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Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions ›› 2017, Vol. 9 ›› Issue (6): 580-586.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1226.2017.00580

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Numerical analysis on the thermal regimes of thermosyphon embankment in snowy permafrost area

Yan Lu1,4, Xin Yi3, WenBing Yu1,2, WeiBo Liu1   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China;
    2. College of Civil Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing 400074, China;
    3. College of Civil Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, Jiangxi 341000, China;
    4. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • Received:2017-05-07 Online:2017-12-01 Published:2018-11-23
  • Contact: WenBing Yu, Professor of State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences. No. 320, West Donggang Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China. Tel: +86-931-4967292;E-mail:99155644@qq.com E-mail:99155644@qq.com
  • Supported by:
    This study was supported by the National Natural Science Fund (41571070), the Fund of SKLFS (SKLFSE-ZT-21), the Fund of the National Key Basic Research and Development Program (2012CB026102), the Funds of Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences of CAS (QYZDYSSWDQC015) and fund HHS-TSS-STS-1502.

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Abstract: Snow covers the road embankments in winter in high latitude permafrost zones. The effect of snow cover on embankments was simulated based on field measurements of boundary conditions and initial ground temperature profile in Mohe, China. The effect of thermosyphons on the embankment warmed by snow cover was evaluated by numerical simulations as well. The results indicate that the difference of thermal regimes between non-thermosyphon and thermosyphon embankments reaches to 22 m in depth below the ground surface. It is much warmer in the non-thermosyphon embankment body in winter. Affected by the snow cover, heat flux gradually spreads into the deep ground of the subgrade over time. The permafrost table under the slope toe of a thermosyphon embankment is 1.2 m higher than that of a non-thermosyphon embankment in the 20th year. In addition, the permafrost table at the slope toe of a thermosyphon embankment is 26 cm deeper over 20 years. These results indicate that thermosyphons can greatly weaken the warm effect of snow cover. However, thermosyphons cannot avoid the degradation of permafrost under the scenarios of snow cover. Therefore, composite measures need to be adopted to keep embankment stability in snowy permafrost zones.

Key words: snow cover, permafrost embankment, thaw settlement, thermosyphon

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