Analysis of coal face stability of lower coal seam under repeated mining in close coal seams group

Aiming at the problem of coal face failure of lower coal seam under the influence of repeated mining in close coal seams, with the working face 17,101 as a background, the coal samples mechanics test clarified the strength characteristics of the coal face under repeated mining, through similar simulation experiments, the development of stable roof structure and surrounding rock cracks under repeated mining of close coal seams are further explored. And based on this, establish a coal face failure mechanics model to comprehensively analyze the influence of multiple roof structural instabilities on the stability of the coal face. Finally, numerical simulation is used to further supplement and verify the completeness and rationality of similar simulation experiment and theoretical analysis results. The results show that: affected by repeated mining disturbances, the cracks in the coal face are relatively developed, the strength of the coal body is reduced, and the coal face is more prone to failure under the same roof pressure; During the mining of coal seam 17#, the roofs of different layers above the stope form two kinds of "arch" structures and one kind of “voussoir beam” structure, and there are three different degrees of frequent roof pressure phenomenon, which is easy to cause coal face failure; Under repeated mining of close coal seams, the roof pressure acting on the coal face is not large. The main controlling factor of coal face failure is the strength of the coal body, and the form of coal face failure is mostly the shear failure of soft coal. The research results can provide a theoretical basis for coal face failure under similar conditions.

Characteristics of gas pressure change during the freezing process of gas-containing coal

To investigate the characteristics of gas pressure changes during the freezing of gas-containing composite coal, an experimental device for determining the freezing response characteristics of gas-containing coal was independently designed. Coal samples with different firmness coefficients from the No. 3 coal seam in Yuxi Coal Mine in Jincheng, Shanxi Province, were selected to determine the different freezing response characteristics. The gas pressure evolved under different temperatures (-10 °C-15 °C-20 °C-25 °C-30 °C) and different adsorption equilibrium pressures (1.0 MPa, 1.5 MPa, 2.0 MPa). The research results reveal that, during the freezing process of the gas-containing coal sample, the gas pressure in the coal sample tank changed as a monotonously decreasing function and underwent three stages: rapid decline, decline, and slow decline. The relationship between the gas pressure of the coal sample tank and the freezing time is described by a power function. Low temperatures promoted gas adsorption. As the freezing temperature decreased, the decrease of gas pressure in the coal sample tank became faster. During the freezing process, the adsorption capacity of soft coal was larger, and the gas pressure of soft coal was lower.

New Method for Reducing Coal Mine Gas Disasters via Directional Drilling and Hydraulic Jet

Gas extraction is an important topic because of poor permeability and high gas seam in coal mines. A new method for reducing stress and improving permeability of coal seam was proposed to reduce the cost of gas extraction and danger of coal and gas outbursts. In this method, the roadway in coal floor was replaced with directional main borehole, directional branch boreholes were used to replace crossing holes, and soft coal was mined along soft sub layers using a directional drilling machine and a directional hydraulic jet. The numerical simulation showed that the porosity and permeability of coal seam significantly improve after soft sub layers being removed by the directional hydraulic jet. The application of the proposed method and its supporting equipment was carried out under the special gas conditions of Hudi Coal Mine. Results show that the soft coal is mined efficiently along the soft sub layer using the main borehole, branch boreholes, and directional hydraulic jet. Compared the hydraulic punching in the borehole with the ordinary drilling machine, the average speed of mining soft sub layers increased from 0.5 t/h to 3.6 t/h, the equivalent diameter of mining soft sub layers increased from 1.2 m to 7.6m, and the average flow of gas extraction increased from 0.41 m3/d to 6.25 m3/d. The conclusions obtained in this study can provide a reference to the similar coal mining methods.

Laboratory Study of Deformational Characteristics and Acoustic Emission Properties of Coal with Different Strengths under Uniaxial Compression

Acoustic emission (AE) can reflect the dynamic changes in a material’s structure, and it has been widely used in studies regarding coal mechanics, such as those focusing on the influence of loading rate or water content change on the mechanical properties of coal. However, the deformational behavior of coals with various strengths differs due to the variation in microstructure. Hard coal presents brittleness, which is closely related to certain kinds of geological disasters such as coal bursts; soft coal exhibits soft rock properties and large deformation mechanical characteristics. Therefore, conclusions drawn from AE characteristics of a single coal sample have application limitations. This paper studies the deformation patterns and AE characteristics of coals with different strengths. A uniaxial compression experiment was carried out using coal samples with average uniaxial compressive strengths of 30 MPa and 10 MPa; the SAEU2S digital AE system was used to measure the AE counts, dissipation energy, and fracturing point distributions at each deformation stage of the different coals. The results show that the bearing capacity of hard coal is similar to that of the elastic stage and plastic deformation stage, but it may lose its bearing capacity immediately after failure. Soft coal has a relatively distinct stress-softening deformation stage and retains a certain bearing capacity after the peak. The AE counts and dissipation energy of hard coal are significantly higher than those of soft media, with average increases of 49% and 26%, respectively. Via comparative analysis of the distribution and development of internal rupture points within soft coal and hard coal at 15%, 70%, and 80% peak loads, it was observed that hard coal has fewer rupture points in the elastic deformation stage, allowing it to maintain good integrity; however, its rupture points increase rapidly under high stress. Soft coal produces more plastic deformation under low loading conditions, but the development of the fracture is relatively slow in the stress-softening stage. We extracted and summarized the AE characteristics discussed in the literature using one single coal sample, and the results support the conclusions presented in this paper. This study subdivided the deformation process and AE characteristics of soft and hard coals, providing a theoretical guidance and technical support for the application of AE technology in coal with different strengths.

Mechanical Mechanism of Water Injection to Enhance the Stability of Soft Coal

The physical and mechanical properties of soft coal body constitute one of the most important factors inducing coal wall spalling. In order to explore the mechanical essence of coal instability disaster and stability enhancement of water injection, the 7# coal in Huainan mining area is taken as the research object. Firstly, the distribution characteristics of coal particle size, point-load strength, original water content, microstructure characteristics, and shear strength of coal under different water contents are measured by laboratory tests. Then, based on the test results, the cementation morphology and force evolution law of granular coal water in coal body are analyzed using liquid bridge theory. The results show the following: (1) With the increase of particle size, the mass ratio of granular coal increases gradually. The percentage of particle coal with particle size less than 2.5 mm accounts for 47.157%, fractal dimension is 2.172, and uniaxial compressive strength and tensile strength are 3.822 MPa and 0.165 MPa, respectively. (2) The coal body is dry (the original moisture content is 1.336%), containing a large number of loose particles, pores, fissures, and other microfabrics. This “low water content and multiporosity” feature is the essential reason for its low strength, fragmentation, and instability and disaster. (3) In the process of water content increasing from 0.966% to 26.580%, the shear stress-displacement curve of coal body gradually changes from softening type to hardening type, and the failure type transitions from brittleness to ductility. The cohesive force increases first and then decreases, while the angle of internal friction almost has no change. (4) After reasonable water injection, the shape of liquid bridge in coal body changes into capillary tube, and the liquid bridge force reaches the maximum value, which transforms from a highly unstable bulk to a stable continuum. The research results have important theoretical significance and practical value for the safe and efficient mining of soft coal seams.