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Spatial–Temporal Evolution of Temperature and Gas Pressure in Soft and Hard Coal During Cryogenic Treatment: An Experimental and Theoretical Investigation

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Abstract

An experimental apparatus was custom-designed to scrutinize the evolution of temperature and methane pressure during the freezing process in both soft and hard coal samples. Additionally, a thermal–hydrological–mechanical coupling theoretical model was developed, and temperature and methane pressure evolutions were simulated using COMSOL software. It was observed that methane pressure and temperature within the coal samples underwent two distinct phases during the freezing process: an initial rapid decline followed by a more gradual reduction. An exponential function was found to describe aptly the correlation of methane pressure or temperature in the coal samples with both freezing time and radial direction. Moreover, it was discerned that the thermal conductivity of soft coal is inferior to that of hard coal, and the radial decay coefficient of methane pressure or temperature in both types of coal is inversely proportional to freezing time. Significantly, it was revealed that, in post-freezing treatment, ethane pressure in both soft and hard coal could be reduced to 0.74 MPa. This finding elucidates the potential applicability of cryogenic methods for the theoretical elimination of coal seam outbursts. The results furnish a vital understanding of the physical properties of coal under cryogenic conditions, and they can inform the optimization of cryogenic treatment procedures for industrial applications.

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Notes

  1. * 1 mD = 9.869233 ×-16 m2

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 52174174 and 52274193), the Visiting Scholar Foundation of Chongqing University in China (Grant No. 2011DA105287-FW202102), the Special Program for Basic Research of Key Scientific Research Projects of Colleges and Universities in Henan Province of China (No. 21zx004), the Science and Key R & D and promotion projects of Henan Province (Nos. 222102320172, 231111322000 and 222102320413), the National Natural Science Foundation of Henan -Outstanding Youth Foundation (Nos. 232300421062), the University Science and Technology Innovation Talent Support Plan of Henan Province (Nos. 24HASTIT015) and the Innovative Scientific Research Team of Henan Polytechnic University in China (T2022-1).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China

    Dengke Wang, Baisheng Nie & Xianfeng Liu

  2. State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base for Gas Geology and Gas Control, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, 454000, China

    Dengke Wang, Yanzhao Wei, Hongtu Zhang, Jun Liu & Bowen Dong

  3. School of Safety Science and Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, 454000, China

    Dengke Wang, Yanzhao Wei, Hongtu Zhang, Jun Liu & Bowen Dong

  4. Collaborative Innovation Center of Coal Work Safety and Clean High Efficiency Utilization, Jiaozuo, 454000, China

    Dengke Wang, Hongtu Zhang & Jun Liu

  5. School of Resource and Environment and Safety Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, 411201, China

    Shuqing Li & Fei Huang

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  1. Dengke Wang
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  2. Yanzhao Wei
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  3. Hongtu Zhang
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  4. Jun Liu
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Correspondence to Hongtu Zhang.

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Wang, D., Wei, Y., Zhang, H. et al. Spatial–Temporal Evolution of Temperature and Gas Pressure in Soft and Hard Coal During Cryogenic Treatment: An Experimental and Theoretical Investigation. Nat Resour Res 33, 435–454 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-023-10287-0

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