Numerical simulations for coupled rock deformation and gas leak flow in parallel coal seams

Based on the new viewpoint of interaction mechanics for solid and gas, gas leakage in parallel deformable coal seams can be understood. That is, under the action of varied geophysical fields, the methane gas flow in a double deformable coal seam can be essentially considered to be compressible with time-dependent and mixed permeation and diffusion through a pore-cleat deformable, heterogeneous and anisotropic medium. From this new viewpoint, coupled mathematical models for coal seam deformation and gas leak flow in parallel coal seams were formulated and the numerical simulations for slow gas emission from the parallel coal seams are presented. It is found that coupled models might be close to reality. Meanwhile, a coupled model for solid deformation and gas leak flow can be applied to the problems of gas leak flow including mining engineering, gas drainage engineering and mining safety engineering in particular the prediction of the safe range using protective layer mining where coal and gas outbursts can efficiently be prevented. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Design of backfilled thin-seam coal pillars using earth pressure theory

In underground coal mining any increase in coal recovery rate is dependent on a decrease in pillar size. Backfilling is one way of reducing the required size of pillars and hence the volume of coal left underground. Therefore any comparisons made between a self-supported mine layout and backfill supported mine layout are based directly on pillar design. The most effective way to examine the effect of backfill on pillar support, and subsequently the rate of recovery, would be to incorporate the mechanisms of backfill support directly into the current design procedure for coal pillars. This paper presents a review of the mechanics of backfill support, a method of estimating the magnitude of that support based on earth pressure theory, and an example that incorporates backfill support into current coal pillar design.     

Direct Current Plasma Emission Spectrometric Determination of Major, Minor and Trace Elements in Microwave Oven Acid Leachates of Powdered Whole Coal Samples

Major concentrations of Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃, MgO, CaO, Na₂O and K₂O, minor levels of TiO₂, P₂O₅ and thirty petrologically, geochemically and environmentally significant trace elements have been determined in microwave oven acid leachates of whole powdered coal samples by direct current plasma‐atomic emission spectrometry (DCP‐AES). A single sample preparation procedure was suitable for all the determinations with no additional dilution step for major elements solution. Dried samples (0.5 g) were treated in low‐pressure PFA digestion vessels with HF/HCl/HNO₃/HClO₄ acids to quantitatively extract the analytes from the bulk material, while leaving the major part of organic matrix as a residue. The major constituents of geological samples, in particular the easily ionised elements (EIEs) such as alkali and alkaline earths, may complicate the instrumental determinations in DCP‐AES because of differential enhancements of elemental emission intensities and stray light interferences. Taking account of these factors, the coal matrix is considered to have very low major oxide totals as compared to many other common geo‐environmental and related materials (rocks, sediments, soil, ashes etc.). The sample size employed here, while yielding a relatively concentrated solution to cover a wide range of elemental determinations, provided a sample matrix that significantly diminished interferences for DCP measurements. The need for closely matching the unknowns and calibrators was eliminated except for overall acidity and an excess quantity of caesium for EIE buffering. Calibration of the spectrometer was accomplished by simple aqueous single element solutions as high concentration calibrators in addition to a reagent blank as a low concentration calibrator. Two point working curves were established to allow for the maximum concentrations of each element expected in the unknowns. The precision of determinations under routine conditions as well as the reproducibility of the leaching and precision of instrumental measurements have been evaluated. Relative standard deviations (RSD) were of 1–2% for those elements whose concentrations in solid samples were well above the limits of quantification. Method detection limits in the buffered solutions were also evaluated. To evaluate the accuracy of the microwave oven‐DCP method a suite of eight certified coal reference materials of differing rank, were analysed with good agreement with the certified and/or available published data. Results are presented for the uncertified major oxides in the AR series reference materials.     

Analysis of rock structure stability in coal mines

In this paper, the theory of limit point instability is used to analyse the stability of rock structures in coal mines. A general method of analysing stability of rock structures is put forward and a uniform instability condition of rock structures is set up. Some instability phenomena, such as rock bursts in circular roadways, pillars and long walls, and the outburst of coal and gas from circular roadways, are discussed analytically. At a later stage, the critical point of rock structure instability is determined. The influence of relative parameters (such as the mechanical properties of rock, coal, and the geometric sizes) on the stability of the rock structures is carefully analysed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Localization of mining-induced horizontal fractures along rock layer interfaces in overburden: field measurements and prediction

The locations of mining-induced horizontal fractures along rock interfaces in the overburden of Donetsk Coal Basin were identified using an original experimental device. The device traps methane from horizontal fracture zone (100–fold coal seam thickness) over an active longwall mining excavation. Presence or absence of horizontal fractures along rock layer interfaces is correlated with physical characteristics of the overburden, such as thickness, uniaxial compressive strength of overburden rock layers, location of rock layer interfaces and thickness of extracted coal seams. As a result, a combined criterion based on these physical characteristics is proposed to predict the presence of overburden horizontal fracturing in coal mine operations.     

塔里木盆地东南缘下—中侏罗统煤层煤岩、煤质特征分析

塔里木盆地东南缘下—中侏罗统煤层沿阿尔金山前断续分布,其煤岩、煤质与典型的西北侏罗纪煤层具有明显不同。通过对和田布雅、于田普鲁、且末红柳沟等煤矿主采煤层样品进行煤岩、煤质鉴定及煤化指标等一系列综合研究分析,结果表明,主采煤层以光亮煤、半亮煤为主,其次是半暗煤、暗淡煤;煤岩组分以镜质组为主,壳质组含量少,具中-高镜惰比。因成煤沼泽的还原程度促进了无机硫分的形成,煤中全硫含量随镜质组含量的增加呈现逐渐增高的趋势,且煤层硫分与灰分整体具有明显的负相关关系。此外,煤层挥发分受不同种类硫分的影响,亦有明显差异性变化。在民丰凹陷中-高硫煤中,硫分以无机硫为主,随着硫分的升高挥发分亦有升高趋势;瓦石峡凹陷中-低硫煤受有机硫控制,对挥发分产率的影响不明显。民丰凹陷煤层的灰分指数高于瓦石峡凹陷,可见后者的成煤沼泽环境潜水面要比前者高得多。针对上述诸多因素分析,进一步揭示塔东南地区煤岩、煤质多样性变化受断陷湖盆以及局部水体较深的还原型沼泽环境控制,最终形成了中-高挥发分、中-低灰分、中-低硫分的煤质及富镜贫惰的煤岩特征。     

Increasing of efficiency of desulphurisation processes of coals during thermal destruction

As is well known, a high content of sulphur in coals is an effect of the post-depositional history of coal seams and one of the most important criteria of its use as a fuel. Sulphur in coals can cause a serious environmental and technological problem during their utilization. This problem is very actual for the Donetsk Basin because 734 mined seams out of the total of 1009 （73%） are comprised of coals with sulphur content -2%. The chemical pre-treatment as a first stage in their processing is widely used in order to effectively obtain the thermal destruction products of coals （such as semi-coke, coke, adsorbents, etc.） and to simultaneously utilize coal wastes. Development in pre-treatment methods for high-sulphur, low-rank coals is especially desirable for reducing the sulphur contents of the solid products. The aim of the present work is to investigate the influence of coal pre-treatment on the yield and composition of thermal destruction products, and the sulphur distribution among different components of the coals of different genetic types by reductivity （low-reduced LRC and reduced RC coals）. The thermal behavior of the coals was studied by means of the Fisher method （heated to 520℃, at a rate of 7℃/min）. The composition of the semi-coking gas was investigated by means of a VTI gas analyzer. The coal samples were chemically treated directly before thermal destruction by the introduction of 1-% solutions of radical polymerization initiator AAD （acrylic acid dinitrile C8H12N4） and products of coal-tar distillation （absorber oil）. Coal pre-treatment increases the semi-coke yield and its coking ability, and changes the liquid/gaseous product ratio.     

煤的显微煤岩学特征与焦炭强度的关系

摘 要　 为探讨煤的煤岩学特征与焦炭强度之间的关系‚对北京焦化厂所用华北地区26个矿 点的原料煤的煤岩学特征进行了研究‚并对10kg 小焦炉焦炭的强度进行了测定。通过对 M 40 ≥80％矿点煤的统计分析‚表明活性成分含量的最佳范围是63∙40％～69∙40％‚镜质组 平均反射率基本处于1∙12％～1∙36％之间。镜质组反射率分布图谱不仅可以直观地反映活性 成分的大致分布状况‚而且也可以反映原料煤的混合程度。     

地质勘探过程中煤层气联测氢气方法

瓦斯的危害和煤层气的利用,不断在推进着瓦斯地质理论、煤层气开发利用技术的进步和发展。在以往的诸多研究中,不论是防治瓦斯的危害还是着眼于煤层气的利用,甲烷都是研究的重点。但是,除甲烷之外,还有没有其它影响或控制瓦斯危害和煤层气利用的组分或因素呢？煤层气（瓦斯）联测氢气的方法和应用研究,就是循着这一思路而做的探索性工作。     

煤层陷落柱高分辨率地震探测技术

在华北、华东及西北地区近20多个煤田的石炭二叠系中，普遍存在着因煤系地层基底厚层灰岩古岩溶塌陷形成的煤层陷落柱，尤以山西省西山及汾河沿岸的煤田、河北省太行山中段的煤田更为普遍。煤层陷落柱发育形态分为圆锥形、筒形、斜塔形、不规则形等特点，应用高分辩地震勘探技术，根据陷落柱发育区反射波同相轴中断、扭曲、能量变弱、连续性变差、分叉合并或圈闭、产状突变等特征，可有效地探测其空间位置及形态。