Extreme Cold Environment Research Articles

Bioinspired multiscale hierarchical structure enables solar-thermal conversion for low-temperature aqueous electrochromic device

Solar-thermal conversion can mitigate the inadequate electrochemical performance in extreme cold environment for aqueous electrochromic devices (AEDs). However, the limited intrinsic absorptance of electrochromic materials impedes a satisfying solar-thermal conversion. Herein, bioinspired by the Paradisaeidae’s super black feathers, multiscale hierarchical structure is purposely made to compose of WO3-x nanowires (WNWs) and silver nanowires (AgNWs), where WNWs are grown on AgNWs in different orientations (denoted as WAg). Our ray tracing simulation reveals its underlying absorption mechanism, demonstrating both an increased optical path and a concentrated energy distribution. Comparably, the WAg-AED exhibits much enhanced absorption (87.0 vs. 68.5 % across the entire solar spectrum) and a broader surface temperature change (51.2 vs. 39.7 °C within 8 min) under 1 solar illumination. This leads to a rapid recovery of electrochromic/electrochemical performance even conducted at −20 °C. Notably, upon irradiation for 12 min, the areal capacities of WAg-AED at 0.5mA cm−2 increase by 3.8 and 1.7 times, when compared to the device operating at −20 °C and room temperature, respectively. The WAg-AED establishes a close connection between the photo-thermal conversion and electrochemistry, proving a new pathway in the development of sustainable electronics.

Association between baseline blood pressure variability and left heart function following short-term extreme cold exposure.

Extreme cold exposure has been widely considered as a cardiac stress and may result in cardiac function decompensation. This study was to examine the risk factors that contribute to changes in cardiovascular indicators of cardiac function following extreme cold exposure and to provide valuable insights into the preservation of cardiac function and the cardiac adaptation that occur in real-world cold environment. Seventy subjects were exposed to cold outside (Mohe, mean temperature -17 to -34°C) for one day, and were monitored by a 24-h ambulatory blood pressure device and underwent echocardiography examination before and after extreme cold exposure. After exposure to extreme cold, 41 subjects exhibited an increase in ejection fraction (EF), while 29 subjects experienced a decrease. Subjects with elevated EF had lower baseline coefficients of variation (CV) in blood pressure compared to those in the EF decrease group. Additionally, the average real variability (ARV) of blood pressure was also significantly lower in the EF increase group. Multivariate regression analysis indicated that both baseline CV and ARV of blood pressure were independent risk factors for EF decrease, and both indicators proved effective for prognostic evaluation. Correlation analysis revealed a correlation between baseline blood pressure CV and ARV, as well as EF variation after exposure to extreme cold environment. Our research clearly indicated that baseline cardiovascular indicators were closely associated with the changes in EF after extreme cold exposure. Furthermore, baseline blood pressure variability could effectively predict alterations in left cardiac functions when individuals were exposed to extreme cold environment.

MXene@c-MWCNT Adhesive Silica Nanofiber Membranes Enhancing Electromagnetic Interference Shielding and Thermal Insulation Performance in Extreme Environments

HighlightsThe SiO2 nanofiber membranes and MXene@c-MWCNT6:4 as one unit layer (SMC1) were bonded together with 5 wt% PVA solution.When the structural unit is increased to three layers, the resulting SMC3 has an average electromagnetic interference SET of 55.4 dB and a low thermal conductivity of 0.062 W m−1 K−1.SMCx exhibit stable electromagnetic interference shielding and excellent thermal insulation even in extreme heat and cold environment.

Decomposition in an extreme cold environment and associated microbiome-prediction model implications for the postmortem interval estimation.

The accurate estimation of postmortem interval (PMI), the time between death and discovery of the body, is crucial in forensic science investigations as it impacts legal outcomes. PMI estimation in extremely cold environments becomes susceptible to errors and misinterpretations, especially with prolonged PMIs. This study addresses the lack of data on decomposition in extreme cold by providing the first overview of decomposition in such settings. Moreover, it proposes the first postmortem microbiome prediction model for PMI estimation in cold environments, applicable even when the visual decomposition is halted. The experiment was conducted on animal models in the second-coldest region in the United States, Grand Forks, North Dakota, and covered 23 weeks, including the winter months with temperatures as low as -39°C. Random Forest analysis models were developed to estimate the PMI based either uniquely on 16s rRNA gene microbial data derived from nasal swabs or based on both microbial data and measurable environmental parameters such as snow depth and outdoor temperatures, on a total of 393 samples. Among the six developed models, the best performing one was the complex model based on both internal and external swabs. It achieved a Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 1.36 weeks and an R2 value of 0.91. On the other hand, the worst performing model was the minimal one that relied solely on external swabs. It had an MAE of 2.89 weeks and an R2 of 0.73. Furthermore, among the six developed models, the commonly identified predictors across at least five out of six models included the following genera: Psychrobacter (ASV1925 and ASV1929), Carnobacterium (ASV2872) and Pseudomonas (ASV1863). The outcome of this research provides the first microbial model able to predict PMI with an accuracy of 9.52 days over a six-month period of extreme winter conditions.

Thermoregulation of Tuvan pastoralists and Western Europeans during cold exposure.

This study compared the metabolic and vascular responses, to whole-body and finger cold exposure, of a traditional population lifelong exposed to extreme cold winters with Western Europeans. Thirteen cold acclimatized Tuvan pastoralist adults (45 ± 9 years; 24.1 ± 3.2 kg/m2 ) and 13 matched Western European controls (43 ± 15 years; 22.6 ± 1.4 kg/m2 ) completed a whole-body cold (10°C) air exposure test and a cold-induced vasodilation (CIVD) test, which involved the immersion of the middle finger into ice-water for 30 min. During the whole-body cold exposure, the durations until the onset of shivering for three monitored skeletal muscles were similar for both groups. Cold exposure increased the Tuvans' energy expenditure by (mean ± SD) 0.9 ± 0.7 kJ min-1 and the Europeans' by 1.3 ± 1.54 kJ min-1 ; these changes were not significantly different. The forearm-fingertip skin temperature gradient of the Tuvans was lower, indicating less vasoconstriction, than the Europeans during the cold exposure (0 ± 4.5°C vs. 8.8 ± 2.7°C). A CIVD response occurred in 92% of the Tuvans and 36% of the Europeans. In line, finger temperature during the CIVD test was higher in the Tuvans than the Europeans (13.4 ± 3.4°C vs. 3.9 ± 2.3°C). Cold-induced thermogenesis and the onset of shivering were similar in both populations. However, vasoconstriction at the extremities was reduced in the Tuvans compared to the Europeans. The enhanced blood flow to the extremities could be beneficial for living in an extreme cold environment by improving dexterity, comfort, and reducing the risk of cold-injuries.

Thermal effects on the wall surfaces of transonic evacuated tube maglev transportation

Shock waves and expansion fan hierarchies in complex flows induced by transonic evacuated tube maglev transportation (ETMT) cause a unique thermal environment, which can increase the aerodynamic heating on the wall surfaces of the train and tube with the possibility of structural damage. In this study, the thermal effects on the wall surfaces of transonic ETMT were numerically investigated using a density-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver. The results show different thermal effects for choked and unchoked flows in the tube. For the train, the extreme hot or cold environment, which is non-uniformly distributed on the surface, occurs more easily in the choked flow. For the tube, the instantaneous thermal impact is severe on the wall at supersonic speeds in the choked flow, reaching a maximum of 43.2 kW/m2 at Mach 1.5 with a blockage ratio of 0.2. The spectrum of the heat flux fluctuation on the tube wall is divided into the low-frequency band (main frequency) subjected to the normal or bow shock wave and secondary-frequency band induced by the downstream reflected shock trains. In addition, the amount of heat accumulated on the tube is insignificant owing to the interaction between the expansion fans and shock waves with alternating action on the boundary layer. Adoption of these findings, including the thermal control techniques and thermal-impact-resistant materials, for different ETMT systems can promote high-efficiency and low-redundancy designs of thermal protection systems.

High daily energy expenditure of Tuvan nomadic pastoralists living in an extreme cold environment

Research investigating thermoregulatory energy costs in free-living humans is limited. We determined the total energy expenditure (TEE) of Tuvan pastoralists living in an extreme cold environment and explored the contribution of physical activity and cold-induced thermogenesis. Twelve semi-nomadic pastoralists (47 ± 8 years, 64 ± 8 kg) living under traditional circumstances, in Tuva, south-central Siberia, Russia, were observed during two consecutive 6-day periods in winter. TEE was measured via the doubly labelled water technique. Skin and ambient temperatures, and physical activity were continuously monitored. The outdoor temperature during the observation period was − 27.4 ± 5.4 °C. During the daytime, the participants were exposed to ambient temperatures below 0 °C for 297 ± 131 min/day. The Tuvan pastoralists were more physically active compared to western populations (609 ± 90 min/day of light, moderate, and vigorous physical activity). In addition, TEE was 13.49 ± 1.33 MJ/day (3224 ± 318 kcal/day), which was significantly larger by 17% and 31% than predicted by body mass, and fat-free mass, respectively. Our research suggests the daily cold exposure combined with high levels of physical activity contributed to the elevated TEE. Future research should reconsider the assumption that energy costs due to thermoregulation are negligible in free-living humans.

Selection Signature and CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Gene Knockout Analyses Reveal ZC3H10 Involved in Cold Adaptation in Chinese Native Cattle.

Cold stress is an important factor affecting cattle health, production performance, and reproductive efficiency. Understanding of the potential mechanism underlying genetic adaptation to local environments, particularly extreme cold environment, is limited. Here, by using FLK and hapFLK methods, we found that the Zinc finger CCCH-type containing 10 (ZC3H10) gene underwent positive selection in the Menggu, Fuzhou, Anxi, and Shigatse humped cattle breeds that are distributed in the cold areas of China. Furthermore, ZC3H10 expression significantly increased in bovine fetal fibroblast (BFF) cells at 28 °C for 4 h. ZC3H10 knockout BFFs were generated using CRISPR/Cas9. Wild and ZC3H10-deleted BFFs were treated at two temperatures and were divided into four groups (WT, wild and cultured at 38 °C; KO, ZC3H10−/− and 38 °C; WT_LT, wild, and 28 °C for 4 h; and KO_LT, ZC3H10−/− and 28 °C for 4 h. A total of 466, 598, 519, and 650 differently expressed genes (two-fold or more than two-fold changes) were identified by determining transcriptomic difference (KO_LT vs. KO, WT_LT vs. WT, KO vs. WT, and KO_LT vs. WT_LT, respectively). Loss of ZC3H10 dysregulated pathways involved in thermogenesis and immunity, and ZC3H10 participated in immunity-related pathways induced by cold stress and regulated genes involved in glucose and lipid metabolism and lipid transport (PLTP and APOA1), thereby facilitating adaptability to cold stress. Our findings provide a foundation for further studies on the function of ZC3H10 in cold stress and development of bovine breeding strategies for combatting the influences of cold climate.

Functional microdroplet self-dislodging icephobic surfaces: A review from mechanism to synergic morphology

For the challenge of burgeoning anti-icing applications in the space vehicles and airplanes territory, droplet self-dislodging phenomena provide a promising prospect owing to a distinctive quick removal and refresh ability. In recent decades, the high-end micro/nano-fabrication of the superhydrophobic textures has motivated self-dislodging icephobic application. In this work, recent advances of synergic morphology optimizing strategies in micro/nano-scale functional surface according to the droplet self-jumping, self-migration and condensate self-ejecting mechanisms are systematically introduced. Further, it is revealed that existing droplet self-dislodging regulation can be categorized as: a) combining multi-scale effects with physical heterogeneities, b) considering surface tension manipulation and Laplace pressure gradient, and c) controlling droplet frequent departure and droplet programmable self-migration, for slower ice propagation velocity and longer freezing retarding time. Strategies of micro/nano-morphologies and chemical characterization are evaluated. The contradiction or merits, remaining challenges, and future endeavor of nanoscale mono or hierarchical veins for highly effective anti-icing procedures, are proposed. In the end, this review is concluded by proposing outlooks with photothermal assist and well adaptability to extreme cold and wet environment.

Study on the frost resistance durability of recycled aggregate concrete under an extreme cold environment

Recycled aggregate concrete (RAC), as a way to reuse waste concrete, is good for solving environmental and resource problems. In this paper, the frost resistance durability of RAC under an extreme cold environment was studied, RAC specimens with different replacement rates were designed, and then the indexes of the specimens, such as mass loss rate, were calculated and compared. It was found that with the progress of the freeze-thaw cycle, the higher the replacement rate of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) was, the worse the frost resistance durability was. The mass loss rate of RAC-3 (100% RCA replacement rate) was 5.56%, the strength loss rate was 40.86%, and the relative dynamic elastic modulus was 61.89%, all of which were significantly lower than that of RAC-0. The experimental results verify that the excessively large replacement rate of RCA is not conducive to the frost resistance durability of concrete. The replacement rate of RCA needs to be paid attention to when used in an extremely cold environment.

In-situ preparation and performance of cold resistant K2O·5SiO2 based anti-fire glass

We describe a method for the synthesis of cold resistant K2O·5SiO2 based anti-fire material using a new high content and low viscosity SiO2 core–shell emulsion (HSLVCS SiO2 emulsion). The anti-fire glass which wasn’t frozen at −71 ± 1 °C was prepared by the in-situ reaction. The onion-shaped core–shell structure was clearly shown in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs, the viscosity of HSLVCS SiO2 emulsion (50 wt%) was 431.4 ± 12.1 mPa·s(48 rpm). Its in-situ reaction process for preparation of the K2O·5SiO2 followed a first-order reaction, the reaction rate constant kn = 1.774 × 108 exp (−Ea/RT) with the apparent activation energy Ea = 79.80 kJ/mol. The low-temperature-withstanding capability was tested at extreme-cold environment (−71 ± 1 °C), and the reasons for this were found by the thermogravimetric analysis (TG). The weather resistance capacity was more than 1000 h through ultraviolet (UV) test and the sponge-like microporous insulation layer can increase the fire insulation time by the fire-resistant test. This work provided a new routine toward the synthesis of the high quality anti-fire glass with various shapes, including curved surface structures.

AFP-SRC: identification of antifreeze proteins using sparse representation classifier

Species living in the extreme cold environment fight against the harsh conditions using antifreeze proteins (AFPs), which manipulate the freezing mechanism of water in more than one way. This amazing nature of AFPs turns out to be extremely useful in several industrial and medical applications. The lack of similarity in their structure and sequence makes their prediction an arduous task, and identifying them experimentally in the wet laboratory is time-consuming and expensive. In this research, we propose a computational framework for the prediction of AFPs, which is essentially based on a sample-specific classification method using sparse reconstruction. A linear model and an over-complete dictionary matrix (ODM) of known AFPs are used to predict a sparse class-label vector that provides a sample-association score. Delta rule is applied for the reconstruction of two pseudo-samples using lower and upper parts of the sample-association vector and based on the minimum recovery score, class labels are assigned. We compare our approach with contemporary methods on a standard dataset. The proposed method outperforms the contemporary methods in terms of balanced accuracy and Youden’s index. The MATLAB implementation of the proposed method is available at the author’s GitHub page ( https://github.com/Shujaat123/AFP-SRC ).

Infrared thermal imaging based study of localized cold stress induced thermoregulation in lower limbs: The role of age on the inversion time.

Thermoregulatory control of human body temperature is of paramount importance for normal bodily functions. Exposure of the upper and lower limbs to localized cold stress can cause cold-induced injuries and often lower limbs are more susceptible to damages from cold-induced injuries. In this study, we use infrared thermal imaging to probe localized cold stress induced cutaneous vasoconstriction of lower limbs in 33 healthy subjects. The cold stress is actuated by applying ice to the plantar surfaces of the lower limbs for 180s and after removal of the cold stress, infrared thermography is utilized to non-invasively monitor the time-dependent variations in vein pixel temperatures on the dorsal surfaces of the stimulated and non-stimulated feet. It is observed that the vein pixel temperature of the stimulated foot showed a non-monotonic variation with time, consisting of an initial decrease and the presence of an inversion time, beyond which temperature is regained. The initial decrease in vein pixel temperature of the stimulated foot is attributed to the reduced blood flow caused by the cold stress induced severe vasoconstriction. Beyond the inversion time, the vein pixel temperature is found to increase due to rewarming of the surrounding skin. Experimental findings indicate that the inversion time linearly increased with the age of the subject, indicating a reduced thermoregulatory efficiency for the aged subjects. This study provides a thermal imaging-based insight into the skin temperature re-distribution during the early stages of blood perfusion in lower limbs, after an exposure to a localized acute cold stress. Statistical analyses reveal that subject height, weight, body-mass index and gender do not influence the inversion time significantly. The experimental findings are important towards rapid evaluation of personnel fitness for deployment in extreme cold environment, treatment of cold-induced injuries and probing of thermoregulatory impairments.

Measurement and Diagnosis of PD Characteristics of Industrial Cable Terminations in Extreme Cold Environment

In the alpine region, there are many flashover failures of ethylene-propylene rubber (EPR) cable terminations due to cavity discharges in China high-speed railways (CHRs). The cable termination with cavity defects is used as test samples and a low-temperature PD test system is set up to study the characteristics of partial discharge (PD) of cavity defects in cable termination in those regions. Influences of the different temperatures on internal discharge in EPR insulation at −40°C and 20 °C have been analyzed. When the applied temperature dropped to −40°C, the PD initiation voltage and extinction voltage decreased by 31% and 28%, respectively, and the discharge pulse appeared at both positive and negative half-cycles. The results showed that, at 20 °C, the discharge was mainly caused by the internal discharge of the gas-filled cavity. Apart from the internal discharge of the gas-filled cavity, a marked trace of surface discharge was also detected at −40°C. Besides, the characteristics of PD development at −40°C are closely related to the discharge phase distribution and the asymmetry of the spectrum. The research can further reveal the development and evolution of PD of the gas-filled cavity and provides a basis for judging the severity of termination at low temperature.

Synthesis and Characterization of CuO-ZnO Nano Additive for Lubricant

A mixed metal oxide (CuO-ZnO) additives has been successfully synthesized in laboratory by co-precipitation technique. The optimum ratio of CuO and ZnO in mixed metal oxide was found to be 1:1. The sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) has been used as surfactant. The obtained material was found to be crystalline having crystalline size of 18 nm. The stretching band in FTIR spectra at around 1072 cm-1 to 750 cm-1 and around 600 cm-1 indicates the presence of Zn-O and Cu-O bonds. As prepared nano-particles have been used as nano additive in base oil to improve physio-chemical parameters of lubricants. The results revealed that the additive blended base oil (lubricant) has shown excellent lubrication properties. The higher kinematic viscosity of 33.0504 and 6.0158 at 40°C and 100°C respectively showed that as prepared additive blended lubricant is of ISO-32 category according to ISO grading system for lubricants. Similarly, viscosity index was found to be improved from 101 to 129. The pour point was found to be significantly decreased from -6°C to -24°C. So it can be used as good pour point depressant and could be used even in the extreme cold environment condition. The flash point was found to be increased from 215°C to 220°C indicating that the prepared mixed metal oxide (CuO-ZnO) acts as flash point enhancer. The copper strip corrosion rating was found to be 1b for additive indicating the non corrosive nature. The absence of moisture and pH around the neutral range 6.18 showed the additive blended lubricant is not harmful for machinery devices.

Operation improvement measures of dry type air-core reactor in severe cold environment

In severe cold environment, the surface of dry type air-core reactor would easily be cracked, once natural contamination accumulated on the cracks, surface flashover would have more possibility to happen, leading to more serious reactor faults. The most commonly used methods to avoid reactor surface discharge includes RTV coating and surface decontamination using water-based cleaning agent, yet the effects of these methods, as well as possible impact on reactor performance have not been fully studied. In this paper, RTV coating and decontamination tests were carried out to evaluate the effect of the methods, also the impact of these two methods on reactor electrical performance were analyzed. The research result showed that: (1)Water-based cleaning agent was effective in removing contamination on insulation paint surface, but less effective in removing contamination on RTV coated surface; However, the water-based cleaning agent would cause damping between the winding strands, and damping recovery degree was not easy to control. Therefore, water-based cleaning agent was not suitable to solve surface flashover problem of dry type air-core reactors. (2) The overall coating for reactor surface and air duct could be realized by special spraying equipment. The adhesion test showed that RTV was of good covering and adhesion performance, and had little impact on reactor temperature rise, indicating that RTV could be an effective measure to improve operation quality of dry type air-core reactor in extreme cold environment.

First evidence of microbial wood degradation in the coastal waters of the Antarctic

Wood submerged in saline and oxygenated marine waters worldwide is efficiently degraded by crustaceans and molluscs. Nevertheless, in the cold coastal waters of the Antarctic, these degraders seem to be absent and no evidence of other wood-degrading organisms has been reported so far. Here we examine long-term exposed anthropogenic wood material (Douglas Fir) collected at the seafloor close to McMurdo station, Antarctica. We used light and scanning electron microscopy and demonstrate that two types of specialized lignocellulolytic microbes—soft rot fungi and tunnelling bacteria—are active and degrade wood in this extreme environment. Fungal decay dominates and hyphae penetrate the outer 2–4 mm of the wood surface. Decay rates observed are about two orders of magnitude lower than normal. The fungi and bacteria, as well as their respective cavities and tunnels, are slightly smaller than normal, which might represent an adaptation to the extreme cold environment. Our results establish that there is ongoing wood degradation also in the Antarctic, albeit at a vastly reduced rate compared to warmer environments. Historical shipwrecks resting on the seafloor are most likely still in good condition, although surface details such as wood carvings, tool marks, and paint slowly disintegrate due to microbial decay.

Sleep quality and its impacts on quality of life among military personnel in remote frontier areas and extreme cold environments

BackgroundPoor sleep quality negatively affects the readiness of military operations and is also associated with the development of mental health disorders and decreased quality of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the sleep quality of military personnel from remote boundaries of China and its relationship with coping strategies, anxiety, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL).MethodsA cross-sectional survey was performed among military officers and soldiers from a frontier defence department and an extreme cold environment. The participants were surveyed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Trait Coping Style Questionnaire (TCSQ), Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Short Form Health Survey (SF-36).ResultsA total of 489 military officers and soldiers were included. The participants had a mean age of 22.29 years. The median overall PSQI score was 7.0 (IQR, 4.0 ~ 9.0), with 40.9% (200/489) of the subjects reporting poor sleep quality. The difficulties with sleep were mainly related to daytime dysfunction due to disrupted sleep, sleep latency, and subjective sleep quality. The median score of the SF-36 physical component was 83.5 (IQR, 73.0 ~ 90.5), and the median score of the mental component was 74.1 (IQR, 60.4 ~ 85.1). Significant correlations were found between the PSQI and SF-36 (r = − 0.435, P < 0.01). Anxiety symptoms, marital status, educational background, and global PSQI score were demonstrated as predictors of a low SF-36 physical component by multiple regression analysis (F = 17.06, P < 0.001, R2 = 0.117).ConclusionsSleep difficulty is a prevalent and underestimated problem in the military that negatively influences HRQoL, especially in physical and social functioning. Evaluation of and education on pain were recommended because of body pain and its negative impacts on sleep quality, coping strategies, anxious emotions and HRQoL.

A Survey of Preparation, Strategy and the Effect of Exercise in an Extreme Cold Environment in a Group of Experienced Marathon Runners

Running in extreme environments is becoming more accessible with increasing numbers of participants. This has led to increasing heterogeneity in the physical condition and previous experience of these participants. A survey was performed to establish rates and types of injuries/illness suffered and any protective factors that may exist.

Experimental research into the low-temperature characteristics of a hydraulic damper and the effect on the dynamics of the pantograph of a high-speed train running in extreme cold weather conditions

There is likely to be a demand to run high-speed trains in extreme cold weather conditions in the near future; therefore, it is important to study the change in the characteristics of the materials and components in an extreme cold environment and their effects on the vehicle system dynamics. Experimental research into the low temperature characteristics of a pantograph hydraulic damper was carried out in this study. The results show that low temperature causes an increase in damping forces, and when the temperature is above the boundary temperature range, most indices of the damping capability increase with the decrease of temperature; when the temperature is below the boundary temperature range, most indices decrease with the decrease of temperature. Key parameters are identified to obtain the theoretical description of low-temperature damping characteristics using a simplified-parametric damper model and the experimental data. A mathematical model of the pantograph–catenary system incorporating the pantograph damper model is then established to calculate the effect of the damper performance on the pantograph dynamics low temperatures. Simulation results show that the lowering performance of the pantograph deteriorates noticeably due to the unstable low-temperature damping characteristics, but the deterioration of the raising performance and contact quality of the pantograph due to the low-temperature characteristics of the damper are less obvious. The results obtained in this study are valuable for understanding the low-temperature characteristics of a hydraulic damper, and instructive in the optimal specification of the pantograph damper for high-speed trains running in cold weather conditions.