An analysis on the effect of mining height and floor lithology on pressure relief of upper protective layers

In order to understand the effect of mining height and floor lithology at the upper protective layer face on the pressure relief of protected coal seams, this paper uses a numerical simulation method to model the pressure changes at protected coal seam during mining upper protective layer. The results show that the taller the mining height at the upper protective layer face, the greater the protection on protected coal seam due to the higher level of pressure release; the upper protective layer face with hard rock floor impedes the pressure release at the protected coal seam, which affects the overall effect of the pressure release at protected coal seam using the protective layer mining method.

Numerical simulation on pressure-relief deformation characteristics of underlying coal-rock mass after upper protective layer excavation

Based on the occurrence features of Group B coal-seams at a coal mine in the Huainan coal mining area, the elasto-plastic mechanical damage constitutive functions and numerical model for the protective layer excavation were established. With the UDEC2D computer program, after the upper protective layer was mined, the stress field change trends, crack development, and expansion deformation trends of underlying coal rock seams in the floor of the working face were simulated and analyzed. The simulation results show the stress changes in coal rock seams, the evolution process of pre-cracks during the process of upper protective layer mining, the caved zone and fractured zone of the underlying coal rock seams. At the same time, the results from the actual investigation and analysis of protected layer deformation match the simulation values, which verifies the validity and accuracy of numerical simulation results. The study results have an important guiding significance for gas management in low permeability and high gas coal seams with similar mining conditions.

An evaluation of deep thin coal seams and water-bearing/resisting layers in the quaternary system using seismic inversion

Non-liner wave equation inversion,wavelet analysis and artificial neural networks were used to obtain stratum parameters and the distribution of thin coal seams.The lithology of the water-bearing/resisting layer in the Quaternary system was also predicted.The implementation process included calculating the well log parameters,stratum contrasting the seismic data and the well logs,and extracting,studying and predicting seismic attributes.Seismic inversion parameters,including the layer velocity and wave impedance,were calculated and effectively used for prediction and analysis.Prior knowledge and seismic interpretation were used to remedy a dearth of seismic data during the inversion procedure.This enhanced the stability of the inversion method.Non-linear seismic inversion and artificial neural networks were used to interpret coal seismic lithology and to study the water-bearing/resisting layer in the Quaternary system.Interpretation of the 1～2 m thin coal seams,and also of the water-bearing/resisting layer in the Quaternary system,is provided.The upper mining limit can be lifted from 60 m to 45 m.The predictions show that this method can provide reliable data useful for thin coal seam exploitation and for lifting the upper mining limit,which is one of the principles of green mining.