Laboratory investigation on the control effect of a slope buried thermosyphon embankment in cold regions

The snow or sand accumulated at embankment slope can change local thermal effect and cause uneven deformation in cold regions. How to solve the local thermal effect at slope is a critical issue for long-term embankment stability. In this study, a completely buried L-shaped two-phase closed thermosyphon (BLTPCT) embankment was designed to regulate the local thermal effect. A series of embankment model experiments, including the embankment with BLTPCTs and the control embankment without BLTPCT, were conducted to assess the thermal control performance of BLTPCTs embankment. The findings indicate that the BLTPCT is capable of partially cooling the embankment slope surrounding the evaporator segment of the BLTPCT during its operation, with a particularly pronounced cooling effect observed in the soil located near the lower central region of the evaporator. The maximum temperature reduction can reach 2.94 °C under this experimental condition. Meanwhile, the heat release by the condenser of the BLTPCT also causes the local pavement temperature to be higher than that of control embankment, with the maximum temperature increase reaching 24 %. The research could supply potential guidance for the local thermal effect issue at embankment slope in cold regions.