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In this study, the No.S1201-II working face of a coal mine using self-formed roadway mining technology without coal pillars was used as the engineering background, and physical experiments, numerical simulations, and field measurements were employed to study the spatiotemporal evolution laws of overburden fracture and obtain the periodic breaking law of the overburden. The results revealed the following: (1) the working face length increased after roof cutting, which led to an increase in the roadway stress on the side away from the mined area. The roof displacement remained essentially unchanged when the roadway was in the digging and cutting stages. However, the roof displacement continued to increase during the sinking and forming stages. (2) The height of the fall zone before roof cutting was approximately 17.1–19.4 m, which was 4.3–4.8 times the mining height. The maximum heights of the fracture zone on both sides and in the middle of the working face were 103.6–106.4 m and 92.4–96.1 m, respectively, corresponding to 25.9–26.6 and 23.1–24.0 times the mining height, respectively. The height of the fall zone after roof cutting was approximately 18.1 m, which was 4.5 times the mining height. The maximum heights of the fracture zone on both sides and in the middle of the working face were 100.6–105.2 m and 91.3–95.2 m, respectively, corresponding to 25.1–26.3 and 22.8–23.8 times the mining height, respectively. (3) Combined with the ground pressure behaviors and overburden breakage monitored in the field, the fracture budding phase, fracture development phase, and fracture maturation phase were divided according to the characteristics of microseismic events. A criterion for overburden deformation damage based on microseismic energy was proposed. This study provides a reference for the establishment of a microseismic-monitoring system and the application of this technology.

The structure and stress environment of the surrounding rock at the longwall mining area in the steeply dipping coal seam are alienated, and the composition factors and disaster modes of the ”support and surrounding rock” system in the working face are affected. This leads to some frequent safety accidents in the working face, low coal extraction rate, and high roadway excavation rate. This paper analyzes the mining mechanics behavior of surrounding rock of in the steeply dipping coal seam and proposes a technological concept of partial backfill non-pillar mining in the longwall faces of steeply dipping coal seam. During the process of advancing the working face, partial backfill is carried out along the inclined direction in the lower part of the goaf. The filling body not only forms a gob-side roadway with the support effect of the roadway side, but also eliminates the protection coal pillar, achieving a non-pillar mining. At the same time, the length of the filling and compaction area at the lower dip of the working face is increased, enhancing the stability of the ”support and surrounding rock” system of the working face. Based on the characteristics of the longwall mining area in the steeply dipping coal seam, the partial backfill process of the steeply dipping coal seam paste was optimized and determined. And the partial backfill recovery system and mining and filling process in the steeply dipping coal seam were designed. By using a combination of theoretical analysis, simulation experiments, and numerical calculations, the regulatory mechanism of partial backfill on the mechanical behavior of surrounding rock at the longwall mining area in the steeply dipping coal seam was analyzed. The results show that the filling body affects the deformation and failure of the main roof rock beam, as well as the bearing characteristics of the coal and rock mass on the lower side of the mining area. The deformation of the main roof and the roof of the head entry, as well as the constraints on the coal and rock mass on the lower side of the head entry, all decrease with the increase of filling length. In order to prevent the hanging roof disaster in the unfilled area of the goaf, the filling length should not exceed 1/3 of the working face length. The partial backfill body restricts the fracture of the roof in the lower area of the working face, reduces the formation layer of the critical zone of the overlying rock, forms a stable roadway, and reduces the deformation of the surrounding rock gob-side roadway retained. At the same time, the length of the filling area at the lower part of the working face increases, and the length of the unstable area of the middle and upper surrounding rock structures decreases, improving the stability of the ”support and surrounding rock” system. The filling body changes the stress transmission path of the surrounding rock in the mining area, bearing part of the overlying rock load. The side abutment pressure on the lower side of the working face and the front advanced pressure both decrease with the increase of filling length, and the front support pressure in the lower filling area of the working face has the greatest decrease. The stress state of the gob-side roadway and the working face is improved. Technology of partial backfill non-pillar mining in the longwall faces of steeply dipping coal seam has the advantages of effectively improving resource recovery rate, reducing the roadway drivage ratio, alleviating the tension of mining and replacement, and strengthening the stability of the ”support and surrounding rock” system in the working face. It is of great scientific significance for guiding the green, safe, and efficient mining in the steeply dipping coal seam.

The steeply dipping coal seam is one of the main forms of coal storage in China. It is widely and regionally distributed. According to incomplete statistics, twenty-six provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government are involved in the mining of such coal seams, with abundant reserves, large production and high production concentration in the central and western regions. It shows diversity and complexity in terms of the conditions of existence, with different regions having different coal formation periods and different tectonic control processes, forming diverse and complex mining conditions and giving rise to different mining technology requirements. The mining of steeply dipping coal seam is technically difficult. The asymmetry of the movement and damage of the peripheral rock in the mining area affected by the inclination angle of the coal seam is obvious, and the difficulty of the stability control of the support system and equipment, the matching and coordination of the “three machines”, the layout and support of the mining roadway, and the safety guarantee of the “human-machine” environment at the working face has increased significantly, which seriously restricts the safe and efficient mining of the mine. This has seriously restricted the improvement of safe and efficient mining. The regional economic demand for the mining of steeply dipping coal seam is strong. This kind of coal seams and the production of more concentrated areas are mostly seen in the coal industry-based resource cities, the economic structure is relatively single, the safe and efficient development and utilization of coal resources for the regional energy supply, people’s livelihood, economic stability has the role of the bottom of the pocket, the demand is urgent. For a long time, mining technologies for the steeply dipping coal seam changes focus on solving the “difficult” and “need” contradiction. In the coal mining methods and techniques, strata control theory and technology, complete sets of equipment development and application of the three aspects of continuous improvement, innovation, development, to achieve the transformation from non-mechanized to fully-mechanized mining, the level of safety and production efficiency has increased dramatically, the personnel labor intensity has decreased dramatically, and the operating environment has improved significantly. In the mid-1990s, Lvshuidong Coal Mine of Sichuan Coal Industry Group Limited Liability Company successfully realized longwall fully-mechanized mining in steeply dipping coal seam with medium mining height for the first time, breaking through the "forbidden zone" in this filed. Under this demonstration, the three pioneering engineering practices of longwall fully-mechanical mining of steeply dipping coal seam with thick mining height, steeply dipping coal seam with large mining height, and longwall fully-mechanical mining of steeply dipping coal seam with thin mining height in pseudo-inclination have been successful successively, which innovated the non-linear limiting arrangement of the working face and the way of adjusting the slanting, established a multi-dimensional interactive control mode of the system stability of the “bracket-surrounding rock”, and researched and developed the “support and stability and heavy weight, high-strength and light-weight, safe and reliable, and matching synergistic” complete set of equipment of the working face, which has achieved good results, and the scope of application of the comprehensive mechanized mining technology has further been widened. At the same time, there are still many key scientific problems and technical bottlenecks that need to be broken through in the mining of steeply dipping coal seams, resulting in a large gap between the intelligence level and that of the flat/gently inclined coal seams. Research on the mining dynamics of coal and rock bodies in inclined bedded coal beds, revealing their control mechanisms on the disaster of the surrounding rocks in the mining field, and realizing quantitative characterization need to be further strengthened. It is necessary to further clarify the multi-dimensional dynamic process and law between the system of “rock-bearing structure - mining equipment group”, improve the theoretical and technological basis of “multi-dimensional dynamic multi-objective synergistic control of equipment and surrounding rock”, and realize the transformation and application of the technology. On the basis of breakthroughs in scientific issues, we will carry out systematic technological innovation and research and development of coal mining methods, mining techniques, rock formation control, and complete sets of equipment, so as to crack the bottleneck of the constraints on the double enhancement of “safety and efficiency” in the mining of steeply dipping coal seams, and make the upper limit of the inclination of the steeply dipping coal seams for comprehensive mechanized mining extend upward under the prerequisite of reliable technological safeguards, so as to lay the foundation for the realization of automated and intelligent mining.

AbstractIn this paper, taking a mine in Xinjiang as the engineering background, through the combination of physical simulation experiment, 3DEC numerical calculation, theoretical analysis and field monitoring, the fracture evolution characteristics of overlying strata and its influence on the stability of support under unbalanced loading conditions are systematically studied. The results show that under the action of gravity-dip effect, the non-uniform filling of gangue leads to the typical cross-layer migration characteristics of overburden caving shape and roof bearing arch. The unstable inclined masonry structure is formed in the middle and upper areas, which is prone to rotation and sliding instability, forming impact pressure. The mining stress of the overlying strata changes significantly due to the mining of the coal seam. The lower the overlying strata, the greater the peak stress, the smaller the stress value in the goaf, and the greater the stress change. The amplitude and instability probability of the support migration increase with the decrease of the working resistance of the support, the increase of the friction between the roof and the support, and the increase of the partial load of the support. Finally, the prevention and control measures of roof caving crushing support in steeply dipping and large mining height working face are put forward.

Revealing the space-time evolution characteristics of overlying strata deformation and failure is the key for safe and efficient mining of steeply dipping coal seam. In this paper, based on the physical similarity simulation experiment and field measurement method, the non-uniform filling characteristics of gangue in gob and the roof migration law are comprehensively determined, the evolution characteristics and distribution patterns of the abutment pressure in the upper and lower sections, the distribution characteristics of the working resistance of the support, and the regional strata behavior law in the mining process are analyzed, and the technical measures for the stability control of the support in steeply dipping coal seam are put forward. Results shown: With the advancing distance increases, the accumulation range of gangue increases, and the inverted triangle airspace begins to appear repeatedly in the gob behind the support. In the deep gob, the angle between the gangue pile and the horizontal plane decreases continuously from the lower part to the upper part along the inclined direction. Horizontal displacement, vertical displacement and combined displacement of roof show an evolutionary trend of ‘increase – stability’. The peak displacement position moves from the upper part to the middle part of the working face, which is located at the hinge point between the broken block and the failure envelope surface. The evolution of abutment pressure of headgate and tailgate T-junction shows a trend of ‘increase – stability’. The peak and concentration coefficient at headgate T-junction are greater than tailgate T-junction. The load imbalance characteristics of the support in working face are obvious, and the basic characteristics along the inclined direction are the largest in the middle area, the second in the upper and the smallest in the lower area. The initial force and working resistance of support should be improved, and the position of the support should be adjusted in time in practical engineering. The results provide reference and guidance for practical production.

In fully mechanized caving mining, the earlier the top coal enters the limit-equilibrium zone, the easier it is for leakage to be induced in front of the support. As the dip angle of the seam increases, the leakage of the top coal in front of the support drastically reduces the stability of the stope support–surrounding rock system. In this study, theoretical analysis, a physical simulation experiment, a numerical simulation, and field measurements were performed to consider the influence of the coal seam dip effect on the gradual deterioration of top coal for the first time, and quantitative characterization of the limit equilibrium boundary of top coal was realized based on analysis of the continuous damage medium mechanics. The results show that the two boundaries exhibit a consistent, asymmetric ‘double arch’ distribution along the incline. The top coal in the inclined upper-middle region of the working face is the first to enter the limit-equilibrium state, whereas the inclined upper and lower regions lag behind. The initial and final boundaries of the limit-equilibrium zone are distributed from 1.24 to 3.04 m and from 0.19 to −1.95 m in front of the coal wall, respectively. The distribution of the limit-equilibrium zone boundary was verified by the leakage times of the top coal in the working face. These results could provide reference information for evaluating stope support–surrounding rock systems in fully mechanized caving mining with steeply dipping coal seams.

Steeply inclined seams buried at dip angles of 35–55° are considered hard-excavated seams in the mining industry. A partial backfilling method based on sub-regional features of surrounding rock deformations and failure and support stability was proposed to realize safe, efficient production, to promote sustainable development of coal mining and disaster prevention in western China. Through experiments, calculations, and theoretical analysis, a mechanical model was established, and governing equations for the deflection curve, bending moment, and rotation were deduced. Results reveal the filling percentage, filling ratio, and working-face dip angle as major factors causing roof failure. The degree of roof deformation decreases with increasing filling percentage, filling ratio, and working-face dip angle. With an increase in filling percentage and filling ratio, the range and magnitude of the stress-concentration zone at a T-junction increase, whereas those pertaining to the stress-release zone in the roof decrease. The stress-arch profile of the roof changes from a single peak to double peaks with reduction arch height. Additionally, the maximum arch height shifts towards the centre with increasing moderation of asymmetric features of stress arches. With an increase in working-face dip angle, stress concentration at the coal-wall head T-junction decreases, and a double-peak stress arch develops. Therefore, in order to obtain the best backfill mining effect, a higher filling percentage is preferred; with a maximum filling value of 0.93, the reasonable range for the filling ratio is 1/3 to 1/2 and the reasonable dip angle of the working face is approximately 35°.

The key to safe and efficient longwall mining of steeply dipping seams lies in the stability control of the “support-surrounding rock” system. This study analyzes the difficulties encountered when controlling the stability of the support during the longwall mining process of steeply dipping coal seams in terms of the characteristics of the nonuniform filled-in gob using a combination of physical tests, theoretical analyzes, and field measurements. Considering the floor as an elastic foundation, we built a “support-surrounding rock” mechanical model using data obtained on support-surrounding rock systems in different regions and the laws of support motion under different load conditions. Our findings are summarized as follows: first, depending on the angle of the coal seam, the caving gangue rolls (slide) downward along the inclined direction, resulting in the formation of a nonuniform filling zone in the deep gob where the lower, middle, and upper sections are filled, half-filled, and empty, respectively. In addition, an inverted triangular hollow surface is formed on the floor of the gob in the middle and upper sections behind the support. Furthermore, as the angle of the coal seam, length of the working face, and mining height increase, the characteristics of the nonuniform filled-in gob are enhanced. Second, we found that because of the gangue support, the “support-surrounding rock” system is relatively stable in the lower part of the working face; however, in the middle and upper sections of the working face, the contact method and loading characteristics of the support are more complicated, making stability control difficult. Third, the magnitude and direction of the load, action point, and mining height affect the stability of the support to varying degrees, with the tangential load and action position of the roof load having the most significant impacts on the stability of the support. Under loading by the roof, rotation and subsidence of the support inevitably occur, with gradually increasing amplitudes and effects on the intersupport and sliding forces. Finally, we found that overall stability can be achieved by adopting measures involving “sliding advancement of supports” and applying a “down-up” removal order. These research results serve as a significant reference and guidance for longwall mining applications.

The deformation and failure law of stope roofs is more complicated than horizontal coal seams affected by the angle of the coal seam during the mining process of steeply dipping coal seams. This study focused on and analysed the working face of a 2130 coal mine with steep dipping and large mining height. Through the use of numerical calculation, theoretical analysis, physical similar material simulation experiments, and field monitoring, the distribution characteristics of roof stress, as well as the threedimensional caving migration and filling law, in large mining height working faces under the dip angle effect was investigated. The influence mechanism of the dip angle change on the roof stability of large mining heights was investigated. The results revealed that the roof stress was asymmetrically distributed along the inclination under the action of the dip angle, which resulted in roof deformation asymmetry. With the increase in the dip angle, the rolling and sliding characteristics of roof-broken rock blocks were more obvious. The length of the gangue support area increased, the unbalanced constraint effect of the filling gangue on the roof along the dip and strike was enhanced, and the height of the caving zone decreased. The stability of the roof in the lower inclined area of the working face was enhanced, the failure range of the roof migrated upward, and the damage degree of the roof in the middle and upper areas increased. Furthermore, cross-layer, large-scale, and asymmetric spatial ladder rock structures formed easily. The broken main roof formed an anti-dip pile structure, and sliding and deformation instability occurred, which resulted in impact pressure. This phenomenon resulted in the dumping and sliding of the support. The 'support-surrounding rock' system was prone to dynamic instability and caused disasters in the surrounding rock. The field measurement results verified the report and provided critical theoretical support for field engineering in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stability control of the roof is the key to safe and efficient mining of the longwall working face for a steeply dipping coal seam. In this study, a comprehensive analysis was performed on the roof destruction, migration, and filling characteristics of a steeply dipping longwall working face in an actual coalmine. Elastic foundation theory was used to construct a roof mechanics model; the effect of the coal seam inclination angle on the asymmetric deformation and failure of the roof under the constraint of an unbalanced gangue filling was considered. According to the model, increasing the coal seam angle, thickness of the immediate roof, and length of the working face as well as decreasing the thickness of the coal seam can increase the length of the contact area formed by the caving gangue in the lower area of the slope. Changes to the length of the contact area affect the forces and boundary conditions of the main roof. Increasing the coal seam angle reduces the deformation of the main roof, and the position of peak deflection migrates from the middle of the working face to the upper middle. Meanwhile, the position of the peak rotation angle migrates from the lower area of the working face to the upper area. The peak bending moment decreases continuously, and its position migrates from the headgate T-junction to the tailgate T-junction and then the middle of the working face. Field test results verified the rationality of the mechanics model. These findings reveal the effect of the inclination coal seam angle on roof deformation and failure and provide theoretical guidance for engineering practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]