Development and validation of THM coupling model of methane-containing coal

Based on nine necessary basic assumptions for THM coupling model, this research comprehensively applied the theories of elastic mechanics, seepage mechanics and heat transfer, and established a real three-field and two-way coupled mathematical model to reveal the connections among seepage field, deformation field and temperature field within the system of methane-containing coal. In comparison between numerical and analytical solutions, the coupling modeling for THM of methane-containing coal was proved to be correct by model application in the physical simulation experiment of coal and gas outburst. The model established in this paper was the improvement of traditional seepage theory of methane-containing coal and fluid–solid coupled model theory, which can be widely used in prevention of coal and gas outburst as well as exploitation of coal bed methane.