June 2015
Brought to you by The Office of the Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies
What’s New
In This Issue:
China Achieves World’s First 10 PW
Emission with Ultra-short Highintensity Laser Device
China Develops Its Most Powerful
PMSTM in Zhuzhou, Hunan
Beijing’s Largest Thin-film BIPV
Completes Construction
World’s First Rocket Engine Driven
by Coal-Based Kerosene Successfully
Passes Hot Commissioning
Lunar Test Orbiter of China’s
Third-Phase Lunar Exploration
Returns to Moon’s Orbit
China Develops New
High-Performance Lots Perception
Matrix Code
Significant Upgrade Achieved by
China’s New Generation of ‘Artificial
Sun’
China’s Ultra High-speed Largecapacity Ultra Long-haul Optical
Transmission Breaks Record
New Technology Enables Coalbed
Methane to Become One of the
“Hot” Energy Sources
China Develops First LNG
Intermediate Fluid Vaporizer
World’s Largest Smart Photovoltaic
Power Plants with 212 MW
Completes Construction in Qinghai
June 2015
1
China Science and Technology Highlights
by HKUST VPRGO
China Achieves World’s First 10 PW Emission
with Ultra-short High-intensity Laser Device
State Key Laboratory of High Field Laser
Physics at Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine
Mechanics (SIOM), the Chinese Academy of
Sciences, has recently made significant progress in
ultra-short high-intensity laser research. The 10PW
(a quadrillion watts or petawatt) ultra-short highintensity laser device, now undergoing development,
has achieved 1PW laser emission, which is the
world’s first 1PW peak power laser ever achieved,
using Optical Parametric Chirped-pulse Amplifier.
It confirms the technical feasibility of combining
Chirped-pulse Amplification (CPA) and Optical
Parametric Chirped-pulse Amplifier (OPCPA) to
offer a mixed amplifier solution for 10PW ultrashort high-intensity laser device.
According to SIOM, PW ultra-short highintensity laser can create unprecedented extreme
physical conditions characterized by ultra-strong
electromagnetic field, ultra-high energy density, and
ultra-fast time scale. It has great value to fields such
as laser acceleration, laser fusion and nuclear
medicine, and is one of the most advanced frontiers
around the world in laser technology. Many
countries have proposed research plans in largescale ultra-short high-intensity device.
The laser devices at SIOM include
components such as Titanium Sapphire-based laser
with 800nm wavelength, broadband and high
signal-noise ratio CPA amplification chain, Lithium
Borate-based OPCPA terminal amplifier and laser
pulse compressor, etc. These successfully achieve
45.3J amplified emission, transfer efficiency of 27%,
enlarged optical spectral width of 80nm,
compressed pulse width of 32.0fs, compressed
single pulse energy of 32.6J and relative peak value
efficiency of 1.0PW.
Source: China Science Daily
Date: December 17, 2014
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China Develops Its Most Powerful PMSTM in Zhuzhou, Hunan
CSR Zhuzhou Institute Co Ltd has
developed the third-generation ‘Engine for Highspeed Train’, which is a high-speed train’s
permanent magnet synchronous traction system.
Having passed the review by Inspection and Test
Center of China Academy of Railway Sciences
recently, the system will undergo vehicle trial test
and operation assessment in the near future. This
demonstrates that China’s high-speed train traction
system technology has assumed global leadership.
the next-generation’s mainstream trend in railway
traction system R&D.
Traction system is the ‘heart’ of high-speed
train and other rail vehicles. The world’s rail
vehicles have progressed from DC to AC, and are
currently undergoing third-generation transition to
‘permanent magnet’. Every technology upgrade to
the traction system brings about overall progress in
locomotive technology and railway equipment. Due
to obvious strengths such as high efficiency and
high power density, permanent magnet synchronous
traction motor (PMSTM) is gradually replacing
traditional asynchronous traction system to become
JD188 high-powered PMSTM developed by
CSR Zhuzhou has rated power reaching 690kW. It
is the most powerful PMSTM among current
railway transportation in China. Compared with
traditional asynchronous motors, JD188 has the
characteristics of steady speed conversion, high
efficiency, small volume, light weight, low noise
and high reliability, achieving over 10% reduction
in energy consumption.
CSR Zhuzhou Institute Co Ltd is in charge
of R&D of the National 863 project. It encompasses
three most important technologies, namely
permanent magnet synchronous traction system,
PMSTM and network control system, resulting in
China becoming one of the few countries to master
the technology.
Source: Hunan Provincial Science and Technology
Department
Date: November 15, 2014
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June 2015
2
China Science and Technology Highlights
by HKUST VPRGO
Beijing’s Largest Thin-film BIPV Completes Construction
Hanergy has recently hosted a product
launch and seminar on thin-film building-integrated
photovoltaics (BIPV). The company announced that
the initial phase of its BIPV project at its Beijing
headquarters, which is also the largest BIPV in
Beijing, has been completed to generate clean, safe
and convenient power supply for its offices. The
company also announced that global technological
integration and independent R&D have given
Hanergy an edge as a supplier of comprehensive
BIPV solutions—combining design, R&D,
production, integration, construction, operation and
maintenance.
Hanergy headquarters’ BIPV project
incorporates thin-film solar technology into curtain
walls, skywalks, skylight rooftops, flexible roof
installations, carport and other BIPV architectural
designs. It has a total installed capacity of 3MW,
while the first phase will provide 600kW capacity to
meet 20% of the headquarters’ electricity demands.
After completion of the second phase, annual
generation capacity will be 3 million kWh and the
headquarters will be self sufficient to meet 100% of
the electricity demand. It achieves sound economic
benefits by reducing the energy bill by RMB
1.46/kWh and earning power subsidies of RMB
0.42/kWh. Moreover, it reduces carbon dioxide
emission by 2,500 tons annually, which is equivalent
to planting 140,000 trees or offsetting emission of
780 vehicles.
The most outstanding feature of the project
is that it introduces futuristic design elements while
maintaining the original architectural integrity. The
BIPV components on the exterior building walls
adopt a design that resembles dragon scales by
integrating thin-film components of different shapes,
colors and light transmittance rates. This creates a
striking visual impact while optimizing aspects of
lighting, sunshade and ventilation. Its aestheticsoriented design highlights the infinite and novel
design possibilities of green buildings.
Source: China National Radio
Date: November 5, 2014
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World’s First Rocket Engine Driven by Coal-Based Kerosene
Successfully Passes Hot Commissioning
Rockets can fly using ‘coal’. The world’s
first rocket engine driven by coal-based kerosene
has successfully completed hot commissioning in
the Sixth Institute, China Aerospace Science and
Technology Corporation (CASC) in Qinling Beilu.
This is an important step for coal-based fuel to be
used in aerospace, providing a rare and strategic
alternative for China’s scarce aerospace fuel.
An important trend in the world’s space
propulsion technology involves the use of highefficiency and low-toxicity liquid oxygen +
kerosene as an alternative to conventional hydrazine
fuel. In 2012, a new engine developed by CASC’s
Sixth Institute resulted in China becoming the
world’s second nation mastering the core
technologies of liquid oxygen kerosene highpressure staged combustion cycle engine. Shenhua
Group’s Erdos project, whose intellectual property
rights belong to China, is the world’s first modern
and mature project demonstrating the direct
liquefaction of million-ton coal and verified by tests
at industry-scale facilities. It has been running
steadily since its launch in 2010. The fuel produced
by ‘coal oil’ has the characteristics of high specific
density, high specific calorific value and high
oxidation stability. It can be an alternative to
kerosene used in aerospace.
Liu Hongjun, Deputy Chief of the new
generation rocket at the Sixth Institute, said that
coal-based
fuel
demonstrates
performance
comparable to that of aerospace kerosene and is thus
able to replace the latter.
Source: Science and Technology Daily
Date: April 13, 2015
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June 2015
3
China Science and Technology Highlights
by HKUST VPRGO
Lunar Test Orbiter of China’s Third-Phase Lunar Exploration
Returns to Moon’s Orbit
On 11 January, technical professionals at
Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center
(BACC) reported that as part of the third phase of
China’s Lunar Exploration, the service module of
China’s lunar test orbiter had performed first
Perilune braking, entering Apolune at altitude
5,300km and Perilune at altitude 200km in an 8-hour
elliptical orbit around the moon to continue with
missions of Chang’e-5.
BACC will continue to make the module’s
second and third braking in the mornings of 12 and
13 January respectively to enable it to travel along
the current orbit at an altitude of 200km above the
moon’s surface and the target 127-minute orbit to
carry out tests to validate key technologies for the
next lunar probe mission, Chang’e-5.
To ensure smooth testing, BACC’s flight
control room has completed comprehensive design
of technological solutions as well as two months of
continuous testing and tracking, monitoring and
high-precision orbit calculations as well as over ten
orbit control and earth-moon synchronized imaging.
The smart fault warning technology and orbit
integrated protection platform developed by the
Center have played significant roles during the
process. Up till now, the service module has
achieved sound balance of energy resources, good
conditions, timely ground control, stable tracking,
normal flight control and data reception to prepare
for future testing.
Source: Science and Technology Daily
Date: January 12, 2015
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China Develops New High-Performance Lots Perception Matrix Code
China’s Matrix Code technology has
achieved an important breakthrough. After research
for more than a decade, Beijing LP Code has
pioneered new mathematics calculations and
information technology codes to successfully
develop China’s first Lots Perception Matrix Code
(LP 2D Barcode) with complete intellectual
property rights. It is fundamentally different from
LP Codes developed in other countries, boasting
higher performance and world-leading standards.
Due to China’s late entry in development
and use of 2D barcodes, the country had been using
2D barcodes developed by other countries. Because
of the lack of core technologies, there are risks
regarding intellectual property and information
security. Now, the biggest advantage of Beijing’s
new LP Code is its high level of security. It has low
crack rate, which is exemplified by ‘null probability
event’ statistically. Secondly, it has very high
compression storage capacity. Its data storage
capacity is four times that of Japan’s QR code, and
five times that of USA’s DM. Thirdly, it has very
strong error-correction capability. Whereas 2D
Barcodes in other countries have maximum
correction rates of 25% to 30%, Beijing’s LP Code
has a rate exceeding 60%. Fourthly, LP Code is the
only code using transformable code-based graphics
symbols in the world.
Prior to this, USA and Japan were the only
two countries with international patents regarding
2D barcodes’ core algorithm. Beijing’s new LP
Code has filled in the gap in China’s coding
technology. It has also cemented new and reliable
technological foundation in China’s developing
Internet of Things industry.
Source: People’s Daily
Date: February 3, 2015
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June 2015
4
China Science and Technology Highlights
by HKUST VPRGO
Significant Upgrade Achieved by China’s New Generation of ‘Artificial Sun’
China’s new generation of ‘artificial sun’
Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak
(EAST) system, a superconducting tokamak
magnetic fusion energy reactor, had been checked
and accepted by the National Development and
Reform Commission’s (NDRC) National Science
and Technology Infrastructure Program on 10
February. This signifies EAST’s significant upgrade,
achieving
cutting-edge
R&D
standards
internationally in magnetic confinement fusion
device. In the next five years, it is one of the fusion
devices with the best potential to realize 400
seconds long pulse high performance discharge in
the world.
According to Li Jiangang, an expert in Hefei
Institute of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of
Sciences, EAST is one of NDRC’s key scientific
projects. Started in November 2011, the project
aims at building 4 MW of neutral beam heating as
well as 4 MW of lower hybrid current drive (LHCD).
“Based on the upgrade, EAST will possess the
ability to operate at 1MA current, with electrons and
ions temperature in the core reaching 100 million
degrees Celsius producing high parameter plasma.
Thus it can be used to carry out the most advanced
R&D related to fusion reactor. It will also provide
strong support to International Thermonuclear
Experimental Reactor’s (ITER) secure operation
and steady-state tests. It will result in China’s
steady-state and high-power plasma physics
research achieving world leading status,” said Li.
EAST is the world’s first superconducting
nuclear fusion test device independently developed
by China. Its scientific aim is to lay foundations for
China’s future ITER project to design and build
nuclear fusion reactor independently.
Source: People’s Liberation Army Daily
Date: February 11, 2015
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China’s Ultra High-speed Large-capacity Ultra Long-haul Optical Transmission
Breaks Record
China’s ultra high-speed large-capacity ultra
long-haul optical transmission basic research breaks
the record once again. An ordinary single-mode
optical fiber achieves transmission capacity of
100.23Tb/s (equivalent to 1.2 billion people talking
at the same time on a single fiber) at a distance of
80km.
It is predicted that by 2030, global network
traffic will increase by 1,000 folds comparing to that
of 2010. Optical transport, the foundation for
internet and communication networks, is facing
increased pressure to handle huge amount of data.
There is an imminent need to expand the network
capacity. China’s single-mode optical fiber is
operating at the C+L band carrying 375 channels,
with 267.27Gb/s/channel large-capacity ultra-dense
wavelength
division
multiplexing (WDM)
transmission over 80 km. This is an important
breakthrough, putting China in the global forefront
in experimental transmission capacity of >100T.
The experiments have broken the nation’s
record regarding speed of optical transmission, and
have solved some core technology problems
relating to ultra high-speed and high spectral
efficiency long-distance transmission system,
including ‘high-order modulation, high spectral
efficiency and non-linear effect suppression’. The
breakthroughs have built the foundation for
practical use of ultra high-speed ultra-dense WDM
transmission over long distances. It provides the
necessary technologies for China’s next-generation
network infrastructure, as well as strong support to
the nation’s broadband strategies and promotion of
information consumption.
The project is led by the Wuhan Research
Institute of Posts and Telecommunications with
participation from Huazhong University of Science
and Technology, Fudan University, Beijing
University of Posts and Telecommunications and
Xidian University. It is a National 973 project
June 2015
5
China Science and Technology Highlights
by HKUST VPRGO
Source: China News
Date: November 7, 2014
named ‘ultra high-speed large-capacity ultra longhaul optical transmission basic research.’
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New Technology Enables Coalbed Methane to
Become One of the “Hot” Energy Sources
“With China being the world’s largest
producer of coal, the country has rich coal and
coalbed methane resources. The geological resource
capacity of coalbed methane is comparable to that
of natural gas. China has 13% of the world’s coalbed
methane resource capacity, which is the world’s
third after Russia and Canada,” said Wang Xiaokun,
analyst of natural gas at Sublime China Information
Group at an interview earlier.
Coalbed methane is also known as ‘coal
seam gas’. Its main component is combustible
methane which is found in coal seams in coal mines.
Coalbed methane, if not handled properly, can cause
disasters in coal mines. It is possible to extract
coalbed methane from seams of coal with new
technology such that coalbed methane can act as an
alternative to natural gas and benefit humankind.
Nevertheless, the geological conditions of
China’s coalbed methane are complicated. In
Shanxi Qinshui Basin for instance, due to uneven
distribution of subsurface coal seams underground,
the directions in which coal seams head towards are
inconsistent. During horizontal drilling, if the well
being drilled fails to follow the direction of the coal
seams, it may open towards the rocks, resulting in
no gas but water. Moreover, coalbed methane, as an
unconventional natural gas, has some characteristics
similar to shale gas. There is no commonly used
mining method. Methods used under diverse
geological conditions differ.
After a decade of R&D starting from 1997,
Greka Group, which is responsible for developing
part of Shanxi Qinshui Basin, has developed Lined
Faulted Brittle Coal (LiFaBric) drilling technology
(screen pipe technology in brittle coal seams) to
solve the challenges posed by China’s diverse
geological conditions. The technology involves
directly drilling the well’s horizontal branches into
coal seams. It will not be influenced by uneven
distribution of coal seams. If the drill meets faults,
it will be able to pass through them and follow the
direction of coal seams. This ensures to a large
degree that wells will open towards coal seams.
Lowering screen pipe into the well after drilling will
help to prevent coal seams from collapsing.
This type of horizontal drilling technology
only requires that a well can be drilled for 1km or
more. Unlike other technologies, it does not require
multiple vertical wells to be drilled. It requires small
land surface and causes little pollution. No chemical
agents are needed during the entire drilling process.
There is almost zero pollution to coal seams.
Moreover, PVC screen pipes are used and they have
little negative effects on future coal mining. Upon
completion, the land previously occupied by
LiFaBric’s U-shaped well can be cultivated again,
thus minimizing the land use.
Source: Science and Technology Daily
Date: January 19, 2015
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China Develops First LNG Intermediate Fluid Vaporizer
China’s first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
Intermediate Fluid Vaporizer (IFV), developed
independently by Harbin Fenghua Aerospace HiTech Co Ltd , has passed performance testing. It has
been transported to China National Offshore Oil
Corporation’s (CNOOC) LNG terminal in Ningbo,
Zhejiang for onsite installation and is planned to
undergo full-load testing by the end of 2014. This
signifies the end of the long history of LNG core
technology being monopolized by Japan.
In the production process at LNG terminals,
LNG needs to be gasified in order to pass through
high-pressure pipes to be transmitted to power
stations, industry users and urban households. IFV
is the core device to complete gasification of natural
June 2015
6
China Science and Technology Highlights
by HKUST VPRGO
gas. Its core technology had been monopolized by
Japan for a long period, resulting in high cost and
difficulties in maintenance. It is thus crucial to
China’s energy development for the nation to master
this technology, which will help to meet pressing
internal market needs and avoid playing a passive
role in the global market.
Fenghua started
independent R&D of IFV. In 2012, the project
became listed in municipal-level science and
technology plans and received RMB 700,000
funding support.
After years of effort, China developed its
first LNG IFV with international standards.
Fenghua became China’s leading corporation in
design of pressure vessels. As China continues to
build LNG terminals, the IFV market is promising.
IFV will also become an important driver for the
economic growth of Harbin.
Source: Science and Technology Daily
Date: November 13, 2014
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World’s Largest Smart Photovoltaic Power Plants with 212 MW
Completes Construction in Qinghai
“Qinghai has combined technologies of
digital information, internet and photovoltaic (PV)
power generation to pioneer the world’s two smart
PV power plants Geermu Phase III 200MW and
Laxiwa 12MW respectively. This significantly
boosts power generation capacity and operational
efficiency of the power plants,” said Shi Dinghuan,
President of China Renewable Energy Society at a
press conference in Xining.
Geermu and Laxiwa have a total installed
capacity of 212MW, which make them the world’s
largest smart PV power plants. Launched and put to
use on 27 and 31 December 2014 respectively, they
have been connected to the national grid and
engaged in stable and reliable operations to
significantly increase generation capacity and
operations management efficiency of the power
plants.
According to Xu Yingtong, General
Manager at Huawei’s Smart PV Plant Solutions, the
two plants Geermu and Laxiwa use leading 4G
wireless systems customized for PV such that
broadband wireless signals will cover the entire
plants to ensure ‘centralized operations, remote
diagnosis and real-time maintenance’ to support the
information highway. The advanced system
improves operational efficiency to enable
significant innovations in managing large-scale PV
power plants in future.
Moreover, the smart PV power plants take
advantage of GPS, infrared imagery and wireless
transmission equipment to enable thermal image
scanning of PV components in the plants. It
precisely determines and locates components with
hot spots, cracks on solar cells and other faults. It
also integrates graphics analysis and expert
diagnosis to enable comprehensive, precise and
timely identification of device faults, thus realizing
quick replacement, increased monitoring ability,
reduced need for surveillance and increased
reliability of power station devices.
“Smart PV theories have been successfully
turned into reality to lead industry development.
Huanghe Hydropower, while building PV’s entire
upstream and downstream industry chain, has
constructed 25 PV power plants. It has become the
world’s largest smart PV plant and realized the
smart upgrade of PV power plants. It provides
valuable experience to China and the world’s PV
industry,” said Shi Dinghuan.
Source: China News
Date: April 4, 2015
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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Published by the Office of the Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies ©2015
www.vprg.ust.hk Email: [email protected]
June 2015
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