Numerical simulation of dewatering thick unconsolidated aquifers for safety of underground coal mining

With an increase of mining the upper limits under unconsolidated aquifers, dewatering of the bottom aquifer of the Quaternary system has become a major method to avoid water and sand inrushes.In the 8th District of the Taiping Coal Mine in south-western Shandong province, the bottom aquifer of the Quaternary system is moderate to excellent in water-yielding capacity.The base rock above the coal seam is very thin in the concealed coal field of the Carboniferous and Permian systems.Therefore, a comprehensive dewatering plan from both the ground surface and the panel was proposed to lower the groundwater level in order to ensure mining safety.According to the hydrogeologic conditions of the 8th District, we established a numerical model so that we could simulate the groundwater flow in the dewatering process.We obtained the simulation parameters from previous data using backward modeling, such as the average coefficient of permeability of 12 m/d and the elastic storage coefficient of 0.002.From the same model, we predicted the movement of groundwater and water level variables and obtained the visible effect of the dewatering project.Despite the overburden failure during mining, no water and/or sand inrush occurred because the groundwater level in the bottom aquifer was lowered to a safe water level.

Study on water loss of the surface stream affected by iongwali mining

In order to study the effect of Iongwall mining on surface stream water, monitoring stations of water flow rate was established. A lot of water flowing data were collected before, during and after Iongwall mining. Based on monitoring data, the effects of Iongwall mining on surface stream water were analyzed. The results demonstrate that Iongwall mining has effects on the surface stream water; and the stream water would be lost and decrease due to Iongwall mining but never go into underground through fractured zone. Also, the mechanism of water loss due to Iongwall mining was presented. The stream water can go into the surface cracks in the intersection of stream and surface cracks, longwall mining subsidence can change the surface stream slope and the downstream water flowing status. The results also show the effects of Iongwall mining on stream water are temporary and about one or two years later, surface stream water can be recovered.

Fractured zone height of longwall mining and its effects on the overburden aquifers

As mining depth becomes deeper and deeper,the possibility of undermining overburden aquifers is increasing.It is very important for coal miners to undertake studies on the height of fractured zone during longwall mining and the effects of longwall mining on the underground water while mining under surface water bodies and underground aquifers.In order to study this problem,piezometers for monitoring underground water levels were installed above the longwall panels in an American coalmine.Large amounts of pre-mining,during mining and post-mining monitoring data were collected.Based on the data,the heights of fractured zones were obtained and the effects of longwall mining on the underground water were studied.The results demonstrate that when the piezometer monitoring wells had an interburden thickness of less than 72.7 m,the groundwater level decreased immediately to immeasurable levels and the wells went dry after undermining the face of longwall.The height of the fractured zone is 72.7-85.3 m in the geological and mining conditions.The results also show that the calculated values of fractured zones by the empirical formulae used in China are smaller than the actual results.Therefore,it is not always safe to use them for analyses while mining under water bodies.