Numerical modelling of acoustic stimulation induced mechanical vibration enhancing coal permeability

Abstract

Mechanical vibration is a major effect generated by acoustic stimulation inside a coal sample for enhancing its permeability. The numerical simulation based on the staggered-grid finite differential method (FDM) is applied to simulate 3D wave propagation in a fractured coal. Two parameters, shear wave energy (SE) and variable width of cleat (DW), are introduced and implemented in the numerical model to explicitly visualise and evaluate the acoustic stimulation effects. The polarized wave induced wave dynamics in a coal sample with a cleat/fracture is numerically simulated and analysed. Especially, the energy trapping and dynamic variation of fracture width in coal for the cleat/fracture with three different filled media (i.e. air, water and weak mineral) are numerically analysed and compared with each other subjected to different incident wave angles, and the optimal stimulation parameters are obtained through such sensitivity analysis. Simulation results show that the coal property (i.e. cleat and its filled media) and incident wave angles are crucial for acoustic stimulation to produce physical damages around coal cleats and enhance the permeability of fractured coal samples.