To prevent the air pollution and ensure a clean atmosphere is a very important problem.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has long conducted the work to measure the amount of air pollutants and take a suitable step to protect the environment. But the old method had a number of limitations—it failed to take the real-time measurement despite a high cost.
Young researchers at the environmental sanitation institute of the Academy of Medical Science and the electronic engineering faculty of the Kim Chaek University of Technology manufactured an air measuring instrument which is free from the limitations. Thus favourable conditions have been laid for the work of environmental protection.
When teacher Kim Yong Hyok, one of the developers, set out to make the instrument, some people shook their head. Because they knew it was a difficult task for Korean researchers with no experience or reference books. And they couldn’t tell how long it would take. Actually, it is not easy to properly analyse the state of various pollutants mixed in the air. As various kinds of pollutants, which are in a tiny range of measurement, float in the air interfering relevant sensors, it was imperative to have a great scientific ability to judge the amount of the contaminants.
But the research team including Kim got down to the task with confidence. They knew the faculty had achieved lots of successes in scientific research. Most recently they had designed and manufactured a CT machine by themselves.
The researchers started their work by choosing relevant sensor elements and understanding their technical specifications. Teacher Maeng Chol Su made the driver circuit of the gas sensor by himself and others developed a realtime monitor of air-pollution capable of measuring polluted materials in the air and temperature and humidity comprehensively.
In addition they soon developed a classifier which sorts out dust in the air and laid a good condition to correctly assess the amount of each of pollutants in the air by introducing an artificial intelligence technology
“That was not easy for us, indeed. We had some troubles as the artificial neural network of the gas sensor didn’t work properly. However, we completed the air measuring instrument by joining our collective wisdom,” says Kim. An Jae Uk, a department head, says, “The work to protect and improve environment is an urgent task of the human beings. For the reason everyone is concerned about it. It is our duty to develop the new instrument.”
The instrument which they completed in two years has an advantage in that it is capable of measuring even a small content of air pollutants effectively at low cost. The test application proved that all the indices of measurement are of unquestionable accuracy.
Based on their achievement, the researchers recently made a lighter model of the instrument weighing no more than 10kg. It can be used in all sectors and areas including collieries and mines as well as indoors and outdoors. It has functions of displaying, saving or sending data on air pollution in real time, so it makes it possible to set an air pollution observation network across the country.
Not content with the success, the research team is now struggling to make the instrument smaller and lighter and expand the measuring realm.
Rim Ok
