Research on Temperature Variation during Coal and Gas Outbursts: Implications for Outburst Prediction in Coal Mines.

Coal and gas outbursts are among the most severe disasters threatening the safety of coal mines around the world. They are dynamic phenomena characterized by large quantities of coal and gas ejected from working faces within a short time. Numerous researchers have conducted studies on outburst prediction, and a variety of indices have been developed to this end. However, these indices are usually empirical or based on local experience, and the accurate prediction of outbursts is not feasible due to the complicated mechanisms of outbursts. This study conducts outburst experiments using large-scale multifunctional equipment developed in the laboratory to develop a more robust outburst prediction method. In this study, the coal temperature during the outburst process was monitored using temperature sensors. The results show that the coal temperature decreased rapidly as the outburst progressed. Meanwhile, the coal temperature in locations far from the outburst mouth increased. The coal broken in the stress concentration state is the main factor causing the abnormal temperature rise. The discovery of these phenomena lays a theoretical foundation and provides an experimental basis for an effective outburst prediction method. An outburst prediction method based on monitoring temperature was proposed, and has a simpler and faster operation process and is not easily disturbed by coal mining activities. What is more, the critical values of coal temperature rises or temperature gradients can be flexibly adjusted according to the actual situations of different coal mines to predict outbursts more effectively and accurately.

Numerical Investigation of Coal and Gas Outbursts under Different In Situ Stresses and Gas Pressures and the Physical Characteristics of Coal.

The coal and gas outbursts are recognized as a worldwide difficulty, and there is still ample research space in this field, especially on the mechanical mechanism of outbursts. The main purpose of this paper is to attempt to reveal the outburst mechanism as fully as possible from the point of view of mechanics. In this paper, a mechanical model on coal and gas outbursts including the governing equations of gas desorption-seepage, the stress state in the coal sample, and the criteria of coal sample failure and outburst evolution is put forward according to the porous media seepage theory and elastic theory. Based on the proposed model, the variation and distribution of the gas state and stress state in the coal sample in the outburst are analyzed quantitatively and a series of detailed discussions are conducted in terms of the in-situ stress, gas pressure, and the physical characteristics of coal in outbursts. The results of theoretical analysis and numerical simulation show that the stress concentration in the front of the outburst cavity is the main reason for the failure of the coal sample in this area, and then, the drag force caused by gas flow provides energy for the movement of the crushed coal sample, which leads to the outburst cavity expansion and the increase of stress concentration factor. The end of the outburst is because the gas velocity is less than the threshold friction velocity of the crushed coal sample. Additionally, the outburst strength increases with the increase of the vertical in-situ stress and initial gas pressure and decreases with the increase of the internal friction angle and cohesion of coal.

The effect of chemical erosion on mechanical properties and fracture of sandstone under shear loading: an experimental study.

In order to study the effect of water-rock interactions on shear strength characteristics, we performed shearing tests under varying hydrochemical environments. Moreover, a custom meso-shear test equipment for coal rock was used for the tests. Through 3D scanning of the shear fractures and scanning electron microscope imaging, we studied the effect of different pH chemical solutions on the shear strength and fracture characteristics of sandstones. We obtained three main results. With increasing solution acidity or alkalinity, water-hemical solution corrosivity increases. Moreover, the shear strength of sandstones reduces almost linearly and the fracture surfaces become smoother. The erosive effect is evidenced by the decrease in fracture surface fluctuations, roughness and the high-order microbulges, and scaling of the grain structure. A collection of characteristic parameters, including the maximum height Sh, the root mean square deviation Sq, the area ratio SA, and the slope root mean square S∆q, can be used to quantitatively describe the rough and irregular texture of the fracture surface.

Effects of gas sorption-induced swelling/shrinkage on the cleat compressibility of coal under different bedding directions.

The cleat compressibility of coal is a key parameter that is extensively used in modeling the coal reservoir permeability for Coal Bed Methane (CBM) recovery. Cleat compressibility is often determined from the permeability measurement made at different confining pressures but with a constant pore pressure. Hence, this parameter ignores the sorption strain effects on the cleat compressibility. By using the transient pulse decay (TPD) technique, this study presents the results from a laboratory characterization program using coal core drilled from different bedding directions to estimate gas permeability and coal cleat compressibility under different pore pressures while maintaining effective stress constant. Cleat compressibility was determined from permeability and sorption strain measurements that are made at different pore pressures under an effective stress constant. Results show that the cleat compressibility of coal increases slightly with the increase of pore pressure. Moreover, the cleat compressibility of Sample P (representing the face cleats in coal) is larger than that of Sample C (representing the butt cleats in coal). This result suggests that cleat compressibility should not be regarded as constant in the modeling of the CBM recovery. Furthermore, the compressibility of face cleats is considerably sensitive to the sorption-induced swelling/shrinkage and offers significant effects on the coal permeability.

An Experimental Investigation of the Risk of Triggering Geological Disasters by Injection under Shear Stress.

Fluid injection has been applied in many fields, such as hazardous waste deep well injection, forced circulation in geothermal fields, hydraulic fracturing, and CO2 geological storage. However, current research mainly focuses on geological data statistics and the dominating effects of pore pressure. There are only a few laboratory-conditioned studies on the role of drilling boreholes and the effect of injection pressure on the borehole wall. Through experimental phenomenology, this study examines the risk of triggering geological disasters by fluid injection under shear stress. We developed a new direct shear test apparatus, coupled Hydro-Mechanical (HM), to investigate mechanical property variations when an intact rock experienced step drilling borehole, fluid injection, and fluid pressure acting on the borehole and fracture wall. We tested the peak shear stress of sandstone under different experimental conditions, which showed that drilling borehole, water injection, and increased pore pressure led to the decrease in peak shear stress. Furthermore, as pore pressure increased, peak shear stress dispersion increased due to crack propagation irregularity. Because the peak shear stress changed during the fluid injection steps, we suggest that the risk of triggering geological disaster with injection under shear stress, pore, borehole, and fluid pressure should be considered.