Application of a concrete thermal pile in cooling the warming permafrost under climate change

Permafrost degradation caused by climate warming is posing a serious threat to the stability of cast-in-place pile foundations in warm permafrost regions.Ambient cold energy can be effectively utilized by two-phase closed thermosyphons(TPCTs)to cool the permafrost.Therefore,we installed TPCTs in a cast-in-place pile foundation to create a unique structure called a thermal pile,which effectively utilizes the TPCTs to regulate ground temperature.And we conducted a case study and numerical simulation to exhibit the cooling performance,and optimize the structure of the thermal pile.The purpose of this study is to promote the application of thermal piles in unstable permafrost regions.Based on the findings,the thermal pile operated for approximately 53%of the entire year and effectively reduced the deep ground temperature at a rate of at least-0.1℃per year.Additionally,it successfully raised the permafrost table that is 0.35 m shallower than the natural ground level.These characteristics prove highly beneficial in mitigating the adverse effects of permafrost degradation and enhancing infrastructure safety.Expanding the length of the condenser section and the diameter of the TPCT in a suitable manner can effectively enhance the cooling capability of the thermal pile and ensure the long-term mechanical stability of the pile foundation even under climate warming.

Evaluation of the energy budget of thermokarst lake in permafrost regions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Thermokarst lake formation accelerates permafrost degradation due to climate warming,thereby releasing significant amounts of carbon into the atmosphere,complicating hydrological cycles,and causing environmental damage.However,the energy transfer mechanism from the surface to the sediment of thermokarst lakes remains largely unexplored,thereby limiting our understanding of the magnitude and duration of biogeochemical processes and hydrological cycles.Therefore,herein,a typical thermokarst lake situated in the center of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP)was selected for observation and energy budget modeling.Our results showed that the net radiation of the thermokarst lake surface was 95.1,156.9,and 32.3 W m^(-2) for the annual,ice-free,and ice-covered periods,respectively,and was approximately 76%of the net radiation consumed by latent heat flux.Alternations in heat storage in the thermokarst lake initially increased from January to April,then decreased from April to December,with a maximum change of 48.1 W m^(-2) in April.The annual average heat fuxes from lake water to sediments were 1.4 W m^(-2);higher heat fluxes occurred during the ice-free season at a range of 4.9-12.0 W m^(-2).The imbalance between heat absorption and release in the millennium scale caused the underlying permafrost of the thermokarst lake to completely thaw.At present,the ground temperature beneath the lake bottom at a depth of 15 m has reached 2.0℃.The temperatures and vapor-pressure conditions of air and lake surfaces control the energy budget of the thermokarst lake.Our findings indicate that changes in the hydrologic regime shifts and biogeochemical processes are more frequent under climate warming and permafrost degradation.

Thermal and mechanical characteristics of a thermal pile in permafrost regions

Cast-in-place pile foundations are widely used in permafrost regions to support buildings.The stability of cast-in-place pile foundations is highly sensitive to permafrost thermal regime changes.Permafrost degradation caused by climate change is increasing the disaster risk of castin-place pile foundations.However,proactive cooling methods for cast-in-place pile foundations are seldom reported.The cold energy produced by two-phase closed thermosyphons(TPCTs)can efficiently prevent the permafrost thermal regime from being disturbed by engineering activities and climate change.TPCTs were installed in a concrete pile forming a thermal pile.Then,a model experiment was conducted to explore the thermal regime,influence scope,dissipation process of cold energy,and freezing strength of the thermal pile.The results indicated that the thermal pile may significantly cool the foundation soil.Most of cold energy produced by the thermal pile dissipated during the warm period,and the cooling scope of the thermal pile can cover the area within a 40 cm(twice the pile diameter)radius around the pile.Additionally,the TPCTs can significantly improve freezing strength between the thermal pile and frozen soil.The lesson learned from this study can provide a new approach to control the thermal regime of cast-in-place pile foundation in permafrost,which was of valuable to the construction of pile foundations in cold regions.