm particles. Vibrational motion applied to the workpiece improved the surface roughness. The improvement of the surface roughness was achieved because the vibrational motion effectively removes unevenness in the rotational direction and the direction orthogonal to it. This paper was presented at the 9^th Asian International Conference on Fluid Machinery (AICFM9), Jeju, Korea, October 16–19, 2007.recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Dae-Eun Kim Ik-Tae Im received the B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea, in 1993, 1995 and 1999, respectively. He has been a visiting scientist at the Department of Materials Engineering, the University of Tokyo, Japan, where he studied on the film growth during the MOCVD process. His research interests include the numerical modeling on the transport phenomena in various materials processing. He is a professor at the Division of Mechanical Design Engineering at Chonbuk National University in Jeonju, Korea. Sang Don Mun received the B.S. degree and M.S. in Precision Mechanical Engineering from Chonbuk National University, Korea, in 1991 and 1993, respectively. He then received the Ph.D. in Precision Mechanical Engineering at the same university in 1997. Dr. Mun is currently a Professor at the Division of Mechanical Design Engineering at Chonbuk National University in Jeonju, Korea. His research interests include magnetic abrasive finishing, tool wear, and micro machining. Seong Mo Oh received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Wonkwang University, Korea, in 1992. He then received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Wonkwang in 1994 and 2000 respectively. Dr. Oh is currently a Lecturer at the Division of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering at Wonkwang University in Jeonbuk, Korea. Dr. Oh’s research interests include tribology, functional surfaces, and micromachining.     

The effect of nonequilibrium condensation on hysteresis phenomenon of under-expanded jets

Under-expanded jets which are discharged from an orifice or a nozzle have long been subject of researches for aeronautical and mechanical applications. Provided that the jet pressure ratio and nozzle configuration are known, the major features of the steady jet are now well known. However, the jet pressure ratio is often varied even during the process in many practical applications. Many questions remain unanswered with regard to how the supersonic jet responds to the transient process of the pressure ratio and whether the steady jet data for a specific pressure ratio can still bear the same during the transient process of pressure ratio. In the present study, the hysteric phenomenon of under-expanded jets has been investigated with the help of computational fluid dynamics methods. The under-expanded jets of both dry and moist air have been employed to investigate the transient processes of the pressure ratio. The effects of nonequilibrium condensation occurring in the under-expanded moist air jets are explored on the hysteresis phenomenon. It is known that under-expanded air jet produced during the startup transient of jet behaves differently from the shutdown transient process, leading to the hysteric phenomenon of under-expanded jet. It is also known that the moist air jet reduces the hysteric phenomenon, compared with the dry air jet, and that non-equilibrium condensation which occurs in the underexpanded moist air jet is responsible for these findings. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Do Hyung Lee Heuy-Dong Kim received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Kyungpook National University, Korea, in 1986 and 1988, respectively. He then received his Ph.D. degree from Kyushu University, Japan, in 1991. Dr. Kim is currently a Professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering, Andong National University, Korea. His research interests include High-Speed Trains, Ramiet and Scramiet, Shock Tube and Technology, Shock Wave Dynamics, Explosions & Blast Waves, Flow Measurement, Aerodynamic Noises and Supersonic Wind Tunnels. Min-Sung Kang received his B.S. and M.S degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Andong National University, Korea, in 2007 and 2009, respectively. Mr. Kang is currently a researcher at the School of Mechanical Engineering at Andong National University, Korea. His research interests include cavity and supersonic nozzle flows. Yumiko Otobe received her B.S. degree in Faculty of Engineering from Yamaguchi University, Japan, in 1978. She then received her Eng. D. degree from Saga University, Japan, in 2007. Dr. Otobe is currently a Research Associate at the Department of Control & Information Systems Engineering, Kitakyushu National College of Technology, Japan. Dr. Otobe’s research interests include sonic and supersonic jets of various gases as well as nonequilibrium condensation phenomena. Toshiaki Setoguchi received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan, in 1976. He then received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Kyushu University, Japan, in 1978 and 1981, respectively. Dr. Setoguchi is currently a Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Saga University, Japan. His research interests include Nonequilibrium Condensation, Ramiet and Scramiet, Shock Tube and Technology, Shock Wave Dynamics, Explosions & Blast Waves, Aerodynamic Noises and Turbomachinery.     

Optimal design of a variable stiffness joint in a robot manipulator using the response surface method

The response surface method combined with the design of experiment-based design optimization of a variable stiffness joint (VSJ) is presented in this article. A VSJ used in a manipulator of a robot arm to support 1 kg payload at the end is designed by considering the minimization of the total weight as the objective function. Owing to the requirement of large rotational stiffness of the VSJ, over 10 N · m, ring-type permanent magnets are adopted. First, a model composed of two permanent magnets was initially manufactured and tested for comparison with the analysis results. Then, a three-ring-type permanent magnet-based model is suggested and optimized to increase the torque of VSJ. The finite element method is used as a magnetic field analysis method to substitute for the expensive experimental process. Optimization results decrease the weight from 0.899 kg to 0.538 kg, still satisfying the requirement for the rotational stiffness. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Tae Hee Lee Jeonghoon Yoo received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Design and Production Engineering from Seoul National University, in 1989 and 1991, respectively. He then received his Ph.D. degrees from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1999. Dr. Yoo is currently a Professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea. Dr. Yoo’s research interests include analysis and design of electromagnetic field systems. Myung Wook Hyun received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Yonsei University, Korea, in 1995 and 1997, respectively. While studying for his M.S. degree, Mr. Hyun also studied variable stiffness unit design. He is now working at Samsung Electronics, Co. Ltd.. Jun Ho Choi received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Design from Hanyang University, Korea and his Ph.D. degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He is currently a senior research scientist in the Korea Institute of Science and Technology. His research interests include nonlinear control, manipulator control, and safe-joint design. Sungchul Kang received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Design and Production Engineering from Seoul National University, Korea, in 1989, 1991, and 1998 respectively. Dr. Kang is currently a Principal Research Scientist in the Center for Cognitive Robotics Research, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, in Seoul, Korea. Dr. Kang’s research interests include mobility and manipulation of field and service robots and haptics. Seung-Jong Kim received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul University, Korea, in 1989, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from KAIST in 1991 and 1998, respectively. Dr. Kim is currently a Principal Research Scientist at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology in Seoul, Korea. Dr. Kim’s research interests include the design, control, and dynamic analysis of mechatronic systems.