Fracture propagation and evolution law of indirect fracturing in the roof of broken soft coal seams

Indirect fracturing in the roof of broken soft coal seams has been demonstrated to be a feasible technology.In this work,the No.5 coal seam in the Hancheng block was taken as the research object.Based on the findings of true triaxial hydraulic fracturing experiments and field pilot under this technology and the cohesive element method,a 3D numerical model of indirect fracturing in the roof of broken soft coal seams was established,the fracture morphology propagation and evolution law under different conditions was investigated,and analysis of main controlling factors of fracture parameters was conducted with the combination weight method,which was based on grey incidence,analytic hierarchy process and entropy weight method.The results show that“士”-shaped fractures,T-shaped fractures,cross fractures,H-shaped fractures,and“干”-shaped fractures dominated by horizontal fractures were formed.Different parameter combinations can form different fracture morphologies.When the coal seam permeability is lower and the minimum horizontal principal stress difference between layers and fracturing fluid injection rate are both larger,it tends to form“士”-shaped fractures.When the coal seam permeability and minimum horizontal principal stress between layers and perforation position are moderate,cross fractures are easily generated.Different fracture parameters have different main controlling factors.Engineering factors of perforation location,fracturing fluid injection rate and viscosity are the dominant factors of hydraulic fracture shape parameters.This study can provide a reference for the design of indirect fracturing in the roof of broken soft coal seams.

Overburden fracture evolution laws and water-controlling technologies in mining very thick coal seam under water-rich roof

Considering the danger of water inrush in mining very thick coal seam under water-rich roof in Majialiang Coal Mine,the universal discrete element(UDEC)software was used to simulate the overburden fracture evolution laws when mining 4#coal seam.Besides,this study researched on the influence of face advancing length,speed and mining height on the height of the water flowing fractured zones(HWFFZ),and analyzed the correlation of face advancing length and change rules of aquifer water levels and goaf water inflow.Based on those mentioned above,this research proposed the following water-controlling technologies:draining the roof water before mining,draining goaf water,reasonable advancing speed and mining thickness.These water-controlling technologies were successfully used in the feld,thus ensured safely mining the very thick coal seam under water-rich roof.

Mechanism and control technology of strong ground pressure behaviour induced by high-position hard roofs in extra-thick coal seam mining

This work aimed at revealing the mechanism of strong ground pressure behaviour(SGPB)induced by high-position hard roof(HHR).Based on the supporting structures model of HHR,a modified voussoir beam mechanical model for HHR was established by considering the gangue support coefficient,through which the modified expressions of limit breaking span and breaking energy of HHR were deduced.Combined with the relationship between the dynamic-static loading stress of supporting body(hydraulic support and coal wall)and its comprehensive supporting strength,the criteria of ground pressure behaviour(GPB)induced by HHR were discussed.The types of Ⅰ_(1),Ⅰ_(2),Ⅱ_(1),andⅡ_(2) of GPB were interpreted.Results showed that types Ⅰ_(1) and Ⅰ_(2) were the main forms of SGPB in extra-thick coal seam mining.The main manifestation of SGPB was static stress,which was mainly derived from the instability of HHR rather than fracture.Accordingly,an innovative control technology was proposed,which can weaken static load by vertical-well separated fracturing HHR.The research results have been successfully applied to the 8101 working face in Tashan coal mine,Shanxi Province,China.The results of a digital borehole camera observation and stress monitoring proved the rationality of the GPB criteria.The control technology was successful,paving the way for new possibilities to HHR control for safety mining.

Analysis of the Harmfulness of Water-Inrush from Coal Seam Floor Based on Seepage Instability Theory

A theory of seepage instability was used to estimate the harmfulness of water-inrush from a coal seam floor in a particular coal mine of the Mining Group,Xuzhou. Based on the stratum column chart in this coal mine,the distribu-tion of stress in mining floors when the long-wall mining was respectively pushed along to 100 m and to 150 m was simulated by using the numerical software (RFPA2D). The permeability parameters of the coal seam floor are described given the relationship between permeability parameters. Strain and the water-inrush-indices were calculated. The wa-ter-inrush-index was 67.2% when the working face was pushed to 100 m,showing that water-inrush is possible and it was 1630% when the working face was pushed to 150 m,showing that water-inrush is quite probable. The results show that as long-wall mining is pushed along,the failure zone is enlarged,the strain increased,and fissures developed cor-respondingly,resulting in the formation of water-inrush channels. Accompanied by the failure of the strata,the perme-ability increased exponentially. In contrast,the non-Darcy flow β factor and the acceleration coefficient decreased ex-ponentially,while the increase in the water-inrush-index was nearly exponential and the harmfulness of water-inrush in the coal mine increased accordingly.

Fracture mechanics model of fully mechanized top coal caving of shallow coal seams and its application

Based on break characteristics of roofs in fully mechanized top-coal mining of thick shallow coal seams, a fracture mechanics model was built, and the criterion of crack propagation in the main roof was derived using the fracture mechanics theory. The relationships between the fracture length of the roof and the working resistance of the supports were discovered, and the correlations between the load on the overlying strata and the ratio of the crack's length to the thickness of the roof were obtained. Using a working face of Jindi Coal Mine, Xing county Shanxi province as an example, the relationships between the fracture length of the roof and the working resistance of the supports were analysed in detail. The results give a design basis in hydraulic top coal caving supports, which could provide useful references in the practical application. On-site experiment proves that the periodic weighting step interval of the caving face is 15–16 m, which is basically consistent with the theoretical analysis results, and indicates that the mechanized caving hydraulic support is capable of meeting the support requirements in the mining of a super-thick but shallowly buried coal seam.

Evaluation of roof cutting by directionally single cracking technique in automatic roadway formation for thick coal seam mining

Automatic roadway formation by roof cutting is a sustainable nonpillar mining method that has the potential to increase coal recovery,reduce roadway excavation and improve mining safety.In this method,roof cutting is the key process for stress relief,which significantly affects the stability of the formed roadway.This paper presents a directionally single cracking(DSC)technique for roof cutting with considerations of rock properties.The mechanism of the DSC technique was investi-gated by explicit finite element analyses.The DSC technique and roof cutting parameters were evaluated by discrete element simulation and field experiment.On this basis,the optimized DSC technique was tested in the field.The results indicate that the DSC technique could effectively control the blast-induced stress distribution and crack propagation in the roof rock,thus,achieve directionally single cracking on the roadway roof.The DsC technique for roof cutting with optimized parameters could effectively reduce the deformation and improve the stability of the formed roadway.Field engineering application verified the feasibility and effectiveness of the evaluated DSC technique for roof cutting.

Study on the Fissure Rate in the Roof Strata of Excavated Coal Seams

In the past decades,the intense excavation of coal resources in China has induced a series of severe waterrelated disasters or problems,such as water burst accidents,severe groundwater depletion and contamination.All of these problems were caused by the structural changes of roof rocks or bed rocks induced by coal excavation.The structure of collapsed roof rocks is generally classified into three zones：falling zone.

Control mechanism of a cable truss system for stability of roadways within thick coal seams

Cable truss systems have been widely applied in roadways with complicated conditions, such as the large cross-sections of deep wells, and high tectonic stress. However, they are rarely applied to roadways with extremely thick coal seams because the control mechanism of the system for the deformation of the roof and the separation between coal rock segments is not completely understood. By using the relationship between the support system and the roof strata, a mechanical model was established to calculate the deformation of the roof in a thick coal seam with bedding separation under different support conditions: with an anchor truss support and without support. On this basis, the research was used to deduce a method for computing the minimum pre-tightening forces in the anchor truss, the maximum amounts of subsidence and separation with, and without, anchor truss support under the roof, and the maximum subsidence and the decreasing amounts of the separation before and after adopting the anchor truss. Additionally, mechanical relationships between the minimum pre-tightening force and the anchoring force in the anchor were analyzed. By taking a typical roadway with thick coal roof as an example, the theoretical results mentioned above were applied in the analysis and testing of a roof supporting project in a roadway field to verify the accuracy of the theory: favorable experimental results were achieved. In addition, the relationships among other parameters were analyzed, including the minimum pre-tightening forces applied by the anchor truss, the angle of inclination of the anchor cable, and the array pitch. Meanwhile, the changing characteristics of the amounts of roof separation and subsidence with key parameters of the support system(such as array pitch, pre-tightening force, and inclination angle) were also analyzed. The research results revealed the acting mechanism of the anchor truss in control of roadway stability with a thick coal seam, providing a theoretical basis of its application in coal mining.

Mechanism of Mining-induced Slope Movement for Gullies Overlaying Shallow Coal Seams

This paper provides an improved understanding of the movement mechanisms of both bed-rock gully and sandy soil gully when underground mining occurs underneath,followed by systematic analysis of the contributing factors such as mining advance direction,gully slope angle,gully erosion coefficient and mining height.This paper presents the results from monitoring,theoretical analyses and up to date modeling based on the geological features in the gully affected area,and the implications of these results to the success of roof support trial.It was observed that when mining occurred towards the gully,sliding of slope block along the fracture surface occurred,which resulted in unstable roof condition;when mining progressed away from the gully,polygon blocks developed in the gully slope and rotated in reversed direction forming hinged structure;within the bed-rock slope,the hinged structure was unstable due to shear failure of the polygon block;however,within the sandy soil slope,the structure was relatively stable due to the gradual rotating and subsiding of the polygon block.The increase of the value of slope angle and mining height lead to a faster and more intensive fracture development within the gully slope,which had a pronounced effect on gully slope stability and underground pressure.Various remediation approaches are hence proposed in this paper including introducing more powerful support and reasonable mining height,setting up working face along or away from gullies,using room and pillar,strip mining and backfill instead of longwall mining.

Measurement of overburden failure zones in close-multiple coal seams mining

In the Kaiping Coal field,mining of five coal seams,located within 80 m in the Kailuan Group,#5,#7,#8,#9 and#12 coal seam,is difficult due to small interburden thickness,concentrated stress distributions,high coal seam metamorphism,and complex geological conditions.By using the ZTR12 geological penetration radar(GPR)survey combined with borehole observations,the overburden caving due to mining of the five coals seams was measured.The development characteristics of full-cover rock fractures after mining were obtained from the GPR scan,which provides a measurement basis for the control of rock strata in close multiple coal seam mining.For the first time,it was found that the overburden caving pattern shows a periodic triangular caved characteristic.Furthermore,it is proposed that an upright triangular collapsed pile masonry and an inverted triangular with larger fragments piled up alternately appear in the lower gob.The research results show that the roof structure formed in the gob area can support the key overlying strata,which is beneficial to ensure the integrity and stability of the upper coal seams in multiple-seam mining of close coal seams.

Determining areas in an inclined coal seam floor prone to water-inrush by micro-seismic monitoring

The failure depth of the coal seam floor is one important consideration that must be kept in mind when mining is carried out above a confined aquifer.Determining the floor failure depth is the essential precondition for predicting the water-resisting ability of the floor.We have used a high-precision microseismic monitoring technique to overcome the limited amount of data available from field measurements. The failure depth of a coal seam floor,especially an inclined coal seam floor,may be more accurately estimated by monitoring the continuous,dynamic failure of the floor.The monitoring results indicate the failure depth of the coal seam floor near the workface conveyance roadway（the lower crossheading） is deeper and that the failure range is wider here compared to the coal seam floor near the return airway（the upper crossheading）.The results of micro-seismic monitoring show that the dangerous area for water-inrush from the coal seam floor may be identified.This provides an important field measurement that helps ensure safe and highly efficient mining of the inclined coal seam above the confined aquifer at the Taoyuan Coal Mine.

Comprehensive evaluation of water-inrush risk from coal floors

Lower groups of coal seams are presently being mined from water-inrush from coal floors in order to have safe production in the Yanzhou coal mining area. We need to evaluate the risk in the lower groups of coal seams in mines. Based on a systematic collection of hydrogeological data and some data from mined working faces in these lower groups, we evaluated the factors affecting water-inrush from coal floors of the area by a method of dimensionless analysis. We obtained the order of the factors affecting water-inrush from coal floors and recalculated data on depths of destroyed floors by multiple linear regression analysis and obtained new empirical formulas. We also analyzed the water-inrush coefficient of mined working faces of the lower groups of coal seams and improved the evaluation standard of the water-inrush coefficient method. Finally, we made a comprehensive evaluation of water-inrush risks from coal floors by using the water-inrush coefficient method and a fuzzy clustering method. The evaluation results provide a solid foundation for preventing and controlling the damage caused by water of an Ordovician limestone aquifer in the lower group of coal seams in the mines of Yanzhou. It provides also important guidelines for lower groups of coal seams in other coal mines.

Prediction of upper limit position of bedding separation overlying a coal roadway within an extra-thick coal seam

Failure of the surrounding rock around a roadway induced by roof separation is one major type of underground roof-fall accidents.This failure can especially be commonly-seen in a bottom-driven roadway within an extra-thick coal seam("bottom-driven roadway"is used throughout for ease of reference),containing weak partings in their roof coal seams.To determine the upper limit position of the roof interlayer separation is the primary premise for roof control.In this study,a mechanical model for predicting the interlayer separation overlying a bottom-driven roadway within an extra-thick coal seam was established and used to deduce the vertical stress,and length,of the elastic,and plastic zones in the rock strata above the wall of the roadway as well as the formulae for calculating the deflection in different regions of rock strata under bearing stress.Also,an approach was proposed,calculating the stratum load,deflection,and limiting span of the upper limit position of the interlayer separation in a thick coal seam.Based on the key strata control theory and its influence of bedding separation,a set of methods judging the upper limit position of the roof interlayer separation were constructed.In addition,the theoretical prediction and field monitoring for the upper limit position of interlayer separation were conducted in a typical roadway.The results obtained by these two methods are consistent,indicating that the methods proposed are conducive to improving roof control in a thick coal seam.

The relation between modes of lithologic association and interlayer-gliding structures in coal mine

As a case study of the Panji No.1 Coal Mine in Anhui Province, based on thesite measured and statistical data, summarized the lithologic associations, characteristicsand distribution laws of interlayer-gliding structures and tectonic coal in the No.11-2 coalseams.The results show that 9 modes of lithologic association can form interlayer-glidingstructures.It is more easy for rock slip to occur when the lithologic associations are mainroof + coal seam + immediate floor type, compound roof+immediate roof + coal seam +immediate floor type and immediate roof + coal seam + immediate floor type.Lithologicassociations of roof and floor are the precondition to the formation of interlayer-glidingstructures.

Study on the non-linear forecast method for water inrush from coal seam floor based on wavelet neural network

Directing at the non-linear dynamic characteristics of water inrush from coal seam floor and by the analysis of the shortages of current forecast methods for water inrush from coal seam floor, a new forecast method was raised based on wavelet neural network （WNN） that was a model combining wavelet function with artificial neural network. Firstly basic principle of WNN was described, then a forecast model for water inrush from coal seam floor based on WNN was established and analyzed, finally an example of forecasting the quantity of water inrush from coal floor was illustrated to verify the feasibility and superiority of this method. Conclusions show that the forecast result based on WNN is more precise and that using WNN model to forecast the quantity of water inrush from coal seam floor is feasible and practical.

Roadway failure and support in a coal seam underlying a previously mined coal seam

The influence of an upper,mined coal seam on the stability of rock surrounding a roadway in a lower coal seam is examined.The technical problems of roadway control are discussed based on the geological conditions existing in the Liyazhuang Mine No.2 coal seam.The stress distribution and floor failure in the lower works after mining the upper coal is studied through numerical simulations.The failure mechanism of the roof and walls of a roadway located in the lower coal seam is described.The predicted deformation and failure of the roadway for different distances between the two coal seams are used to design two ways of supporting the lower structure.One is a combined support consisting of anchors with a joist steel tent and a combined anchor truss.A field test of the design was performed to good effect.The results have significance for the design of supports for roadways located in similar conditions.

A case study of multi-seam coal mine entry stability analysis with strength reduction method

In this paper,the advantage of using numerical models with the strength reduction method(SRM) to evaluate entry stability in complex multiple-seam conditions is demonstrated.A coal mine under variable topography from the Central Appalachian region is used as a case study.At this mine,unexpected roof conditions were encountered during development below previously mined panels.Stress mapping and observation of ground conditions were used to quantify the success of entry support systems in three room-and-pillar panels.Numerical model analyses were initially conducted to estimate the stresses induced by the multiple-seam mining at the locations of the affected entries.The SRM was used to quantify the stability factor of the supported roof of the entries at selected locations.The SRM-calculated stability factors were compared with observations made during the site visits,and the results demonstrate that the SRM adequately identifies the unexpected roof conditions in this complex case.It is concluded that the SRM can be used to effectively evaluate the likely success of roof supports and the stability condition of entries in coal mines.

Investigation into the deformation of a large span roadway in soft seams and its support technology

We investigated the deformation failure mechanism of surrounding rock from the aspect of engineering support for a roadway in seams with soft roofs and soft floors and observed the large displacement of the roadway in these soft seams.The result shows that the deformation area is quite large,and settlement of the roof is evident and displacement of the side walls is also obvious.We considered rock bolt-cable coupling for roadway support in seams with soft roofs and floors,in which the cable should be fixed at key positions.As well,we designed an optimal scheme to support a roadway in soft seams of the Shizuishan Second Mine in Ningxia,China.Field monitoring results show that bolt-cable coupling support has achieved the aims of roadway stability control and minimizes deformation.

Controlling Effects of Surrounding Rock to Coal Seam Gas Occurrence

Surrounding rock of coal seam was one of the important factors to gas occurrence. The coal seam gas occurrence was studied by the index of roof strata thickness or sand content rate;we found that there were certain shortcomings. In order to reasonably evaluate the influence of coal seam surrounding rock on gas occurrence in Panji mining area, we quantitatively evaluated the effect of coal seam surrounding rock on gas occurrence by influence coefficient of roof strata thickness, and built six mathematical models of the variational gas content in the mining area which is divided into six gas geological units. The results shows that the coal seam gas content is mainly influenced by 20 mroof strata in each gas geological unit, the gas content presents the tendency of increase, and with the influence coefficient of strata thickness increases, they exist a significant linear relationship.

Ground pressure law of fully mechanized large cutting height face in extremely-soft thick seam and stability control in tip-to-face area

When stepped coal getting technology was applied to high seam mining working face, with field observations the following aspects of working face were analyzed based on the inherent conditions of extremely soft thick seam mined by Liangbei Mine, such as the brokenness and activity law of rock seam in the working face, the law of load-bearing of its supports, and the instability character of coal or rock in tip-to-face area. The following are the major laws. Pressure intensity of roof in high seam mining with extremely soft thick seam is stronger than one in slicing and sublevel-caving as a whole. But the greater crushing deformation of coal side makes pressure intensity of roof in the middle of working face be equivalent to one in sublevel-caving. In the middle of working face the roof brokenness has less dynamic load effect than roof brokenness in the two ends of working face. The brokenness instability of distinct pace of roof brings several load-bearings to supports. In condition of extremely soft thick seam, the ratio of resistance increment of supports in two ends of working face is obviously greater than that of supports in the middle. Most sloughing in coal side is triangular slop sloughing caused by shear slipping in high seam mining with extremely soft thick seam. Ultrahigh mining is the major reason for roof fall. Instability of coal or rock in tip-to-face area can be controlled effectively with the methods such as improving setting load of supports, mining along roof by reinforcing floor and protecting the immediate roof in time, and so on.