Jongsoon Kim

Understanding Phytosanitary Irradiation Treatment of Pineapple Using Monte Carlo Simulation

th , 2013; Revised: May 17 th , 2013; Accepted: May 21 th , 2013 Purpose: Pineapple is now the third most important tropical fruit in wor ld production after banana and citrus. Phytosanitary irradiation is recognized as a promising alternative treatment to chemical fumigation. However, most of the phytosanitary irradiation studies have dealt with physiochemica l properties and its efficacy. Accurate dose calculation is crucial for ensuring proper process control in phytosanitary ir radiation. The objective of this study was to optimize phytosanitary irradiation treatment of pineapple in various radiation sources using Monte Carlo simulation. Methods: 3-D geometry and component densities of the pineapple, extracted from CT scan data, were entered into a radiation transport Monte Carlo code (MCNP5) to obtain simulated dose distribution. Radiation energy used for simulation were 2 MeV (low-energy) and 10 MeV (high-energy) for electron beams, 1.25 MeV for gamma-rays, and 5 MeV for X-rays. Results: For low-energy electron beam simulation, electrons penetrated up to 0.75 cm from the pineapple skin, which is good for controlling insect eggs laid just below the fruit surface. For high-energy electron beam simulation, electrons penetrated up to 4.5 cm and the irradiation area occupied 60.2% of the whole area at single-side irradiation and 90.6% at double-side irradiation. For a single-side only gamma- and X-ray source sim ulation, the entire pineapple was irradiated and dose uniformity ratios (Dmax/Dmin) were 2.23 and 2.19, respectively. Even though both sources had all greater penetrating capability, the X-ray treatment is safer and the gamma-ray treatment is more widely used due to their availability. Conclusions: These results are invaluable for optimizing phytosanitary irradiation treatment planning of pineapple.

Analysis and Modelling of Vibration Performance for Multi-layered Corrugated Structure

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze for resonant frequency, vibration transmissibility and damping ratio of multi-layered corrugated structures using a random vibration test. Methods: The random vibration test was performed by the ASTM D4728 specifications using two paperboards (S120, K180) and two types of flutes (A/F, B/F). Damping ratio of the multi-layered corrugated structures was estimated using a theoretical equation derived from the measured resonant frequency and transmissibility. Results: The resonant frequency and vibration transmissibility of the multi-layered corrugated structures of K180 and B-flute were higher than those of S120 and A-flute, respectively; however, the damping ratio of each sample had the opposite tendency. The resonant frequency was inversely proportional to the sample thickness and static stress; vibration transmissibility and damping ratio were not correlated with sample thickness and static stress. In addition, we developed a mathematical model of the resonant frequency with variables of sample thickness and static stress. Conclusions: Results of this study can be useful for environment-friendly and optimal packaging design since vibration has been a key factor in cushioning packaging design.

Comparative Study on Efficiencies of Naturally-Ventilated Multi-Span Greenhouses in Korea

This research analyzed the ventilation effect of the multi-span greenhouse based on the types of greenhouse structure, weather conditions, and locations inside the greenhouse. To compare and analyze the ventilation effects with different types of greenhouse, the uniform environmental conditions should be selected in advance. But these factors are not controlled and require tense many precision facilities and labor forces. Thus, the CFD simulation was used for the air stream to be analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. In addition, for the ventilation effect analysis, the TGD (Tracer Gas Decay) was used to overcome the shortcomings of the current ventilation measurement method. The calculation error of ventilation rate using TGD was low (10.5%). Thus, the TGD is very effective in calculating the ventilation efficiency. The wind direction of 90 degrees showed the best ventilation effect. The ventilation rate also decreased along the air circulation path, and the rate was the lowest around the outlet. The computed fluid method (CFD) turned out to be a power tool for simulating flow behavior in greenhouse.

Analysis of Dynamic Behavior and Balancing of High Speed Spindle

A spindle with a built-in motor can be used to simplify the structure of a machine tool system, but the rotor inevitably has unbalanced mass. This paper presents an analysis of the dynamic behavior. The spindle was used in a CNC lathe and investigated using the finite element method and transfer matrices. The high-speed spindle can be very sensitive to the rotation of an unbalanced mass, which has a harmful effect on many machine tools. Thus, a balancing procedure was performed with a spindle-bearing system for the CNC lathe by numerical analysis. The balancing was performed through the influence coefficient method, and the whirl orbit radii before and after balancing were compared to evaluate the effects. The results show that the rotational speed of the spindle seriously affects the whirl responses of the spindle. The whirl responses were also affected by other factors, such as the unbalanced mass and bearing stiffness. The balancing of the assembled spindle model significantly reduced the whirl orbit magnitude.

Monte Carlo Simulation of Phytosanitary Irradiation Treatment for Mangosteen Using MRI-based Geometry

Purpose: Phytosanitary irradiation treatment can effectively control regulated pests while maintaining produce quality. The objective of this study was to establish the best irradiation treatment for mangosteen, a popular tropical fruit, using a Monte Carlo simulation. Methods: Magnetic resonance image (MRI) data were used to generate a 3-D geometry to simulate dose distributions in a mangosteen using a radiation transport code (MCNP5). Microsoft Excel with visual basic application (VBA) was used to divide the image data into seed, flesh, and rind. R adiation energies used for the simulation were 10 MeV (high-energy) and 1.35 MeV (low-energy) for the electron beam, 5 MeV for X-rays, and 1.25 MeV for gamma rays from Co-60. Results: At 5 MeV X-rays and 1.25 MeV gamma rays, all areas (seeds, flesh, and rind) were irradiated ranging from 0.3 ~ 0.7 kGy. The average doses decreased as the number of fruit increased. For a 10 MeV electron beam, the dose distribution was biased: the dose for the rind where the electrons entered was 0.45 ± 0.03 kGy and the other side was 0.24 ± 0.10 kGy. Use of an electron kinetic energy absorber improved the dose distribution in mangosteens. For the 1.35 MeV electron beam, the dose was shown only in the rind on the irradiated side; no significant dose was found in the flesh or seeds. One rotation of the fruit while in front of the beam improved the dose distribution around the entire rind. Conclusion: These results are invaluable for determining the ideal irradiation conditions for phytosanitary irradiation treatment of tropical fruit.