Neural Network Identification Model for Technology Selection of Fully-Mechanized Top-Coal Caving Mining

This paper mainly discusses the selection of the technical parameters of fully mechanized top coal caving mining using the neural network technique. The comparison between computing results and experiment data shows that the set up neural network model has high accuracy and decision making benefit.

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.

Back-and-forth mining for hard and thick coal seams—research about the mining technology for fully mechanized caving working face of Datong Mine

The article introduced the key technology, mining process, and back-and-forth mining method for the caving working face of hard-thick coal seams in Datong mine, and researched this innovations process, optimized the systemic design and working face out-play, tried to perfect the caving mining technology of hard-thick coal seams further.

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.

Fracturing,caving propagation and influence of mining on groundwater above longwall panels–a review of predictive models

Historically there have been a number of different hypotheses and empirical models developed in an attempt to describe the nature of fracturing above longwall panels in underground coal mining.The motivation for suchmodels varies,ranging fromunderstanding the impact ofmining on surface subsidence,to back-analysis of caving behaviour in the immediate roof behind the longwall face.One of the most critical motivating factors that is taking on increased importance in many coalfields,is the need for better understanding,and hence prediction of the impact of mining on overlying strata,particularly strata units acting as aquifers for different groundwater horizons.This paper reviews some of the major prediction models in the context of observed behaviour of strata displacement and fracturing above longwall panels in the southern coalfields of New South Wales,south of Sydney.The paper discusses the parameter often referred to as"height of fracturing"in terms of the critical parameters that influence it,and the relevance and appropriateness of this terminology in the context of overlying sub-surface subsidence and groundwater impact.The paper proposes an alternative terminology for this parameter that better reflects what it is and how it is used.The paper also addresses the potential role of major bedding shear planes mobilised by mining and their potential influence on overlying subsidence and groundwater interference.

Numerical investigation of the effectiveness of radon control measures in cave mines

Ventilation is one of the radon control measures in an underground working environment.However,the dynamics related to the cave mining methods particularly in block/panel cave mines,complicate the design of effective ventilation system,and implementation.Events such as hang ups(in the drawbells),leakage from old workings,and changes in cave porosity lead to differing response of an existing ventilation designs.However,it is difficult to investigate these conditions at the mine or with a laboratory scale study.Therefore,this study develops a discrete model to investigate the impact of different radon control measures in cave mines using computational fluid dynamics techniques.We considered two ventilation conditions for a fully developed cave:with and without the undercut ventilation.For each of the two conditions,we studied four parameters:airflow distribution through the production drifts,radon distribution through the production drifts,the effect of increasing airflow on radon concentration,and the effect of a cave top negative pressure on radon distribution.The results show that:the undercut ventilation significantly increases the radon concentration in the production drift;the growth of radon concentration through the production drift is nonlinear(oscillating pattern);maintaining a negative pressure on top of the cave is more effective at mitigating radon exposure,when the undercut ventilation is active;and increase in air volume flow rate decreases radon concentration in most regions,however,there might be regions with significant radon accumulation due to pressure variation across the drifts.These findings provide vital information for designing an effective ventilation system and for proactive implementation of radon control measures in cave mines.

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.

Prediction of airway resistance in panel cave mines using a discrete and continuum model

The configuration of an airway(or production drift)in panel cave mines is different from the typical(straight)mine airway designs.The drawpoints are connected to the airway(cross-cuts),which allows airflow from the cave into the airway or air loss from the airway into the cave due to the ventilation approach and cave porosity.These affect airflow in the production drifts,but it is difficult to investigate these conditions from field or laboratory scaled studies.Therefore,this study develops discrete and continuum computational fluid dynamics(CFD)models to study the effects of the ventilation approach and cave porosity on the airway resistance.Our findings show that:with active undercut ventilation,a unique resistance model is required for the airway in panel cave mines;and an increase in cave porosity decreases the drift’s resistance.These findings provide essential tools for a panel cave ventilation design.

Numerical simulation of roof cavings in several Kuzbass mines using finite-difference continuum damage mechanics approach

An essential stage of mine design is an estimation of the steps of the first and periodic roof caving in longwall mines.Generally,this is carried out using the field experience and can be much enhanced by numerical simulation.In this work,the finite-difference method was applied coupled with the continuum damage mechanics(CDM)approach to simulate the stress-strain evolution of the rock mass with the underground opening during coal extraction.The steps and stages of roof caving were estimated relying on the numerical simulation data,and they were compared with the field data from several operating mines in the south of the Kuznetsk Basin,Russia.The dependence of the first roof caving step in simulation linearly correlates with field data.The results correspond to the actual roofs of longwall panels of the flat-dipping coal seams and the average rate of face advancement is approximately 5 m/day.

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.

Formation mechanism and height calculation of the caved zone and water-conducting fracture zone in solid backfill mining

To study the heights of the caved zone and water-conducting fracture zone in backfill mining,the failure mechanism of strata during backfill mining was analyzed,and a method for determining the heights of the two zones was proposed based on key strata theory.The movement and failure regularity of the strata above the backfilling panel were revealed through numerical simulation.Considering the geologic conditions of the CT101 backfilling panel,the height of the fracture zone was determined using the proposed method along with empirical calculation,numerical simulation,and borehole detection.The results of the new calculation method were similar to in situ measurements.The traditional empirical formula,which is based on the equivalent mining height model,resulted in large errors during calculation.The findings indicate the reliability of the new method and demonstrate its significance for creating reference data for related studies.

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.

Similar material simulation of time series system for induced caving of roof in continuous mining under backfill

With the help of similar material simulation test,time series system for induced caving of roof in continuous mining under complex backfill in ore body No.92 of Tongkeng Tin Mine was studied. According to the similarity theory,a two-dimensional similar simulation test-bed was constructed. The stress and displacement that change along with the advance of mining were acquired and analyzed automatically by data system. The processes of continuous mining of ore-block in 5 intervals and artificial induced caving of roof were simulated. The results of the test show that ore body remained as safety roof in thickness of 15 m guarantees the safe advance of stoping work face. Caving of safety roof puts in practice at the first two mining intervals when the third interval of continuous mining is finished,and one interval as the safety distance should be kept all the time between stopping and caving. While mining in the last interval,pre-slotting should be implemented first of all,and the roof of the last two mining intervals is caved simultaneously. Only this kind of time series system can be an efficient and safe way for induced caving of roof in continuous mining.

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.

Analysis and key control technologies to prevent spontaneous coal combustion occurring at a fully mechanized caving face with large obliquity in deep mines

In order to prevent spontaneous coal combustion occurring at a fully mechanized caving face with large obliquity in deep mines in China,we have analyzed the characteristics of spontaneous coal combustion and explain theoretically the factors affecting spontaneous coal combustion,such as rock bursts,high temperatures,high ventilation resistance,slow advancing speed and large obliquity mining.Key technologies to prevent spontaneous combustion occurring in sharply inclined seams in deep mines are proposed;these include pouring water,stopping leakage in upper and lower corners of the working face,choking off the goaf and covering the coal.CO concentrations were controlled within two years to less than 15×10-6 at the upper corner by applying these technologies at the 1410 working face of the Huafeng coal mine.Our method has significant theoretical value and is of practical importance in controlling spontaneous coal combustion occurring at a fully mechanized caving face with large obliquity in deep mines.

Similar material simulation research on movement law of roof over-lying strata in stope of fully mechanized caving face with large mining height

Similar material simulation test was carried out in a geological model ofW_(9-15)101 fully mechanized caving face with large mining height in the Liuhuanggou Colliery,in Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Region.The roof overlying strata movement law in thestope of a fully mechanized caving face with large mining height was studied and showthat the roof overlying strata in the stope of a fully mechanized caving face with large miningheight can be formed into a stable arch structure; the fracture rock beam is formed resemblinga 'bond beam', but it has essentially the structure of 'multi-span beams' underthe big structure of the stable arch.The roof overlying strata movement law in the stope ofa fully mechanized caving face with large mining height is similar to that of the common,fully mechanized caving stope, which is determined by the deformation and instability ofthe structure of 'multi-span beams'.But because of the differences between the miningheights, the peak pressure in the stope of a fully mechanized caving face with large miningheight is smaller while the affected area of abutment pressure is wider in the front of theworking face; this is the obvious difference in abutment pressure between the stope of afully mechanized caving face with large mining height and that of the common.