Numerical investigation of coal self-heating in longwall goaf considering airflow leakage from mining induced crack

Self-heating of coal is a long-standing hazard and pollution source in longwall goaf and abnormal air leakage into goaf is a key yet complex drive to the hazard. To investigate such a problem with more insights, a numerical model without considering coal moisture is established based on a Shendong longwall. Abnormal air leakage into goaf mainly sources from the edge cracks resulting in presence of high level oxygen (8 %similar to 13 %) in start-off area of the longwall. Two heating liable regimes were identified: one is behind longwall face and another one locates in the start-off zone. Heating in the start-off zone develops more quickly than that in heating regime one. On day 25 the maximum temperature of regime two can rise to 500 K while it can only increase to approximately 340 K in regime one. The heating spot behind longwall face tends to be self-suppressed with longwall advancing while the heating in the start-off zone can develop to a spontaneous combustion incident due to constant airflow leakage from the mining induced cracks. A wide range of inertisation plans including different locations, strategies, and flowrates of nitrogen injection were conducted. An optimum inertisation plan is to proactively inject inert gas with a low flowrate (e.g. 122 m(3)/h) from a seal along the start-off line. A high flowrate of nitrogen stream is preferable to suppress an on-going heating and the reactive inertisation should be maintained for a long run otherwise the heating is very likely to re-develop. (C) 2019 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.