Pressure Relief Mechanism Research Articles

Experimental study on the significance of pressure relief effect and crack extension law under uniaxial compression of rock-like materials containing drill holes

The drilling pressure relief technology is an effective way to reduce the accumulation of elastic energy in the tunnel envelope, which can reduce the risk of regional ground pressure occurrence. However, there is a lack of theoretical guidance on which drilling parameter has the greatest degree of influence on the effectiveness of pressure relief. The uniaxial compression tests were conducted to study the relationships between drilling parameters (the diameter, depth, and spacing) and the mechanical properties and deformation modulus of specimens. The results show that: (1) The drilling diameter (DDR) and drilling depth (DDH) of single-hole specimens negatively correlate with the peak-failure strength and deformation modulus, while the drilling spacing (DS) of double-hole specimens positively correlates with the peak-failure strength and deformation modulus. It shows that the borehole diameter has a more significant effect on the decompression effect. (2) With the help of the Grey Relational Analysis, the factors affecting the peak-failure strength and deformation modulus of the drilled specimens were ranked in significance. From the largest to the smallest, they are DDR, followed by DDH and DS. (3) The role of the pressure relief mechanism is to transfer the high stress in the shallow part of the roadway to the deep part, reduce the peak strength of destruction and deformation modulus of the peripheral rock in the drilled section, so that the characteristics of the mechanical behavior of the rock are significantly weakened, and the range of the area of the drilled hole decompression is enlarged. During the loading of the borehole, the borehole stress field dominates in the early stage, and cracking starts near the borehole along the direction perpendicular to the direction of maximum principal stress (horizontal direction). In the later stage, the maximum principal stress field dominates and vertical cracks with large widths appear. During crack expansion, the plastic energy dissipation effect is enhanced and the deep impact conduction path is weakened, thus protecting the roadway. This study determined the significance of the pressure relief effect of different drilling parameters, which can guide reasonable modifications of drilling parameters in the field.

Study on Pressure Relief Mechanism of Hydraulic Support in Working Face under Directional Roof Crack

Study on Pressure Relief Mechanism of Hydraulic Support in Working Face under Directional Roof Crack

Discrete element study on mechanical response and pressure relief effect of rock containing variable hole

The traditional large-diameter hole pressure relief technology has the disadvantages of insufficient pressure relief in deep surrounding rock and damage to shallow surrounding rock. Therefore, an improved reaming hole pressure relief technology is proposed. A series of compression tests are conducted on numerical models with various hole parameters using the three-dimension particle flow code (PFC3D) to reveal the pressure relief mechanism of reaming hole technology. Firstly, numerical models for the pre-holed specimen are constructed, and the micro-parameters are calibrated based on the experimental results. Then, the evolution of crack initiation, propagation, and coalescence for pre-holed specimens are investigated by confined compression simulations in PFC3D. The relationships among the cracking process, stress-strain curve, and number of micro-crack are analyzed in detail. Finally, the spatial-temporal evolution of the stress field around the hole is discussed from the stress and force chain perspective. The research results could serve as a foundation for evaluating the pressure relief effect through stress and fracture monitoring methods on the surrounding rock mass.

Stability analysis and control technology of the sump-surrounding rock under a 1200-m-deep goaf: a case study

In this study, a sump in the Xingdong coal mine (buried at a depth of over 1200 m) was used to analyze the surrounding rock's stability and control technology. Under the combined influences of various complex conditions, such as the burial depth of over 1200 m, ultra-high ground stress, and location under the goaf, the sump support became extremely difficult, severely restricting the efficient production of the mine. The overall pressure-relief mechanisms and degree of the sump surrounding the rock environment under the goaf were studied, and the rationality of the sump location was verified through numerical simulations and field tests. A more effective support scheme was proposed based on the deformation characteristics and failure mechanisms of the temporary sump-surrounding rock under the supporting conditions. The combined control technology employed the lengthened strong anchor bolts (cables), full-section concrete-filled steel tubular supports, and pouring full-section reinforced concrete and full-section long-hole grouting reinforcement. The field test results showed that after adopting the new support scheme, the sump-surrounding rock tended to be stable after three months. The sump roof subsidence amount, floor heave amount, and convergence of the two sidewalls of the sump were 17.2–19.2 mm, 13.9–16.5 mm, and 23.2–27.9 mm, respectively, thus satisfying the application requirements. This study provides an essential reference for deep-mine roadway support under a complex high-ground-stress environment.

Experimental Investigation on Pressure Relief Mechanism of Specimens with Prefabricated Reaming Boreholes

Experimental Investigation on Pressure Relief Mechanism of Specimens with Prefabricated Reaming Boreholes

Chloride ion transport behavior of concrete containing insulating glazed hollow beads exposed to high temperature

• GHBs are beneficial to improve impermeability of concrete after fire. • GHBs have great significance for improving the concrete resistance to thermal damage. • The chloride ion diffusion and remaining service life of GIC after fire was calculated. • A thermal damage permeability model was established. Concrete building structures often suffer serious damage after fire, which poses a great threat to the durability of structures. Due to the high thermal stability and pressure relief mechanism of glazed hollow beads (GHBs), GHBs are of positive significance in improving the concrete’s resistance against high temperature. In this paper, the electric flux test was utilized to investigate the chloride ion transport behaviors of concrete containing insulating GHBs (GIC) after high temperature exposure. The electron probe micro-analysis (EPMA) combined with chemical titration method was adopted as a supplement to carry out a more in-depth analysis on concrete’s permeability. The results show that the anti-chloride ion transport performance of GIC was significantly improved compared to normal concrete. Experimental permeation data were further used to prepare a thermal damage permeability model. That is then used to discuss the impact of including glazed hollow beads on concrete’s residual service life after a fire. These data provide technical guidance for the engineering design and safe operation of undersea tunnels and other structures at risk of fire and subsequent saline water intrusion.

Experimental Study on Pressure Relief Mechanism of Variable-Diameter Borehole and Energy Evolution Characteristics of the Surrounding Rock

Conventional borehole pressure relief can meet the requirements for preventing rock bursts, but it can also easily destroy the roadway, resulting in system support failure. Taking coal-like samples with boreholes as the research object, the pressure relief effects of the same-diameter boreholes and variable-diameter boreholes are compared and analyzed by a uniaxial compression test. The joint pressure relief mechanism of the variable-diameter drilling hole is discussed. The experimental results show that the stress–strain curve of variable-diameter drilling sample occurred the phenomenon of pre-peak stress drop and post-peak stress plateau, which indicates that the variable-diameter drilling hole can enhance the plastic characteristics of coal-like samples. The borehole size dramatically influences the variation of various pressure relief indexes. The evolution law of AE counting the pre-peak and post-peak of borehole samples verified the abovementioned law. Variable-diameter drilling can enhance the plasticity of samples, weaken the brittleness and reduce the impact tendency. Under the maximum size of the variable-diameter drilling hole and the same-diameter drilling hole is same, the pressure relief effect is more significant. The results obtained in this paper can provide a new theoretical basis and technical guidance for borehole pressure relief and roadway support.

Pressure Relief Mechanism and Gas Extraction Method during the Mining of the Steep and Extra-Thick Coal Seam: A Case Study in the Yaojie No. 3 Coal Mine

Gas disasters, such as coal and gas outburst and gas overflow, always occur during the mining of the steep and extra-thick coal seam in the horizontal, fully mechanized, top coal slice caving (HFMTCSC) method. To solve these issues and guarantee the safe and efficient mining in the Yaojie No. 3 coal mine, 3DEC software was used in this work to investigate the overburden movement and collapse law as well as the stress redistribution and coal-seam deformation characteristics below the goaf. The results show that a pressure arch structure and a hinge structure are formed in succession in the overburden rock, which induces stress redistribution in the coal below the goaf. During the mining of the upper slice, more than 75% of the coal in the lower slice is located at the effective pressure relief zone; therefore, the steep and extra-thick coal seam can then be protected slice by slice. Meanwhile, with the increase of mining depth, the efficient pressure relief range expands. Based on this pressure relief mechanism, crossing boreholes and bedding boreholes were reasonably designed to efficiently extract the pressure relief gas during the mining of the steep and extra-thick coal seam in the Yaojie No. 3 coal mine.

Aerodynamic characteristics of two noise barriers (fully enclosed and semi-enclosed) caused by a passing train: A comparative study

With the wide use of noise barriers along high-speed railways, the aerodynamic problems of noise barrier caused by high-speed train operation become increasingly prominent. At present, the commonly used noise barrier types of high-speed railway can be classified as fully enclosed and semi-closed (inverted ‘L’ type). The model test of high-speed moving train with scale ratio of 1:16.8 was conducted, and the temporal and spatial laws of aerodynamic pressure of fully enclosed and semi-enclosed noise barriers were compared. These processes were performed to study the difference in the aerodynamic pressure characteristics of noise barriers when high-speed trains at speeds of 350 km/h pass through the two types of noise barriers. On the basis of large eddy simulation turbulence model and ‘mosaic’ grid technology, the corresponding 3D computational fluid dynamics numerical model of train–noise barrier–bridge was established, and the corresponding improvement schemes were proposed to solve the phenomenon of unreasonable pulsation pressure distribution of fully enclosed and semi-enclosed noise barriers. The pressure relief mechanism of the pressure relief hole on the fully enclosed noise barrier and the buffer mechanism of the buffer structure at the end of the semi-enclosed noise barrier are revealed from the perspective of flow field. The main results show that: (1) Compression wave and expansion wave are the key factors affecting the change in the peak pressure inside the fully enclosed noise barrier, while the pressure of the semi-enclosed noise barrier is directly affected by slipstream of the train. (2) The pressure amplitude in the middle of the fully enclosed noise barrier is 2.1–2.7 times of that at the two ends. The amplitude of transverse force at the two ends of semi-enclosed noise barrier is 1.2–1.4 times of that in the middle. (3) In the longitudinal direction of the noise barrier near the train side, the pressure of the measuring point of the semi-enclosed noise barrier decreases with the increase in the measuring point height; The pressure in the middle section of the fully enclosed noise barrier is unaffected by the height of the measuring point. (4) A triangular buffer structure can effectively alleviate the unreasonable vertical pressure distribution phenomenon caused by the train bursting into the semi-closed noise barrier, and the reduction rate of the transverse force amplitude of the end noise barrier is as high as 21.44%. (5) The pressure relief scheme of three holes can effectively alleviate the phenomenon of excessive pressure amplitude in the middle of the fully enclosed noise barrier caused by the passing train, and the reduction rate of pressure amplitude can reach up to 60.5%. The pressure relief holes with an area of 1.7 H × 1.7 H are arranged at 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 L, where L is the longitudinal length of the noise barrier.

Study on pressure relief effect of upper protective coal seam mining based on distributed optical fiber sensing monitoring

On site real-time monitoring of protective layer mining is an important method to deeply study its pressure relief mechanism. It is proposed that the distributed optical fiber sensing technology (BOTDA) based on Brillouin optical time domain analysis is used to conduct mining industry tests on the deformation law and pressure relief effect of the underlying coal and rock mass during the mining of the upper protective layer. Taking the 21,104 comprehensive mechanized working face of Hulusu Coal Mine as an example, the strain transmission relationship between the coal and rock mass and the force-bearing optical fiber sensor is analyzed, and the design scheme, implantation scheme and installation process of the optical fiber sensor monitoring system are introduced. Implemented the accuracy analysis of the optical fiber sensing monitoring system and the spatial positioning of the sensors. According to the mining progress of the working face, the optical fiber sensing monitoring system regularly collects data, and by analyzing the strain distribution characteristics of the sensing optical cable and its dynamic change process, the deformation law of the underlying coal and rock mass in the mining of the upper protective layer is obtained. The monitoring results show that the underlying coal and rock mass undergoes a dynamic process of compressive strain increase, tensile strain increase and tensile strain recovery during the mining of the upper protective layer, and the scale of increase and decrease of strain of coal and rock mass at different depths are different; The intensity of coal rock deformation and pressure relief effect are characterized by the fluctuation amplitude of optical fiber strain increment. The pressure relief process can be divided into three stages: the pressure relief start stage is 40.8 m, the pressure relief active stage is 68.3 m, and the pressure relief decline stage; Finally, the strike pressure relief angle of the upper protective layer mining is 58.7°, the inclined pressure relief angle is 63.6°, the pressure relief lag distance is 14.2 m, and the maximum vertical distance of pressure relief is 28.4 m. The research shows that the application of BOTDA distributed optical fiber sensing technology in monitoring the pressure relief effect of protective layer mining can provide a reliable basis for coal mine safety mining.

Study on the Radial Displacement Law and Permeability Enhancement Effect of Coal Body around Hydraulic Flushing Drilling

Hydraulic flushing drilling technology can not only improve the efficiency of high-pressure and low-permeability geological reservoir coalbed methane drainage but also effectively reduce the probability of coal and gas outburst disasters through pressure relief. The main mechanism of this technology is to expand the borehole diameter through hydraulic flushing measures, increase the strain of the coal around the borehole, and increase the development of cracked pores, to improve the permeability of the coal seam and realize the dual reduction of ground and gas pressure. However, in the actual application process, the interaction mechanism among the stress field, the structure field, and the seepage field is still not clear, and there is no clear method to accurately determine the pressure relief range based on the pressure relief mechanism in order to carry out reasonable drilling arrangements. Therefore, this article comprehensively uses laboratory experiments, numerical simulations, and field practices to fully explain the hydraulic flushing pressure relief mechanism and proposes a method to accurately determine the pressure relief range based on the radial line strain law. The results based on radial line strain showed that the effective relief radius expands to 0.86 m once adopting the Φ579 mm hydraulic flushing borehole compared to Φ160 mm; the borehole’s equivalent diameter of drilling field #11 is 2 to 3 times than that of #10 and 1.2 times the average CBM extraction amount. Therefore, as the borehole diameter increases, the permeability and radial line strain of the coal around the borehole increase significantly, but the tendency of the increase in permeability decreases with increasing vertical stress. The findings of this study can help for a better understanding of the pressure relief and permeability enhancement mechanism of hydraulic flushing, and the method of determining the pressure relief range based on radial strain can also provide a new way for other mines to practice ideas.

Pressure Relief Mechanism of Directional Hydraulic Fracturing for Gob-Side Entry Retaining and Its Application

In order to make clear the pressure relief mechanism and application effect of directional hydraulic fracturing for gob-side entry retaining, the directional hydraulic fracturing was carried out by 400 m in haulage gateway remaining along the goaf in 50108 working face of Hejiata Coal Mine. Taking this as the engineering background, a mechanical model of roof cutting was established and the pressure relief mechanism was clarified. The theoretical research shows that it is the moments of gravity FG of the curved triangular roof plate at the face end, the pressure q of the overlying soft rock, and the transverse force TCB in the “voussoir beam” structure to the left endpoint of the triangular block, that is, M F G , M q , and M T CB , which determines the roadside supporting resistance. Hydraulic fracturing can reduce the lateral cantilever length of the basic roof, thus greatly reducing the values of M F G , M T CB , and M q , and significantly reduce the roadside supporting resistance. The field test shows that the directional hydraulic fracturing technology can effectively improve the stress environment of the face end and reduce the deformation of the roadway, and it has a good application effect on the gob-side entry retaining.

Stress Evolution Law of Surrounding Rock with Gob‐Side Entry Retaining by Roof Cutting and Pressure Release in Composite Roof

The stress concentration of gob‐side entry surrounding rock is a hot topic in coal mining. In this paper, through theoretical analysis and numerical simulation, the pressure relief mechanism of the gob‐side entry retaining by roof cutting and pressure release (RCPR) and the spatiotemporal development law of surrounding rock stress of the gob‐side entry were analyzed. The studies showed that the gob‐side entry retaining by RCPR shortened the length of the lateral cantilever by directional roof cutting, which weakened the stress level of the gob‐side entry. In the meantime, the goaf gangues could play a good filling role by using their breaking and swelling characteristics under the action of gangue‐blocking supports and further optimized the stress environment along the roadway. Field industrial tests verified that the gob‐side entry retaining by RCPR had a significant effect on pressure relief, and the surrounding rock stress and deformation tended to stabilize after about 160 m of lagging working face. Numerical analysis reproduced the whole process of “mining‐retention‐using” of roof cutting roadway and revealed that surrounding rocks were always in the zone of relative stress reduction during the whole process. The peak value of mining‐induced lateral stress was about 10 m away from the middle point of the gob‐side entry. The change of surrounding rock stress could be divided into three stages: significant increase, dynamic adjustment, and stable stage. However, during the second mining, the stress connected zone would appear on the leading working face, and the stress concentration in this zone was significant. Based on the above analysis, we concluded that the new technology could be applied to the medium‐thickness coal seam in the composite roof.

Application of Shallow-Hole Blasting in Improving the Stability of Gob-Side Retaining Entry in Deep Mines: A Case Study

The hanging of hard roof strata in the gob-side retaining entry in deep mines could lead to dynamic disasters. The pressure relief mechanism for the hard roof strata using shallow-hole blasting was investigated by a combined method of theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and field test in the Sanhejian coal mine. The shallow-hole blasting model was established using LS-DYNA3D (Livemore software of explicit dynamics analysis code). The evolution and propagation law of effective stress induced by shallow-hole blasting was analyzed. The parameters related to shallow-hole blasting were determined via a combined method of numerical analysis and theoretical calculations. These were applied to the field tests. The effect of shallow-hole blasting on the strata control of deep gob-side retaining entry was studied by comparing two scenarios in the field: a deep gob-side retaining entry with and without shallow-hole blasting. It was found that the convergences of the entry decreased due to the shallow-hole blasting. This indicates that shallow-hole blasting is a good technique to maintain the stability of the gob-side retaining entry with a hard roof in deep mines.

Pressure relief mechanism and experiment of directional hydraulic fracturing in retaining roadway

Pressure relief mechanism and experiment of directional hydraulic fracturing in retaining roadway

Hanging Wall Pressure Relief Mechanism of Horizontal Section Top-Coal Caving Face and Its Application—A Case Study of the Urumqi Coalfield, China

Abundant steeply-dipping thick coal seams (SDTCS) have been found in Xinjiang, China, and they are mined largely by the horizontal section top-coal caving (HSTCC) method. The hanging wall of the HSTCC face is nearly vertical and does not fracture easily after the underlying coal is extracted. As a result, stress tends to concentrate in the hanging wall of the lower-section working face (LSWF) and then induce dynamic disasters. In this study, a mechanical model of a HSTCC face’s hanging wall in steeply-dipping seams was constructed to study the characteristics of hanging wall deformation. The mechanism of hanging wall pressure relief by deep-hole blasting (DHB) was analyzed and the effectiveness of DHB was investigated by simulation using the LS-DYNA software. Based on these studies, parameters relevant to pressure relief by DHB were determined and then DHB was applied to the 4301 working face in the Jiangou coal mine. The results show that the average pressure of measured at the 4301 working face decreased about 34% from those at the 4501 face where the hanging wall was not blasted. Accidents related to dynamic rock pressure, such as support crushing and large-scale rib fall, did not occur at the 4301 working face throughout the mining process. Additionally, in order to constrain the surface “V”-shaped collapsed grooves induced by repeated mining of HSTCC faces and prevent the subsequent failure of the surrounding rock on the sides of the collapsed grooves, loess was used to fill in the grooves to provide constraint and dynamic control on the surrounding rock. The two complementary technologies proposed in this study provide a guide on how to control hanging wall of SDTCS in similar conditions.

New information on the braincase and inner ear ofEuparkeria capensisBroom: implications for diapsid and archosaur evolution

Since its discovery, Euparkeria capensis has been a key taxon for understanding the early evolution of archosaurs. The braincase of Euparkeria was described based on a single specimen, but much uncertainty remained. For the first time, all available braincase material of Euparkeria is re-examined using micro-computed tomography scanning. Contrary to previous work, the parabasisphenoid does not form the posterior border of the fenestra ovalis in lateral view, but it does bear a dorsal projection that forms the anteroventral half of the fenestra. No bone pneumatization was found, but the lateral depression of the parabasisphenoid may have been pneumatic. We propose that the lateral depression likely corresponds to the anterior tympanic recess present in crown archosaurs. The presence of a laterosphenoid is confirmed for Euparkeria. It largely conforms to the crocodilian condition, but shows some features which make it more similar to the avemetatarsalian laterosphenoid. The cochlea of Euparkeria is elongated, forming a deep cochlear recess. In comparison with other basal archosauromorphs, the metotic foramen is much enlarged and regionalized into vagus and recessus scalae tympani areas, indicating an increase in its pressure-relief mechanism. The anterior semicircular canal is extended and corresponds to an enlarged floccular fossa. These aspects of the braincase morphology may be related to the development of a more upright posture and active lifestyle. They also indicate further adaptations of the hearing system of Euparkeria to terrestriality.

Cracking Process and Stress Field Evolution in Specimen Containing Combined Flaw Under Uniaxial Compression

Hydraulic slotting, an efficient technique for underground enhanced coal bed methane (ECBM) recovery, has been widely used in China. However, its pressure relief mechanism is unclear. Thus far, only limited research has been conducted on the relationships among the mechanical properties, flaw parameters, and crack propagation patterns of coal after hydraulic slotting. In addition, because of the limitations of test methods, an in-depth information is not available for this purpose. In this work, numerical models of specimens containing combined flaws are established based on particle flow code method. Our results provide insights into the effects of flaw inclination angle on the mechanical properties, crack propagation patterns, and temporal and spatial evolution rules of stress field in specimens containing combined flaws during the loading process. Besides, based on the initiation position and underlying mechanism, three types of crack initiation modes are identified from the failure processes of specimens. Finally, the crack propagation pattern is quantitatively described by the fractal dimension, which is found to be inversely proportional to the uniaxial compressive strength and elastic modulus of the specimen. To verify the rationality of the numerical simulation results, laboratory tests were conducted and their results match well with those obtained from the numerical simulation.

Crack propagation patterns and energy evolution rules of coal within slotting disturbed zone under various lateral pressure coefficients

Lateral pressure coefficient is an important parameter in geological engineering, and it influences significantly the damage zone around boreholes. In accordance with the fundamental principles of the Particle Flow Code (PFC), various models were established to investigate the crack propagation patterns and energy evolution rules of coal in disturbed zones of hydraulic slotting for various lateral pressure coefficients. Cracks around a slotted borehole propagate in the horizontal direction when the lateral pressure coefficient λ is less than 1, distribute uniformly when λ is equal to 1, and extend mostly in the vertical direction when λ is greater than 1. The total number of cracks increases linearly with λ. The variation in kinetic energy for coal failure was recorded; kinetic energy evolution observes a similar rule and its process can be divided into four stages, namely, the quick-release, rapid dissipation, drastic fluctuation, and stabilized stages. The peak value of the kinetic energy increases linearly with λ. The acoustic emission events distribute discretely when λ is small and uniformly when λ is equal to 1. The variation in acoustic emission events tends to increase sharply before decreasing when λ is greater than 1. The research findings are significant to the exploration of pressure relief mechanisms for hydraulic slotting from a microcosmic perspective.

Simple Modelling and Characterization of Pressure Rise due to Internal Arcing in an Open Chamber with Releasing Through a Metal Grid

In some electrical installations equipped with the pressure relief mechanism for the internal arcing fault, metal grids are set up at the releasing parts. So it is necessary to understand how the pressure in such electrical installations rises during the internal arcing fault. This paper describes an investigation of the internal pressure rise due to the high current arc in an open chamber with releasing through a metal grid. In this investigation, we focused on both the peak value Ppeak and the time to peak tpeak on the internal pressure rise waveform where the oscillating component was removed, because it was experimentally observed that the general variation of such internal pressure rise with time had a point of turning from growing to lessening during the arcing. In order to investigate such internal pressure rise, a simple model for calculation was constructed, and was validated by a comparison with data from the experiment using a perforated metal plate as a metal grid. As a result of the investigation applying this simple model, the dependence of both the Ppeak and the tpeak on conditions of the metal grid, the chamber volume, and the arc energy was derived quantitatively.