Simulation of recovery of upper remnant coal pillar while mining the ultra-close lower panel using longwall top coal caving

With the depletion of easily minable coal seams, less favorable reserves under adverse conditions have to be mined out to meet the market demand. Due to some historical reasons, large amount of remnant coal was left unrecovered. One such case history occurred with the remnant rectangular stripe coal pillars using partial extraction method at Guandi Mine, Shanxi Province, China. The challenge that the coal mine was facing was that there is an ultra-close coal seam right under it with an only 0.8–1.5 m sandstone dirt band in between. The simulation study was carried out to investigate the simultaneous recovery of upper remnant coal pillars while mining the ultra-close lower panel using longwall top coal caving(LTCC). The remnant coal pillar was induced to cave in as top coal in LTCC system. Physical modelling shows that the coal pillars are the abutments of the stress arch structure formed within the overburden strata. The stability of overhanging roof strata highly depends on the stability of the remnant coal pillars. And the gob development(roof strata cave-in) is intermittent with the cave-in of these coal pillars and the sandstone dirt band. FLAC3 D numerical modelling shows that the multi-seam interaction has a significant influence on mining-induced stress environment for mining of lower panels. The pattern of the stress evolution on the coal pillars with the advance of the lower working face was found. It is demonstrated that the stress relief of a remnant coal pillar enhances the caveability of the pillars and sandstone dirt band below.     

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.     

An influence function method based subsidence prediction program for longwall mining operations in inclined coal seams

The distribution of the final surface subsidence basin induced by longwall operations in inclined coal seam could be significantly different from that in flat coal seam and demands special prediction methods. Though many empirical prediction methods have been developed, these methods are inflexible for varying geological and mining conditions. An influence function method has been developed to take the advantage of its fundamentally sound nature and flexibility. In developing this method, significant modifications have been made to the original Knothe function to produce an asymmetrical influence function. The empirical equations for final subsidence parameters derived from US subsidence data and Chinese empirical values have been incorporated into the mathematical models to improve the prediction accuracy. A corresponding computer program is developed. A number of subsidence cases for longwall mining operations in coal seams with varying inclination angles have been used to demonstrate the applicability of the developed subsidence prediction model.     

A review of cavability evaluation in longwall top coal caving

Longwall Top Coal Caving has been considered as one of the most effective technologies for the extraction of underground thick coal seams. A large number of studies on the applicability of Longwall Top Coal Caving into new mine sites have linked the success of its application to the geo mechanical understanding of the cavability of the top coal. The paper aims to improve the knowledge of the top coal cavability evaluation. A range of parameters that affect the top coal cavability were first identified. Afterward, a number of cavability assessment methods and classifications were reviewed. The result is important in that it assists researchers in developing an advanced and reliable tool for the top coal cavability evaluation.     

Stress distribution and surrounding rock control of mining near to the overlying coal pillar in the working face

The occurrence of overlying coal pillar (OCP) exerts a strong effect on the stress and strain distribution of the surrounding rock in the stope. In this paper, the stress distribution characteristics are analyzed via the numerical calculation with the account of OCP presence or absence. In addition, this study revealed the joint effect of side pressure relief area of the goaf and stress concentration in OCP on the final stress distribution. Furthermore, the rules of abutment stress distribution affected by three influencing factors, namely horizontal-vertical distances between OCP and working face and buried depth of OCP, are analyzed. The functional model linking the peak stress of surrounding rock with the above influencing factors is developed. The field application of the above results proved that the rib spalling and deformation of a 2.95 m-high and 5.66 m-wide roadway could be efficiently controlled by rationally adjusting working states of the support, and adopting the hydraulic prop coordinated with the π type metal beam and anchor cable to strengthen the surrounding rock of working face and roadway, respectively. The proposed measures are considered appropriate to satisfy the safe operation requirements.     

Monitoring strata behavior due to multi-slicing top coal caving longwall mining in steeply dipping extra thick coal seam

For studying the strata behavior due to multi-slicing top coal caving longwall mining along-the-strike direction in steeply dipping extra thick coal seams,the shield support pressures of the upper and lower slices of panel 37220 in Dongxia Coal Mine were monitored using the KJ513 dynamic monitoring system.The set up rooms adopted the horizontal line-arc segment-inclined line form and used different types of shield supports.The results show that the strata pressure of upper slice panel 37220-1 changed slightly along the strike direction,while along the dip direction it exhibited strong to weak pressure from bottom to top.The first weighting interval of lower slice panel 37220-2 was about 60.8 m,and the average periodic weighting interval were about 22.6 m.The strata behavior of panel 37220-2 exhibited a spatiotemporal characteristic in that periodic weighting occurred first in the middle-upper part,followed by the middle and upper parts,arc segment,and finally the lower part.During the periodic weighting,the weighting interval and intensity also exhibited strong space characteristics.The average dynamic load coefficient was 1.48 and the maximum lateral load of the side shield was 20-25 MPa.     

“三软”特厚煤层开采地表沉陷规律研究

洛阳常村煤矿开采煤层为"三软"特厚煤层,井田范围内村庄较多.为了合理回采村庄下煤柱、提高资源采出率,需要掌握该地质条件下的地表移动变形规律及参数.在该矿"三软"特厚煤层工作面建立了地表移动观测站,对地表沉陷进行现场观测,获得了大量的地表沉陷观测资料.通过对实测资料的分析,得出常村煤矿"三软"特厚煤层开采地表沉陷规律及其参数.研究结果表明:与一般地质采矿条件相比,"三软"特厚煤层放顶煤开采具有地表移动角量参数偏小、影响范围大、下沉系数大等特点,地表沉陷呈现塌陷坑及台阶裂缝形态.     

Top coal caving mining technique in thick coal seam beneath the earth dam

It is important to study the mining technology under structures for raising the coal resources recovery ratio. Based on the geological and mining conditions, the top coal caving harmonic mining technique in thick coal seam beneath the earth dam was put forward and studied. The 5 factors such as the panel mining direction, panel size, panel location, panel mining sequence and panel advance velocity were taken into account in this technique. The dam movement and deformation were predicted after the thick coal seam mining and the effects of mining on the dam were studied. By setting up the surveying stations on the dam, the movement and deformation of the dam were observed during mining. By taking some protective measures on the dam, the top coal caving mining technique in thick coal seam beneath the earth dam was carried out successfully. The study demonstrates that harmonic mining in thick coal seam is feasible under the dam. The safety of the earth dam after mining was ensured and the coal resources recovery ratio was improved.     

Numerical investigation on the caving mechanism with different standard deviations of top coal block size in LTCC

The size distribution of the broken top coal blocks is an important factor, affecting the recovery ratio and the efficiency of drawing top coal in longwall top coal caving(LTCC) mining panel. The standard deviation of top coal block size(dt) is one of the main parameters to reflect the size distribution of top coal. To find the effect of dton the caving mechanism, this study simulates experiments with 9 different dtby using discrete element software PFC. The dtis divided into two stages: uniform distribution stage(UDS) whose dtis less than 0.1(Schemes 1–5), and nonuniform distribution stage(NDS) whose dtis more than 0.1(Schemes 6–9). This research mainly investigates the variation of recovery ratio, drawing body shape,boundary of top coal, and contact force between particles in the two stages, respectively. The results showed that with the increasing dt, the recovery ratio of the panel increases first and then decreases in UDS. It is the largest in Scheme 3, which mainly increases the drawing volume at the side of starting drawing end. However, the recovery ratio decreases first and then increases quickly in NDS, and it is the largest in Scheme 9, where the drawing volume at the side of finishing drawing end are relatively higher. In UDS, the major size of top coal is basically medium, while in NDS, the size varies from medium to small, and then to large, with a distinct difference in shape and volume of the drawing body. When the major size of top coal is medium and small, the cross-section width of the initial boundary of top coal at each height is relatively small. Conversely, when the top coal size is large, the initial boundary of top coal has a larger opening range, the rotating angle of lower boundary is relatively small in the normal drawing stage, which is conducive to the development of drawing body and reduces the residual top coal, and the maximum particle velocity and the particles movement angle are both larger. This study lays a foundation for the prediction of recovery ratio, and suggests that the uniform top coal is more manageable and has a larger recovery ratio.     

Influence of longwall mining on the stability of gas wells in chain pillars

Longwall mining has a significant influence on gas wells located within longwall chain pillars. Subsurface subsidence and abutment pressure induced by longwall mining can cause excessive stresses and deformations in gas well casings. If the gas well casings are compromised or ruptured, natural gas could migrate into the mine workings, potentially causing a fire or explosion. By the current safety regulations,the gas wells in the chain pillars have to be either plugged or protected by adequate coal pillars. The current regulations for gas well pillar design are based on the 1957 Pennsylvania gas well pillar study. The study provided guidelines for gas well pillars by considering their support area and overburden depth as well as the location of the gas wells within the pillars. As the guidelines were developed for room-andpillar mining under shallow cover, they are no longer applicable to modern longwall coal mining, particularly, under deep cover. Gas well casing of failures have occurred even though the chain pillars for the gas wells met the requirements by the 1957 study. This study, conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH), presents seven cases of conventional gas wells penetrating through longwall chain pillars in the Pittsburgh Coal Seam. The study results indicate that overburden depth and pillar size are not the only determining factors for gas well stability. The other important factors include subsurface ground movement, overburden geology, weak floor, as well as the type of the construction of gas wells. Numerical modeling was used to model abutment pressure, subsurface deformations, and the response of gas well casings. The study demonstrated that numerical models are able to predict with reasonable accuracy the subsurface deformations in the overburden above,within, and below the chain pillars, and the potential location and modes of gas well failures, thereby providing a more quantifiable approach to assess the stability of the gas wells in longwall chain pillars.     

大采高综采面端部底煤的分析

八十年代以来,我国某些矿区陆续投产一批采高在3.5—5.0m的大采高综采面。总的说来大采高综采面的各项经济技术指标不如采高为3m左右的综采面。其原因是多方面的,其中之一是某些大采高综采面顺槽沿煤层顶板掘进在工作面端部区域形成底煤,底煤留设不当给端头采煤作业和顶板管理造成困难,影响综采面正常推进,同时也浪费煤炭资源。本文作者在现场调查基础上,通过理论分析,提出了底煤的合理型式和留设方法以及相应的端头技术管理措施,并推导出底煤尺寸的计算公式,分析了影响底煤型式和尺寸的参数。     

高瓦斯矿井一次采全高综采工作面瓦斯治理

介绍了晋城矿区寺河矿高瓦斯矿井一次采全高工作面瓦斯治理方法和瓦斯利用情况,提出了高瓦斯矿井一次采全高工作面瓦斯治理途径和技术,指出高瓦斯矿井高产高效、安全生产的根本出路在于提高瓦斯抽放率,加强瓦斯利用,进而提高矿井的综合效益.     

Coupling effects of coal pillars of thick coal seams in large-space stopes and hard stratum on mine pressure

Concerning the issue of mine pressure behaviors occurred in fully mechanized caving mining of thick coal seams beneath hard stratum in Datong Mining Area, combined with thin and thick plate theory, the paper utilizes theoretical analysis, similar experiments, numerical simulations and field tests to study the influence of remaining coal pillars in Jurassic system goaf on hard stratum fractures, as well as mine pressure behaviors under their coupling effects. The paper concludes the solution formula of initial fault displacement in hard stratum caused by remaining coal pillars. Experiments prove that coupling effects can enhance mine pressure behaviors on working faces. When inter-layer inferior key strata fractures, mine pressure phenomenon such as significant roof weighting steps and increasing resistance in support.When inter-layer superior key strata fractures, the scope of overlying strata extends to Jurassic system goaf, dual-system stopes cut through, and remaining coal pillars lose stability. As a result, the bottom inferior key strata also lose stability. It causes huge impacts on working face, and the second mine pressure behaviors. These phenomena provide evidence for research on other similar mine strata pressure behaviors occurred in dual-system mines with remaining coal pillars.     

Waste-filling in fully-mechanized coal mining and its application

A fully-mechanized coal mining (FMCM) technology capable of filling up the goaf with wastes (including solid wastes)is described. Industrial tests have proved that by using this technology not only can waste be re-used but also coal resources can be exploited with a higher recovery rate without removing buildings located over the working faces. Two special devices, a hydraulic support and a scraper conveyor, run side-by-side on the same working face to simultaneously realize mining and filling. These are described in detail. The tests allow analysis of rock pressure and ground subsidence when backfilling techniques are employed.These values are compared to those from mining without using backfilling techniques, under the same geological conditions. The concept of equivalent mining height is proposed based on theoretical analysis of rock pressure and ground subsidence. The upper limits of the rock pressure and ground subsidence can be estimated in backfilling mining using this concept along with traditional engineering formulae.     

Measurement of overburden failure zones in close-multiple coal seams mining

In the Kaiping Coal field, mining of five coal seams, located within 80 m in the Kailuan Group, #5, #7, #8,#9 and #12 coal seam, is difficult due to small interburden thickness, concentrated stress distributions,high coal seam metamorphism, and complex geological conditions. By using the ZTR12 geological penetration radar(GPR) survey combined with borehole observations, the overburden caving due to mining of the five coals seams was measured. The development characteristics of full-cover rock fractures after mining were obtained from the GPR scan, which provides a measurement basis for the control of rock strata in close multiple coal seam mining. For the first time, it was found that the overburden caving pattern shows a periodic triangular caved characteristic. Furthermore, it is proposed that an upright triangular collapsed pile masonry and an inverted triangular with larger fragments piled up alternately appear in the lower gob. The research results show that the roof structure formed in the gob area can support the key overlying strata, which is beneficial to ensure the integrity and stability of the upper coal seams in multiple-seam mining of close coal seams.     

煤层顶板稳定性的加权灰关联评价模型

针对现有灰色关联度计算模型存在的缺陷 ,提出了主观赋权法和客观赋权法相结合的灰色加权关联度综合评价方法。经实例分析 ,该方法可较好地反映出煤层顶板地质条件的灰色性特征 ,使评价结果客观合理     

Ground pressure and overlying strata structure for a repeated mining face of residual coal after room and pillar mining

To investigate the abnormal ground pressures and roof control problem in fully mechanized repeated mining of residual coal after room and pillar mining,the roof fracture structural model and mechanical model were developed using numerical simulation and theoretical analysis.The roof fracture characteristics of a repeated mining face were revealed and the ground pressure law and roof supporting conditions of the repeated mining face were obtained.The results indicate that when the repeated mining face passes the residual pillars,the sudden instability causes fracturing in the main roof above the old goaf and forms an extra-large rock block above the mining face.A relatively stable ‘‘Voussoir beam" structure is formed after the advance fracturing of the main roof.When the repeated mining face passes the old goaf,as the large rock block revolves and touches gangue,the rock block will break secondarily under overburden rock loads.An example calculation was performed involving an integrated mine in Shanxi province,results showed that minimum working resistance values of support determined to be reasonable were respectively 11,412 kN and 10,743 kN when repeated mining face passed through residual pillar and goaf.On-site ground pressure monitoring results indicated that the mechanical model and support resistance calculation were reasonable.     

Failure mechanism of Mesozoic soft rock roadway in Shajihai coal mine and its surrounding rock control

In view of the buckling failure caused by large deformation of Mesozoic soft rock roadway in Shajihai mining area, such as serious roof fall, rib spalling, floor heave, etc., based on the detail site i...     

Instability characteristics of the cracked roof rock beam under shallow mining conditions

To establish the movement relationship for the roof breaking under shallow mining conditions, the mechanical model of the roof rock beam was built, then the structure instability process of the roof rock beam was analyzed. The changing criterion of the vertical displacement was established and the relationship between the deflection and the rotary motion of roof block was determined. Regarding a mining face in Shangwan Mine, the responsing laws of the deflection and horizontal thrust of the roof rock beam were obtained through FLAC3D numerical analysis. The results show that the structure instability of the cracked roof rock beam depends on the interaction between the vertical load and the horizontal thrust.For the roof rock beam, when the vertical load keeps constant, the horizontal thrust fluctuating rises with increasing deflection. The horizontal thrust increases constantly with the deeper buried depth and the smaller span.     

Top coal flows in an excavation disturbed zone of high section top coal caving of an extremely steep and thick seam

Compared with gentle dip long-wall caving, the length of a working face in fully-mechanized top-coal caving for extremely steep and thick seams is short, while its horizontal section is high with increasing production. But the caving ratio is low, which might result in some disasters, such as roof falls, induced by local and large area collapse of the top coal in a working face and dangers induced by gas accumulation. After the development of cracks and weakening of the coal body, the tall, broken section of the top coal (a granular medium) of an extremely steep seam (over 60°) shows clear characteristics of nonlinear movement, We have thoroughly analyzed the geological environment and mining conditions of an excavation disturbed zone. Based on the results from a physical experiment of large-scale 3D modeling and coupling simulation of top coal-water-gas, we conclude that the weakened top coal can be regarded as a non-continuous medium. We used a particle flow code program to compare and analyze migration processes and the movements of a 30 m high section top coal over time before and after weakening of an extremely steep seam in the Weihuliang coal mine. The results of our simulation,experiment and monitoring show that pre-injection of water and pre-splitting blasting improve caving ability and symmetrical caving, relieve space for large area dynamic collapse of top coal, prolong migration time of noxious gases and release them from the mined out area and so achieve safety in mining.