Stability analysis of longwall top-coal caving face in extra-thick coal seams based on an innovative numerical hydraulic support model

The relationship between support and surrounding rock is of great significance to the control of surrounding rock in mining process.In view of the fact that most of the existing numerical simulation methods construct virtual elements and stress servo control to approximately replace the hydraulic support problem,this paper establishes a new numerical model of hydraulic support with the same working characteristics as the actual hydraulic support by integrating numerical simulation software Rhino,Griddle and FLAC3D,which can realize the simulation of different working conditions.Based on this model,the influence mechanism of the supporting strength of hydraulic support on surrounding rock stress regulation and coal stability in front of the top coal caving face in extra thick coal seam were researched.Firstly,under different support intensity,the abutment pressure of the bearing coal and the coal in front of it presents the “three-stage”evolution characteristics.The influence range of support intensity is 15%–30%.Secondly,1.5 MPa is the upper limit of impact that the support strength can have on the front coal failure area.Thirdly,within a displacement range of 2.76 m from the coal wall,a support strength of1.5 MPa provides optimal control of the horizontal displacement of the coal.

The research of the evaluation system for the sealability of hydraulic supports and jacks＇ seals

In order to enhance the sealing quality and assemble efficiency of hydraulic supports, the evaluation system for the sealability of the hydraulic support and jack＇s seals was established through the testing and experimenting technology in respects, such as seals＇ dimensions, reasonable amounts of compression, sealability, life, resistance to pressure, etc. Through life detecting test of the seal, found the longest life seal ring under the same conditions, and through the reciprocating test of the hydraulic support, found the most appropriate amount of interference between the groove and the seal ring, thus, to decrease the leakage and extend the life span of the hydraulic support.

Research on hydraulic-powered roof supports test problems

The load-bearing characters of hydraulic-powered roof support with dual telescopic legs were analyzed. With a specific type hydraulic-powered roof support with dual telescopic legs for research object, the inside load test problems in factories was analyzed, and the correct test methods were given, which can enhance the test efficiency and make the factories away from the error design of hydraulic-powered roof supports and legs.

Microstructure and properties of laser cladding of 316L stainless steel on hydraulic support tube

In consideration of the special environmental conditions of coal equipment in mining, the seamless steel tube of hy-draulic prop made of 20^# carbon steel was taken as the substrate, and 316L stainless steel powder was used to clad the sub-strate by a fiber-coupled semiconductor laser. The microstructure of the cladding layer was determined by metalloscope. The hardness, wear resistance and corrosion resistance of the cladding layer were measured. The results show that metallurgy bind-ing interface between the cladding layer and the substrate is obtained without defects such as cracks and pores. The hardness of the cladding layer is much higher than that of the matrix, and the wear resistance and corrosion resistance are simultaneously better. According to the analysis, it is summarized that the improvement in performance of the cladding layer is closely related to the change of microstructure and the thermal effect in the cladding process. The maximum hardness occurs in the equiaxed zone, and with the grain coarsening, the hardness reduces simultaneously. In addition, the precipitated phase, hard particles and trace elements also have a great influence on the properties of the cladding layer, and they will prevent the surface from ab-rasion and reduce the plastic deformation of the matrix. It is verified that the 316L stainless steel is suitable for the 20^# steel in laser cladding repairing process. Since this study focused on coal machine equipment parts, it has certain practical significance for the repair of hydraulic equipment.

Structure optimal design research on backfill hydraulic support

Backfill hydraulic support is the key equipment in achieving coal mining and solid backfilling simultaneously in solid backfill mining technology.Based on the summary and analysis of main types,basic structural properties and filed application of backfill hydraulic support,this work has firstly proposed the basic principle of backfill hydraulic support optimization design and provided the method of optimal design of key structural components,like four-bar linkage,rear canopy and tamping structure;the method is further elaborated as changing hinging position of upper bar to optimize four-bar linkage,by lengthening or shortening the rear canopy to optimize length ratio of canopy;and by changing length and hinging position of tamping structure as well as suspension height of backfill scrape conveyor to realize optimization of tamping structure.On this basis,the process of optimal design of backfill hydraulic support is built.The optimal design case of ZC5200/14.5/30 six columns-four bar linkage used in 7203 W workface of Zhaizhen Coal Mine shows that the backfill properties like horizontal roof gap,vertical horizontal gap,tamping angle and tamping head gap are improved obviously through optimizing four-bar linkage,canopy length and tamping structure according to the optimal design method proposed in this work.

Hydraulic support crushed mechanism for the shallow seam mining face under the roadway pillars of room mining goaf

While the fully-mechanized longwall mining technology was employed in a shallow seam under a room mining goaf and overlained by thin bedrock and thick loose sands, the roadway pillars in the abandoned room mining goaf were in a stress-concentrated state, which may cause abnormal roof weighting, violent ground pressure behaviours, even roof fall and hydraulic support crushed(HSC) accidents. In this case,longwall mining safety and efficiency were seriously challenged. Based on the HSC accidents occurred during the longwall mining of 3-1-2 seam, which locates under the intersection zone of roadway pillars in the room mining goaf of 3-1-1 seam, this paper employed ground rock mechanics to analyse the overlying strata structure movement rules and presented the main influence factors and determination methods for the hydraulic support working resistance. The FLAC3 D software was used to simulate the overlying strata stress and plastic zone distribution characteristics. Field observation was implemented to contrastively analyse the hydraulic support working resistance distribution rules under the roadway pillars in strike direction, normal room mining goaf, roadway pillars in dip direction and intersection zone of roadway pillars. The results indicate that the key strata break along with rotations and reactions of the coal pillars deliver a larger concentrated load to the hydraulic support under intersection zone of roadway pillars than other conditions. The ‘‘overburden strata-key strata-roadway pillars-immediate roof" integrated load has exceeded the yield load that leads to HSC accidents. Findings in HSC mechanism provide a reasonable basis for shallow seam mining, and have important significance for the implementation of safe and efficient mining.

A review of reservoir damage during hydraulic fracturing of deep and ultra-deep reservoirs

Deep and ultra-deep reservoirs have gradually become the primary focus of hydrocarbon exploration as a result of a series of significant discoveries in deep hydrocarbon exploration worldwide.These reservoirs present unique challenges due to their deep burial depth(4500-8882 m),low matrix permeability,complex crustal stress conditions,high temperature and pressure(HTHP,150-200℃,105-155 MPa),coupled with high salinity of formation water.Consequently,the costs associated with their exploitation and development are exceptionally high.In deep and ultra-deep reservoirs,hydraulic fracturing is commonly used to achieve high and stable production.During hydraulic fracturing,a substantial volume of fluid is injected into the reservoir.However,statistical analysis reveals that the flowback rate is typically less than 30%,leaving the majority of the fluid trapped within the reservoir.Therefore,hydraulic fracturing in deep reservoirs not only enhances the reservoir permeability by creating artificial fractures but also damages reservoirs due to the fracturing fluids involved.The challenging“three-high”environment of a deep reservoir,characterized by high temperature,high pressure,and high salinity,exacerbates conventional forms of damage,including water sensitivity,retention of fracturing fluids,rock creep,and proppant breakage.In addition,specific damage mechanisms come into play,such as fracturing fluid decomposition at elevated temperatures and proppant diagenetic reactions at HTHP conditions.Presently,the foremost concern in deep oil and gas development lies in effectively assessing the damage inflicted on these reservoirs by hydraulic fracturing,comprehending the underlying mechanisms,and selecting appropriate solutions.It's noteworthy that the majority of existing studies on reservoir damage primarily focus on conventional reservoirs,with limited attention given to deep reservoirs and a lack of systematic summaries.In light of this,our approach entails initially summarizing the current knowledge pertaining to the types of fracturing fluids employed in deep and ultra-deep reservoirs.Subsequently,we delve into a systematic examination of the damage processes and mechanisms caused by fracturing fluids within the context of hydraulic fracturing in deep reservoirs,taking into account the unique reservoir characteristics of high temperature,high pressure,and high in-situ stress.In addition,we provide an overview of research progress related to high-temperature deep reservoir fracturing fluid and the damage of aqueous fracturing fluids to rock matrix,both artificial and natural fractures,and sand-packed fractures.We conclude by offering a summary of current research advancements and future directions,which hold significant potential for facilitating the efficient development of deep oil and gas reservoirs while effectively mitigating reservoir damage.

Evaluating the stability and volumetric flowback rate of proppant packs in hydraulic fractures using the lattice Boltzmann-discrete element coupling method

The stability and mobility of proppant packs in hydraulic fractures during hydrocarbon production are numerically investigated by the lattice Boltzmann-discrete element coupling method(LB-DEM).This study starts with a preliminary proppant settling test,from which a solid volume fraction of 0.575 is calibrated for the proppant pack in the fracture.In the established workflow to investigate proppant flowback,a displacement is applied to the fracture surfaces to compact the generated proppant pack as well as further mimicking proppant embedment under closure stress.When a pressure gradient is applied to drive the fluid-particle flow,a critical aperture-to-diameter ratio of 4 is observed,above which the proppant pack would collapse.The results also show that the volumetric proppant flowback rate increases quadratically with the fracture aperture,while a linear variation between the particle flux and the pressure gradient is exhibited for a fixed fracture aperture.The research outcome contributes towards an improved understanding of proppant flowback in hydraulic fractures,which also supports an optimised proppant size selection for hydraulic fracturing operations.

Estimation of the anisotropy of hydraulic conductivity through 3D fracture networks using the directional geological entropy

With an extension of the geological entropy concept in porous media,the approach called directional entrogram is applied to link hydraulic behavior to the anisotropy of the 3D fracture networks.A metric called directional entropic scale is used to measure the anisotropy of spatial order in different directions.Compared with the traditional connectivity indexes based on the statistics of fracture geometry,the directional entropic scale is capable to quantify the anisotropy of connectivity and hydraulic conductivity in heterogeneous 3D fracture networks.According to the numerical analysis of directional entrogram and fluid flow in a number of the 3D fracture networks,the hydraulic conductivities and entropic scales in different directions both increase with spatial order(i.e.,trace length decreasing and spacing increasing)and are independent of the dip angle.As a result,the nonlinear correlation between the hydraulic conductivities and entropic scales from different directions can be unified as quadratic polynomial function,which can shed light on the anisotropic effect of spatial order and global entropy on the heterogeneous hydraulic behaviors.

Nonlinear Static and Dynamic Stiffness Characteristics of Support Hydraulic System of TBM

Full-face hard rock tunnel boring machines(TBM)are essential equipment in highway and railway tunnel engineering construction.During the tunneling process,TBM have serious vibrations,which can damage some of its key components.The support system,an important part of TBM,is one path through which vibrational energy from the cutter head is transmitted.To reduce the vibration of support systems of TBM during the excavation process,based on the structural features of the support hydraulic system,a nonlinear dynamical model of support hydraulic systems of TBM is established.The influences of the component structure parameters and operating conditions parameters on the stiffness characteristics of the support hydraulic system are analyzed.The analysis results indicate that the static stiffness of the support hydraulic system consists of an increase stage,stable stage and decrease stage.The static stiffness value increases with an increase in the clearances.The pre-compression length of the spring in the relief valve a ects the range of the stable stage of the static stiffness,and it does not a ect the static stiffness value.The dynamic stiffness of the support hydraulic system consists of a U-shape and reverse U-shape.The bottom value of the U-shape increases with the amplitude and frequency of the external force acting on the cylinder body,however,the top value of the reverse U-shape remains constant.This study instructs how to design the support hydraulic system of TBM.

Dynamic impact experiment and response characteristics analysis for 1:2 reduced-scale model of hydraulic support

It is significant to research the impact resistance properties of hydraulic support due to its key support role in the fully mechanized mining face.However,it is difficult for the entire hydraulic support to implement the impact experiment underground and analyze the response characteristic.Therefore,a dynamic impact experiment for the entire hydraulic support was proposed in this paper,where a 1:2 reducedscale model of hydraulic support was designed and its response characteristics under dynamic impact load were analyzed.Firstly,a comprehensive monitoring scheme was proposed to achieve an effective monitoring for dynamic response of hydraulic support.Secondly,a multi-scale impact experiment was carried out for the entire hydraulic support and dynamic behaviors of hydraulic support under the multi-scale impact load were revealed by experimental data.Then a dynamic impact experiment of the entire hydraulic support was simulated in ADAMS with the same experiment conditions,and the experimental and simulation data were verified mutually.Finally,the characteristics of energy conversion and dissipation of the entire experiment system after impact were analyzed.The experiment results showed that the impact resistance properties of hydraulic support largely depended on the initial support conditions and different vertical rigidities affected energy distribution proportion of the entire support system.

Horizontal roof gap of backfill hydraulic support

For the backfill hydraulic support as the key equipment for achieving integration of backfilling and coal mining simultaneously in the practical process, its characteristics will directly influence the backfill body's compression ratio. Horizontal roof gap, as a key parameter of backfilling characteristics, may impact the backfilling effect from the aspects of control of roof subsidence in advance, support stress, backfilling process and the support design. Firstly, the reason why horizontal roof gap exists was analyzed and its definition, causes and connotation were introduced, then adopting the Pro/E 3D simulation software, three typical 3D entity models of backfill hydraulic supports were built, based on the influence of horizontal roof gap on backfilling effect, and influence rules of four factors, i.e. support height, suspension height, suspension angle and tamping angle, were emphatically analyzed on horizontal roof gap. The results indicate that, the four factors all have significant impacts on horizontal roof gap, but show differences in influence trend and degree, showing negative linear correlation, positive linear correlation, positive semi-parabolic correlation and negative semi-parabolic correlation, respectively. Four legs type is the most adaptive to the four factors, while six legs(II) type has the poorest adaptability, and the horizontal roof gap is small under large support height, small suspension height, small suspension angle and large tamping angle situation. By means of optimizing structure components and their positional relation and suspension height of backfill scrape conveyor in the process of support design and through controlling working face deployment, roof subsidence in advance, mining height and backfilling during engineering application, the horizontal roof gap is optimized. The research results can be served as theoretical basis for support design and guidance for backfill support to have better performance in backfilling.

Extreme massive hydraulic fracturing in deep coalbed methane horizontal wells:A case study of the Linxing Block,eastern Ordos Basin,NW China

Deep coal seams show low permeability,low elastic modulus,high Poisson’s ratio,strong plasticity,high fracture initiation pressure,difficulty in fracture extension,and difficulty in proppants addition.We proposed the concept of large-scale stimulation by fracture network,balanced propagation and effective support of fracture network in fracturing design and developed the extreme massive hydraulic fracturing technique for deep coalbed methane(CBM)horizontal wells.This technique involves massive injection with high pumping rate+high-intensity proppant injection+perforation with equal apertures and limited flow+temporary plugging and diverting fractures+slick water with integrated variable viscosity+graded proppants with multiple sizes.The technique was applied in the pioneering test of a multi-stage fracturing horizontal well in deep CBM of Linxing Block,eastern margin of the Ordos Basin.The injection flow rate is 18 m^(3)/min,proppant intensity is 2.1 m^(3)/m,and fracturing fluid intensity is 16.5 m^(3)/m.After fracturing,a complex fracture network was formed,with an average fracture length of 205 m.The stimulated reservoir volume was 1987×10^(4)m^(3),and the peak gas production rate reached 6.0×10^(4)m^(3)/d,which achieved efficient development of deep CBM.

VIRTUAL DESIGN OF A NEW TYPE OF HYDRAULIC SUPPORT

Using virtual reality to design a new type of hydraulic support is discussed.That is how to make use of the virtual design to develop coal mining machine in practice. Theadvantages of virtual design are studied and the simple virtual reality system is built. The 3Dparts and elements of hydraulic support are modeled with parametric design in CAD software, thenexported to VR environment, in which the virtual hydraulic support is assembled, operated andtested. With the method, the errors and faults of design can be fined easily, many improvements aremade and the new hydraulic support is developed successfully.

Stability mechanism and control of the pumpable supports in longwall recovery room

The load-bearing performance(LBP)of pumpable supports(PPS)is crucial for the stability of longwall pre-driven recovery room(PRR)surrounding rock.However,the unbalanced bearing coefficient(UBC)of the PPS(undertaking unequal load along the mining direction)has not been investigated.A mechanical model of the PRR was established,considering the main roof cantilever beam structure,to derive an assessment formula for the load,the failure criteria,and the UBC of the PPS.Subsequently,the generation mechanisms,and influencing factors of the UBC were revealed.Global sensitivity analysis shows that the main roof hanging length(l_(2))and the spacing between the PPS(r)significantly impact the UBC.A novel design of the PPS and the coupling control technology were proposed and applied to reduce the UBC of the PPS in the adjacent longwall PRR.Monitor results showed no failure of the PPS at the test site,with the UBC(ζ)reduced to 1.1 consistent with the design value(1.15)basically,fully utilizing the collaborative LBP of the PPS.Finally,the maximum roof-to-floor convergence of the PRR was 234 mm,effectively controlling the stability of the surrounding rock of the PRR and ensuring the mining equipment recovery.

Mechanisms and Kinematics of Hydraulic Support for Top-Coal Caving

The structure and characteristic of new type of hydraulic support for top coal caving were discussed. The mechanism and kinematics of the hydraulic support were analyzed. The formulas were deduced to calculate the velocity and acceleration of top beam, shield beam, front and back legs, which give the solution to the design and research for hydraulic support.

Hydraulic properties and drought response of a tropical bamboo (Cephalostachyum pergracile)

Bamboo plants are an essential component of tropical ecosystems,yet their vulnerability to climate extremes,such as drought,is poorly understood due to limited knowledge of their hydraulic properties.Cephalostachyum pergracile,a commonly used tropical bamboo species,exhibited a substantially higher mortality rate than other co-occurring bamboos during a severe drought event in 2019,but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.This study investigated the leaf and stem hydraulic traits related to drought responses,including leaf-stem embolism resistance(P50leaf;P50stem) estimated using optical and X-ray microtomography methods,leaf pressure-volume and water-releasing curves.Additionally,we investigated the seasonal water potentials,native embolism level(PLC) and xylem water source using stable isotope.We found that C.pergracile exhibited strong resistance to embolism,showing low P50leaf,P50stem,and turgor loss point,despite its rapid leaf water loss.Interestingly,its leaves displayed greater resistance to embolism than its stem,suggesting a lack of effective hydraulic vulnerability segmentation(HVS) to protect the stem from excessive xylem tension.During the dry season,approximately 49% of the water was absorbed from the upper 20-cm-deep soil layer.Consequently,significant diurnal variation in leaf water potentials and an increase in midday PLC from 5.87±2.33% in the wet season to 12.87±4.09%in the dry season were observed.In summary,this study demonstrated that the rapid leaf water loss,high reliance on surface water,and a lack of effective HVS in C.pergracile accelerated water depletion and increased xylem embolism even in the typical dry season,which may explain its high mortality rate during extreme drought events in 2019.

Stress tensor determination by modified hydraulic tests on pre-existing fractures:Method and stress constraints

The hydraulic testing of pre-existing fractures(HTPF)is one of the most promising in situ stress measurement methods,particularly for three-dimensional stress tensor determination.However,the stress tensor determination based on the HTPF method requires at least six tests or a minimum of 14-15 tests(under different conditions)for reliable results.In this study,we modified the HTPF method by considering the shear stress on each pre-existing fracture,which increased the number of equations for the stress tensor determination and decreased the number of tests required.Different shear stresses were attributed to different fractures by random sampling;therefore,the stress tensors were obtained by searching for the optimal solution using the least squares criterion based on the Monte Carlo method.Thereafter,we constrained the stress tensor based on the tensile strength criterion,compressive strength criterion,and vertical stress constraints.The inverted stress tensors were presented and analyzed based on the tensorial nature of the stress using the Euclidean mean stress tensor.Two stress-measurement campaigns in Weifang(Shandong Province,China)and Mercantour road tunnel(France)were implemented to highlight the validity and efficiency of the modified HTPF(M-HTPF)method.The results showed that the M-HTPF method can be applied for stress tensor inversion using only three to four tests on pre-existing fractures,neglecting the stress gradient.The inversion results were confined to relatively small distribution dispersions and were significantly reliable and stable due to the shear stresses on the fractures and the stress constraints employed.The M-HTPF method is highly feasible and efficient for complete stress tensor determination in a single borehole.

Influences of clean fracturing fluid viscosity and horizontal in-situ stress difference on hydraulic fracture propagation and morphology in coal seam

The viscosity of fracturing fluid and in-situ stress difference are the two important factors that affect the hydraulic fracturing pressure and propagation morphology. In this study, raw coal was used to prepare coal samples for experiments, and clean fracturing fluid samples were prepared using CTAB surfactant. A series of hydraulic fracturing tests were conducted with an in-house developed triaxial hydraulic fracturing simulator and the fracturing process was monitored with an acoustic emission instrument to analyze the influences of fracturing fluid viscosity and horizontal in-situ stress difference on coal fracture propagation. The results show that the number of branched fractures decreased, the fracture pattern became simpler, the fractures width increased obviously, and the distribution of AE event points was concentrated with the increase of the fracturing fluid viscosity or the horizontal in-situ stress difference. The acoustic emission energy decreases with the increase of fracturing fluid viscosity and increases with the increase of horizontal in situ stress difference. The low viscosity clean fracturing fluid has strong elasticity and is easy to be compressed into the tip of fractures, resulting in complex fractures. The high viscosity clean fracturing fluids are the opposite. Our experimental results provide a reference and scientific basis for the design and optimization of field hydraulic fracturing parameters.

Influence of Blade Number on the Performance of Hydraulic Turbines in the Transition Stage

To analyze the effect of blade number on the performance of hydraulic turbines during the transient stage in which theflow rate is not constant,six hydraulic turbines with different blade numbers are considered.The instantaneous hydraulic performance of the turbine and the pressure pulsation acting on the impeller are investigated numerically by using the ANSYS CFX software.The ensuing results are compared with the outcomes of experimental tests.It is shown that thefluctuation range of the pressure coefficient increases with time,but the corresponding range for the transient hydraulic efficiency decreases gradually when theflow velocity transits to larger values.During the transition to smallflow velocity,thefluctuation range of the pressure coefficient gradually decreases as time passes,but the correspondingfluctuation range of its transient hydraulic efficiency gradually becomes larger.Thefluctuation range in the Z9 case is small during the transition.The main frequency of transient hydraulic efficiency pulsation is equal to the blade frequency.At the main frequency,Z7 has the largest amplitude of the hydraulic efficiency pulsation,Z10 has the smallest amplitude,and the difference between Z7 and Z9 is limited.As the number of blades grows,the pressure pulsation during the transition process gradually decreases,but the pressure pulsation of Z10 at the volute tongue is larger.In the steady state,Z9 has the highest efficiency and in the transient stage,the pressure coefficientfluctuation range is small.Accordingly,for the hydraulic turbine Z9,the performance is optimal.