Arch structure effect of the coal gangue flow of the fully mechanized caving in special thick coal seam and its impact on the loss of top coal

Based on the characteristics of the top coal thickness of the fully mechanized caving in special thick coal seam,the long distance of coal gangue caving,as well as the different sizes of the coal gangue broken fragment dimension and spatial variation of drop flow,this paper uses laboratory dispersion simulation experiment and theoretical analysis to study the arch structure effect and its influence rule on the top coal loss in the process of coal gangue flow.Research shows that in the process of coal gangue flow,arch structure can be formed in three types:the lower arch structure,middle arch structure,and upper arch structure.Moreover,the arch structure has the characteristics of dynamic random arch,the formation probability of dynamic random arch with different layers is not the same,dynamic random arch caused the reduction of the top coal fluency;analyzing the dynamic random arch formation mechanism,influencing factors,and the conditions of instability;the formation probability of the lower arch structure is the highest,the whole coal arch and the coal gangue arch structure has the greatest impact on top coal loss.Therefore,to prevent or reduce the formation of lower whole coal arch structure,the lower coal gangue arch structure and the middle whole coal arch structure is the key to reduce the top coal loss.The research conclusion provides theoretical basis for the further improvement of the top coal recovery rate of the fully mechanized caving in extra thick coal seam.     

Damage statistical mechanics model of top coal in steep top caving coal

Damage statistical mechanics model of horizontal section height in the top caving was constructed in the paper. The influence factors including supporting pressure, dip angle and characteristic of coal on horizontal section height were analyzed as well. By terms of the practice project analysis, the horizontal section height increases with the increase of dip angle β and thickness of coal seam M. Dip angle of coal seam β has tremendous impact on horizontal section height, while thickness of coal seam M has slight impact. When thickness of coal seam is below 10m, horizontal section height increases sharply. While thickness exceeds 15m, it is not major factor influencing on horizontal section height any long.     

Vertical transportation system of solid material for backfilling coal mining technology

For transportation of solid backfill material such as waste and fly ash from the surface to the bottom of the shaft in a fully mechanized backfilling coal backfilling coal mining technology,we develope...     

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 scheme and application of pressure-relief gas extraction in multi-coal seam mining region

A pressure relief gas extraction technical model of a typical mining area is proposed based on coal and gas simultaneous extraction theory. Flac3 Dwas employed to model vertical stress and displacement contour plot characteristics of non-outburst coal seam(No. 4) on top of outburst coal seam(No. 2) along strike and incline directions. Field investigations were also conducted to verify the scientific nature of the simulation. The results demonstrate that gas pressure in No. 2 coal seam dropped to approximately 0.55 MPa in the pressure relief multi-coal seam. The highest expansion rate of the coal mine reached up to 2.58%.The pressure-relief angle was 76° along the incline direction and 60° along the strike direction. As the expansion rate and pressure-relief angle increased and the gas pressure decreased, a large amount of gas flowed into the gob of No. 4 from No. 2 coal seam and was later discharged through specific gas pipes,which eliminated No. 2 outburst risks. This study resulted in positive outcomes in that gas extraction time was reduced by 13.5 days, due to pressure relief, and drilling work load was reduced by 0.1161 m/t coal. This method ensures that gas is discharged from the outburst coal seam quickly and safely,demonstrating that the proposed technical model of pressure-relief gas extraction is effective in a multi-coal seam region.     

Weakening effects of hydraulic fracture in hard roof under the influence of stress arch

For the problem of hydraulic fracture propagation when weakening the hard roof in fully mechanized top-coal caving stope of ultra-thick coal seam, based on the stress arch theory and the fracture mechanics, a two-dimensional model for hydraulic fracture of the roof in the stope was established to investigate the propagation laws of hydraulic fracture. The result shows that, after mining, the principal stress direction of overlaying rock deflects to form the stress arch, whose arrow height and arch thickness increase with the increase of the mining width and the side pressure coefficient. Within the influence range of stress arch, the hydraulic fracture in hard roof deflects towards the stope direction in the course of propagation and forms the ‘‘arch" fracture, which cuts off the roof below the fracture in a laminated way. The deflection angle of hydraulic fracture increases with the increase of the mining width, but decreases with the increase of the side pressure coefficient and the fractured horizon. This research can provide theoretical basis for the application of hydraulic fracturing method in the stope roof weakening.     

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.     

Liquid droplet movement on horizontal surface with gradient surface energy

A surface with gradient surface energy was fabricated on a silicon wafer by using the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technology with the dodecyltrichlorosilane (C12H25Cl3Si) vapor which was adsorbed chemically on the surface of the silicon wafer to form a self-assemble monolayer (ASM) and thus a gradient profile of wettability. The microscopic contours of the gradient surface were measured with Seiko SPA400 atom force microscope (AFM). And the surface wettability profile was characterized by the sessile drop method, measuring the contact angle of fine water droplets that lay on the gradient surface, to represent the distribution of the surface energy on the surface. Using a high-speed video imaging system, the motion of water droplet on the horizontal gradient surface was visualized and the transient velocity was measured under ambient condition. The experimental results show that the liquid droplets can be driven to move from hydrophobic side to hydrophilic side on the horizontal gradient surface and the velocity of droplet can reach up to 40 mm/s. In addition, the motion of the water droplet can be generally divided into two stages: an acceleration stage and a deceleration stage. The droplet presents a squirming movement on the surface with a lower peak velocity and a larger extent of deceleration motion. And the static advancing contact angle of the droplet is obviously larger than the dynamic advancing contact angle on the gradient energy surface.     

Control over Surrounding Rocks Deformation of Soft Floor and Whole-Coal Gateways with Trapezoidal Supports

In Gengcun Colliery, Yima Coal Group Co. Ltd.the characteristics of the gateways of thick coal seam and the coal seam is with fully mechanized sublevel caving mining are that the thickness of roof coal seam of gateways is larger, their surrounding rocks are the whole-coal mass and the coal seam is prone to Spontaneous Combustion. With the natural equilibrium arch theory, the reasonable adjacent distance of No. 11 mine-type metal supports was calculated in trapezoidal gateways based on these characteristics. Then, in-situ supporting experiments were carried out. There sults indicate that under the action of virgin rock stress, the width of broken rocks zone of surrounding rocks is 1.7-2.0m in return heading and 1.1-1.3 m in going headway. And their surrounding rocks belong to the Ⅳ-type soften rock and the Ⅲ-type common surrounding rock respectively. Therefore, under the movable abutment pressure, the gateways deformation is serious. It is suggested that the designed gateways have to use pre-broadened cross section to suit their deformation. At the same time, the accumulated water on gateway floor must be drained in time. These measures weretaken in the 1302 and 1304 coal faces in Gengcun Colliery, and the satisfactory results have been obtained.     

Bionic surface design of cemented carbide drill bit

The development of a high-performance cemented carbide drill bit is of great significance to the reduction of rock drilling-cost. The non-smooth features of a biological surface provide an insight into how they can obtain low friction and good wear resistance with evolving surface morphology. By analyzing the mechanism of the surface of a dung beetle for reducing soil wear and adherence, we design a cemented carbide drill bit with a bionic surface, which is expected to have superior anti-wearing and anti-sticking properties for drilling the soft coal seam. Inspired from the characteristics of the head and pronotum surface of the dung beetle, optimized non-smooth surface of the drill bit was constructed. The working performance of this innovative drill was experimentally tested. With comparative experiments under the identical drilling conditions, the wear rates, drilling times of conventional drills and bionic drills were measured. Compared with the conventional counterpart, the drill designed exhibits better performance in reducing wear and sticking drilling-breaks, therefore achieving higher levels of efficiency. The diameter of the dome and pit on the bit surface is in the range of 0.8–1.2 mm, and the bionic drill bits could get better performance with preferable drilling speeds and wear rates.     

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.     

综采放顶煤与瓦斯突出的耦合关系研究

对煤与瓦斯突出发生的综合作用机理及治理技术进行总结,从宏观上提出治理煤与瓦斯突出的技术手段;分析总结我国综采放顶煤开采的技术成果,讨论了工作面应力分布规律和顶煤变形规律对突出的影响;认为:具突出危险性的厚煤层采用综采放顶煤开采法对消突是有积极作用的.     

综放沿空留巷充填体稳定性控制

基于综放沿空留巷的矿压模型,计算出充填体稳定所需的强度和能适应的变形量,并以此选出充填材料及其水灰比．为提高充填体的整体支护强度和抗变形能力,重点阐述了空间锚栓加固网技术及其对充填体稳定性的控制效果,为缩放大断面沿空留巷技术的成功试验莫定了坚实基础。     

结构复杂厚煤层综放开采相似模拟研究

以现场实测资料为基础,通过实验室相似模拟试验对含厚夹矸结构复杂厚煤层的综放开采对工作面含厚夹矸顶煤的冒放性、放煤工艺及放出规律、夹矸层极限厚度的确定等问题进行了研究,并指出了含夹矸顶煤活动规律对放顶煤开采的影响.     

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.     

Structure and deformation measurements of shallow overburden during top coal caving longwall mining

Mining induced pressures are strong and overburden failure areas are large in top coal caving longwall mining, which constrains high production and safety mining. By employing the combination of the full view borehole photography technique and the seismic CT scanner technique, the deformation and failure of overlying strata of fully mechanized caving face in shallow coal seam were studied and the failure development of overburden was determined. Results show that the full view borehole photography can reveal the characteristics of strata, and the seismic CT scanner can reflect the characteristics of strata between the boreholes. The combined measurement technique can effectively determine the height of fractured and caved zones. The top end of the caved zone in Yangwangou coal mine employing the top coal caving longwall mining was at the depth of 171 m and fractured zone was at the depth of 106-110 m. The results provide a theoretic foundation for controlling the overburden strata in the shallow buried top coal caving panel.     

Top-coal deformation control of gob-side entry with narrow pillars and its application for fully mechanized mining face

A mechanical model to control the top-coal deformation is established in accordance with the structural characters of the gob-side entry surrounding rock for the fully-mechanic top-coal caving; the analytical solution of top coal roof-sag curve is deduced with Winkler elastic foundation beam model. By means of a calculating and analytic program, the top coal roof-sag values are calculated under the conditions of different supporting intensities, widths of narrow pillars and stiffness of top coal; meanwhile, the relationship between the roof-sag values and supporting intensity, width of narrow pillars and stiffness of top coal is analyzed as well. With the actual situation of the gob-side entry taken into consideration, the parameters of top-coal control are determined and a supporting plan is proposed for the top-coal control,which is proved to be reliable and effective by on-site verification. Some theoretical guidance and advice are put forward for the top-coal deformation control in gob-side entry for fully mechanized top-coal caving face.     

两硬综放面顶煤顶板冒放结构探讨

用深基点观测和理论分析的方法揭示坚硬顶板、坚硬煤层条件下综放开采顶煤顶板活动规律及其冒放结构，结论对生产有现实的指导意义。