Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Numerical Evaluation on Stress and Permeability Evolution of Overlying Coal Seams for Gas Drainage and Gas Disaster Elimination in Protective Layer Mining

  • Published:
Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Coalbed methane development is an important way to effectively utilize clean energy and reduce carbon dioxide and other gas emissions. However, due to the low permeability of coal seams, the development of coalbed methane in China has encountered great difficulties. Protective layer mining can efficiently minimize in situ stress and increase coal seam permeability, thus improving the gas drainage and eliminating the gas disaster. This study analyzed the characteristics of gas migration and the change in permeability during in situ stress releasing process through experiments and numerical simulation to study the gas drainage effect of a coal mine in an unloaded coal seam under specific geological conditions. First, a stress–strain-seepage coupled test of coal is carried out, and the evolution features of coal permeability during stress loading and unloading processes are investigated. Second, experimental results are used to develop a mathematical model of coal seepage under mining unloading conditions. Finally, a numerical model is developed based on the real geological conditions of the Wulan coal mine to explore the characteristics of in situ stress release and permeability evolution, as well as the gas drainage process in an unloaded coal seam. Combining protective layer mining and gas drainage technology, the risk of gas outburst is significantly eliminated.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hou P, Liang X, Gao F, Dong JB, He J, Xue Y (2021) Quantitative visualization and characteristics of gas flow in 3D pore-fracture system of tight rock based on Lattice Boltzmann simulation. J Nat Gas Sci Eng 89:103867

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Xue Y, Liu J, Ranjith PG, Zhang Z, Gao F, Wang S (2022) Experimental investigation on the nonlinear characteristics of energy evolution and failure characteristics of coal under different gas pressures. B Eng Geol Environ 81(1):38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Fan CJ, Yang L, Wang G, Huang QM, Fu X, Wem HO (2021) Investigation on coal skeleton deformation in CO2 injection enhanced CH4 drainage from underground coal seam. Front Earth Sci 9:766011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Fan CJ, Li S, Luo MK, Du WZ, Yang ZH (2017) Coal and gas outburst dynamic system. Int J Min Sci Technol 27:49–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Guo DY, Lv PF, Zhao JC, Zhang C (2020) Research progress on permeability improvement mechanisms and technologies of coalbed deep-hole cumulative blasting. Int J Coal Sci Technol 7:329–336

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Xue Y, Liu J, Liang X, Wang S, Ma Z (2022) Ecological risk assessment of soil and water loss by thermal enhanced methane recovery: numerical study using two-phase flow simulation. J Clean Prod 334:130183

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Li Y, She L, Wen L, Zhang Q (2020) Sensitivity analysis of drilling parameters in rock rotary drilling process based on orthogonal test method. Eng Geol 270:105576

  8. Li Y, Dong L, Wu N, Nouri A, Liao H, Chen Q, Sun J, Liu C (2021) Influences of hydrate layered distribution patterns on triaxial shearing characteristics of hydrate-bearing sediments. Eng Geol 294:106375

  9. Hou P, Su SJ, Liang X, Gao F, Cai CZ, Yang YG, Zhang ZZ (2021) Effect of liquid nitrogen freeze-thaw cycle on fracture toughness and energy release rate of saturated sandstone. Eng Fract Mech 258:108066

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Ding B (2017) Features and prevention countermeasures of major disasters occurred in China coal mine. Coal Sci Technol 45:109–114

    Google Scholar 

  11. Park HJ, Um JG, Woo I, Kim JW (2012) The evaluation of the probability of rock wedge failure using the point estimate method. Environ Earth Sci 65:353–361

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Zhang R, Cheng YP, Zhou HX, Yuan L, Li W, Liu QQ, Jin K, Tu QY (2018) New insights into the permeability-increasing area of overlying coal seams disturbed by the mining of coal. J Nat Gas Sci Eng 49:352–364

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Xie HP, Xie J, Gao MZ, Zhang R, Zhou HW, Gao F, Zhang ZT (2015) Theoretical and experimental validation of mining-enhanced permeability for simultaneous exploitation of coal and gas. Environ Earth Sci 73:5951–5962

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Zou QL, Lin BQ, Zheng CS, Hao ZY, Zhai C, Liu T, Liang JY, Yan FZ, Yang W, Zhu CJ (2015) Novel integrated techniques of drilling-slotting-separation-sealing for enhanced coal bed methane recovery in underground coal mines. J Nat Gas Sci Eng 26:960–973

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Guo C, Lin BQ, Yao H, Yang K, Zhu CJ (2020) Characteristics of breaking coal-rock by submerged jet and its application on enhanced coal bed methane recovery. Energ Source Part A 42:2249–2260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Lobanova TV (2008) Geomechanical state of the rock mass at the Tashtagol Mine in the course of nucleation and manifestation of rock bursts. J Min Sci 44:146–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Yuan Y, Chen ZS, Xu CS, Zhang XW, Wei HM (2018) Permeability enhancement performance and its control factors by auger mining of extremely thin coal seams. J Geophys Eng 15:2626–2641

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Tu QY, Cheng YP (2019) Stress evolution and coal seam deformation through the mining of a remote upper protective layer. Energ Source Part A 41:338–348

    Google Scholar 

  19. Nasedkina AA, Nasedkin AV, Iovane G (2018) A model for hydrodynamic influence on a multi-layer deformable coal seam. Comput Mech 41:379–389

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Belle B, Biffi M (2018) Cooling pathways for deep Australian longwall coal mines of the future. Int J Min Sci Techno 28:865–875

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Kumar A, Waclawik P, Singh R, Ram S, Korbel J (2019) Performance of a coal pillar at deeper cover: field and simulation studies. Int J Rock Mech Min 113:322–332

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Palchik V (2010) Experimental investigation of apertures of mining-induced horizontal fractures. Int J Rock Mech Min 47:502–508

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Li DQ (2014) Underground hydraulic mining of thin sub-layer as protective coal seam in coal mines. Int J Rock Mech Min 67:145–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Gao MZ, Zhang ZL, Yin XG, Xu C, Liu Q, Chen HL (2018) The location optimum and permeability-enhancing effect of a low-level shield rock roadway. Rock Mech Rock Eng 51:2935–2948

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Zhang MW, Shimada H, Sasaoka T, Matsui K, Dou LM (2014) Evolution and effect of the stress concentration and rock failure in the deep multi-seam coal mining. Environ Earth Sci 72:629–643

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Yuan Y, Chen ZS, Zhang XW, Wang ZH (2019) Intermediate coal pillar instability and permeability evolution in extremely thin protective seam by auger mining. Arab J Geosci 12:322

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Liu Z, Yang H, Cheng WM, Xin L, Ni GH (2017) Stress distribution characteristic analysis and control of coal and gas outburst disaster in a pressure-relief boundary area in protective layer mining. Arab J Geosci 10:358

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Guo H, Yuan L, Shen BT, Qu QD, Xue JH (2012) Mining-induced strata stress changes, fractures and gas flow dynamics in multi-seam longwall mining. Int J Rock Mech Min 54:129–139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Fan CJ, Wen HO, Li S, Bai G, Zhou LJ (2022) Coal seam gas extraction by integrated drillings and punchings from the floor roadway considering hydraulic-mechanical coupling effect. Geofluids 2022:5198227

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Xia TQ, Zhou FB, Wang XX, Kang JH, Pan ZJ (2017) Safety evaluation of combustion-prone longwall mining gobs induced by gas extraction: a simulation study. Process Saf Environ 109:677–687

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Liu J, Xue Y, Zhang Q, Wang H, Wang S (2022) Coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical modelling for geothermal doublet system with 3D fractal fracture. Appl Therm Eng 200:117716

  32. Xue Y, Liu J, Ranjith PG, Liang X, Wang S (2021) Investigation of the influence of gas fracturing on fracturing characteristics of coal mass and gas extraction efficiency based on a multi-physical field model. J Petrol Sci Eng 206:109018

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Xue Y, Teng T, Dang F, Ma Z, Wang H, Xue H (2020) Productivity analysis of fractured wells in reservoir of hydrogen and carbon based on dual-porosity medium model. Int J Hydrogen Energ 45:20240–20249

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Zhang HB, Liu JS, Elsworth D (2008) How sorption-induced matrix deformation affects gas flow in coal seams: a new FE model. Int J Rock Mech Min 45:1226–1236

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Wang J, Kabir A, Liu J, Chen Z (2012) Effect of non-Darcy flow on the performance of coal seam gas wells. Int J Coal Geol 93(1):62–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Javadpour F, Fisher D, Unsworth M (2007) Nanoscale gas flow in shale gas sediments. J Can Petrol Technol 46:55–61

    Google Scholar 

  37. Gong S, Zhou L, Wang Z, Wang W (2021) Effect of bedding structure on the energy dissipation characteristics of dynamic tensile fracture for water-saturated coal. Geofluids 2021:5592672

  38. Hou P, Liang X, Zhang Y, He J, Gao F, Liu J (2021) 3D Multi-scale reconstruction of fractured shale and influence of fracture morphology on shale gas flow. Nat Resour Res 30:2463–2481

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Chen D, Pan ZJ, Shi JQ, Si GY, Ye ZH, Zhang JL (2016) A novel approach for modelling coal permeability during transition from elastic to post-failure state using a modified logistic growth function. Int J Coal Geol 163:132–139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Yin GZ, Li MH, Wang JG, Xu J, Li WP (2015) Mechanical behavior and permeability evolution of gas infiltrated coals during protective layer mining. Int J Rock Mech Min 80:292–301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Hou P, Xue Y, Gao F, Dou F, Su S, Cai C, Zhu C (2022) Effect of liquid nitrogen cooling on mechanical characteristics and fracture morphology of layer coal under Brazilian splitting test. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 151:105026

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Liang X, Hou P, Yang XJ, Xue Y, Teng T, Gao F, Liu J (2022) A fractal perspective on fracture initiation and propagation of reservoir rocks under water and nitrogen fracturing. Fractals 29:2250011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Xue Y, Liu J, Dang F, Liang X, Wang S, Ma Z (2020) Influence of CH4 adsorption diffusion and CH4-water two-phase flow on sealing efficiency of caprock in underground energy storage. Sustain Energy Techn 42:100874

  44. Xue Y, Cao ZZ, Shen WL (2019) Destabilization and energy characteristics of coal pillar in roadway driving along gob based on rockburst risk assessment. R Soc Open Sci 6:190094

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Fan L, Liu SM (2017) A conceptual model to characterize and model compaction behavior and permeability evolution of broken rock mass in coal mine gobs. Int J Coal Geol 172:60–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This study is sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (12002270), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2021T140553 and 2021M692600), and the Open Research Fund Program of State Key Laboratory of Eco-hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region, Xi’an University of Technology (2020KFKT-14).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an, 710048, China

    Peng Hou, Yi Xue, Songhe Wang, Xuanye Jiao & Caihui Zhu

  2. IPPH, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

    Peng Hou

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

    Feng Gao

Authors
  1. Peng Hou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yi Xue
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Feng Gao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Songhe Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Xuanye Jiao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Caihui Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yi Xue.

Ethics declarations

Competing Interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Hou, P., Xue, Y., Gao, F. et al. Numerical Evaluation on Stress and Permeability Evolution of Overlying Coal Seams for Gas Drainage and Gas Disaster Elimination in Protective Layer Mining. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 39, 1027–1043 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-022-00584-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-022-00584-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation