Key Stratum Structure and Support Working Resistance of Longwall Face with Large Mining Height in the Shallow Coal Seams, China

Abstract

The fully mechanized mining with large mining height is the main method for high yield and efficient coal mining in China. The key stratum structure (KSS) is the basis of revealing the mechanism of roof weighting and determination of support working resistance of the longwall face with large mining height (LFLMH) in the shallow coal seam. The height of the caving zone at LFLMH is large, the thick immediate roof forms the “short cantilever beam” structure commonly, and the hinge layer of the overlying key stratum will move upward to the higher position. The “high position oblique step voussoir beam” structure of single-key stratum (SKS) and “oblique step voussoir beam and voussoir beam” structure of double-key stratum (DKS) in the shallow coal seam were proposed with physical simulation and Universal Distinct Element Code (UDEC). The analysis of the KSS and numerical simulation reveals the mechanism of strong roof weighting at the SKS longwall face and large-small alternate periodic weighting at the DKS longwall. It is concluded that the large static load caused by the “equivalent immediate roof (EIR)” is the basic load, and the instability load of the KSS is the additional dynamic load of support. Besides, the calculation methods of the reasonable support working resistance at LFLMH were obtained and verified with engineering applications.