Micro thermosyphons for roadway cooling

The Federal Highway Administration awarded $179,129.00 to the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities under the Highway Planning and Construction program (CFDA 20.205) on July 31, 2025, to develop and evaluate custom micro thermosyphon insulation systems for roadway cooling in permafrost regions. The project deliverables include a comprehensive literature review, construction and laboratory characterization of micro thermosyphons, prototype development and testing of insulation structures, numerical modeling to assess thermal impacts, and final project reporting. These products are designed to evaluate the effectiveness of thermosyphon-based insulation systems in managing foundation soil temperatures beneath roadway embankments in Alaska's permafrost areas, addressing critical infrastructure resilience challenges in the state's unique cold-weather environment.

This formula grant supports the Federal Highway Administration's broader infrastructure investment objectives, aligning with the Highway Planning and Construction program's emphasis on highway preservation and safety improvements across transportation networks. The award reflects the program's commitment to advancing innovative engineering solutions for transportation infrastructure maintenance in climatically challenging regions where permafrost degradation poses significant risks to road structural integrity.

Project description

Develop custom micro thermosyphon insulation systems for modeling and evaluation of impact on foundation soil temperatures for roadway embankments in permafrost areas. Tasks include 1) literature review, 2) thermosyphon construction and laboratory characterization, 3) insulation structure prototype development and testing, 4) numerical modeling, 5) reporting.