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Effect of Moisture on Time-Varying Diffusion Properties of Methane in Low-Rank Coal

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Abstract

High moisture content affecting coal bed methane (CBM) occurrence and transport is a typical feature of low-rank coal (LRC). The mechanism of the influence of moisture on methane diffusion properties of LRC is critical to improve CBM production and prevent coal and gas outburst. In this paper, a new method was designed to prepare coal samples with different moisture contents (0–16.80%). The desorption experiment at different moisture contents was conducted to study the time-varying diffusion properties of selected LRC and medium-rank coal samples. Results show that with the moisture content increase, the desorption volume and the initial desorption rate of LRC decrease obviously. Based on the negative linear relationship between the initial diffusion coefficient (D0) and moisture content (M), a mathematical model between them is established, which can be described as D0 = λM + Ddry, where λ and Ddry are the material constant and D0 of the dry coal sample, respectively. Moreover, with the increase in moisture content, the time-varying diffusion coefficient (Dt) and its decay rate decrease obviously. It indicates that moisture can significantly reduce the diffusion capacity of LRC, and the competitive adsorption between moisture and methane molecules is an important factor affecting the diffusion properties of LRC. It is worth noting that there is a critical value of moisture content, beyond which increasing moisture content has no significant effect on reducing desorption and diffusion capacity. Results can provide a theoretical basis for taking hydraulic technology to prevent outburst in LRC mining.

Article Highlights

  1. (1)

    Moisture can significantly reduce methane desorption capacity of low-rank coal.

  2. (2)

    Effect of moisture on the time-varying diffusion properties of methane in low-rank coal was studied.

  3. (3)

    Mathematical model of methane initial diffusion coefficient and moisture was established.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51874298, No. 52174217), the Qing Lan Project of Jiangsu province and the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD).

Funding

The study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51874298, No. 52174217), the Qing Lan and the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Gas and Fire Control for Coal Mines, Ministry of Education, (China University of Mining and Technology), Xuzhou, 221116, China

    Jingyu Jiang, Huizhen Peng, Yuanping Cheng, Liang Wang, Chenghao Wang & Sen Ju

  2. National Engineering Research Center for Coal and Gas Control, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, Jiangsu, China

    Jingyu Jiang, Huizhen Peng, Yuanping Cheng, Liang Wang, Chenghao Wang & Sen Ju

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

    Jingyu Jiang, Huizhen Peng, Yuanping Cheng, Liang Wang, Chenghao Wang & Sen Ju

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  1. Jingyu Jiang
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Jiang, J., Peng, H., Cheng, Y. et al. Effect of Moisture on Time-Varying Diffusion Properties of Methane in Low-Rank Coal. Transp Porous Med 146, 617–638 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-022-01876-3

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