EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF VIBRATIONAL FREQUENCY ON THE PERMEABILITY OF GAS-CONTAINING COAL ROCKS

Low-frequency mechanical vibrations can trigger disasters such as coal-gas outbursts. An in-house "vibration-triaxial stress-seepage" experimental apparatus was used to measure the gas flow rate of rock specimens with varying vibrational frequency. gas pressure. and confining pressure. The results of these tests were then used to derive expressions that describe how the permeability of gas-containing coal rocks is related to these aforementioned factors. In addition, sensitivity coefficients were defined to characterise the magnitude of the permeability response to each permeability-affecting factor (i.e., vibrational frequency and gas pressure). The following insights were gained, regarding the effects of vibrational frequency on the permeability of gas-containing coal rocks: (1) If gas pressure and confining pressure are fixed, the permeability of gas-containing coal rocks rapidly increases, before gradually decreasing, with increasing vibrational frequency. Thus, the permeability of the gas-containing coal rock is always larger with vibrations than without. (2) If vibrational pressure and confining pressure are fixed, the relationship between the permeability of gas-containing coal rocks and gas pressure is consistent with the "Klinkenberg effect," i.e., the permeability initially decreases, and then increases, with increasing gas pressure. (3) The change in permeability induced by each unit change in gas pressure is proportional to the gas pressure sensitivity coefficient. (4) The change in permeability induced by each unit change in vibrational frequency is proportional to the vibrational frequency sensitivity coefficient.