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Cracking Patterns and Damage Evolution Characteristics of Coal with Bedding Structures Under Liquid Nitrogen Cooling

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Abstract

Liquid nitrogen (LN2) fracturing has various advantages, such as low reservoir damage, minimal environmental impact, and excellent permeability. In this study, the cracking pattern and damage evolution characteristics of bedded coal subjected to LN2 fracturing were investigated. The deterioration features of the mechanical parameters and failure mechanisms were examined in a comparable manner using Brazilian splitting tests. Additionally, the damage characteristics of bedded coal during LN2 fracturing were explored. The results indicated that LN2 cooling promoted the development of thermal cracks, consequently reducing the effective bearing capacity of the coal. Randomly distributed thermal cracks actively contributed to macroscopic crack propagation, increasing the proportion of shear cracks and the complexity of the fracture surface. Different bedding angles led to distinct failure modes, significantly impacting the proportion of shear cracks and the fracture surface complexity. Moreover, the bedding planes constantly influenced the propagation direction of the fracturing cracks, resulting in a macroscopic damage zone that expanded preferentially at the weak bedding planes with the borehole at the center. With increasing bedding angles, both the degree and rate of damage of coal decreased sequentially. Consequently, it was feasible to employ LN2 fracturing in low-permeability reservoirs along the bedding planes, facilitating swift and efficient reservoir fracturing.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Fundamental Research Program of Shanxi Province (202303021222121, 202203021222056 and 202303021222124), the Scientific and Technological Innovation Programs of Higher Education Institutions in Shanxi (2023L166); the Foundation of the Basic Science (Natural Science) Research Project of Colleges and Universities in Jiangsu Province (23KJA620004); the Special scientific research project of innovation and entrepreneurship of China Coal Research Institute (2021-KXYJ-007).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Aerospace Engineering, North University of China, Taiyuan, 030051, Shanxi, China

    Menglin Du

  2. State Key Laboratory for Geomechanics and Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, Jiangsu, China

    Feng Gao & Xianghe Gao

  3. School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, Jiangsu, China

    Wenqi Zheng

  4. School of Civil Engineering, Xuzhou University of Technology, Xuzhou, 221018, Jiangsu, China

    Shanjie Su & Shengcheng Wang

  5. School of Energy and Power Engineering, North University of China, Taiyuan, 030051, Shanxi, China

    Peng Li

  6. Beijing Research Institute of Land Renovation and Ecological Restoration Technology Co., Ltd., China Coal Technology and Engineering Group, Beijing, 100013, China

    Sheng Sang

  7. Chinese Institute of Coal Science, Beijing, 100013, China

    Sheng Sang

  8. School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, China

    Peng Hou

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  1. Menglin Du
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Du, M., Gao, F., Zheng, W. et al. Cracking Patterns and Damage Evolution Characteristics of Coal with Bedding Structures Under Liquid Nitrogen Cooling. Nat Resour Res (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-024-10343-3

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