Mechanism of Hard-Roof Rock Burst Control by the Deep-Hole Blasting: Numerical Study Based on Particle Flow

In underground coal mines, the deep-hole blasting (DHB) technology is generally adopted for thick hard-roof control. This technology uses the energy released by explosives to weaken the energy storage capacity of hard roof so as to prevent hard-roof rock burst disasters. In this paper, a numerical simulation model of roof DHB was established based on particle flow and the damage range of single-hole blasting with concentrated cylindrical charge was studied. The temporal and spatial evolutions of overlying strata, the distribution of the force chain structure, and the working resistance of hydraulic pressure in the mining process before and after the application of DHB were contrastively analyzed. The following beneficial conclusions were drawn. The blasting-induced single-hole damage range is generally characterized by annular zoning. After the application of DHB, overall the collapse morphology of the key strata in the mining process changes from long-distance instantaneous slipping instability to stratified short-arm stepped synergistic subsidence. The density and strength of force chains in the overburden are notably reduced; the peak value of compressive force chain strength in the key strata in the mining process falls by 17.85% as a result of DHB. The monitoring results of the working resistance of hydraulic support reveal that the DHB technology can effectively shorten the step distance of periodic weighting and reduce the variation amplitude of overburden load during weighting. In summary, the mechanism of hard-roof rock burst control by DHB is reflected by both static load reduction and dynamic load reaction.

Study on the Working Resistance of a Support under Shallowly Buried Gobs According to the Roof Structure during Periodic Weighting

The phenomenon of dynamic pressure in the panel under shallowly buried gobs is obvious, resulting in limited and challenging support type selection. In this paper, theoretical analysis, numerical simulation and field measurement were combined to study the reasonable working resistance of the support in panels under shallowly buried gobs. First, the definition of the equivalent main key stratum (EMKS) was proposed. Then, a method of identifying the structure of the EMKS and broken key stratum blocks was given. The roof structure of the panel under a shallowly buried gob (PSBG) during strong periodic weighting could be divided into 12 types. Mechanical models of the roof structure were established, and the method to calculate the working resistance of the support was given. The Bulianta coal mine and Fengjiata coal mine in the Yushenfu Mining Area were taken as research objects. Based on the measured working resistance curve of the support, the structural morphology of key stratum blocks during strong periodic weighting was distinguished. On this basis, the working resistance of the support was calculated. Finally, FLAC2D numerical software was used to test the working resistance of the support. Based on the subsidence of the roof, horizontal displacement of the coal wall and the development range of the plastic zone in the surrounding rock, the working resistance of the support and adaptability of the surrounding rock control were verified and evaluated. The results show that it is reasonable to calculate the working resistance of the support based on the roof structure during strong periodic weighting. The research results can provide a reference for the scientific and rational selection of the support in a PSBG.

Stability and Control of Retracement Channels in Thin Seam Working Faces with Soft Roof

To reduce the risk of roof falling and rib spalling during equipment retracement in thin coal seam faces with soft roofs, the 25070 working face of Xuehu Coal Mine was taken as the research object, and theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and field practice methods were used. Under different space relationships between retracement channels and main roof fracture, the load of hydraulic supports was quantitatively analyzed. The relationship between the working resistance of the hydraulic support and the sinking rotation angle of the immediate roof was analyzed, and a reasonable time for the arrangement of the retracement channel was determined. The sublevel excavation technology and the combined support technology of roof anchor cables and coal rib anchors were proposed. The field application shows that the falling height and rate of movable prop of the hydraulic supports, working resistance of the hydraulic supports, and the roof subsidence all meet the requirements of safety production during the terminal mining period, and the surrounding rock control effect of retracement channel was determined to be good. The safe and efficient mining of the coal mine is ensured, and the research results can provide guidance for similar working faces.

Influence of anchorage length and pretension on the working resistance of rock bolt based on its tensile characteristics

In coal mining roadway support design, the working resistance of the rock bolt is the key factor affecting its maximum support load. Effective improvement of the working resistance is of great significance to roadway support. Based on the rock bolt’s tensile characteristics and the mining roadway surrounding rock deformation, a mechanical model for calculating the working resistance of the rock bolt was established and solved. Taking the mining roadway of the 17102 (3) working face at the Panji No. 3 Coal Mine of China as a research site, with a quadrilateral section roadway, the influence of pretension and anchorage length on the working resistance of high-strength and ordinary rock bolts in the middle and corner of the roadway is studied. The results show that when the bolt is in the elastic stage, increasing the pretension and anchorage length can effectively improve the working resistance. When the bolt is in the yield and strain-strengthening stages, increasing the pretension and anchorage length cannot effectively improve the working resistance. The influence of pretension and anchorage length on the ordinary and high-strength bolts is similar. The ordinary bolt’s working resistance is approximately 25 kN less than that of the high-strength bolt. When pretension and anchorage length are considered separately, the best pretensions of the high-strength bolt in the middle of the roadway side and the roadway corner are 41.55 and 104.26 kN, respectively, and the best anchorage lengths are 1.54 and 2.12 m, respectively. The best anchorage length of the ordinary bolt is the same as that of the high-strength bolt, and the best pretension for the ordinary bolt in the middle of the roadway side and at the roadway corner is 33.51 and 85.12 kN, respectively. The research results can provide a theoretical basis for supporting the design of quadrilateral mining roadways.

A case study of the periodic fracture control of a thick-hard roof based on deep-hole pre-splitting blasting

A thick-hard roof implies a large hanging-roof and high-frequency dynamic strata behaviour during mining, which may jeopardise personnel safety and equipment. To alleviate these hazards, deep-hole pre-splitting blasting is employed to control periodic fractures in thick-hard roof seams in Datong mining area. Based on loading and instability characteristics, a mechanical model of thick-hard roof periodic collapse is established to investigate the relationships and optimal parameters among the collapse interval, fracturing angle and support working resistance. LS-DYNA was employed to analyse the fracture evolution to determine the optimal charge parameters. The minimum weakening width and average fragmentation of the pre-split roof are obtained. Universal distinct element code simulations were used to determine the thick-hard roof collapse morphology and strata behaviour to confirm the optimal pre-splitting parameters. The deep-hole pre-splitting blasting on-site implementation reduces thick-hard roof collapse intervals, and the supports loading is verified to be safe with sufficient allowance, which show a good control effect on thick-hard roof seams.

Study on Influence Laws of Strata Behaviors for Shallow Coal Seam Mining beneath Gully Terrain

The study on influence laws of strata behaviors is the basic guarantee of safety mining for shallow coal seam beneath gully terrain. Taking 3302 mining face of Zhujiamao Coal Mine as the engineering background, the laws of strata behaviors for shallow coal seam mining beneath gully terrain are studied by field detection, theoretical analysis, and numerical simulation. The strata pressure observation and the hydraulic support working resistance show that the dynamic strata behaviors appear violently during mining beneath the gully bottom. The theoretical analysis shows that the rotation and breaking of key stratum beneath gully bottom under nonuniform load is the fundamental cause of strong dynamic strata behaviors. The numerical simulation of overburden movement and fissure development characteristics shows that the strata behaviors beneath the gully bottom are stronger than the strata behaviors beneath other areas. Additionally, according to the laws of dynamic strata behaviors, the safety measures for mining beneath gully bottom are put forward.

Effect of Face Length in Initial Mining Stage of Fully Mechanized Top-coal Caving Face With Large Mining Height

Based on the field measurement of the end resistance of the support during the initial weighting of the basic roof and the macroscopic mine pressure behavior during the weighting period of 101,22211,103 and 301 fully mechanized caving face in Changchun Xing Coal Mine, the mine pressure law of the working face is summarized and compared, and the relationship between the working face length and the working resistance of the support ( the weighting strength ) and the macroscopic mine pressure behavior is obtained. In the range of face length 126-230 m, with the increase of face length, the end-of-cycle resistance of the support gradually increases and the dynamic load coefficient of the support gradually increases when the coefficient of the support gradually increases, and the strata behavior of the working face changes from strong to very strong. When the face length is short ( 126-140.5m ), the hanging top area is too large to cause hurricanes when the working face is pressed, which threatens and damages the personal safety and equipment of the working face staff. Based on the above research, the problem of optimizing the surface length is proposed, and the surface length is determined to be within the range of 140-230 m according to the measured results.

A Mechanical Analysis of Support Instability Risk along the Strike of Coalface in Thick Coal Seam with Large Dip Angle: A Case Study

To ensure safe and high-efficiency mining in the coalface with large dip angle (LDA) and large mining height (LMH), it is important to study the support stability of the coalface under the corresponding conditions. This study is based on the #3up509 coalface of the Gaozhuang Coal Mine (GCM) affiliated with the Zaozhuang Mining Area (ZMA), for which the mechanical characteristics of support in the coalface with LDA and LMH are analyzed. On this basis, the mechanical models for support tilting and sliding in the coalface are developed. Then support stability along the strike of the coalface during the normal mining period (NMP) and special mining period (SMP) is analyzed. The results show that the critical support tilting resistance during the NMP is 52.2 kN, and the critical support sliding resistance is 183.75 kN, and for the SMP, the values are 2679 kN and 4425 kN, respectively. The use of a two-leg shield support, known as ZY6600-25.5/55 (its rated working resistance is 6600 kN), is investigated, which is proved reasonable for the coalface. The influencing factors of support stability along the strike include technical parameters of the support, mining geological conditions of the coalface and specific conditions during mining. Technical measures, such as installing interlock set to fasten support and adjustable lifting jack, increasing the setting load of the support, and optimizing the support displacement method, are taken to increase the overall support stability in the coalface. The initial aim for a safe and high-efficiency mining at the #3up509 coalface has been achieved through the aforementioned measures.

Research on the Influence of the Key Stratum Position on the Support Working Resistance during Large Mining Height Top-Coal Caving Mining

In recent years, in order to increase the coal recovery rate, the large mining height fully mechanized top-coal caving mining has been widely used because it has the advantages of both fully mechanized mining method and large mining height mining method. When this mining technology is used to exploit thick coal seam under upper goaf, the movement characteristics of the overlying strata and the bearing structure formed by the broken rock are complicated, which results in the abnormal pressure during mining, such as severe coal slabs and hydraulic supports being crushed. The key to solve these problems is to study the movement law and the structural evolution characteristics of the overlying strata during large mining height fully mechanized top-coal caving mining, and the movement characteristics of the overlying strata are all determined by the layer-position of the key stratum. UDEC models with different layer-position of the key stratum are established to investigate the influence of the key stratum position on the support working resistance during large mining height top-coal caving mining. Through comprehensive research, the source of support resistance comes from under different geological conditions was analyzed, and the formula for estimating the maximum support working resistance was deduced. In addition, in order to release the severe pressure during large mining height fully mechanized top-coal caving mining, it is recommended to use hydraulic fracturing method to weaken the key stratum in situ.