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.

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.

Suitable retention and recovery technology of floor coal at ends of fully mechanized face with great mining heights

Gateways at faces of great mining heights are mostly driven along the roof of coal seams.For gateway height restrictions,a 1-3 m floor coal is retained,leaving a triangular floor coal at the face ends,causing a loss of coal.In order to improve coal recovery rates and to ensure efficiency of equipment at coal mining faces,we investigated suitable retention methods and recovery technology of floor coal at face ends.The upper floor coal can directly be recovered by a shearer with floor dinting.The lower floor coal is recovered by shearer with floor dinting after advanced floor dinting and retaining a step for protecting coal sides in a haulage gateway.Field practice shows that this method can improve the coal recovery rates at fully mechanized working faces with great mining heights.

Systematic principles of surrounding rock control in longwall mining within thick coal seams

Effective surrounding rock control is a prerequisite for realizing safe mining in underground coal mines.In the past three decades, longwall top-coal caving mining(LTCC) and single pass large height longwall mining(SPLL) found expanded usage in extracting thick coal seams in China. The two mining methods lead to large void space left behind the working face, which increases the difficulty in ground control.Longwall face failure is a common problem in both LTCC and SPLL mining. Such failure is conventionally attributed to low strength and high fracture intensity of the coal seam. However, the stiffness of main components included in the surrounding rock system also greatly influences longwall face stability.Correspondingly, surrounding rock system is developed for LTCC and SPLL faces in this paper. The conditions for simultaneous balance of roof structure and longwall face are put forward by taking the stiffness of coal seam, roof strata and hydraulic support into account. The safety factor of the longwall face is defined as the ratio between the ultimate bearing capacity and actual load imposed on the coal wall.The influences provided by coal strength, coal stiffness, roof stiffness, and hydraulic support stiffness,as well as the movement of roof structure are analyzed. Finally, the key elements dominating longwall face stability are identified for improving surrounding rock control effectiveness in LTCC and SPLL faces.

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.

厚煤层大采高综放工作面覆岩断裂演化规律研究

大采高综放开采易形成强烈的矿压显现,上覆岩层的断裂演化规律对工作面安全生产至关重要。以羊场湾煤矿160206工作面为工程背景,运用相似模拟试验、数值模拟和理论分析的综合研究方法,对大采高综放工作面覆岩的断裂过程与覆岩运移规律进行系统研究。研究表明:导水裂隙带内岩层随工作面推进表现为“台阶下沉”,同层岩层下沉趋势沿走向表现为“急剧下降—稳定(最大值)—快速上升—稳定(最小值)”。工作面覆岩运动场由两区分布(加速下沉区、缓慢下沉区)演化为三区分布(加速下沉区、缓慢下沉区、稳定区)。对离层演化与地表下沉规律进行了定量描述,运用理论计算表达式深入地剖析了地表的动态下沉机理及其相关因素。结合相似模拟与数值模拟的试验结果,提出了覆岩断裂演化的形态变化特征:覆岩断裂形态由“单等腰梯形”演化为“双等腰梯形”,表土层影响区由“矩形”演化为“倒梯形”。分析了覆岩中垮落区、离层区、压实区、裂隙富集区的动态演化过程:垮落区逐渐增大至一定程度,高度小幅度降低并趋于稳定,离层区由下至上逐渐发育并随工作面向前移动,离层区逐渐闭合形成压实区,且压实区逐渐增大并最终保持稳定,裂隙富集区位于采空区前后端部并随工作面向前移动。

6~10 m厚煤层超大采高液压支架及其工作面系统自适应智能耦合控制

厚煤层储量及产量占我国原煤总储量及产量的一半,通过梳理厚煤层开采历史沿革,总结了我国厚煤层开采40年来的技术及装备研发实践,系统分析了以高端大采高液压支架及围岩智能耦合理论为代表的6~10 m大采高综采高效智能化综采技术及装备研究进展,提出了大采高支护理论及围岩智能耦合控制的突破是厚煤层一次开采高度突破的首要因素,完善的感知体系建立是液压支架自适应支护的前提,数字技术的应用为大采高工作面高效推进及装备智能协同控制提供了新的技术途径;阐明了大采高综放液压支架与围岩耦合关系,剖析了采高增加对硬煤层冒放性的有利影响,提出了基于煤矸识别、放煤机构控制的“纯煤段记忆放煤+煤岩分界模糊段人工反馈式干预放煤”的智能放煤控制策略;分析了大采高开采“采–运”协同智能耦合控制关键技术,构建了基于采煤机牵引速度与刮板输送机链速间联动调节的工作面装备间多机异构耦合自适应协同控制模型;研发了厚煤层开采中10 m超大采高液压支架,分析了厚煤层开采不断突破开采高度极限的新认识,从开采装备、控制系统等方面提出厚煤层一次开采高度的突破的研发方向。

厚煤层放顶煤开采采高对顶煤破坏性分析

厚煤层放顶煤开采中,开采高度作为重要的工艺参数对顶煤的破坏性具有重要的影响,从而影响煤层的采出率及质量。采用数值分析的形式对不同采高对顶煤的破坏性进行模拟,从而得到合理的采高参数,提高顶煤的破坏性,提高煤矿的开采效率及质量。

工作面综放开采工艺研究

为进一步提升综采工作面的生产能力和生产效率,以21051综采工作面为例在对其基本条件及地质条件综合分析的基础上,确定采用放顶煤采煤工艺对其进行开采;然后,基于PFC2D软件对走向长壁放顶煤和倾斜长壁放顶煤两种开采工艺参数对应的采出率和含矸率等指标进行对比,得出对应开采方式下的最佳放煤工艺参数,研究成果可指导该工作面的实际生产。

大倾角厚煤层开采不同采高与放煤步距的影响分析

大倾角厚煤层是我国面临的重要的煤层开采形态,由于煤层的倾角较大,造成开采难度的增加。采用放顶煤综采过程中,不同的采高及放煤步距对顶煤的放出具有重要的影响作用。针对大倾角厚煤层开采过程中,不同采高及放煤步距对顶煤采出率的影响采用PFC仿真模拟的方式进行分析。建立了不同参数的开采模型,对开采过程进行仿真模拟,得到采高为4 m放煤步距为1.6 m(两采一放)的开采工艺为最佳的开采参数,此时顶煤的采出率最高,且具有较好的操作性。

金谷煤矿充水因素分析评价及涌水量预测

本文对山西古县金谷煤业有限公司的地质与水文地质条件进行分析研究,查明矿井主要充水因素,包括大气降水及地表水、含水层水、采空区积水等。通过现场实测和数据分析,确定了各含水层的水文特征及其与矿井充水的关系,计算了垮落带和导水裂隙带高度以及奥灰水突水系数。在此基础上,采用面积比拟法对矿井涌水量进行了预测,得出矿井正常涌水量为54.58 m^(3)/h,最大涌水量为81.87 m^(3)/h。这一研究为金谷煤业矿井水害防治提供了科学依据,有助于提高矿井的安全生产水平,对于类似地质条件下的煤矿充水因素评价与涌水量预测具有重要的参考价值。

塔山煤矿特厚煤层综放面顶煤冒放性研究

为研究特厚煤层综放工作面顶煤冒放性,结合塔山煤矿10501工作面5号煤层的开采条件,分别从埋深、煤体强度、煤体裂隙发育程度、夹矸强度和厚度、采放比等方面分析了顶煤冒放性的主要影响因素,数值模拟了2号和5号煤层采动对顶煤破碎效果的影响。根据理论分析、数值模拟结果,采取相应措施后,夹矸破碎程度高,顶煤冒放性好,达到了预期工程效果。

特厚煤层大采高综放开采机采高度的确定与影响

为了确定大采高综放开采合理的机采高度,基于理论分析与数值模拟计算方法,研究了不同机采高度对支架工作阻力、顶煤冒放规律、煤壁稳定性的影响。研究结果表明:大采高综放开采机采高度的确定应充分考虑采放比、煤壁稳定性、矿压显现、顶煤采出率及设备投资等。支架所需支护强度、顶煤采出率、煤壁片帮程度与机采高度成正相关性,但并不是简单的线性关系。由于受顶煤赋存条件及采出率等因素影响,相同采高大采高综放开采煤壁片帮几率要高于大采高综采。大采高综放开采是煤炭开采技术的新突破,是实现特厚煤层安全高效开采的有效途径。

特厚煤层大采高综放工作面煤壁片帮机制分析

针对特厚煤层大采高工作面,将超前支承压力作用的煤体分为破裂区、塑性区和弹性区。考虑支架护帮阻力等因素,建立了支承压力作用的煤体变形破坏及煤壁片帮分析力学模型。通过摩尔-库仑准则和非关联弹塑性分析,推导出了煤壁水平位移量及破裂区和塑性区半径解析表达式,分析了影响煤壁片帮的主要因素。理论结果与现场实测结果误差仅为15.6%,验证了模型的正确性。研究表明,随支承压力集中系数的增大、机采高度的增加以及支架护帮阻力的减小,煤壁水平位移量明显增大,煤壁片帮程度严重。工程实践表明,提高支架工作阻力,减缓煤壁处压力,控制合理采高以及增大支架护帮阻力,可有效缓解大采高综放工作面煤壁片帮程度。

厚松散层及超薄覆岩条件下放顶煤开采防砂煤柱

为解放厚松散层及超薄覆岩条件下防砂煤柱储量 ,在掌握三隔、四含水文工程地质条件基础上 ,通过井下疏放四含水、合理确定允许放采比以及控制工作面两端覆岩剪切破坏 ,有效实践了“破坏四含、保护三含”的思路。项目自实施以来 ,已成功回采了 4 0多万t煤炭 ,直接经济效益 4 0 0 0多万元。

大采高综放面区段煤柱合理留设研究

侧向支承压力分布、资源回收率以及煤柱和巷道的稳定性是大采高综放面区段煤柱宽度留设要兼顾的因素,为了确定大采高综放面区段煤柱宽度,以某矿8103面为工程背景,首先,采用理论计算和现场应力监测等方法确定大采高综放工作面倾向支承压力分布规律,得出应力降低区宽度约为8 m,原岩应力区为巷帮侧28 m外。其次,采用工程类比方法确定大采高综放工作面巷帮外侧煤体严重破裂区宽度约为4 m。最后,采用FLAC3D数值软件分析了下区段工作面回采时窄煤柱(6、8 m)和宽煤柱(28、30m)的应力场、位移场及塑性区特征,获得不同煤柱宽度时巷道和煤柱力学特征。研究表明:当煤柱宽度6m和8m时,在采动支承压力下煤柱几乎无承载能力,且巷道变形量较大;当煤柱宽度28 m和30 m时,在采动支承压力下煤柱中央仍有一定的弹性核,煤柱保持稳定且巷道变形量较小。综合考虑资源回收、巷道稳定性、次生灾害控制等因素,确定大采高综放工作面区段煤柱宽度为28m。

基于ARAMIS M/E微震监测的大采高综放顶板活动规律

采用高精度微震监测技术,结合现场支架阻力观测,对大采高综放开采顶板活动规律进行了研究。研究表明:微震事件的频次和能量具有明显的周期性,微震事件在高度上的动态发展规律反映出大采高综放顶板来压存在大小周期现象,且这种现象与工作面宏观观测得到的周期来压具有一致性;根据微震监测和支架阻力观测结果得出大采高综放开采顶板为"悬臂梁-铰接岩梁"结构。

大采高综放开采几个理论问题的研究

提出大采高综放开采的概念,对大采高综放开采主要基础理论问题如:大采高综放开采工作面参数的确定、煤壁片帮冒顶机理与防治、提高工作面煤炭采出率、大断面高煤帮巷道支护、围岩活动规律与特种综放支架研发进行了探讨,以期推动这一技术的发展.

我国厚煤层采煤技术的发展及采煤方法的选择

针对目前我国厚煤层开采方法的现场生产情况,重点论述了大采高、放顶煤开采方法近年来在技术经济上的现状及发展。同时,针对大采高存在的煤壁片帮与设备下滑问题,提出了在开采技术上应该采取的一些有效措施,对近年来发展起来的大采高放顶煤开采技术和研制的两柱式放顶煤液压支架的支护特点及使用情况等,进行了分析研究。文章从开采技术以及设备研制与生产现状等方面对厚煤层开采的采煤方法进行了分析,并根据目前我国厚煤层开采现状及国家的相关技术政策,探讨了厚煤层开采技术与采煤方法的适用条件与选择原则。

大采高综放开采顶煤放出的煤矸流场特征研究

采用理论和散体模型实验分析了大采高综放开采放煤口参数、采放比、放煤工序和放煤步距对煤矸流场的影响.大采高综放开采煤矸流场特征主要表现为:1)支架移架使顶煤放落后顶煤层位线和煤矸分界线的斜率变陡,明显比普通采高条件下的斜率大;2)放煤过程中煤矸的流动速度变快,在相同放煤步距条件下,在采高水平上煤矸分界线与支架顶梁末端的距离缩小;3)受采放比、掩护梁角度和放煤口尺寸影响而易于混矸.合理放煤步距移架后放煤前的煤矸分界线应略偏后于尾梁下部边界.基于以上研究结果,确定了大采高低位综放开采给定采放比、放煤口尺寸和煤矸块度条件下最佳放煤工艺参数.