Surface Subsidence Modelling Induced by Formation of Cavities in Underground Coal Gasification
Source abstract
Abstract
Underground coal gasification (UCG) is an efficient method for the conversion of deep coal resources into energy. The scope of this work is to model the subsidence of four gasification cavities with a size of 30 m × 30 m × 15 m, separated by 15 m wide pillars. Two scenarios of gasification sequence are modelled, one with the gasification of cavities 1 and 2 followed by 3 and 4, and the other one with the sequence of cavities 1 and 3, followed by 2 and 4. The results show that the final surface subsidence after gasification of four cavities is 9.8 mm and the gasification sequence has an impact only on the subsidence at the intermediate stage but has no impact on the final subsidence after all four cavities are formed, when only the elasticity regime is considered. Additionally, the maximum surface subsidence for the studied cavities of different sizes ranges from 0.016 mm to 7.14 mm, and the relationship between the subsidence and the cavity volume is approximately linear. Finally, a prediction model of surface subsidence deformation is built up using the elastic plate theory, and the formula of surface deformation at a random point is given. The maximum difference between measured and calculated deformation is 4.6%, demonstrating that the proposed method can be used to predict the ground subsidence induced by UCG.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Mining and Gasification Technologies · Geotechnical and Geomechanical Engineering · Rock Mechanics and Modeling
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
Faculty of Engineering, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Anhui Key Laboratory of Mining Construction Engineering, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China
Zienkiewicz Institute for Modelling, Data and AI, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea SA1 8EN, UK
College of Civil Engineering, Qilu Institute of Technology, Jinan 250200, China
Funding
Open Research Fund of State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences · “Youth Innovation Talent Introduction and Education Plan” of Shandong Colleges and Universities · National Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province of China (NSFC) · Jinan City “new university 20” research leader studio project
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