Change in Grain-Size Composition of Lignite under Cyclic Freezing-Thawing and Wetting-Drying

The paper presents the change in grain-size composition of lignite under cyclic freezing-thawing (FTC) and wetting-drying (WDC). The article shows that in the spring and autumn periods the lignites can be subjected to repeated freezing-thawing and wetting-drying, which determines the possibility of changing their grain-size composition and structure. Experimental studies in laboratory conditions on the influence of cyclic freezing-thawing (FTC) and wetting-drying (WDC) on the quality indicators of lignites have been carried out, their granulometric (fractional) composition has been studied. Freezing-thawing cycle conditions are as follows (FTC): minimum exposure temperature: -20°C;maximum: +5°C;relative humidity: 30%;number of processing cycles: 3. Wetting-drying cycles are as follows (WDC): drying temperatures are +20, +40, +60, +80°C, drying time 90 minutes, the coals are further subjected to rain (soaking) for a period of water saturation to humidity of 30% - 40% and dry again. The number of wetting-drying cycles is 3 times. The tests have revealed the destructive effects of FTC and WDC on the samples of lower metamorphic grade coal, and the cycles of wet-dry lead to the much higher yield of fine sizes (-6+0;-13+0 mm) than the cycles of freeze-thaw. Furthermore, it is found that the increase in the yield of fines depends on the heating temperature: coal disintegration proceeds more intensively at a higher temperature of drying.

Coupling of the Calculated Freezing and Thawing Front Parameterization in the Earth System Model CAS-ESM

The soil freezing and thawing process affects soil physical properties,such as heat conductivity,heat capacity,and hydraulic conductivity in frozen ground regions,and further affects the processes of soil energy,hydrology,and carbon and nitrogen cycles.In this study,the calculation of freezing and thawing front parameterization was implemented into the earth system model of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS-ESM)and its land component,the Common Land Model(CoLM),to investigate the dynamic change of freezing and thawing fronts and their effects.Our results showed that the developed models could reproduce the soil freezing and thawing process and the dynamic change of freezing and thawing fronts.The regionally averaged value of active layer thickness in the permafrost regions was 1.92 m,and the regionally averaged trend value was 0.35 cm yr–1.The regionally averaged value of maximum freezing depth in the seasonally frozen ground regions was 2.15 m,and the regionally averaged trend value was–0.48 cm yr–1.The active layer thickness increased while the maximum freezing depth decreased year by year.These results contribute to a better understanding of the freezing and thawing cycle process.

Response of Freezing/Thawing Indexes to the Wetting Trend under Warming Climate Conditions over the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau during 1961–2010:A Numerical Simulation

Since the 1990s,the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau(QTP)has experienced a strikingly warming and wetter climate that alters the thermal and hydrological properties of frozen ground.A positive correlation between the warming and thermal degradation in permafrost or seasonally frozen ground(SFG)has long been recognized.Still,a predictive relationship between historical wetting under warming climate conditions and frozen ground has not yet been well demonstrated,despite the expectation that it will become even more important because precipitation over the QTP has been projected to increase continuously in the near future.This study investigates the response of the thermal regime to historical wetting in both permafrost and SFG areas and examines their relationships separately using the Community Land Surface Model version 4.5.Results show that wetting before the 1990s across the QTP mainly cooled the permafrost body in the arid and semiarid zones,with significant correlation coefficients of 0.60 and 0.48,respectively.Precipitation increased continually at the rate of 6.16 mm decade–1 in the arid zone after the 1990s but had a contrasting warming effect on permafrost through a significant shortening of the thawing duration within the active layer.However,diminished rainfall in the humid zone after the 1990s also significantly extended the thawing duration of SFG.The relationship between the ground thawing index and precipitation was significantly negatively correlated(−0.75).The dual effects of wetting on the thermal dynamics of the QTP are becoming critical because of the projected increases in future precipitation.

Effects of freeze-thaw cycles on sandstone in sunny and shady slopes

A growing rock engineering activity in cold regions is facing the threat of freeze-thaw(FT)weathering,especially in high mountains where the sunny-shady slope effects strongly control the difference in weathering behavior of rocks.In this paper,an investigation of the degradation of petrophysical characteristics of sandstone specimens subjected to FT cycle tests to simulate the sunny-shady slope effects is presented.To this aim,non-destructive and repeatable testing techniques including weight,ultrasonic waves,and nuclear magnetic resonance methods on standard specimens were performed.For the sunny slope specimens,accompanied by the enlargement of small pores,100 FT cycles caused a significant decrease in P-wave velocity with an average of 23%,but a consistent rise of 0.18%in mass loss,34%in porosity,67%in pore geometrical mean radius,and a remarkable 14.5-fold increase in permeability.However,slight changes with some abnormal trends in physical parameters of the shady slope specimens were observed during FT cycling,which can be attributed to superficial granular disaggregation and pore throat obstruction.Thermal shocks enhance rock weathering on sunny slopes during FT cycles,while FT weathering on shady slopes is restricted to the small pores and the superficial cover.These two factors are primarily responsible for the differences in FT weathering intensity between sunny and shady slopes.The conclusions derived from the interpretation of the experimental results may provide theoretical guidance for the design of slope-failure prevention measures and the selection of transportation routes in cold mountainous regions.

Quantification of the concrete freeze–thaw environment across the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau based on machine learning algorithms

The reasonable quantification of the concrete freezing environment on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau(QTP) is the primary issue in frost resistant concrete design, which is one of the challenges that the QTP engineering managers should take into account. In this paper, we propose a more realistic method to calculate the number of concrete freeze–thaw cycles(NFTCs) on the QTP. The calculated results show that the NFTCs increase as the altitude of the meteorological station increases with the average NFTCs being 208.7. Four machine learning methods, i.e., the random forest(RF) model, generalized boosting method(GBM), generalized linear model(GLM), and generalized additive model(GAM), are used to fit the NFTCs. The root mean square error(RMSE) values of the RF, GBM, GLM, and GAM are 32.3, 4.3, 247.9, and 161.3, respectively. The R^(2) values of the RF, GBM, GLM, and GAM are 0.93, 0.99, 0.48, and 0.66, respectively. The GBM method performs the best compared to the other three methods, which was shown by the results of RMSE and R^(2) values. The quantitative results from the GBM method indicate that the lowest, medium, and highest NFTC values are distributed in the northern, central, and southern parts of the QTP, respectively. The annual NFTCs in the QTP region are mainly concentrated at 160 and above, and the average NFTCs is 200 across the QTP. Our results can provide scientific guidance and a theoretical basis for the freezing resistance design of concrete in various projects on the QTP.

Thermal performance of cast-in-place piles with artificial ground freezing in permafrost regions

During the construction of cast-in-place piles in warm permafrost,the heat carried by concrete and the cement hydration reaction can cause strong thermal disturbance to the surrounding permafrost.Since the bearing capacity of the pile is quite small before the full freeze-back,the quick refreezing of the native soils surrounding the cast-in-place pile has become the focus of the infrastructure construction in permafrost.To solve this problem,this paper innovatively puts forward the application of the artificial ground freezing(AGF)method at the end of the curing period of cast-in-place piles in permafrost.A field test on the AGF was conducted at the Beiluhe Observation and Research Station of Frozen Soil Engineering and Environment(34°51.2'N,92°56.4'E)in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau(QTP),and then a 3-D numerical model was established to investigate the thermal performance of piles using AGF under different engineering conditions.Additionally,the long-term thermal performance of piles after the completion of AGF under different conditions was estimated.Field experiment results demonstrate that AGF is an effective method to reduce the refreezing time of the soil surrounding the piles constructed in permafrost terrain,with the ability to reduce the pile-soil interface temperatures to below the natural ground temperature within 3 days.Numerical results further prove that AGF still has a good cooling effect even under unfavorable engineering conditions such as high pouring temperature,large pile diameter,and large pile length.Consequently,the application of this method is meaningful to save the subsequent latency time and solve the problem of thermal disturbance in pile construction in permafrost.The research results are highly relevant for the spread of AGF technology and the rapid building of pile foundations in permafrost.

Effects of thawing-induced softening on fracture behaviors of frozen rock

Due to the presence of ice and unfrozen water in pores of frozen rock,the rock fracture behaviors are susceptible to temperature.In this study,the potential thawing-induced softening effects on the fracture behaviors of frozen rock is evaluated by testing the tension fracture toughness(KIC)of frozen rock at different temperatures(i.e.-20℃,-15℃,-12℃,-10℃,-8℃,-6℃,-4℃,-2℃,and 0℃).Acoustic emission(AE)and digital image correlation(DIC)methods are utilized to analyze the microcrack propagation during fracturing.The melting of pore ice is measured using nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)method.The results indicate that:(1)The KIC of frozen rock decreases moderately between-20℃ and-4℃,and rapidly between-4℃ and 0℃.(2)At-20℃ to-4℃,the fracturing process,deduced from the DIC results at the notch tip,exhibits three stages:elastic deformation,microcrack propagation and microcrack coalescence.However,at-4℃e0℃,only the latter two stages are observed.(3)At-4℃e0℃,the AE activities during fracturing are less than that at-20℃ to-4℃,while more small events are reported.(4)The NMR results demonstrate a reverse variation trend in pore ice content with increasing temperature,that is,a moderate decrease is followed by a sharp decrease and-4℃ is exactly the critical temperature.Next,we interpret the thawing-induced softening effect by linking the evolution in microscopic structure of frozen rock with its macroscopic fracture behaviors as follow:from-20℃ to-4℃,the thickening of the unfrozen water film diminishes the cementation strength between ice and rock skeleton,leading to the decrease in fracture parameters.From-4℃ to 0℃,the cementation effect of ice almost vanishes,and the filling effect of pore ice is reduced significantly,which facilitates microcrack propagation and thus the easier fracture of frozen rocks.

Exploring the Need and Strategy for Intraoperative Freezing to Identify Metastatic Adenocarcinoma of the Lungs

Objective: To explore the necessity and strategy of intraoperative freezing to identify primary and metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lung. Methods: This study retrospectively analyzes the impact of failing to make a definitive diagnosis of metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lung on the clinical surgical approach in four cases of intraoperative freezing. It also examines the reasons for this failure and reviews the relevant literature. Results: All 4 cases of intraoperative freezing were diagnosed as invasive adenocarcinoma, and none of them made a definitive diagnosis of metastatic adenocarcinoma. Conclusion: It is difficult to confirm the diagnosis of metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lung by intraoperative frozen section, and the combination of patient history, rapid immunohistochemistry, and histological morphology of intraoperative frozen section for its identification can guide the surgeon to adjust the surgical approach in time and provide evidence for the establishment of surgical protocols for reference.

Experimental Study on the Effect of Fine-Grained Soil Content on the Freezing Strength of Aeolian Sand-Cement Interface

In cold regions,understanding the freezing strength of the interface between soil and structure is crucial for designing frost-resistant foundations.To investigate how the content of cement powder in aeolian sand affects this strength,we conducted direct shear tests under various conditions such as different fine-grained soil content,normal stress,and initial moisture content of the soil.By analyzing parameters like soil properties,and volume of ice content,and using the Mohr-Coulomb strength theory to define interface strength,we aimed to indirectly measure the cementation strength of the interface.Our findings revealed that as the particle content increased,the interface stress-strain curves became noticeably stiffer.We also observed a positive linear relationship between freezing strength and silt content,while the initial moisture content of the soil did not significantly impact the strengthening effect of fine-grained soil on freezing strength.Moreover,we discovered that as the powder content increased,the force binding the ice to the interface decreased,while the friction angle at the interface increased.However,the cohesion force at the interface remained relatively unchanged.Overall,our analysis suggests that the increase in freezing strength due to fine-grained soil content is primarily due to the heightened friction between aeolian sand and the interface.

Changes in freezing and thawing indices over the source region of the Yellow River from 1980 to 2014

Freezing and thawing indices are not only of great significance for permafrost research but also are important indicators of the effects of climate change.However,to date,research on ground-surface freezing and thawing indices and their relationship with air indices is limited.Based on daily air and ground-surface temperatures collected from 11 meteorological stations in the source region of the Yellow River,the freezing and thawing indices were calculated,and their spatial distribution and trends were analyzed.The air-freezing index(AFI),air-thawing index(ATI),ground surface-freezing index(GFI),ground surface-thawing index(GTI),air thawing-freezing index ratio(Na)and surface ground thawing-freezing index ratio(Ng)were 1554.64,1153.93,1.55,2484.85,850.57℃-days and 3.44,respectively.Altitude affected the spatial distribution of the freezing and thawing indices.As the altitude increased,the freezing indices gradually increased,and the thawing indices and thawing-freezing index ratio decreased.From 1980 to 2014,the AFI and GFI decreased at rates of 8.61 and 11.06℃-days a^(-1),the ATI and GTI increased at 9.65 and 14.53℃-days a^(-1),and Na and Ng significantly increased at 0.21 and 0.79 decade^(-1).Changes in the freezing and thawing indices were associated with increases in the air and ground-surface temperatures.The rates of change of the ground surface freezing and thawing indices were faster than the air ones because the rate of increase of the groundsurface temperature was faster than that of the air and the difference between the ground surface and air increased.The change point of the time series of freezing and thawing indices occurred in 2000–2001.After 2000–2001,the AFI and GFI were lower than before the change point,and the changing trend was lower.The ATI,GTI,Na and Ng during 2001–2014 were higher,with faster rates than before.In addition,the annual thawing indices composed a greater proportion of the mean annual air temperature and mean annual ground surface temperature than the annual freezing indices.This study provides the necessary basis for research on and prediction of permafrost changes,especially changes in the depth of the active permafrost layer,climate change,and possible evolution of the ecological environment over the source region of the Yellow River on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Mechanics Behavior of Ultra High Toughness Cementitious Composites after Freezing and Thawing

Mechanical behaviors of UHTCC after freezing and thawing were investigated,and compared with those of steel fiber reinforced concrete（SFRC）,air-entrained concrete（AEC） and ordinary concrete（OC）.Four point bending tests had been applied after different freezing-thawing cycles（0,50,100,150,200 and 300 cycles,respectively）.The results showed that residual flexural strength of UHTCC after 300 freezing-thawing cycles was 10.62 MPa（70% of no freezing thawing ones）,while 1.58 MPa（17% of no freezing thawing ones） for SFRC.Flexural toughness of UHTCC decreased by 17%,while 70% for SFRC comparatively.It has been demonstrated experimentally that UHTCC without any air-entraining agent could resist freezing-thawing and retain its high toughness characteristic in cold environment.Consequently,UHTCC could be put into practice for new-built or retrofit of infrastructures in cold regions.

The Impact of Soil Freezing/Thawing Processes on Water and Energy Balances

A frozen soil parameterization coupling of thermal and hydrological processes is used to investigate how frozen soil processes affect water and energy balances in seasonal frozen soil. Simulation results of soil liquid water content and temperature using soil model with and without the inclusion of freezing and thawing processes are evaluated against observations at the Rosemount field station. By comparing the simulated water and heat fluxes of the two cases, the role of phase change processes in the water and energy balances is analyzed. Soil freezing induces upward water flow towards the freezing front and increases soil water content in the upper soil layer. In particular, soil ice obviously prevents and delays the infiltration during rain at Rosemount. In addition, soil freezingthawing processes alter the partitioning of surface energy fluxes and lead the soil to release more sensible heat into the atmosphere during freezing periods.

Effect on anaerobic digestion performance of corn stover by freezing–thawing with ammonia pretreatment

In order to enhance the biomethane production from corn stover, choosing effective pretreatment is one of the necessary steps before starting anaerobic digestion(AD).This study was aimed to analyze the effectiveness of freezing–thawing with ammonia pretreatment on substance degradation and AD performance of corn stover.Three ammonia concentrations(2%, 4%, and 6%) with two different moisture contents(50% and 70%) were used to pretreat the corn stover at two temperatures(-20 ℃ and 20 ℃).The result showed that an optimum pretreatment condition for corn stover was at the temperature of -20 ℃, moisture content of 70% and ammonia concentration of 2%.Under the optimum pretreatment condition, the maximum biomethane yield reached 261 ml·(g VS)^(-1), which was 41.08% higher than that of the untreated.Under different pretreatment conditions,the highest loss of lignin at -20 ℃ with 2% ammonia concentration was 63.36% compared with the untreated.The buffer capacity of AD system was also improved after the freezing–thawing with ammonia pretreatment.Therefore, the freezing–thawing with ammonia pretreatment can be used to improve AD performance for corn stover.This study provides further insight for exploring an efficient freezing–thawing with ammonia pretreatment strategy to enhance AD performance for the practical application.

Study of polluted soil remediation based on freezing and thawing cycles

It is generally known that soil pollution poses a terrible hazard to the environment, but the present techniques of contaminated soil remediation cannot control this growing threat. This paper compares the pollutant extraction efficiency of traditional pumping and treating, which is a typical washing technology for the remediation of contaminated soils, with methods that utilize freeze-thaw cycles. In the soil freezing process, water shifts from unfrozen soils to the freezing front, and the permeability of soil will be enhanced under certain temperature gradients and water conditions. Therefore, this paper discusses the purification of contaminated soil through freeze-thaw action. We conducted a cleansing experiment on clay and silica sand infused with NaCl（simulation of heavy metals） and found that the efficiency of purification was enhanced remarkably in the latter by the freeze-thaw action. To assess the effective extraction of DNAPLs in soil, we conducted an experiment on suction by freezing, predicated on the different freezing points of moisture and pollutants. We found that the permeability coefficient was significantly increased by the freezing-thawing action, enabling the DNAPL contaminants to be extracted selectively and effectively.

Stress-Strain Relationship and Failure Criterion for Concrete after Freezing and Thawing Cycles

The research of the failure criterion and one-dimensional stress-strain relationship of deteriorated concrete were carried out. Based on the damage mechanics theory, the dsmage which reflects the alternation of internal state of material were introduced into the formula presented by Desayi and Krishman and the weighted twin-shear strength theory. As a nondestructive examination method in common use, the ultrasonic technique was adopted in the study, and the ultrasonic velocity was used to establish the damage variable. After that, the failure criterion and one-dimensional stress-strain relationship for deteriorated concrete were obtained. Eventually, tests were carried out to study the evolution laws on the damage. The results show that the more freezing and thawing cycles are, the more apparently the failure surface shrinks. Meanwhile, the comparison between theoretical data and experimental data verifies tile rationality of tile damage-based one-dimensional stress-strain relationship proposed.

Influences of Seasonal Freezing and Thawing on Soil Water-stable Aggregates in Orchard in High Cold Region,Northeast China

Soil aggregate stability,as an important indicator of soil functions,may be affected by seasonal freezing and thawing(SFT)and land use in high cold and wet regions.Therefore,comprehensive understanding the effects of SFT on aggregate stability in orchards during winter and spring is crucial to develop appropriate management strategies that can effectively alleviate the degradation of soil quality to ensure sustainable development of orchard ecosystems.To determine the mechanism of degradation in orchard soil quality,the effects of SFT on the stability of water-stable aggregates were examined in apple-pear orchards(Pyrus ussuriensis var.ovoidea)of four different ages(11,25,40,and 63 yr)on 0 to 5%slopes before freezing and after thawing from October 2015 to June 2016 in Longjing City,Yanbian Prefecture,Northeast China,involving a comparison of planted versus adjacent uncultivated lands(control).Soil samples were collected to investigate water-stable aggregate stability in three incremental soil layers(0–20,20–40 and 40–60 cm).In the same samples,iron oxide,organic matter,and clay contents of the soil were also determined.Results showed that the destructive influences of SFT on water-stable aggregates were more pronounced with the increased orchards ages,and SFT exerted severe effects on water-stable aggregates of older orchards(40 and 63 yr)than juvenile orchards.Undergoing SFT,the soil instability index and the percentage of aggregate destruction increased by mean 0.15 mm and 1.86%,the degree of aggregation decreased by mean 1.32%,and the erosion resistance weakened,which consequently led to aggregate stability decreased.In addition,soil free,amorphous,and crystalline iron oxide as well as soil organic matter and clay contents are all important factors affecting the stability of water-stable aggregates,and their changes in their contents were consistent with those in the stability of water-stable aggregates.The results of this study suggest that long-term planting fruit trees can exacerbate the damaging effects of SFT on aggregate stability and further soil erosion increases and nutrient losses in an orchard,which hider sustainable use of soil and the productivity orchards.

Numerical Simulation on Climate Effects of Freezing-Thawing Processes Using CCM3

A parameterization of soil freezing-thawing physics for use in the land-surface model of the National Center for Atmospheric Research(NCAR) Community Climate Model(CCM3) is developed and evaluated.The new parameterization scheme has improved the representation of physical processes in the existing land surface model.Numerical simulations using CCM3 with improved land-surface processes and with the original land-surface processes are compared against the NCEP reanalysis.It is found that the CCM3 version using the improved land surface model shows significant improvements in simulating precipitation in China during the summer season,the general circulation over East Asia,and wind fields over the Tibet Plateau.For the summer season,the improved model was able to better simulate the Indian summer monsoon components,including the mean northerly wind in the upper troposphere and mean southerly wind in the lower troposphere.

How freezing and thawing processes affect black-soil aggregate stability in northeastern China

Laboratory experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of freezing and thawing processes on wet aggregate stability （WAS） of black soil. Wet aggregate stability was determined by different aggregate size groups, different water contents, various freeze-thaw cycles, and various freezing temperatures. The results showed that, when at suitable water content, aggregate stability was enhanced, aggregate sta-bility will be disrupted when moisture content is too high or too low, especially higher water content. Temperature also had a significant ef-fect, but moisture content determined the suitable freezing temperatures for a given soil. Water-stable aggregate （WSA〉0.5）, the total aggre-gate content, and mean weight diameter decreasing with the freeze-thaw cycles increase, reached to 5 percent significance level. The reason for crumbing aggregates is the water and air conflict, thus raising the hypothesis that water content affects the aggregate stability in the process of freezing and thawing.

Alternate freezing and thawing enhanced the sediment and nutrient runoff loss in the restored soil of the alpine mining area

This study highlights the influence of freezing-thawing processes on soil erosion in an alpine mine restoration area. Accordingly, a series of simulation experiments were conducted to investigate runoff, sediment, and nutrient losses, and potential influencing factors under freeze-thaw(FT) conditions. Three FT treatments(i.e., 0, 3, and 5 FT cycles), and two soil moisture contents(SMCs;i.e., 10% and 20% SMC on a gravimetric basis) were assessed. The runoff, sediment yield, ammonia nitrogen(AN), nitrate nitrogen(NN), total phosphorus(TP), and dissolved phosphorus(DP) losses from runoff were characterized under different rainfall durations. The fitting results indicated that the runoff rate and sediment rate, AN, NN, TP, and DP concentrations in runoff could be described by exponential functions. FT action increased the total runoff volume and sediment yield by 14.6%–26.0% and 8.8%–35.2%, respectively. The runoff rate and sediment rate increased rapidly with the increment of FT cycles before stabilizing. At 20% SMC, the total runoff volume and sediment yield were significantly higher than those at 10% SMC. The loss curves of AN and NN concentrations varied due to differences in their chemical properties. FT action and high SMC promoted AN and NN losses, whereas the FT cycles had little effect. FT action increased TP and DP losses by 60.2%–220.1% and 48.4%–129.8%, respectively, compared to cases with no FT action;the highest TP and DP losses were recorded at 20% SMC. This study provides a deep understanding of freezing-thawing mechanisms in the soils of alpine mine restoration areas and the influencing factors of these mechanisms on soil erosion, thereby supporting the development of erosion prevention and control measures in alpine mine restoration areas.