In an effort to understand the cavity growth mechanisms occurring during an Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) test, a study of the thermomechanical effects has been initiated at Sandia National Laboratories. The first phase of this study has been the determination of the intrinsic thermal and structural properties of the Hanna Basin Coal that was utilized in a series of four UCG tests near the town of Hanna, Wyoming. The result of this study is a consistent set of thermal and structural properties of a Hanna Basin coal. This set has been used in a model that successfully simulated the growth of the cavity observed during the Hanna II UCG test.
Results of Phase 1 postburn drilling and coring, Rocky Mountain 1 Underground Coal Gasification Site, Hanna Basin, Wyoming
