Roof Strata Behavior and Support Resistance Determination for Ultra-Thick Longwall Top Coal Caving Panel: A Case Study of the Tashan Coal Mine

Jun Guo, Guorui Feng, Pengfei Wang, Tingye Qi, Xiaorong Zhang and Yonggan Yan
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Jun Guo: College of Mining Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Shanxi 030024, China
Guorui Feng: College of Mining Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Shanxi 030024, China
Pengfei Wang: College of Mining Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Shanxi 030024, China
Tingye Qi: College of Mining Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Shanxi 030024, China
Xiaorong Zhang: Datong Coal Mine Group Company, Datong 037003, China
Yonggan Yan: College of Mining Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Shanxi 030024, China

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 5, 1-19

Abstract: The Longwall Top Coal Caving (LTCC) method has greatly improved the production of ultra-thick underground coal resources. However, face fall and support closure have been becoming highly frequent accidents at the working face, and seriously threaten the safety of miners. The key to avoiding these problems is to reveal the structural evolution of the roof strata and then choose a reasonable working resistance for the hydraulic supports. According to physical modeling, theoretical analysis and field observation of the LTCC panel, four kinds of structural models can be found and defined, in consideration of the coincident movement of key strata (KS) and the mining activities of upper face in overburden strata. The KS are performed as cantilever structures, hinged structures and voussoir beam structures at three different positions in roof strata. The structural characteristics of the KS and its movement laws are shown in the four structural modes. The loads acting on the support in the four typical structural models are also analyzed. The structural instability of the broken roof strata on the upper caving panel caused by the lower ultra-thick coal seam mining is considered to be the main reason for its face’s falls and support failures. Consequently, a method is proposed for calculating the working resistance of the support in the LTCC face, which is verified by the mining pressure monitoring in practice.

Keywords: Longwall Top Coal Caving; strata behavior; support resistance; igneous rock; upper gob (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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