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3-D simulation of gases transport under condition of inert gas injection into goaf

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Abstract

To prevent coal spontaneous combustion in mines, it is paramount to understand O2 gas distribution under condition of inert gas injection into goaf. In this study, the goaf was modeled as a 3-D porous medium based on stress distribution. The variation of O2 distribution influenced by CO2 or N2 injection was simulated based on the multi-component gases transport and the Navier–Stokes equations using Fluent. The numerical results without inert gas injection were compared with field measurements to validate the simulation model. Simulations with inert gas injection show that CO2 gas mainly accumulates at the goaf floor level; however, a notable portion of N2 gas moves upward. The evolution of the spontaneous combustion risky zone with continuous inert gas injection can be classified into three phases: slow inerting phase, rapid accelerating inerting phase, and stable inerting phase. The asphyxia zone with CO2 injection is about 1.25–2.4 times larger than that with N2 injection. The efficacy of preventing and putting out mine fires is strongly related with the inert gas injecting position. Ideal injections are located in the oxidation zone or the transitional zone between oxidation zone and heat dissipation zone.

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Abbreviations

A :

Pro-factor

a 0 :

Attenuation rate in the tendency direction

a 1 :

Attenuation rate in the srike direction

b 0, b 1 :

Adjusting parameters

C :

Mass concentration

D :

Diffusivity (m2s−1)

E :

Activation energy (kJ/mol)

\( \overrightarrow {g} \) :

Vector of gravity (ms−2)

H :

Height (m)

\( K \) :

Coefficient of rock dilatation

\( K_{p,\hbox{max} } \) :

Initial caving coefficient

\( K_{p,\hbox{min} } \) :

Coefficient of bulk increase

k :

Permeability (m2)

\( k_{0} \) :

Base permeability (m2)

L :

Length (m)

\( \dot{m} \) :

Mass generation rate (kg/m3s)

\( P \) :

Pressure (N/m2)

R :

Ideal gas constant

\( S \) :

Source term

T :

Temperature (K)

\( t \) :

Time (s)

\( \varvec{u} \) :

Velocity vector

\( u,\,v,\,w \) :

Velocity components (m/s)

W :

Width (m)

x, y, z :

Spatial coordinates

\( \alpha \) :

Reaction constant

\( \varepsilon \) :

Adjusting parameter

ξ:

Porosity

μ:

Dynamic viscosity [kg/(m s)]

ρ:

Density of the gas mixture (kg/m3)

i :

Gas component

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51104154 and 51134020), Central Subordinate University Basic Scientific Research Foundation (2011QNA05) and CUMT Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fund for Undergraduates (201403 and 201503).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Safety Engineering, China University of Mine Technology, Xuzhou, 221008, Jiangsu, China

    Mao-Xi Liu, Guo-Qing Shi, Yan-Ming Wang & Li-Yang Ma

  2. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA

    Guo-Qing Shi & Zhixiong Guo

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  1. Mao-Xi Liu
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  2. Guo-Qing Shi
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  4. Yan-Ming Wang
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Correspondence to Guo-Qing Shi or Zhixiong Guo.

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Liu, MX., Shi, GQ., Guo, Z. et al. 3-D simulation of gases transport under condition of inert gas injection into goaf. Heat Mass Transfer 52, 2723–2734 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-016-1775-8

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