Theoretical description of drawing body shape in an inclined seam with longwall top coal caving mining

Understanding the characteristics of drawing body shape is essential for optimization of drawing parameters in longwall top coal caving mining.In this study,both physical experiments and theoretical analysis are employed to investigate these characteristics and derive a theoretical equation for the drawing body shape along the working face in an inclined seam.By analyzing the initial positions of drawn marked particles,the characteristics of the drawing body shape for different seam dip angles are obtained.It is shown that the drawing body of the top coal exhibits a shape-difference and volume-symmetry characteristic,on taking a vertical line through the center of support opening as the axis of symmetry,the shapes of the drawing body on the two sides of this axis are clearly different,but their volumes are equal.By establishing theoretical models of the drawing body in the initial drawing stage and the normal drawing stage,a theoretical equation for the drawing body in an inclined seam is proposed,which can accurately describe the characteristics of the drawing body shape.The shape characteristics and volume symmetry of the drawing body are further analyzed by comparing the results of theoretical calculations and numerical simulations.It is shown that one side of the drawing body is divided into two parts by an inflection point,with the lower part being a variation development area.This variation development area increases gradually with increasing seam dip angle,resulting in an asymmetry of the drawing body shape.However,the volume symmetry coefficient fluctuates around 1 for all values of the seam dip angle variation,and the volumes of the drawing body on the two sides are more or less equal as the variation development volume is more or less equal to the cut volume.Both theoretical calculations and numerical simulations confirm that the drawing body of the top coal exhibits the shape-difference and volume-symmetry characteristic.

Development of 3D top coal caving angle model for fully mechanized extra-thick coal seam mining

During high-intensity,fully mechanized mining of extra-thick coal seam,the top coal would cave to a certain 3D form.Based on the data collected during drilling,a 3D model of top coal caving surface space was established to determine the relationship between the location of the stope roof and the caving surface,enabling the mathematical computation of the top caving angle(φ).The drilling method was employed to measure the top caving angle on two extra-thick fully mechanized coal caving faces under the conditions of three geological structures,namely,no geological structure,igneous rock structure,and fault structure.The results show that the value of top caving angle could be accurately estimated on-site with the 9-parameter 3D top coal caving surface model built with the drilling method.This method is a novel on-site measurement that can be easily applied.Our findings reveal that the characteristics of the coal-rock in the two mining faces are different;yet their caving angles follow the ruleφ_(igneous rock structure)<φ_(no geological structure)<φ_(fault structure).Finally,through the data fitting with two indexes(the top coal uniaxial compressive strength and the top caving angle),it is found that the relationship between the two indexes satisfies an exponential decay function.

Technical parameters of drawing and coal-gangue field movements of a fully mechanized large mining height top coal caving working face

Under fully mechanized, large mining height top coal caving conditions, the shield beam slope angle of the support increases due to the enlargement of the top coal breaking and caving space. This results in a change of the caving window location and dimensions and, therefore, the granular coal-gangue movement and flows provide new characteristics during top coal caving. The main inferences we draw are as follows. Firstly, after shifting the supports, the caved top coal layer line and the coal gangue boundary line become steeper and are clearly larger than those under common mining heights. Secondly, during the top coal caving procedure, the speed of the coal-gangue flow increases and at the same drawing interval, the distance between the coal-gangue boundary line and the top beam end is reduced. Thirdly, affected by the drawing ratio, the slope angle of the shield beam and the dimensions of the caving window, it is easy to mix the gangue. A rational drawing interval will cause the coal-gangue boundary line to be slightly behind the down tail boom lower boundary. This rational drawing interval under conditions of large mining heights has been analyzed and determined.

Drawing mechanisms for top coal in longwall top coal caving(LTCC):A review of two decades of literature

This review details the state of the art in research on top coal drawing mechanisms in Longwall top coal caving(LTCC)by examining the relevant literature over the last two decades.It startswith an introduction of the brief history and basic procedures of LTCC.The framework of research on the drawing mechanism,basic concepts,and some theoretical models of LTCC are detailed in sect.research framework of top coal drawingmechanism.The authors note that theTop coal drawbody(TCD),Top coal boundary(TCB)and Top coal recovery ratio(TCRR)are key factors in the drawingmechanism.TheBody-boundary-ratio(BBR)research system has been the classic framework for research over the last 20 years.The modified Bergmark-Roos model,which considers the effects of the supporting rear canopy,flowing velocity of top coal,and its shape factor,is optimal for characterizing the TCD.A 3Dmodel to describe the TCB that considers the thicknesses of the coal seam and roof strata is reviewed.In sect.physical testing and numerical simulation,the physical tests and numerical simulations in the literature are classified for ease of bibliographical review,and classic conclusions regarding the drawing mechanism of top coal are presented and discussedwith elaborate illustrations and descriptions.The deflection of the TCDis noted,and is caused by the shape of the rear canopy.The inclined coal seam always induces a largerTCD,and a deflection in theTCDhas also been observed in it.The effects of the drawing sequence and drawing interval on the TCRR are reviewed,where a long drawing interval is found to lead to significant loss of top coal.Its flowing behavior and velocity distribution are also presented.Sect.practical applications of drawingmechanisms forLTCCmines 4 summarizes over 10 cases where the TCRRof LTCCmines improved due to the guidance of the drawing mechanism.The final section provides a summary of the work here and some open questions.Prospective investigations are highlighted to give researchers guidance on promising issues in future research on LTCC.

Characteristics of Gas Emission at Super-Length Fully-Mechanized Top Coal Caving Face

Characteristics of gas emission at the K8206 working face in the Third mine of the Yangquan Coal Group were investigated. The effects of strata movement,advancing velocity of working face,production capacity of working face and gas extraction capability of strike high-level entry on gas emission at K8206 working face were analyzed. A regression equation,reflecting the relationship between relative gas emission rate and the production capacity of work-ing faces,was established. Another regression equation showing the relationship between the gas emission rate from adjacent layers when the working face was advancing for one metre and advancing velocity was derived. It can be con-cluded that,1) the amount of gas emitted at the K8206 working face is far greater than that of ordinary top coal caving faces with a dip length of 180-190 m; 2) the dynamic process of gas emission from adjacent layers during the initial mining stage is controlled by the movement of key strata; 3) the amount of gas emitted that needs to be forced out by air is greatly affected by the capability of gas extraction; 4) when the advancing velocity is between 3.5-5.5 m/d or when the output is up to 8-12 kt/d,the gas emission from adjacent layers is almost constant.

Top coal caving mining technique in thick coal seam beneath the earth dam

It is important to study the mining technology under structures for raising the coal resources recovery ratio. Based on the geological and mining conditions, the top coal caving harmonic mining technique in thick coal seam beneath the earth dam was put forward and studied. The 5 factors such as the panel mining direction, panel size, panel location, panel mining sequence and panel advance velocity were taken into account in this technique. The dam movement and deformation were predicted after the thick coal seam mining and the effects of mining on the dam were studied. By setting up the surveying stations on the dam, the movement and deformation of the dam were observed during mining. By taking some protective measures on the dam, the top coal caving mining technique in thick coal seam beneath the earth dam was carried out successfully. The study demonstrates that harmonic mining in thick coal seam is feasible under the dam. The safety of the earth dam after mining was ensured and the coal resources recovery ratio was improved.

Hydraulic support stability control of fully mechanized top coal caving face with steep coal seams based on instable critical angle

Analyzed the support instable mode of sliding,tripping,and so on,and believed the key point of the support stability control of fully mechanized coal caving face with steep coal seams was to maintain that the seam true angle was less than the hydraulic support instability critical angle.Through the layout of oblique face,the improvement of support setting load,the control of mining height and nonskid platform,the group support system of end face,the advance optimization of conveyor and support,and the other control tech- nical measures,the true angle of the seam is reduced and the instable critical angle of the support is increased,the hydraulic support stability of fully mechanized coal caving face with steep coal seams is effectively controlled.

Top coal flows in an excavation disturbed zone of high section top coal caving of an extremely steep and thick seam

Compared with gentle dip long-wall caving,the length of a working face in fully-mechanized top-coal caving for extremely steep and thick seams is short,while its horizontal section is high with increasing production.But the caving ratio is low,which might result in some disasters,such as roof falls,induced by local and large area collapse of the top coal in a working face and dangers induced by gas accumulation. After the development of cracks and weakening of the coal body,the tall,broken section of the top coal（a granular medium）of an extremely steep seam（over 60°）shows clear characteristics of nonlinear movement.We have thoroughly analyzed the geological environment and mining conditions of an excavation disturbed zone.Based on the results from a physical experiment of large-scale 3D modeling and coupling simulation of top coal-water-gas,we conclude that the weakened top coal can be regarded as a non-continuous medium.We used a particle flow code program to compare and analyze migration processes and the movements of a 30 m high section top coal over time before and after weakening of an extremely steep seam in the Weihuliang coal mine.The results of our simulation, experiment and monitoring show that pre-injection of water and pre-splitting blasting improve caving ability and symmetrical caving,relieve space for large area dynamic collapse of top coal,prolong migration time of noxious gases and release them from the mined out area and so achieve safety in mining.

Theoretical analysis on the deformation characteristics of coal wall in a longwall top coal caving face

Against the background of analyzing coal wall stability in 14101 fully mechanized longwall top coal caving face in Majialiang coal mine,based on the torque equilibrium of the coal wall,shield support and the roof strata,an elastic mechanics model was established to calculate the stress applied on the coal wall.The displacement method was used to obtain the stress and deformation distributions of the coal wall.This study also researched the influence of support resistance,protective pressure to the coal wall,fracture position of the main roof and mining height on the coal wall deformation.The following conclusions are drawn:(1) The shorter the distance from the longwall face,the greater the vertical compressive stress and horizontal tensile stress borne by the coal wall.The coal wall is prone to failure in the form of compressive-shear and tension;(2) With increasing support resistance,the revolution angle of the main roof decreases linearly.As the support resistance and protective force supplied by the face guard increases,the maximum deformation of the coal wall decreases linearly;(3) As the face approaches the fracture position of the main roof,coal wall horizontal deformation increases significantly,and the coal wall is prone to instability;and(4) The best mining height of 14101 longwall face is 3.0 m.

Study on fasART neuro-fuzzy networks for distinguishing the difficulty degree of top coal caving in steep seam

Distinguishing the difficulty degree of top coal caving was a precondition of the popularization and application of the roadway sub-level caving in steep seam. Because of complexity and uncertainty of the coal seam, the expression of influence factors was diffi-culty with exact data. According to the fuzzy and uncertainty of influence factors, triangular fuzzy membership functions were adopted to carry out the factors ambiguity, of which the factors not only have the consistency of semantic meaning, but also dissolve sufficiently expert knowledge. Based on the properties and structures of fasART fuzzy neural net-works of fuzzy logic system and practical needs, a simplified fasART model was put for-ward, stability and reliability of the network were improved, the deficiency of learning sam-ples and uncertainty of the factors were better treated. The method is of effective and practical value was identified by experiments.

Gas effusion of full-mechanized top coal caving in Jiaoping Mine Area

According to the gas observational data,the gas spatiotemporal distributions were analyzed in full-mechanized top coal caving in thick,hard and high-gas seams.The factors influencing gas effusion were researched and the rules of gas effusion under the special conditions were educed,for example,the underground pressure,the output inten- sity,the working surface advancement,and the amount of ventilation in the working face on gas effusion,and so on.The research results can be the base of forecasting gas effu- sion and controlling gas in these special conditions,which can guarantee the safety of highly efficient full-mechanized top coal caving.

Forecasting of destroyed height of overlying rock with the top coal caving based on ANN

Analyzed the rule of the Water Flowing Fractured (WFF) zone's development during the fully mechanized top coal caving.Six influence factors of WFF's height were selected,viz.mining thickness,base rock thickness,dip angle,uniaxial compressing strength of roof,mudstone proportion in overlying rock,and structure of overlying rock. The height-forecasting model of WFF was established based on the Artificial Neural Net-work techniques,and was applied in the first fully mechanized top coal caving face under sea in China.

Stability analysis of longwall top-coal caving face in extra-thick coal seams based on an innovative numerical hydraulic support model

The relationship between support and surrounding rock is of great significance to the control of surrounding rock in mining process.In view of the fact that most of the existing numerical simulation methods construct virtual elements and stress servo control to approximately replace the hydraulic support problem,this paper establishes a new numerical model of hydraulic support with the same working characteristics as the actual hydraulic support by integrating numerical simulation software Rhino,Griddle and FLAC3D,which can realize the simulation of different working conditions.Based on this model,the influence mechanism of the supporting strength of hydraulic support on surrounding rock stress regulation and coal stability in front of the top coal caving face in extra thick coal seam were researched.Firstly,under different support intensity,the abutment pressure of the bearing coal and the coal in front of it presents the “three-stage”evolution characteristics.The influence range of support intensity is 15%–30%.Secondly,1.5 MPa is the upper limit of impact that the support strength can have on the front coal failure area.Thirdly,within a displacement range of 2.76 m from the coal wall,a support strength of1.5 MPa provides optimal control of the horizontal displacement of the coal.

Numerical investigation on the caving mechanism with different standard deviations of top coal block size in LTCC

The size distribution of the broken top coal blocks is an important factor,affecting the recovery ratio and the efficiency of drawing top coal in longwall top coal caving(LTCC)mining panel.The standard deviation of top coal block size(dt)is one of the main parameters to reflect the size distribution of top coal.To find the effect of dt on the caving mechanism,this study simulates experiments with 9 different dt by using discrete element software PFC.The dt is divided into two stages:uniform distribution stage(UDS)whose dt is less than 0.1(Schemes 1–5),and nonuniform distribution stage(NDS)whose dt is more than 0.1(Schemes 6–9).This research mainly investigates the variation of recovery ratio,drawing body shape,boundary of top coal,and contact force between particles in the two stages,respectively.The results showed that with the increasing dt,the recovery ratio of the panel increases first and then decreases in UDS.It is the largest in Scheme 3,which mainly increases the drawing volume at the side of starting drawing end.However,the recovery ratio decreases first and then increases quickly in NDS,and it is the largest in Scheme 9,where the drawing volume at the side of finishing drawing end are relatively higher.In UDS,the major size of top coal is basically medium,while in NDS,the size varies from medium to small,and then to large,with a distinct difference in shape and volume of the drawing body.When the major size of top coal is medium and small,the cross-section width of the initial boundary of top coal at each height is relatively small.Conversely,when the top coal size is large,the initial boundary of top coal has a larger opening range,the rotating angle of lower boundary is relatively small in the normal drawing stage,which is conducive to the development of drawing body and reduces the residual top coal,and the maximum particle velocity and the particles movement angle are both larger.This study lays a foundation for the prediction of recovery ratio,and suggests that the uniform top coal is more manageable and has a larger recovery ratio.

Study on gob-side entry retaining in fully-mechanized longwall with top-coal caving and its application

Based on the engineering background of gob-side entry retaining in fully-mechanized longwall with top coal caving(GER-FLTC) on N2105 working face of Yuwu coal mine, by adopting the methods of theoretical analysis and numerical calculation, the control techniques of surrounding rocks in GER-FLTC working face are studied in this paper. The two main difficulties of stability of surrounding rocks at gob-side retained entry in fully-mechanized longwall working face are the stability control of top coal and control of large deformation of GER-FLTC working face. Interaction mechanical model between roofing and roadside backfilling in GER-FLTC is established and the equations for the calculation of roof-cutting resistance of roadside backfilling are derived. Results of numerical calculation show that the damage zones of top coal can be categorized into the delaminating zone of top coal above the backfilling, tensile damage zone of top coal above the retained roadway and shear damage zone of the upper rib of the solid coal. Stability control of top coal is the critical part to success of GER-FLTC. With consideration of large deformation of surrounding rocks of gob-side retained entry in fully-mechanized longwall, the support technique of‘‘roofing control and wall strengthening'' is proposed where high strength and highly prestressed anchor rods and diagonal tensile anchor cables support are used for top coal, high strength and highly prestressed yielding anchor rod support is used for solid coal and roadside prestressed load-carrying backfilling is constructed by high-water material, in order to maintain the integrity of the top coal, transfer load, high resistance yielding load-carrying of solid coal, roof-cutting of roadside backfilling and support,and to achieve GER-FLTC. Results from this study are successfully applied in engineering practice.

Comprehensive evaluation weight-variable identification model of top coal caving effect and its application

Based on the theory of attribute identification, a weight-variable identification model was put forward on top coal caving effect in fully mechanized top coal caving face. Contribution value of all kinds of evaluation factor of the caving coal and waste were used to determine weight coefficient. And then comprehensively estimated it by the given credible degree value. This kind of method can not only classify for attribute identification, but also can classify it into sub-classification according to comprehensive score compositor that of the same attribute. The comprehensive estimate result of plane and solid caving experiments shows that the result is true, credible, simple and that is not only one of the effective method of theory study, but also can be regarded as a quantitative examine method of the top coal caving effect in scene.

Study on safe thickness of overlying thin bedrock in fully-mechanized top-coal caving face with thick coal seam

To prevent support crush, the overlying strata safe thickness and its influential elements were studied by the adoption of theoretical analysis, numerical simulation and in-situ measurement. According to the production and geological condition of first face in Sima coal mine, the results indicate that the clay contains large permissible bearing ability and has better arching force. After mining destruction, stable structure is formed in bedrock to ensure face safety. The clay thickness ＆ bedrock thickness are the key influential elements to stable structure. The minimal bedrock thickness is about 40 m to ensure safe mining under loose surface soil condition. When surface soil contains mainly thick clay, it forms steady structure with the composition of thin bedrock, so that it can reduce minimal thickness of bedrock and to ensure safe mining. When clay thickness is 40 m, minimal bedrock thickness is 20 m. When clay thickness is 30 m, minimal bedrock thickness is 30 m. Bearing pressure peak ranges from 5 to 15 m in the front face under thin bedrock condition. The bearing pressure distribution range is 15 m. Main roof break distance is small, and initial weighting of main roof is not distinctive, while first periodic weighting of main roof is quite distinctive.

Deformation mechanism of surrounding rocks and key control technology for a roadway driven along goaf in fully mechanized top-coal caving face

The variation of the stress in the bolted surrounding rocks structure of the roadway driven along goaf in a fully mechanized top coal caving face with moderate stable conditions are studied by using numerical calculation. The essential deformation characteristics of the surrounding rocks in this kind of roadway are obtained and the key technology of bolting support used under these conditions is put forward.

Study on destressing technology for a roadway driven along goaf in a fully mechanized top-coal caving face

Based on the deformation characteristics of the roadways driven along goaf in fully mechanized top coal caving faces, the author considers that it is the key to ensure the stability of surrounding rocks of roadway driven along goaf to control the deformation during the period affected by mining. Considering the characteristics of the roadway layout in fully mechanized top coal caving faces, a technical scheme of destressing is put forward and the destressing effect is analyzed by using the software of Universal Distinct Element Code 3 0(UDEC 3 0).

Mechanisms and Kinematics of Hydraulic Support for Top-Coal Caving

The structure and characteristic of new type of hydraulic support for top coal caving were discussed. The mechanism and kinematics of the hydraulic support were analyzed. The formulas were deduced to calculate the velocity and acceleration of top beam, shield beam, front and back legs, which give the solution to the design and research for hydraulic support.