Research on short wall continuous mining technology with full roof falling and roof control measures

Short wall mining technology is an important method to coal resource mining in the United States, Australia and other countries, and also one of important methods to boundary coal resource recovery in China. Short wall mining technology through leaving a large number of coal pillars to support and control roof, induces a series of accidents, such as large area roof suspended, collapse and shock, which restricts the further popularization and application of short wall mining technology seriously. By improving the existing short wall mining technology, the article proposed short wall continuous mining technology with full roof falling, and designed measures to control roof. The main research work is as follows: (1) By reducing and eliminating coal pillars in mining section as much as possible, including entry protecting pillar and pillar between caverns, also ensured stability of roof during mining period at the same time; after mining, roof can be collapse, to prevent large area roof suspended and collapsed inducing shock accidents; mining process and equipment of short wall continuous mining technology with full roof falling, were designed comprehensively. (2) Measures to control roof of short wall continuous mining technology with full roof falling are designed, using self-moving hydraulic support to control roof of mining cavern, anchor bolt and cable to ensure branch and cross entries stable during mining period, and forced caving technology to control large area roof suspended; (3) Short wall continuous mining technology with full roof falling and roof control measures were successfully industrialized in 42,210 boundary coal face of Yujialiang coal mine, which belong to Shenhua energy group in Inner Mongolia. The research result is significant to enrich and develop short wall mining technology.