A see-off ceremony was held at Jiulonghu campus of Southeast University on October 24 for faculty members Zhang Kanjian and Ge Jian, who was set to join China's 39th Antarctic expedition.

A new generation of power supply module developed by the university will also head to Kunlun Station in Antarctica, where the system will provide energy to the instruments and equipments in the extreme environment.

Professor Zhang Hui of the university's School of Energy and Environment said the container-like module consists of parts for power generation, energy storage and oil storage, forming a well-rounded and intelligent energy system.

(Photo provided to Xinhua Daily/Hang Tian & Meng Delong)

Researchers hope to make sure the system works normally in temperatures as low as minus 80 degrees Celsius and also send back the data in a stable manner.

The smart module will be able to run on its own for one year before getting refueled in the next Antarctic expedition, monitor the environment with a camera, and support communication, according to Zhang.

The university has sent five researchers to Kunlun Station, Taishan Station, Zhongshan Station for research tasks. Among them, Kunlun Station is situated at the highest point on the Antarctic ice sheet, at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters. It places high requirements over the operational reliability of kinds of equipment while researchers also need to have great physical fitness and endurance.