Key technologies and equipment for a fully mechanized top-coal caving operation with a large mining height at ultra-thick coal seams

Thick and ultra-thick coal seams are main coal seams for high production rate and high efficiency in Chinese coal mines, which accounts for 44 % of the total minable coal reserve. A fully mechanized top-coal caving mining method is a main underground coal extraction method for ultra-thick coal seams. The coal extraction technologies for coal seams less than 14 m thick were extensively used in China. However, for coal seams with thickness greater than 14 m, there have been no reported cases in the world for underground mechanical extraction with safe performance, high efficiency and high coal recovery ratio. To deal with this case, China Coal Technology ＆ Engineering Group, Datong Coal Mine Group, and other 15 organizations in China launched a fundamental and big project to develop coal mining technologies and equipment for coal seams with thicknesses greater than 14 m. After the completion of the project, a coal extraction method was developed for top-coal caving with a large mining height, as well as a ground control theory for ultra-thick coal seams. In addition, the mining technology for top-coal caving with a large mining height, the ground support technology for roadway in coal seams with a large cross-section, and the prevention and control technology for gas and fire hazards were developed and applied. Furthermore, a hydraulic support with a mining height of 5.2 m, a shearer with high reliability, and auxiliary equipment were developed and manufactured. Practical implication on the technologies and equipment developed was successfully completed at the No. 8105 coal face in the Tashan coal mine, Datong, China. The major achievements of the project are summarized as follows： 1. A top-coal caving method for ultra-thick coal seams is proposed with a cutting height of 5 m and a top-coal caving height of 15 m. A structural mechanical model of overlying strata called cantilever beam-articulated rock beam is established. Based on the model, the load resistance of the hydraulic support with a large mining height for top-coal caving method is determined. With the analysis, the movement characteristics of the top coal and above strata are evaluated during top-coal caving operation at the coal face with a large mining height. Furthermore, there is successful development of comprehensive technologies for preventing and controlling spalling of the coal wall, and the top-coal caving technology with high efficiency and high recovery at the top-coal caving face with a large mining height. This means that the technologies developed have overcome the difficulties in strata control, top-coal caving with high efficiency and high coal recovery, and enabled to achieve a production rate of more than 10 Mtpa at a single top-coal caving face with a large mining height in ultra-thick coal seams; 2. A hydraulic support with 5.2 m supporting height and anti-rockburst capacity, a shearer with high reliability, a scraper conveyor with a large power at the back of face, and a large load and long distance headgate belt conveyor have been successfully developed for a top-coal caving face with large mining height. The study has developed the key technologies for improving the reliability of equipment at the coal face and has overcome the challenges in equipping the top-coal caving face with a large mining height in ultra-thick coal seams; 3. The deformation characteristics of a large cross-section roadway in ultra-thick coal seams are discovered. Based on the findings above, a series of bolt materials with a high yielding strength of 500-830 MPa and a high extension ratio, and cable bolt material with a 1 × 19 structure, large tonnage and high extension ratio are developed. In addition, in order to achieve a safe roadway and a fast face advance, installation equipment for high pre-tension bolt is developed to solve the problems with the support of roadway in coal seams for top-coal caving operation with a large mining height; 4. The characteristics of gas distribution and uneven emission at top-coal caving face with large mining height in ultra-thick coal seams are evaluated. With the application of the technologies of gas drainage in the roof, the difficulties in gas control for high intensive top-coal caving mining operations, known as ＂low gas content, high gas emission＂, are solved. In addition, large flow-rate underground mobile equipment for making nitrogen are developed to solve the problems with fire prevention and safe mining at a top-coal caving face with large mining height and production rate of more than 10 Mtpa. A case study to apply the developed technologies has been conducted at the No. 8105 face, the Tashan coal mine in Datong, China. The case study demonstrates that the three units of equipment, i.e., the support, shearer and scraper conveyor, are rationally equipped. Average equipment usage at the coal face is 92.1%. The coal recovery ratio at the coal face is up to 88.9 %. In 2011, the coal production at the No. 8105 face reached 10.849 Mtpa, exceeding the target of 10 Mtpa for a topcoal caving operation with large mining height performed by Chinese-made mining equipment. The technologies and equipment developed provide a way for extracting ultra-thick coal seams. Currently, the technologies and equipment are used in 13 mining areas in China including Datong, Pingshuo, Shendong and Xinjiang. With the exploitation of coal resources in Western China, there is great potential for the application of the technologies and equipment developed.

Surface Movement Regularity of Super-Wide Mining Face With Top-Coal Caving

No.4326 super-wide panel of Wangzhuang Coal Mine ( in which the fully-mechanized top-coal caving longwall mining method was used) was monitored for dynamic characteristic of surface movement. The dynamic surface movement in and after mining was predicted by using the Mining Subsidence Prediction System. The results indicate that after mining, the surface above the super-wide panel reaches a state of full subsidence, making the No.309 national highway above the panel be located on the flat bottom of the subsidence basin so that the influence of mining activity in both sides of 4326 panel on the national highway is the smallest.

Analysis on air-leakage law of goal in condition of ascending mining for top-coal caving

Using the Jisan Coalmine's top-coal caving for the 3down coal seam with ascending mining as the project background, the air-leakage characteristics of the goaf wasanalyzed. Through data fitting of the in situ observation, the models of gas seepage, diffusion and air-leakage in the goaf were established in ascending mining. The ComputationFluid Dynamics software Fluent was used to simulate the air-leakage law of the goaf. Theresults of the numerical simulation provide a basis for the use of the technology of ventilation and fire prevention in the working face of an ascending mining, which ensures thesafety in production in the working face of the top-coal caving for 3_down coal seam in theJisan Coalmine.

Technological optimization of fully mechanized caving mining face with large mining heights

Fully mechanized cave mining with large mining height is a new mining method, due to its large mining thickness and lower roadway excavation, the technology has been widely used in China＇s thick seam mining. In order to improve the top-coal recovery ratio of fully mechanized cave mining with large mining height, a study was conducted on optimizing the caving process, based on the mechanized caving face 1302N in Longgu Coal Mine. This was achieved by improving the PFC numerical calculation methods, and establishing a more accurate model system. On this basis, the recovery ratio of the top coal in different drawing intervals and technologies was investigated in order to achieve a reasonable caving process. The top-coal tracking system was used for practical surveying of the recovery ratio of top coal.

Mating model on production capacity for the system of cutting coal and drawing top-coal in FMMSC

Being a safe and highly-efficient mining method, fully mechanized mining with sublevel caving （FMMSC） was extensively employed in Chinese coal mines with thick seam. In order to make drawing top-coal furthest to parallel work with shearer cutting coal, decrease failure ratio of rear scraper conveyor and increase safe production capacity of equipments, based on production technology, set up the mating model of safe production capacity of equipments for the system of drawing top-coal and shearer cutting coal in coal face with sublevel caving. It is mean capability of drawing top-coal adapted to the capability of shearer cutting coal in a working circle in the coal face that was deduced. The type selection of equipment of rear scraper conveyor can be tackled with this mating model. The model was applied in FMMSC in Yangcun Coal Mine, Yima Coal Group of China. With the mating light-equipments, the coal output in coal face attained 1.05 Mt in 2004. It gained better technical-economic benefit.

Demonstration Project of Safe and Efficient Mining Operations in Extra-thick Coal Seam

Mineable coal reserves in thick and extra-thick seams account for 44% of the total deposit in China. Fullymechanized top-coal caving technology is a new mining method of safe and efficient underground operations in extra-thick seams in China. The development of fullymechanized top-coal caving technology in China, which was successfully applied in Face 8105 in Tashan Coal Mine, Datong, Shanxi, China, is analyzed in this paper.Studies on movement pattern of top-coal and roof from fully-mechanized top caving face in 14–20 m extra-thick seams have been carried out. A series of key technologies were successfully developed, including strata control technology, equipment for high-efficient and high-recovery top caving operations, and safety guarantee technology for low gas occurrence and high gas emission. As a result, the fully-mechanized top-coal caving Face 8105, with large mining height in Tashan Coal Mine, has achieved a recovery rate of 88.9% and an average equipment operation rate of 92.1%. With coal production of 10.84 Mt in 2011,the demonstration project is a technology and equipment breakthrough for fully-mechanized top-coal caving face in extra-thick coal seams with large mining height.

Geomechanics model test research on large deformation control mechanism of roadway disturbed by strong dynamic pressure

Comprehensive mechanized top-coal caving mining is one of the efficient mining methods in coal mines.However,the goaf formed by comprehensive mechanized top-coal caving mining is high,and the goaf roof collapse will cause strong dynamic pressure disturbance,especially the collapse of thick hard roof.Strong dynamic pressure disturbance has an influence on the stability of the roadway,which can lead to large deformation.In order to solve the above problem,a comprehensive pressure releasing and constant resistance energy absorbing control method is proposed.Comprehensive pressure releasing can change the roadway roof structure and cut off the stress transfer between goaf and roadway,which can improve the stress environment of the roadway.The constant resistance energy absorbing(CREA)anchor cable can absorb the energy of surrounding rock deformation and resist the impact load of gangue collapse,so as to ensure the stability of roadway disturbed by strong dynamic pressure.A three-dimensional geomechanics model test is carried out,based on the roadway disturbed by strong dynamic pressure of the extra-large coal mine in western China,to verify the control effect of the new control method.The stress and displacement evolution laws of the roadway with traditional control method and new control method are analyzed.The pressure releasing and energy absorbing control mechanism of the new control method is clarified.The geomechanics model test results show that the new control method can increase the range of low stress zone by 150%and reduce the average stress and the displacement by 34.7%and 67.8%respectively,compared with the traditional control method.The filed application results show that the new control method can reduce the roadway surrounding rock displacement by 67.4%compared with the traditional control method.It shows that the new control method can effectively control the displacement of the roadway disturbed by strong dynamic pressure and ensure that the roadway meets the safety requirements.On this basis,the engineering suggestions for large deformation control of this kind of roadway are put forward.The new control method can provide a control idea for the roadway disturbed by strong dynamic pressure.