The indiscriminate use of the fossil fuel has caused serious environmental pollutions such as the shortage of energy and global warming. Microalgae have being emphasized as 3<SUP>rd</SUP> generation biomass which makes the carbon dioxide reduce effectively as well as produces the biofuel. Large scale production of microbial biomass by continuous culture is a quite challenging issue, because off-line optimization strategies of a microbial process utilizing a model-based scheme give rise to many difficult problems. In this paper, the static and simple control method which was able to be applied in time-variant growth environment and large scale of algae culture was studied. The significant disturbances in on-line measurement of cell density were reduced by Savitzky-Golay FIR smoothing filter. Dunaliella salina was cultivated continuously in a flat panel photobioreactor by the on-off control of the turbidostat process.

We present results of the optical design and fabrication of a light-guiding plate (LGP) for a photobioreactor by using sunlight and a linear Fresnel lens. LGP patterns were designed by optical simulations with an illumination design tool, LightTools, and fabricated by using a computerized numerical control machine. Optical characteristics of average deviation of illuminance distribution and light throughput efficiency were measured and compared with simulation results.

This study demonstrates a novel hybrid surface polishing process combining non-traditional electrochemical polishing(ECP) with external artificial ultrasonic vibration. ECP, typical noncontact surface polishing process, has been used to improve surface quality without leaving any mechanical scratch marks formed by previous mechanical processes, which can polish work material by electrochemical dissolution between two electrodes surfaces. This research suggests vibration electrochemical polishing(VECP) assisted by ultrasonic vibration for enhancing electrochemical reaction and surface quality compared to the conventional ECP. The localized roughness of work material is measured by atomic force microscopy(AFM) for detailed information on surface. Besides roughness, overall surface quality, material removal rate(MRR), and productivity etc. are compared with conventional ECP.

Adhesive bonding and plastic welding have been widely used to join two plastic materials together. The goal of this paper is to determine a proper joining technology of a pair of flat panel (FP) photobioreactor (PBR) case. The material of the FP PBR case is polycarbonate (PC) plate. Two types of adhesion, including acryl adhesive and two-part epoxy adhesive, as well as two types of plastic welding technology, including ultrasonic welding and thermal welding, are employed for joining of PC plates. In order to influence of the adhesion and welding conditions on the joining characteristics of the PC plates in operational conditions of the FP PBR case, the morphology in the vicinity of the joined region as well as the water and pressure resistance characteristic are investigated. In addition, the variation of the bonding strength of the joined region and deformation behaviors in the vicinity of the joined region according to the adhesion and welding conditions is examined via the lap-shear test. From the result of basic experiments, proper joining technologies are chosen. Using the chosen joining technologies, the FP PBR case are fabricated to perform full-scale durability experiment. The results of the full-scale durability experiment have been shown that the chosen joining technologies can be applicable to fabricate the FP PBR case.

The latest vehicle yields a superior safety and reduction of driving burden by monitoring the driving state of vehicle and its environment with various sensors. To detect other vehicles and objects of the rear left and right-side blind spot area of driver, provide the information about a existence of objects inside the blind spot, and give a signal to avoid collision, this study proposes the intelligent outside rear-view mirror system. This study proposes SILS system with PreScan and Matlab/Simulink to verify practical applicability of developed BSDS. PreScan yields realistic driving environments and road conditions and vehicle model dynamics and collision warning is controlled by Matlab/Simulink.

In this research a Self-Standable mobile Robot with standing arms based on an Wheeled Inverted Pendulum is developed. Almost existing mobile robots have wide planar shape that is statistically stable and it is sometimes hard for them to run or steer on a narrow road. A Wheeled Inverted Pendulum based mobile robot has vertical shape that is upright-running and easily steering on a narrow road. It, however, requires actively balancing control and never restores the shape once it falls down. This research develops a Self-Standable mobile robot which equips standing arms and is able to change its chassis’ posture freely from planar to vertical shape or vice versa.

This paper proposes an enhanced Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) algorithm based on matching laser image and Extended Kalman Filter (EKF). In general, laser information is one of the most efficient data for localization of mobile robots and is more accurate than encoder data. For localization of a mobile robot, moving distance information of a robot is often obtained by encoders and distance information from the robot to landmarks is estimated by various sensors. Though encoder has high resolution, it is difficult to estimate current position of a robot precisely because of encoder error caused by slip and backlash of wheels. In this paper, the position and angle of the robot are estimated by comparing laser images obtained from laser scanner with high accuracy. In addition, Speeded Up Robust Features (SURF) is used for extracting feature points at previous laser image and current laser image by comparing feature points. As a result, the moving distance and heading angle are obtained based on information of available points. The experimental results using the proposed laser slam algorithm show effectiveness for the SLAM of robot.

The construction automation provides safer and more productive working environment of construction site. We developed the automation system of bolting operation for high-rise building in the previous research. However, this system has a weak point that the operation has to be processed in the air with the operator in the cabin. This weakness leads operators to considerably dangerous environment. Therefore, we proposed the tele-operation system in order to supplement this weak point. Furthermore, it leads more effective operation by application of more intuitive controller; spherical coordinate based Master Arm than the joystick in the Mobile Bolting Robot system. These proposed system and controller were evaluated based on Fitts’ law paradigm, which is a general estimation method of speed accuracy of task. Through the experimental results, new developed tele-operation system is compared with the actual operation and it discloses distinctions between two systems. As a result, it is found that new developed teleoperation system can be possible to replace the operation in the cabin.

In recent years, the main concerns of enterprise management activities is how to strengthen the competitiveness to quickly respond to changes and sustain the growth in business environment. In order to achieve competitiveness and sustainability, a large variety of production informatization systems, such as MES (Manufacturing Execution System), ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), have been introduced to manufacturing companies. However, there have been many problems owing to the reckless introduction of those systems. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the informatization level of the manufacturing company before introducing production informatization systems. This paper presents methodology and system to evaluate the informatization level of manufacturing company. The proposed evaluation method, based on the traditional questionnaire approaches, considers the various characteristics of the company. And then, we proposed models for calculation and production informatization level using 450 results of conducting a survey. Finally, a web-based system was developed for the evaluation of informatization level.

In recent years, many companies have heavily invested in introducing production informatization systems in order to strengthen the competitiveness and to satisfy consumer’s desires in quickly changing market environment. However, it is not effective due to the lack of understanding of systems and of non-existence of an optimal system for each company. Therefore, in this paper, manufacturing companies were classified according to its properties; size of the firm, type of business, production method and job production. After that, a model has been built to calculate the production informatization level, and it has been applied to 450 companies. Results of 450 surveys would be the base for figuring out strategies of introducing the production informatization to the companies which are wishing to build production informatization systems. Finally, Developed in this paper rule base system refer customized guideline to company that wants to adapt production information system.

This paper deals with the issue of kinematic modeling and analysis of a toggle mechanism. Based on the mathematic model of a conventional five-point type toggle mechanism. New fivepoint type toggle mechanism has been analyzed by computer simulation method. A sensitivity ratio has been defined and analyzed to compare its performance with four-point type toggle mechanism. A cycloidal motion has been applied to the cross head as an input and the motion of the moving platen is considered as an output. The effect of link design parameter as well as the type of toggle has been investigated by computer simulation to be available for industrial applications of injection molding machines.

When a new nuclear fuel is developed, an irradiation test needs to be carried out in the research reactor to analyze the performance of the new nuclear fuel. In order to check the performance of a nuclear fuel during the irradiation test in the test loop of a research reactor, sensors need to be attached in and out of the fuel rod and connect them with instrumentation cables to the measuring device located outside of the reactor pool. In particular, to check the temporary temperature change at the center of a nuclear fuel during the irradiation test, a thermocouple should be instrumented at the center of the fuel rod. Therefore, a hole needs to be made at the center of fuel pellet to put in the thermocouple. However, because the hardness and the density of a sintered UO<SUB>2</SUB> pellet are very high, it is difficult to make a small fine hole on a sintered UO2 pellet using a simple drilling machine even though we use a diamond drill bit made by electro deposition. In this study, an automated drilling mach ne using a CVD diamond drill has been developed to make a fine hole in a fuel pellet without changing tools or breakage of workpiece. A sintered alumina (Al<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB>) block which has a higher hardness than a sintered UO<SUB>2</SUB> pellet is used as a test specimen. Then, it is verified that a precise hole can be drilled off without breakage of the drill bit in a short time.

The purpose of this paper is to compare with estimation of equivalent fatigue load in time domain and frequency domain and estimate the fatigue life of structure with multi-axial vibration loading. The fatigue analysis with two methods is implemented with various signals like random, sinusoidal signals. Also an equivalent fatigue life estimated by rainflow cycle counting in time domain is compared with results estimated with probability density function of each signal in frequency domain. In case of frequency domain, equivalent fatigue life can estimate through Dirlik’s method with probability density function. And the work proposed in this paper compared the fatigue damage accumulated under uni-axial loading to that induced by multi-axial loading. The comparison is preformed for a simple cantilever beam, which is exposed to vibrations of several directions. For verification of estimation performance of fatigue life, results are compared to those of FEM analysis (ANSYS).

In this presentation, we propose a fabrication method of PDMS stencil to apply into a localized culture of NIH/3T3 cells. PDMS stencil was fabricated by nitrogen gas blowing and soft lithography from preparing SU-8 master mold by photolithography. PDMS stencil pattern was production of the circle size 20 to 500 μm. In the culture test of PDMS stencil, a stencil was placed on a glass disk. The NIH/3T3 cells were successfully cultured into micropatterns by using the PDMS stencil. The results showed that cells could be cultured into micropatterns with precisely controlled manner at any shapes and specific size for bioscience study and bioengineering applications.

This paper reports fabrication and characterization of cellulose Electro-Active Paper (EAPap) with increased thickness. Usual thickness of cellulose EAPap was 15 μm. This thickness needs to be increased to enhance the mechanical force output of EAPap. To fabricate thick cellulose EAPap, the fabrication process parameters including casting and drying processes should be investigated. In this paper, the casting thickness is increased from 800 μm to 1500 μm, and heating times on a hot plate before and after curing process are introduced at 40 and 60℃ for 30 and 60 minutes, respectively. Thickness measurement, Thermal Gravitational Analysis (TGA), UV-transmittance, Young’s modulus, and piezoelectric charge constant are measured. Heated EAPaps with increased thickness have similar TGA result, higher transmittance, higher Young’s modulus and lower piezoelectric charge constant.