Battling the blizzards: New technologies aid ice-melting in China

China, a vast nation with diverse landscapes, has recently been facing the brunt of harsh winters in many regions. Heavy snowfall can cripple transportation, disrupt daily life and pose economic challenges. To combat these snowy adversaries, China has embraced cutting-edge technologies, transforming snow removal from manual labor into a high-tech spectacle.

Ice-melting machines are becoming more prevalent across the country nowadays, as they can remove chunks of ice on power lines to ensure a reliable power supply amid extensive snowfall and freezing conditions. These high-tech means have not only saved manpower and material resources but also greatly improved work efficiency.

By embracing a diverse arsenal of technologies, the country demonstrates its commitment to conquering snow and ensuring the smooth flow of people and goods even during the harshest winters. The innovations enhance public safety and economic well-being and serve as a testament to China's dedication to developing and implementing cutting-edge solutions for tackling complex challenges.

Smart sensing, self-melting technologies

Gone are the days of relying solely on weather forecasts. China's highways are now equipped with a network of intelligent sensors.

These sensors gather real-time data on temperature, humidity, precipitation and road surface conditions. The information is then fed into a central system that predicts snowfall and prioritizes snow removal efforts. The smart system significantly reduces response times and minimizes disruptions by optimizing resource allocation and deployment.

In Dongyang City in east China's Zhejiang Province, the smart highway dynamic sensing and snow and ice melting system was first used to monitor weather conditions through professional equipment.

When icy conditions are predicted, the system will spray chemical freezing point inhibitors on the road in advance to prevent the road from freezing.

Imagine roads that melt snow automatically, as this futuristic concept is becoming a reality in China.

Special heating elements are embedded beneath the pavement, powered by renewable energy sources like solar panels. These elements generate warmth as snow falls, causing the snow to melt and drain away. It eliminates the need for physical snow removal and improves safety by preventing icy conditions.

In Changchun City in northeast China's Jilin Province, two lanes on the same stretch of road present completely different scenes after a snowfall; one is covered with snow, while the other is clean and tidy. The self-melting snow technology of the road surface makes the snow disappear in an instant.

Without affecting asphalt pavement performance index, the technology can automatically melt the snow on the pavement and prevent road ice from forming by adding self-melting ice and snow additives to the asphalt material.

High-tech laser cannons

Say goodbye to conventional snowplows! China is experimenting with powerful laser cannons that can pulverize snow into fine particles. These high-tech tools emit concentrated beams of light that vaporize snow on contact. While still in the early stages of development, laser cannons offer the potential for rapid and efficient snow removal, especially in remote or mountainous areas.

Jiang Qingliang, a professor at Chongqing University, said grid icing is a highly complex international challenge. Currently, direct-current ice melting is a widely used method to solve the large-scale freezing of a power grid.

At a transformer substation in Chenzhou City, central China's Hunan Province, technicians from the State Grid said the substation generally operates without personnel and only requires regular inspections.

However, due to the prolonged cold weather in the area, the staff members have had to stay at the substation for days to carry out de-icing operations on direct current ice melting devices.

According to the technicians, when a current exceeding 1,000 amperes flows through the ice-melting channel and reaches the conductor, the simultaneous increase in power and conductor temperature leads to a substantial improvement in the efficiency of ice melting.

"Every year before the ice-coating of the power lines, we usually deploy this device in advance in substations that are prone to freezing. This device can melt ice on power lines of 30 to 40 kilometers within an hour," Zhu Yuan, a staff member of the disaster prevention research institute, Disaster Prevention and Reduction Center, State Grid Hunan branch, told China Media Group (CMG).

In northeast China's Jilin Province, snow removal has become highly mechanized. Benefiting from the use of de-icing vehicles, snow blowers and biogenic snow-melting agents, manual labor serves as a supplementary measure.

Tian Pengxin, director of the quality management department of Xugong (Liaoning) Machinery Co., Ltd., said the snow-throwing machine can quickly clear the snow on the road. He said the current generation of snow throwers can instantly throw half a meter of snow 30 meters away and break it into small ice debris.

Tian also said the company is developing a new generation of more powerful snow throwers that can drop about 4,000 tonnes of snow per hour over distances of over 60 meters.

Robots and drones

De-icing robots are also playing a crucial role in safeguarding the power grid. With a mechanized arm, an intelligent and portable robot breaks and removes the ice that covers the lines under engineers' control in Shaoyang City of central China's Hunan Province.

The country has also deployed fleets of agile drones with thermal imaging cameras and snow-dispersing nozzles. These aerial snow warriors can quickly survey large areas, identify critical snow accumulation points, and precisely target them with concentrated blasts of heated air or de-icing chemicals. Drones provide a valuable tool for proactive snow management and rapid response to snow emergencies.

Furthermore, drones also lend a helping hand during rapid inspections in the rugged terrain of the Dabie Mountains.

During the recent cold spell, Yuexi County in the city of Anqing, east China's Anhui Province, in the hinterland of the mountainous region, has experienced significant snowfall. The potential increase in ice on power lines threatens the county's electricity supply.

"The fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can operate at high altitudes, at high speeds, and cover long distances," said Chu Zhugang with State Grid's Anqing branch.

"With predefined flight routes, they can complete an inspection within an hour," Chu said.

As climate change brings unpredictable weather patterns and more extreme snowfall events, China's technological prowess in snow removal provides valuable lessons for other nations facing similar challenges. The battle against blizzards may be a constant struggle, but with innovation and ingenuity, humans can emerge victorious, keeping the roads clear and communities safe.

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