Effects of caving–mining ratio on the coal and waste rocks gangue flows and the amount of cyclically caved coal in fully mechanized mining of super-thick coal seams

Aimed at determining the appropriate caving–mining ratio for fully mechanized mining of 20 m thick coal seam, this research investigated the effects of caving–mining ratio on the flow fields of coal and waste rocks, amount of cyclically caved coal and top coal loss by means of numerical modeling. The research was based on the geological conditions of panel 8102 in Tashan coal mine. The results indicated the loose coal and waste rocks formed an elliptical zone around the drawpoint. The ellipse enlarged with decreasing caving–mining ratio. And its long axis inclined to the gob gradually became vertical and facilitating the caving and recovery of top coal. The top coal loss showed a cyclical variation; and the loss cycle was shortened with the decreasing in caving–mining ratio. Moreover, the mean squared error(MSE) of the amount of cyclically caved coal went up with increasing caving–mining ratio, indicating a growing imbalance of amount of cyclically caved coal, which could impede the coordinated mining and caving operations. Finally it was found that a caving–mining ratio of 1:2.51 should be reasonable for the conditions.

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.

Development and prospect on fully mechanized mining in Chinese coal mines

Fully mechanized mining(FMM)technology has been applied in Chinese coal mines for more than 40 years.At present,the output of a FMM face has reached 10-million tons with Chinese-made equipment.In this study,the new developments in FMM technology and equipment in Chinese coal mines during past decades are introduced.The automatic FMM technology for thin seams,complete sets of FMM technology with ultra large shear height of 7 m for thick seams,complete sets of fully mechanized top coal caving technology with large shear height for ultra-thick seams of 20 m,complete sets of FMM technology for complex and difficult seams,including steeply inclined seams,soft coal seams with large inclination angle,and the mechanized filling mining technology and equipment are presented.Some typical case studies are also introduced.Finally,the existing problems with the FMM technology are discussed,and prospect of FMM technology and equipment applied in Chinese coal mines is put forward.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A review of cavability evaluation in longwall top coal caving

Longwall Top Coal Caving has been considered as one of the most effective technologies for the extraction of underground thick coal seams. A large number of studies on the applicability of Longwall Top Coal Caving into new mine sites have linked the success of its application to the geo mechanical understanding of the cavability of the top coal. The paper aims to improve the knowledge of the top coal cavability evaluation. A range of parameters that affect the top coal cavability were first identified. Afterward, a number of cavability assessment methods and classifications were reviewed. The result is important in that it assists researchers in developing an advanced and reliable tool for the top coal cavability evaluation.

Structure and deformation measurements of shallow overburden during top coal caving longwall mining

Mining induced pressures are strong and overburden failure areas are large in top coal caving longwall mining, which constrains high production and safety mining. By employing the combination of the full view borehole photography technique and the seismic CT scanner technique, the deformation and failure of overlying strata of fully mechanized caving face in shallow coal seam were studied and the failure development of overburden was determined. Results show that the full view borehole photography can reveal the characteristics of strata, and the seismic CT scanner can reflect the characteristics of strata between the boreholes. The combined measurement technique can effectively determine the height of fractured and caved zones. The top end of the caved zone in Yangwangou coal mine employing the top coal caving longwall mining was at the depth of 171 m and fractured zone was at the depth of 106-110 m. The results provide a theoretic foundation for controlling the overburden strata in the shallow buried top coal caving panel.

Systematic principles of surrounding rock control in longwall mining within thick coal seams

Effective surrounding rock control is a prerequisite for realizing safe mining in underground coal mines.In the past three decades, longwall top-coal caving mining(LTCC) and single pass large height longwall mining(SPLL) found expanded usage in extracting thick coal seams in China. The two mining methods lead to large void space left behind the working face, which increases the difficulty in ground control.Longwall face failure is a common problem in both LTCC and SPLL mining. Such failure is conventionally attributed to low strength and high fracture intensity of the coal seam. However, the stiffness of main components included in the surrounding rock system also greatly influences longwall face stability.Correspondingly, surrounding rock system is developed for LTCC and SPLL faces in this paper. The conditions for simultaneous balance of roof structure and longwall face are put forward by taking the stiffness of coal seam, roof strata and hydraulic support into account. The safety factor of the longwall face is defined as the ratio between the ultimate bearing capacity and actual load imposed on the coal wall.The influences provided by coal strength, coal stiffness, roof stiffness, and hydraulic support stiffness,as well as the movement of roof structure are analyzed. Finally, the key elements dominating longwall face stability are identified for improving surrounding rock control effectiveness in LTCC and SPLL faces.

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).

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.

Trial of small gateroad pillar in top coal caving longwall mining of large mining height

Coal seams in Tashan Mine of Datong Coal Group in China average 15 m thick and have been mined by the top coal caving longwall mining method of large mining height. Mining height was 3.8 m and the top coal caving height was 11.2 m. The gateroad pillar between panels was 38 m. During retreat mining,serious bumps occurred in the gateroads on both sides of the pillar affecting safety production. Therefore,pillarless mining was experimented. Using numerical modeling and comparative study of cases of similar mining condition,it was decided to employ a 6 m wide pillar,rather than the previous 38 m wide pillar.Support system for the gateroads was designed and implemented. During gateroad development,pillar failure conditions and entry deformation were monitored. Hydraulic fracturing method was employed to cut off the K3 sandstone along the entry rib so as to reduce the abutment pressure induced during retreat mining. Support reinforcement method combining grouting and advanced reinforcement methods was proposed to insure stable gateroad ahead of mining. Methane drainage and nitrogen injection were implemented to eliminate hazards associated with mine fire and spontaneous combustion. Since the development of gateroad has just completed,and retreat mining has not begun,the effectiveness of the proposed methods is unknown at this point. However,monitoring will continue until after mining.The results will be published in a separate paper.

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.

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.

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.