Abstract
Adopting an effective top coal caving method is the key to enhancing coal recovery and reducing gangue content for the fully mechanized top coal caving working face with extra-thick coal seams. In this study, the movement of coal particles generated during top coal caving is considered to follow a normal distribution. Then, the caving body and coal-rock settlement along the working face during the caving process are studied based on both the random media theory and probability theory. Accordingly, the optimal caving interval and caving sequences are determined, and a novel interval symmetrical coal caving method is proposed. The proposed method is systematically verified with results from physical similarity tests, and different caving methods are assessed by field tests. The results show the following: (1) The coal-rock settlement and the caving body demonstrate clear axial symmetrical features along the working face; the size of the caving body increases as the caving height grows and its shape turns progressively from semicircular to semielliptical with a lower foot of the coal-rock settlement. (2) The caving interval is derived using the sum of the radii of the coal-rock settlement curves formed by the two largest caving bodies. (3) The symmetrical caving approach provides a symmetrical space for the subsequent movement of the broken top coal, which enables a uniform development of the caving body. (4) Compared with the traditional sequential coal caving method with the same number of supports, the interval symmetrical caving method results in a 21.7% of coal production increase, 17% caving rate promotion, and a shortened caving time by 23.4%. (5) The interval symmetrical caving method is found to improve the controllability of the caving process at the fully mechanized top coal caving working face. In general, this work presents a theoretical approach to select the optimal caving methods for the fully mechanized caving working face in extra-thick coal seams for an improved production efficiency of the work face. The results of this study can also provide theoretical significance and referencing value for quantitative analyses of the coal caving methods for work faces with similar geological conditions.
Highlights
After 40 years of field application and practice, the fully mechanized top coal caving mining method has become the mainstream for mining thick and extra-thick coal seams in China
(4) Compared with the traditional sequential coal caving method with the same number of supports, the interval symmetrical caving method results in a 21.7% of coal production increase, 17% caving rate promotion, and a shortened caving time by 23.4%. (5) e interval symmetrical caving method is found to improve the controllability of the caving process at the fully mechanized top coal caving working face
As the coal caving port continues to be opened, the coalrock settlement curves continued to descend for the two schemes of sequential interval coal caving method
Summary
After 40 years of field application and practice, the fully mechanized top coal caving mining method has become the mainstream for mining thick and extra-thick coal seams in China. Based on laboratory and field tests on the flowing behavior of the top coal using top coal caving method, numerous scholars proposed theoretical models for the caving process according to the coal caving, ellipsoid theory, and the granular dynamics. It was found by controlling the caving body and coal-rock boundary that the top coal recovery can be increased with reduced coal losses. To control the gangue content for improved production management, the top coal caving is stopped when the gangue appears during caving
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