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In order to quantitatively calculate the critical depth and critical load of mines affected by rock burst, and to achieve effective prevention and control of rock burst in coal mines, this paper proposes a mechanical model for predicting the occurrence of rock burst in coal mine roadways based on catastrophe theory. Additionally, a theoretical calculation formula for initiating rock burst is derived. The first step was to establish a mechanical analysis model, which directly correlated with the in-situ stress, physical and mechanical characteristics of the coal-rock mass, and engineering structural parameters. Following this, a mechanical instability criterion was derived for the key load-bearing circle within the surrounding rock of the roadway. In the final step, the critical depth and load for rock burst initiation were verified for 25 distinct coal mines in China that were prone to rock burst hazards. The research results demonstrate that the discrepancy between the theoretically calculated critical depth and the actual measured statistical values was less than 35%. In addition, the difference between the theoretically determined critical depth and the value calculated by Pan Yishan was less than 32%. Notably, the ratio of the theoretically calculated critical load to the uniaxial compressive strength of the coal-rock mass ranged from 0.38 to 1.93. This aligns with empirical data on rock burst occurrences, as set out in the engineering classification standards for rock masses. These research outcomes substantiated the practical utility of the proposed theory, thereby laying a robust theoretical groundwork for the quantitative control of rock burst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent computing is transforming safety inspection methods and response strategies in coal mines. Due to the significant safety hazards associated with mining excavation, this study proposes a multi-source data based predictive model for assessing gas risk and implementing countermeasures. By examining the patterns of gas dispersion at the longwall face, utilizing both temporal and spatial correlation, a predictive model is crafted that incorporates safety thresholds for gas concentrations, four-level early warning method and response strategy are devised by integrating weighted predictive confidence with these correlations. Initially tested using a public dataset from Poland, this method was later verified in coal mine in China. This paper discusses the validity and correlation of multi-source monitoring data in temporal and spatial correlation and proposes a risk warning mechanism based on it, which can be applied not only for safety warning but also for regulatory management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the deep extension of coal mining in China, fault water inrush has become one of the major disasters threatening the safety production of coal mine. Based on the control equations of steady state and non-Darcy seepage in fractured rock mass, the multi-parameter nonlinear dynamic seepage equations of fractured rock mass are established in this paper. Based on the nonlinear dynamics theory, the function of the state variable in the system is derived, and the influence of the gradual change of non-Darcy flow factors on the structural stability of seepage system is studied. The research achievements show that there are three branches in the equilibrium state of the seepage system. Specifically, the stability of the equilibrium state changes abruptly near the limit parameter. The seepage dynamic system of fractured rock mass has the delayed bifurcation, and the coal mine disaster such as fault water inrush occurs easily at the bifurcation point. The research results are of great significance to enrich the theory of fault water inrush in coal mine, and to reveal the disastrous mechanism of fault water inrush and guide its prevention and control technology in coal mine, which can provide the theoretical reference for predicting the water seepage stability in fractured rock mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Longwall top coal caving technology is one of the main methods of thick coal seam mining in China, and the classification evaluation of top coal cavability in longwall top coal caving working face is of great significance for improving coal recovery. However, the empirical or numerical simulation method currently used to evaluate the top coal cavability has high cost and low-efficiency problems. Therefore, in order to improve the evaluation efficiency and reduce evaluation the cost of top coal cavability, according to the characteristics of classification evaluation of top coal cavability, this paper improved and optimized the fuzzy neural network developed by Nauck and Kruse and establishes the fuzzy neural network prediction model for classification evaluation of top coal cavability. At the same time, in order to ensure that the optimized and improved fuzzy neural network has the ability of global approximation that a neural network should have, its global approximation is verified. Then use the data in the database of published papers from CNKI as sample data to train, verify and test the established fuzzy neural network model. After that, the tested model is applied to the classification evaluation of the top coal cavability in 61,107 longwall top coal caving working face in Liuwan Coal Mine. The final evaluation result is that the top coal cavability grade of the 61,107 longwall top coal caving working face in Liuwan Coal Mine is grade II, consistent with the engineering practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underground coal mining leads to land subsidence, which, in turn, results in damage to buildings and infrastructure, disturbs the original ecological environment, and hinders the sustainable development of coal mining cities. A reasonable estimation of land subsidence, on the other hand, is the foundation for building protection, land reclamation, and ecological environment reconstruction. However, when we applied the existing land subsidence estimation theory to the deep mining areas of the Ordos coalfield in western China, there was a significant deviation between the estimations and the measurements. To explain such unusual case, we propose using the overburden's average GSI (Geological Strength Index) value instead of the compressive strength (UCS) of rock specimens for a better representation of the overburden's overall properties. By using on-site subsidence monitoring results and historical data, we provided evidence which supports that the overburden's average GSI value has a much greater impact on subsidence rates than the UCS. Subsequently, we investigated the relationship between three typical overburden's GSI values and the subsidence rates via a calibrated numerical model, revealing the variation patterns of maximum surface subsidence when the overburden's average GSI value is set at 30, 50, and 75, respectively. Finally, on the basis of the measured and simulated results, we discussed a non-conventional strip mining method for mining subsidence control in the deep mining areas of the Ordos coalfield in western China, and explained why it is possible and what are the significant advantages behind. The proposed methods, findings, and suggestions in this paper are therefore quite helpful for researchers and engineers who wish to estimate and control the mining-induced land subsidence, as well as for those who are particularly interested in the study of environment science related to land subsidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contradiction between the exploitation of coal resources and the protection of the ecological environment in western China is becoming increasingly prominent. Reasonable ecological environment evaluation is the premise for alleviating this contradiction. First, this paper evaluates the eco-environment of Ibei coalfield by combining the genetic projection pursuit model and geographic information system (GIS) and using remote sensing image data and other statistical data of this area. The powerful spatial analysis function of GIS and the advantages of the genetic projection pursuit model in weight calculation have been fully used to improve the reliability of the evaluation results. Furthermore, spatial autocorrelation is used to analyze the spatial characteristics of ecological environment quality in the mining area and plan the specific governance scope. The geographic detector is used to determine the driving factors of the eco-environment of the mining area. The results show that Ibei Coalfield presents a spatially heterogeneous eco-environment pattern. The high-intensity mining area (previously mined area of Ili No.4 Coal Mine) has the worst ecological environment quality, followed by the coal reserve area of Ili No.4 Coal Mine and the planned survey area of Ili No.5 Coal Mine. The eco-environment quality (EEQ) of the study area is affected by both human and natural factors. Mining intensity and surface subsidence are the main human factors affecting the ecological environment in the study area. The main natural factors affecting the ecological environment in the study area are annual average precipitation, elevation, annual average evaporation, NDVI and land use type. Meanwhile, the interaction effect of any two indicators is greater than that of a single indicator. It is also indicated that the eco-environment of the mining area is nonlinearly correlated to impact indicators. The spatial autocorrelation analysis shows three areas that should be treated strategically that are the management area, close attention area and protective area. Corresponding management measures are put forward for different regions. This paper can provide scientific references for mining area eco-environmental protection, which is significant for the sustainability of coal mine projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the western region of China, which is typical of extraordinary resource endowments, has gradually emerged as the major mining zone in China, the mining of thick coal seams and roadways with coal-rock composite roof have become more and more common in this region. However, it is extremely difficult to realize safe and effective maintenance and control of such roadways due to the differences in natural endowments of coal-rock masses. With the roadway with coal-rock composite roof of Hulusu Coal Mine in western China as the engineering background, experiment research on large-scale similarity model was conducted through comprehensive measures such as the pneumatic loading system, the surrounding rock stress monitoring system, the roadway deformation monitoring system, the bolt load monitoring system, and the displacement field monitoring system in this paper. According to the results of the experiment, the control effects of the three support systems on the roadway with coal-rock composite roof were significantly different. When the single support of short anchor bolts was applied, the comparatively low initial anchor-hold failed to constrain the initial micro deformation of the roof. Consequently, wide-range fractures of the roof were triggered at a loading pressure of 0.8 MPa. In the meanwhile, the deep surrounding rocks witnessed a downward inflection point in stress, accompanied by the possibility of the collapse of the thin-layer anchorage zone at any time. As for the support combining both short anchor bolts and long anchor cables, though a reinforced effect on the bolt anchorage zone could be achieved with the help of the cables, the active reinforcement capacity of the bolt was limited. The bolt anchorage zone was the first to be damaged at a loading pressure of 0.9 MPa, which would subsequently affect the effective bearing capacity of the deep surrounding rocks. In the application of the single support of high-strength long anchor bolts, the long bolts with high pre-tightening force were able to lock multiple groups of coal-rock strata to form a thick-layer anchorage bearing structure capable of withstanding a load as high as 1.0 MPa. The crash and collapse of the coal wall eventually caused the subsidence of the roof. Based on the intense dynamic load experiment and the feedbacks of engineering application outcomes in the field, it was concluded that the high-pretension thick-layer (HPTL) anchoring technology can effectively constrain the deformation of roadways with coal-rock composite roof with favorable application outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of water-conducting fracture zone development height is key to the scientific prevention and control of water damage in mines. Based on the geological conditions of the Wenjiapo coal mine in Binchang, China, this paper investigates the development of water-conducting fracture zone in overlying bedrock during mining under large buried depth and huge thick aquifer by combining on-site well-location microseismic monitoring and laboratory similar material simulation. To overcome the limitation of the " limited outlook " of water-conducting fracture zone investigation, the spatial development characteristics of roof fissures in coal seam mining were determined by on-site " the underground - ground" combined microseismic monitoring and follow-up monitoring, and the development of overlying rock fracture under the large depth of burial was concluded. The fractures were mainly distributed in the upper part of the protective coal pillar on both sides of the working face, but less in the upper part of the working face, and primarily distributed in the protective coal pillar on the side of the working face and the adjacent mining area. To verify the accuracy of the conclusion, the overlying bedrock movement and deformation characteristics and the development process of the hydraulic fracture zone during coal seam mining were analyzed by simulating similar materials in the laboratory, using the monitored area as a prototype. The results show that the development height of the mining fracture zone obtained from microseismic monitoring is basically consistent with the simulation results of similar materials. The research finding have significant implications for the study of fracture distribution characteristics and the evolution law of mining overburden, and provide a foundation for scientific prevention and control of water damage on the roof. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an experimental study to assess the behaviour of coal samples under tensile loadings to better understand the failure mechanisms and the interactions with the coal characteristics. A set of Brazilian splitting tests were carried out using disk specimens obtained from Tashan Coal Mine in China. The digital speckle correlation method and acoustic emission (AE) were used to capture the deformation localisation and AE characteristics of each specimen during the loading process. The precursor characteristics of AE and the failure mechanism are discussed. It was found that the entire loading process mainly consists of compaction, elastic and post-peak dropping stage without an obvious yielding stage. Two kinds of deformation localisation were observed: central symmetry and axis symmetry. The corresponding AE evolution patterns have different phases, including gradual rise, step rise, transient rise and steady rise. During the subcritical failure stage, AE counts demonstrate a "rapidly increasing + flatten" intermittent feature. The results provide a reference for a better understanding of the damage process of the brittle coal material and its application in ground control design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep coal seam mining often leads to water resource loss due to bedrock water entering the workings of the mine and is discharged adjacent to the mining area. Using the geological conditions of the Maiduoshan coal mine, this paper applied a physical simulation experiment. The specified rock above the coal seam was hydraulically fractured in advance to form a postmining grouted fracture network, followed by grouting to construct a flexible isolation layer that blocked the infiltration of groundwater from the aquifer into the water-conducting fracture zone. Stress sensors, flow sensors and strata displacement monitoring technology were deployed inside the experimental material to study the spatial distribution characteristics and evolution law of the water-conducting fracture zone in the overlying rocks. Analysis of the water-conducting fracture zone development law, stress variation, overburden evolution characteristics, fracturing and grouting sequence of the flexible isolation layer and the effect of postmining grouting on the water barrier was conducted. These experiments verified the feasibility of fracture and grouting of the flexible isolation layer. These research results will provide practical guidance for the transition from the current safe and efficient mining methods to safe and green mining methods of deep coal mining in the western mining areas of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As China's coal mines have transitioned to deep mining, the ground stress within the coal seams has progressively increased, resulting in reduced permeability and poor wetting ability of conventional wetting agents. Consequently, these agents have become inadequate in fulfilling the requirements for preventing washouts during deep mining operations. In response to the aforementioned challenges, a solution was proposed to address the issues by formulating a composite wetting agent. This composite wetting agent combines a conventional surfactant with a chelating agent called tetrasodium iminodisuccinate (IDS). By conducting a meticulous screening of surfactant monomer solutions, the ideal formulation for the composite wetting agent was determined by combining the monomer surfactant with IDS. Extensive testing, encompassing evaluations of the composite solution's apparent strain, contact angle measurements, and alterations in the oxygenated functional groups on the coal surface, led to the identification of the optimal composition. This composition consisted of IDS serving as the chelating agent and fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether (JFCS).Subsequent assessment of the physical and mechanical performance of the coal briquettes treated with the composite wetting agent revealed notable enhancements. These findings signify significant advancements in the field and hold promising implications. Following the application of the composite wetting agent, notable reductions were observed in the dry basis ash and dry basis full sulfur of coal. Additionally, the water content within the coal mass increased significantly, leading to a substantial enhancement in the wetting effect of the coal body. This enhanced wetting effect effectively mitigated the coal body's inclination towards impact, thereby offering technical support for optimizing water injection into coal seams and preventing as well as treating impact ground pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the correlation between previous coal mine safety policies and accidents in China. Data on coal mine accidents and government regulatory information from 2008 to 2021 are collected. The characteristics of coal mine accidents are analyzed, and safety policy indexes are identified. An ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model is established to quantitatively analyze the correlation between accidents and safety policy. The study finds that safety policies have some impact on accident occurrence in coal mines. Although there has been a decrease in accidents and deaths over time, higher mortality rates are observed during periods of increased production intensity and on weekends. Gas accidents are the most common, followed by roof and flood accidents. The study concludes that national safety policies with wider coverage and a stronger system are effective in preventing accidents, but caution should be exercised to avoid reduced vigilance with decreasing death rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is a major coal-producing country that consumes large amounts of coal every year. Due to the existence of many small coal kilns using backward mining methods, numerous worked-out areas have been formed. The coal mines were abandoned with no mitigation, so air penetrates into the roadways and contacts the coal seams; as a result, the residual coal seams spontaneously ignite to form coal fires. These coal fires have burned millions of tons of valuable coal resources and caused serious environmental problems. To implement fire suppression more effectively, coal fire detection is a key technology. In this paper, thermal infrared remote sensing from unmanned aerial vehicle combined with a surface survey is used to identify the range of coal fires in the Huojitu coal mine in Shenmu city. The scopes and locations of the fire zones are preliminarily delineated, which provides an accurate basis for the development of fire suppression projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A water-bursting evaluation of the coal seam floor is critical to ensure safety of coal mine production. The vulnerability index method based on AHP is selected for this study's evaluation method. Water pressure, measured specific yield, equivalent thickness of effective aquiclude, brittle rock thickness under mining pressure damage zone, distribution of faults, distribution of collapse column, distribution of endpoints, and the intersection of fault are taken as the evaluation index based on the analysis of geological data in the study area. The authors assessed the threat posed by the two aquifers in the lower portion of the coal seam. Separate evaluations were conducted on the Benxi and Ordovician limestone aquifers. The results' veracity was confirmed by comparing the obtained results to the water bursting point and a few boreholes. The evaluation results provide recommendations for the safe operation of coal mines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Height identification of water-permeable fractured zone (WPFZ) is one of the decisive influence factors for mining safety, especially in some specific conditions, such as mining under aquifer. In order to demonstrate the formation process of the WPFZ, the scaling model experiment is carried out. Through the analysis of movement and breaking in overlying strata, the WPFZ height is significantly affected by mining range, movement characteristics of key strata and its follow-up strata. Based on the research findings, a new theoretical method, " overlying strata synchronous movement method " (OSSM) is established to predict the WPFZ height. Taking 3301 mining face of Zhujiamao Coal Mine in China as the engineering background, the WPFZ height is estimated by OSSM. Additionally, the field detection is carried out by the downhole segmented water injection method combined with borehole camera method. By comparing the results of different methods, the accuracy of OSSM is verified and the WPFZ height is determined finally. What´s more, various methods for determining WPFZ height are evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To provide an effective risk assessment of water inrush for coal mine safety production, a BP neural network prediction method for water inrush based on principal component analysis and deep confidence network optimization was proposed. Because deep belief network (DBN) is disadvantaged by a long training time when establishing a high-dimensional data classification model, the principal component analysis (PCA) method is used to reduce the dimensionality of many factors affecting the water inrush of the coal seam floor, thus reducing the number of variables of the research object, redundancy and the difficulty of feature extraction and shortening the training time of the model. Then, a DBN network was used to extract secondary features from the processed nonlinear data, and a more abstract high-level representation was formed by combining low-level features to find the expression of the nonlinear relationship between the characteristics of water in bursts. Finally, a prediction model was established to predict the water inrush in coal mines. The superiority of this method was verified by comparing the prediction of the actual working face with the actual situation in typical mining areas of North China. The prediction accuracy of coal mine water inrush obtained by this algorithm is 94%, while the prediction accuracy of traditional BP algorithm is 70%, and the prediction accuracy of SVM algorithm is 88%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]