New World TMT helps preserve permafrost on Qinghai-Tibet Railway
(Hong Kong, 14 July 2006) Dalian Shanglide Heat Conduction Co Ltd (Shanglide), a subsidiary of New World TMT Limited, has played a key role in preventing the thawing of the permafrost layer along the recently commissioned Qinghai-Tibet Railway.
The Golmud to Lhasa Section of the Railway, measuring 1,142 km, traverses the most complex permafrost region in the world a€" sometimes called "he World's Permafrost Engineering Museum". This region differs from other permafrost regions in that its latitude is low but its altitude is high. This means that solar radiation has a greater impact on the permafrost layer than any other similar region elsewhere.
Put simply, the problem with permafrost is that it contracts as it thaws and expands as it gets frozen again. The repeated contraction and expansion can lead to cracking or even collapse of the railway foundation, and the solution to the problem lies in preventing the thawing of the permafrost in summer.
After extensive research both domestically and overseas over the years, Shanglide came up with a solution involving the planting of thermosyphons along the tracks. This solution was adopted by the Chinese railway authorities in November 2001.
Each thermosyphon measures about 2 metres above ground and about 15 cm in diameter. Its unique characteristic is that it conducts heat in only one direction. Installed almost vertically on trackside, it effectively pumps heat from the permafrost layer underground to the atmosphere aboveground, thus preserving the frozen state of the permafrost layer.
Now, over 20,000 thermosyphons are installed along the railway section which crosses the permafrost region a€" about half of the total length of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.
Shanglide's thermosyphon technology has been granted five national patents. Apart from its application on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, it is also used on high latitude railways, roads and other facilities in Northeast China.
New World TMT Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of New World Development Company Limited focusing mainly on Telecom, Media and Technology (TMT) investments. The Company together with its subsidiaries and associated companies are principally engaged in the businesses of telecom value added services, media and various technology businesses in Hong Kong, Mainland China and the Asia Pacific region.