Large-scale laboratory study on the evolution lawof temperature fields in the context of underground coal gasification

This article presents the evolution law of temperature fields in a large-scale laboratory Underground Coal Gasification reactions using Ulanqab lignite under actual conditions.The results show that in the cultivation stage of oxidation zone,the main direction of the temperature field expansion is consistent with the crack direction of the coal seam.In the gasification stabilization stage,the main direction of the temperature field expansion is along the channel.The temperature of the coal seam and the overlying rock mass at its interface with the furnace directly above the gasification channel is equivalent to that of the coal seam temperature,and this temperature is much greater than the temperatures observed near both side walls of the gasification channel at the interface.However,temperatures perpendicular to the axis of the gasification channel are similar at a vertical distance of 40 cm away from the interface.The temperature distributions indicate that the transmission of heat through the overlying rock mass is more rapid in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction.Moreover,some degree of thermal dispersion is observed in the vertical direction near the outlet.The thermal dispersion coefficient is 0.72 and dispersion angle γ is 78.7°.

A back analysis of the temperature field in the combustion volume space during underground coal gasification

The exact shape and size of the gasification channel during underground coal gasification(UGC) are of vital importance for the safety and stability of the upper parts of the geological formation.In practice existing geological measurements are insufficient to obtain such information because the coal seam is typically deeply buried and the geological conditions are often complex.This paper introduces a cylindrical model for the gasification channel.The rock and soil masses are assumed to be homogeneous and isotropic and the effect of seepage on the temperature field was neglected.The theory of heat conduction was used to write the equation predicting the temperature field around the gasification channel.The idea of an excess temperature was introduced to solve the equations.Applying this model to UCG in the field for an influence radius,r,of 70 m gave the model parameters,u1,2,3...,of 2.4,5.5,8.7...By adjusting the radius(2,4,or 6 m) reasonable temperatures of the gasification channel were found for 4 m.The temperature distribution in the vertical direction,and the combustion volume,were also calculated.Comparison to field measurements shows that the results obtained from the proposed model are very close to practice.