Theoretical and Numerical Simulation of the Mining-Enhanced Permeability Model of Damaged Coal Seam

The pertinence and effectiveness of gas extraction for underground coal mining is an important issue for simultaneous exploitation of coal and gas. The key issue is the definition and analysis of mining-enhanced permeability of mining-induced fracture network. In order to describe the permeability evolution process during coal mining, the elasto-plastic damage constitutive model of coal was established. Based on the mining-enhanced permeability model, the effect of damage on permeability was considered, and the expression of mining-enhanced permeability considering damage was obtained. Using rock mechanics testing system and the permeability test system, the permeability test was conducted, and the permeability change law with damage was obtained. Based on the elasto-plastic damage constitutive model and the mining-enhanced permeability of damaged coal, the 3D-finite element program was developed according to the elasto-plastic damage theory, by which the analysis of mining process of one coal seam was made. Then we analyzed the distribution of permeability and mining-enhanced permeability. The result shows that: (1) considering the damage can reflect the influence of mining on fracture network and permeability of coal seam. (2) With the advance of the working face, coal units continue to break and the permeability of the coal seam increases continually. (3) The numerical simulation shows the dynamic evolution process of permeability and mining-enhanced permeability of the coal seam during the mining process. These results can provide quantitative and scientific methods for quantitative evaluation of permeability change of coal seam in mining engineering. © 2016, Springer International Publishing Switzerland.