Outburst cavity formation in the working face driven along the outburst-prone coal seam

Abstract

In Donbas coal mines, coal and gas outbursts present a major risk for the mining operation safety. Rapidly released energy can cause serious damage to the mine’s personnel and production equipment. Modern numerical methods allow modeling complex physical processes occurred during the coal and gas outbursts. The mathematical model was developed for the coupled processes of the rock massif deformation and gas filtration in the mine face near the tectonic dislocation. When solving the problem, the finite element method was used. The calculation results of the stresses, inelastic deformation zones, pressures of methane and configuration of cavity of the coal and gas outburst are represented in the paper. It is shown that an outburst cavity is formed inside the coal seam and is bounded from above and from below by the host rocks. The calculated geometry of the fracture cavity at the gas-dynamic phenomena in the mine working face coincides with actual data obtained in the mines of Donbas and, therefore, confirms the adequacy of the developed mathematical model.