Physical Simulation on Weakly Cemented Aquiclude Stability due to Underground Coal Mining
In northwest China, underground mining is frequently conducted in weakly cemented rock environments, including the aquiclude that protects the aquifer from dewatering. In this context, understanding the aquiclude responses to longwall mining is significant for assessing the reliability of water-cons...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-11-01
|
| Series: | Minerals |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/12/1494 |
| _version_ | 1797456144695820288 |
|---|---|
| author | Shizhong Zhang Gangwei Fan Dongsheng Zhang Tao Luo Xue Guo Siqin Dun Hua Chen |
| author_facet | Shizhong Zhang Gangwei Fan Dongsheng Zhang Tao Luo Xue Guo Siqin Dun Hua Chen |
| author_sort | Shizhong Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In northwest China, underground mining is frequently conducted in weakly cemented rock environments, including the aquiclude that protects the aquifer from dewatering. In this context, understanding the aquiclude responses to longwall mining is significant for assessing the reliability of water-conserved mining in the weakly cemented rock environment. Taking the Jurassic and Paleogene coal measure geology in Yili Mine in Xinjiang Province, China, as a case study, the paper conducted a laboratorial three-dimensional simulation by configuring a longwall operation and induced groundwater migration. The study analysed the aquiclude depressurisation and revealed the aquiclude stability in response to longwall mining. The results indicated that the aquiclude had a significant plastic strain and self-healing ability in the ground depressurisation condition. The aquiclude experienced tension and then compression, and, accordingly, fracture initiation, propagation, and convergence, during which the aquiclude had significant bending deformation. On the aquiclude horizon, tensile fracturing dominated above the set-up and longwall stop positions. The self-healing behaviour was correlated to the high content of clay minerals and disintegration proneness. The simulation results had a good agreement with field measurements, suggesting that the aquiclude had a satisfactory water-resisting ability and that the simulation results were practically reliable. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:04:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-46fba2169e434fdc86ce1c719e5ff5fc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-163X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:04:06Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Minerals |
| spelling | doaj.art-46fba2169e434fdc86ce1c719e5ff5fc2023-11-24T16:50:43ZengMDPI AGMinerals2075-163X2022-11-011212149410.3390/min12121494Physical Simulation on Weakly Cemented Aquiclude Stability due to Underground Coal MiningShizhong Zhang0Gangwei Fan1Dongsheng Zhang2Tao Luo3Xue Guo4Siqin Dun5Hua Chen6School of Mines, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, ChinaSchool of Mines, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, ChinaSchool of Mines, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, ChinaSchool of Mines, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, ChinaSchool of Mines, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, ChinaSchool of Mines, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, ChinaSchool of Mines, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, ChinaIn northwest China, underground mining is frequently conducted in weakly cemented rock environments, including the aquiclude that protects the aquifer from dewatering. In this context, understanding the aquiclude responses to longwall mining is significant for assessing the reliability of water-conserved mining in the weakly cemented rock environment. Taking the Jurassic and Paleogene coal measure geology in Yili Mine in Xinjiang Province, China, as a case study, the paper conducted a laboratorial three-dimensional simulation by configuring a longwall operation and induced groundwater migration. The study analysed the aquiclude depressurisation and revealed the aquiclude stability in response to longwall mining. The results indicated that the aquiclude had a significant plastic strain and self-healing ability in the ground depressurisation condition. The aquiclude experienced tension and then compression, and, accordingly, fracture initiation, propagation, and convergence, during which the aquiclude had significant bending deformation. On the aquiclude horizon, tensile fracturing dominated above the set-up and longwall stop positions. The self-healing behaviour was correlated to the high content of clay minerals and disintegration proneness. The simulation results had a good agreement with field measurements, suggesting that the aquiclude had a satisfactory water-resisting ability and that the simulation results were practically reliable.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/12/1494water-conserved miningweakly cemented rocksaquiclude stabilityself-healing behaviourphysical simulation |
| spellingShingle | Shizhong Zhang Gangwei Fan Dongsheng Zhang Tao Luo Xue Guo Siqin Dun Hua Chen Physical Simulation on Weakly Cemented Aquiclude Stability due to Underground Coal Mining Minerals water-conserved mining weakly cemented rocks aquiclude stability self-healing behaviour physical simulation |
| title | Physical Simulation on Weakly Cemented Aquiclude Stability due to Underground Coal Mining |
| title_full | Physical Simulation on Weakly Cemented Aquiclude Stability due to Underground Coal Mining |
| title_fullStr | Physical Simulation on Weakly Cemented Aquiclude Stability due to Underground Coal Mining |
| title_full_unstemmed | Physical Simulation on Weakly Cemented Aquiclude Stability due to Underground Coal Mining |
| title_short | Physical Simulation on Weakly Cemented Aquiclude Stability due to Underground Coal Mining |
| title_sort | physical simulation on weakly cemented aquiclude stability due to underground coal mining |
| topic | water-conserved mining weakly cemented rocks aquiclude stability self-healing behaviour physical simulation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/12/1494 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT shizhongzhang physicalsimulationonweaklycementedaquicludestabilityduetoundergroundcoalmining AT gangweifan physicalsimulationonweaklycementedaquicludestabilityduetoundergroundcoalmining AT dongshengzhang physicalsimulationonweaklycementedaquicludestabilityduetoundergroundcoalmining AT taoluo physicalsimulationonweaklycementedaquicludestabilityduetoundergroundcoalmining AT xueguo physicalsimulationonweaklycementedaquicludestabilityduetoundergroundcoalmining AT siqindun physicalsimulationonweaklycementedaquicludestabilityduetoundergroundcoalmining AT huachen physicalsimulationonweaklycementedaquicludestabilityduetoundergroundcoalmining |