Fuzzy inference system using genetic algorithm and pattern search for predicting roof fall rate in underground coal mines

One of the most dangerous safety hazard in underground coal mines is roof falls during retreat mining.Roof falls may cause life-threatening and non-fatal injuries to miners and impede mining and transportation operations.As a result,a reliable roof fall prediction model is essential to tackle such challenges.Different parameters that substantially impact roof falls are ill-defined and intangible,making this an uncertain and challenging research issue.The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health assembled a national database of roof performance from 37 coal mines to explore the factors contributing to roof falls.Data acquired for 37 mines is limited due to several restrictions,which increased the likelihood of incompleteness.Fuzzy logic is a technique for coping with ambiguity,incompleteness,and uncertainty.Therefore,In this paper,the fuzzy inference method is presented,which employs a genetic algorithm to create fuzzy rules based on 109 records of roof fall data and pattern search to refine the membership functions of parameters.The performance of the deployed model is evaluated using statistical measures such as the Root-Mean-Square Error,Mean-Absolute-Error,and coefficient of determination(R_(2)).Based on these criteria,the suggested model outperforms the existing models to precisely predict roof fall rates using fewer fuzzy rules.

Geochemical and petrological studies of high sulfur coal and overburden from Makum coalfield (Northeast India) towards understanding and mitigation of acid mine drainage

Opencast coal mining produces trash of soil and rock containing various minerals,that are usually dumped nearby the abandoned sites which causes severe environmental concern including the production of acid mine drainage(AMD)through oxidation pyrite minerals.The current study entailed assessing the potential production of AMD from an opencast coal mining region in Northeast part of India.In order to have a comprehensive overview of the AMD problem in Makum coalfield,the physico-chemical,geochemical,and petrological characteristics of the coal and overburden(OB)samples collected from the Makum coalfield(Northeast India)were thoroughly investigated.The maceral compositions reveal that coal features all three groups of macerals(liptinite,vitrinite,and inertinite),with a high concentration of liptinite indicating the coal of perhydrous,thereby rendering it more reactive.Pyrite(FeS_(2))oxidation kinetics were studied by conducting the aqueous leaching experiments of coal and(OB)samples to interpret the chemical weathering under controlled laboratory conditions of various temperature and time periods,and to replicate the actual mine site leaching.Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy(ICP-OES)was operated to detect the disposal of some precarious elements from coal and OB samples to the leachates during our controlled leaching experiment.The Rare earth element(REE)enrichment in the samples shows the anthropogenic incorporation of the REE in the coal and OB.These experiments reveal the change in conductivity,acid producing tendency,total dissolved solid(TDS),total Iron(Fe)and dissolved Sulfate(SO_(4)^(2−))ions on progress of the leaching experiments.Moreover,the discharge of FeS_(2) via atmospheric oxidation in laboratory condition undergoes a significant growth with the rise of temperature of the reaction systems in the environment and follows pseudo first order kinetics.A bio-remediative strategies is also reported in this paper to mitigate AMD water by employing size-segregated powdered limestone and water hyacinth plant in an indigenously developed site-specific prototype station.Apart from neutralisation of AMD water,this eco-friendly AMD remediation strategy demonstrates a reduction in PHEs concentrations in the treated AMD water.

Advancing respirable coal mine dust source apportionment:a preliminary laboratory exploration of optical microscopy as a novel monitoring tool

Exposure to respirable coal mine dust(RCMD)can cause chronic and debilitating lung diseases.Real-time monitoring capabilities are sought which can enable a better understanding of dust components and sources.In many underground mines,RCMD includes three primary components which can be loosely associated with three major dust sources:coal dust from the coal seam itself,silicates from the surrounding rock strata,and carbonates from the inert‘rock dust’products that are applied to mitigate explosion hazards.A monitor which can reliably partition RCMD between these three components could thus allow source apportionment.And tracking silicates,specifically,could be valuable since the most serious health risks are typically associated with this component-particularly if abundant in crystalline silica.Envisioning a monitoring concept based on field microscopy,and following up on prior research using polarized light,the aim of the current study was to build and test a model to classify respirable-sized particles as either coal,silicates,or carbonates.For model development,composite dust samples were generated in the laboratory by successively depositing dust from high-purity materials onto a sticky transparent substrate,and imaging after each deposition event such that the identity of each particle was known a priori.Model testing followed a similar approach,except that real geologic materials were used as the source for each dust component.Results showed that the model had an overall accuracy of 86.5%,indicating that a field-microscopy based moni-tor could support RCMD source apportionment and silicates tracking in some coal mines.

Study on the Safety and Prevention Technology of Coal Mining under the River in Xingyuan Coal Mine

Coal mining-induced surface subsidence poses significant ecological and infrastructural challenges, necessitating a comprehensive study to ensure safe mining practices, particularly in underwater conditions. This project aims to address the extensive impact of coal mining on the environment, infrastructure, and overall safety, focusing on the Shigong River area above the working face. The study employs qualitative and quantitative analyses, along with on-site engineering measurements, to gather data on crucial parameters such as coal seam characteristics, roof rock lithology, thickness, water resistance, and structural damage degree. The research encompasses a multidisciplinary approach, involving mining, geology, hydrogeology, geophysical exploration, rock mechanics, mine surveying, and computational mathematics. The importance of effective safety measures and prevention techniques is emphasized, laying the foundation for research focused on the Xingyun coal mine. The brief concludes by highlighting the potential economic and social benefits of this project and its contribution to valuable experience for future subsea coal mining.

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.

Support technologies for deep and complex roadways in underground coal mines:a review

Based on geological and mining characteristics,coal mine roadways under complex conditions were divided into five types,for each type the deformation and damage characteristics of rocks surrounding roadways were analyzed.The recent developments of roadway support technologies were introduced abroad,based on the experiences of supports for deep and complex roadways from Germany,the United States and Australia.The history and achievements of roadway support technologies in China were detailed,including rock bolting,steel supports,grouting reinforcement and combined supports.Four typical support and reinforcement case studies were analyzed,including a high stressed roadway 1,000 m below the surface,a roadway surrounded by severely weak and broken rocks,a chamber surrounded by weak and broken rocks,and a roadway with very soft and swelling rocks.Based on studies and practices in many years,rock bolting has become the mainstream roadway support form in China coal mines,and steel supports,grouting reinforcement and combined supports have also been applied at proper occasions,which have provided reliable technical measures for the safe and high effective construction and mining of underground coal mines.

Upward surface movement above deep coal mines after closure and flooding of underground workings

After the mass closures of entire coal mine districts in Europe at the end of the last century, a new phenomenon of surface movement was observed—an upward movement.Although most surface movement(i.e., subsidence) occurs in the months and years after mining by the longwall method, surface movement still occurs many decades after mining is terminated.After the closure and flooding of underground excavations and surrounding rock, this movement was reversed.This paper focuses on quantifying the upward movement in two neighboring coal mines(Winterslag and Zwartberg, Belgium).The study is based on data from a remote sensing technique: interferometry with synthetic aperture radar(INSAR).The results of the study show that the rate of upward movement in the decade after closure is about 10 mm/year on average.The upward movements are not linked directly to the past exploitation directly underneath a location.The amounts of subsidence at specific locations are linked mainly to their positions relative to an inverse trough shape situated over the entire mined-out areas and their immediate surroundings.Local features, such as geological faults, can have a secondary effect on the local variation of the uplift.The processes of subsidence and uplift are based on completely different mechanisms.Subsidence is initiated by a caving process, while the process of uplift is clearly linked to flooding.

Double-directional control bolt support technology and engineering application at large span Y-type intersections in deep coal mines

Under deep and complex geological conditions,severe deformation occurs at intersection points of Y-type roadways with large cross sections during engineering projects in coal mines,especially at junction arches.Based on in-situ investigations and theoretical studies,we have summarized typical forms of destruction and identified high stress and unrestricted support at both sides of junction arch as its main causes.In this study,we also presented double-directional control bolt support technology for a large Y-type span intersection,applied to deep intersection engineering in the Jiahe Coal Mine,which has proved effective.

Quantitative hazard assessment for Zonguldak Coal Basin underground mines

Underground coal mining is one of the most dangerous occupations throughout the world.The reasons behind an underground occupational accident are too complex to analyze mainly due to many uncertainties which may arise from geological,operational conditions of the mine or individual characteristics of employees.This study proposes implementing a quantitative methodology for the analysis and assessment of hazards associated with occupational accidents.The application of the proposed approach is performed on the mines of Turkish Hard Coal Enterprises(TTK).The accidents in TTK between the years 2000 and 2014 are firstly statistically analyzed with respect to the number,type and location of accidents,age,experience,education level and main duty of the casualties and also injuries resulting from such accidents.The hazards are classified as individual,operational and locational hazards and quantified using contingency tables,conditional and total probability theorems.Lower and upper boundaries of hazards are determined and event trees for each hazard class are prepared.Total hazard evaluation results show that Armutcuk,Karadon and Uzulmez mines have relatively high hazard levels while Amasra and Kozlu mines have relatively lower hazard values.

Spatial context in the calculation of gas emissions for underground coal mines

The prediction of gas emissions arising from underground coal mining has been the subject of extensive research for several decades, however calculation techniques remain empirically based and are hence limited to the origin of calculation in both application and resolution. Quantification and management of risk associated with sudden gas release during mining(outbursts) and accumulation of noxious or combustible gases within the mining environment is reliant on such predictions, and unexplained variation correctly requires conservative management practices in response to risk. Over 2500 gas core samples from two southern Sydney basin mines producing metallurgical coal from the Bulli seam have been analysed in various geospatial context including relationships to hydrological features and geological structures. The results suggest variability and limitations associated with the present traditional approaches to gas emission prediction and design of gas management practices may be addressed using predictions derived from improved spatial datasets, and analysis techniques incorporating fundamental physical and energy related principles.

A limit equilibrium fracture zone model to investigate seismicity in coal mines

This paper explores possible synergies between techniques used to minimise seismicity in deep South African gold mines and their applicability to control coal bumps. The paper gives a summary of the techniques used in the deep gold mines and a critical appraisal if these are useful in coal mines. The techniques typically include control of mining rate, preconditioning, optimisation of extraction sequences and centralised blasting. Of particular interest to the coal bump problem is an experimental limit equilibrium fracture zone model implemented in a displacement discontinuity code. This was recently developed for the gold mines to enable the interactive analysis of complex tabular mine layout extraction sequences. The model specifically accommodates energy dissipation computations in the developing fracture zone near the edges of these excavations. This allows the released energy to be used as a surrogate measure of ongoing seismic activity and addresses a number of the weaknesses in the traditional usage of this quantity as a criterion for the design of seismically active layouts. This paper investigates the application of the model to a hypothetical coal longwall layout and the specific problem of coal bumps.

Comparative study of mining methods for reserves beneath end slope in flat surface mines with ultra-thick coal seams

The paper aims to identify a reasonable method for mining ultra-thick coal seams in an end-slope in surface mine, With a case study of Heidaigou surface coal mine(HSCM), the paper conducted a comparative research on three mining methods, namely Underground Mining Method(UMM), Highwall Mining System(HMS) and Local Steep Slope Mining Method(LSSMM). A model was firstly established to simulate the impact that UMM and HMS exert on monitoring points and surface deformation. The way that stripping and excavation amount varies with different slope angle, and the corresponding end slope stability were analyzed in the mode of LSSMM. Then a TOPSIS model was established by taking into account six indicators such as recovery ratio, technical complexity and adaptability, the impact on surface mining production, production safety and economic benefits. Finally, LSSMM was determined as the best mining method for mining ultra-thick coal seams in end slope in HSCM.

Study on the Ecological Restoration Techniques in Coal Mines——A Case Study of Mines in Huainan

Coal mining has brought serious damages to neighboring environment and ecosystem,and degradation of ecological environment has seriously influenced life of neighboring residents and sustainable development of coal industry.Destroyed ecological environment of mines in Huainan,Anhui Province was introduced in this study,ecological restoration principles,methods and procedures of mines were explored.The paper proposed that the harmonious development of economy,society and ecological environment must be considered in the ecological restoration.Combing with current situation of local mining areas,practical eco-restoration technical solutions were given by following ecological restoration principles to realize the sustainable development of mines.

Developing coal burst propensity index method for Australian coal mines

Coal burst is the violent failure of overstressed coal, and it is often accompanied by sound, coal ejection and seismic events. It is subsequently recognized as a serious safety risk of Australia after double fatalities coal burst happened at Austar Coal Mine. Considering the increasing trend of coal burst severity and frequency with mining depth, it is an urgent task to develop the coal burst risk assessment methods for Australia underground coal mines. Coal burst propensity index method is a widely used method of burst risk evaluation of coal as it is summed up from the coal burst research and practice of many countries.This paper presents the experimental and theoretical research of coal burst propensity index method for coal burst risk assessment in Australia. The definition of four indexes including elastic strain energy index(W_(ET)), bursting energy index(K_E), dynamic failure time(DT) and uniaxial compression strength(RC)is introduced in the first part. Then, the standard laboratory test process and test parameter of coal burst propensity index is presented. DT test is conducted with 0.3 mm/min displacement control loading rate while other test is with 0.5 mm/min. Besides, modified data processing and risk classification method of test are proposed. Differentiate analysis of stress-strain curve is adopted in the data processing of DT and KEindex. A four level risk classification form of burst risk is recommended for Australian underground coal mines. Finally, two likely improvement methods of W_(ET) test, including volumetric strain indicator method and theoretical calculation method, are discussed.

Ground fissure development regularity and formation mechanism of shallow buried coal seam mining with Karst landform in Jiaozi coal mine: a case study

A comprehensive study was undertaken at Jiaozi coal mine to investigate the development regularity of ground fissures in shallow buried coal seam mining with Karst landform,shedding light on the development type,geographical distribution,dynamic development process,and failure mechanism of these ground fissures by employing field monitoring,numerical simulation,and theoretical analysis.The findings demonstrate that ground fissure development has an obvious feature of subregion,and its geographical distribution is significantly affected by topography.Tensile type,open type,and stepped type are three different categories of ground fissure.Ground fissures emerge dynamically as the panel advances,and they typically develop with a distance of less than periodic weighting step distance in advance of panel advancing position.Ground fissures present the dynamic development feature,temporary fissure has the ability of self-healing.The dynamic development process of ground fissure with closed-distance coal seam repeated mining is expounded,and the development scale is a dynamic development stage of“closure→expansion→stabilized”on the basis of the original development scale.From the perspective of topsoil deformation,the computation model considering two points movement vectors towards two directions of the gob and the ground surface is established,the development criterion considering the critical deformation value of topsoil is obtained.The mechanical model of hinged structure of inclined body is proposed to clarify the ground fissure development,and the interaction between slope activity and ground fissure development is expounded.These research results fulfill the gap of ground fissures about development regularity and formation mechanism,and can contribute to ground fissure prevention and treatment with Karst landform.

Fire monitoring in coal mines using wireless underground sensor network and interval type-2 fuzzy logic controller

From the view of underground coal mining safety system, it is extremely important to continuous monitoring of coal mines for the prompt detection of fires or related problems inspite of its uncertainty and imprecise characteristics. Therefore, evaluation and inferring the data perfectly to prevent fire related accidental risk in underground coal mining (UMC) system are very necessary. In the present article, we have proposed a novel type-2 fuzzy logic system (T2FLS) for the prediction of fire intensity and its risk assessment for risk reduction in an underground coal mine. Recently, for the observation of underground coal mines, wireless underground sensor network (WUSN) are being concerned frequently. To implement this technique IT2FLS, main functional components are sensor nodes which are installed in coal mines to accumulate different imprecise environmental data like, temperature, relative humidity, different gas concentrations etc. and these are sent to a base station which is connected to the ground observation system through network. In the present context, a WUSN based fire monitoring system is developed using fuzzy logic approach to enhance the consistency in decision making system to improve the risk chances of fire during coal mining. We have taken Mamdani IT2FLS as fuzzy model on coal mine monitoring data to consider real-time decision making (DM). It is predicted from the simulated results that the recommended system is highly acceptable and amenable in the case of fire hazard safety with compared to the wired and off-line monitoring system for UMC. Legitimacy of the suggested model is prepared using statistical analysis and multiple linear regression analysis.

Investigating different methods used for approximating pillar loads in longwall coal mines

Accurately estimating load distributions and ground responses around underground openings play a significant role in the safety of the operations in underground mines.Adequately designing pillars and other support measures relies highly on the accurate assessment of the loads that will be carried by them,as well as the load-bearing capacities of the supports.There are various methods that can be used to approximate mining-induced loads in stratified rock masses to be used in pillar design.The empirical methods are based on equations derived from large databases of various case studies.They are implemented in government approved design tools and are widely used.There are also analytical and numerical techniques used for more detailed analysis of the induced loads.In this study,two different longwall mines with different panel width-to-depth ratios are analyzed using different methods.The empirical method used in the analysis is the square-decay stress function that uses the abutment angle concept,implemented in pillar design software developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH).The first numerical method used in the analysis is a displacement-discontinuity(DD)variation of the boundary element method,LaModel,which utilizes the laminated overburden model.The second numerical method used in the analysis is Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua(FLAC)with the numerical modeling approach recently developed at West Virginia University which is based on the approach developed by NIOSH.The model includes the 2D slice of a cross-section along the width of the panel with the chain pillar system that also includes the different stratigraphic layers of the overburden.All three methods gave similar results for the shallow mine,both in terms of load percentages and distribution where the variation was more obvious for the deep cover mine.The FLAC3D model was observed to better capture the stress changes observed during the field measurements for both the shallow and deep cover cases.This study allowed us to see the shortcomings of each of these different methods.It was concluded that a numerical model which incorporates the site-specific geology would provide the most precise estimate for complex loading conditions.

Major accident analysis and prevention of coal mines in China from the year of 1949 to 2009

From the year of 1949 to the present, the China national coal output has been increasing quickly and became first in the world in 2009. But at the same time, major coal mining accidents still exist nowadays. In order to review the overall situation and provide information on major accidents of coal mines in China, we investigated 26 major coal mining accidents in China between the years of 1949 and 2009 through statistical methods, each of which led to more than 100 fatalities. Statistical characteristics about accident-related factors such as time, death toll, accident reasons, characters and nature of enterprise were analyzed. And some special conclusions have been achieved. For example, although we have made great progress, the safety situation in China coal mining industry is still serious, and the reasons for the mining accidents are all human errors which are not inevitable. Such results may be helpful to prevent major accidents in coal mines. Moreso, based on both the knowledge of other countries which have good safety situation nowadays and the safety management situation of China, we made suggestion on safety management of China coal mining. In conclusion, countermeasures were proposed in accordance with the results of statistical studies and the analyses of problems existed in coal mines, including the perfec- tion of safety supervision organization, the establishment of cooperating agency among government, coal mines and workers, the perfection of safety rules and regulations, the improvement of safety investment, the enhancement of safety training, the development of safety technique, and the development of emer- gency rescue technique and equipment.

基于Mine2Vec煤矿风险推送机制的研究与实现

为了及时发现和预防可能出现的煤矿安全隐患和安全事故,基于Mine2Vec的煤矿风险推送模型与Item2Vec的用户访问信息推送模型加权融合,实现了煤矿风险推送机制,并应用于“互联网+”煤矿安全管控平台中。经Hololens2眼动仪验证,平台内容经模型推送后,点击次数、注视时长明显增多。研究成果可为用户推送相似煤矿企业的风险信息及其他煤矿风险资讯,使用户提前预防和规避煤矿风险。