Influence of Coal Caving Time and Tail Beam Swing Angle on the Evolution of the Coal Gangue Boundary Line during Top Coal Caving

Abstract

In the process of top coal caving mining, the caving time and the tail beam swing angle have an important impact on the evolution of the coal gangue boundary, which determines the top coal recovery rate and gangue content rate. Therefore, it is necessary to study the influence of the caving time and the tail beam swing angle on the top coal caving effect. For this purpose, based on Hertz–Mindlin contact theory, this paper established a simulation model of top coal caving and carried out a coal caving simulation with different caving times and tail beam swing angles. In the process of coal caving, under a specific tail beam swing angle and different caving times, this work studied the evolution characteristics of the coal gangue boundary. A simulation model of coal caving with variable time is established, and the influence mechanism of time on the coal caving effect is analyzed. Then, the evolution characteristics of the boundary are studied under different tail beam swing angles and the same caving time. A simulation model of coal caving with variable angles is established, and the influence mechanism of the tail beam swing angle on the coal caving effect is analyzed. Finally, the effects of caving time and tail beam swing angle on coal gangue discharge are studied, and the effect of coal gangue release under different working conditions is analyzed. The boundary data and the discharge data are extracted through the simulation, and contrast curves are drawn. The results show a limit position of the coal gangue boundary under the fixed working condition, which is the middle line position of the coal caving outlet. When the coal gangue boundary does not reach the limit position, there are two characteristics. First, the greater the tail beam swing angle is, the faster the deformation speed of the coal gangue boundary is. At the same caving time, the position of the coal gangue boundary will be closer to the coal caving outlet, which leads to excessive mixing of coal and gangue. Second, the longer the drawing time, the greater the deformation of the coal gangue boundary, and the easier the coal gangue is mixed, resulting in an increase in the gangue content of the discharged coal. When the coal gangue boundary reaches the limit position, the boundary will be basically stable near the top of the coal caving outlet. The limit position and shape of the coal gangue boundary are mainly affected by the density difference of coal gangue particles but not by the coal caving time and the tail beam swing angle. After the end of coal caving, the coal gangue boundary finally presents a double arch structure. The research in this paper has important reference significance for the selection of caving time and tail beam swing angle and further research.