Numerical study of hydraulic fracturing fracture area changing rules in underground coal mine

To investigate the relationship between the fractured area created by hydraulic fracturing and various fracturing parameters of underground coal mines, we applied fracture and porous media fluid-solid coupling theory to establish a numerical model of hydraulic fracturing. Three-dimensional numerical simulation of hydraulic fracturing of K1 coal seam in a coalmine was performed using the proposed numerical model. We examined the relations between the fractured area and the injection volume, injection rate, and viscosity of the fracturing fluid. The results showed that the fractured area increased with increasing injection rate, however, the extension rate slowed down; the fractured area initially increased then decreased with increasing viscosity; the fractured area increases rapidly with the increase of the water injection volume at the beginning, then begin to slow, eventually approximate linear growth

Experimental study on characteristics of self-excited oscillation pulsed water jet

To promote the application of self-excited oscillation pulsed water jet in various fields, various characteristics of self-excited oscillation pulsed water jet were studied experimentally. A test system of self-excited oscillation pulsed water jet characteristics was designed, and it is composed of pulsed jet producer devices, particle image velocity (PIV) measuring system, pressure pulse test device and the confining pressure cavity suitable for a PIV test. The characteristics of flow field, pressure oscillation, pulsed cavitation and acoustic shock of pulsed jet were researched. The results showed that the axis velocity vector at nozzle outlet changes periodically, and gradually becomes smaller away from the nozzle. The peak pressure of self-excited oscillation pulsed water jet is 2.5 times higher than the common continuous jet. The wave crest and the wave trough of pulsed jet are not completely symmetric. As the pump pressure increases, the length of bubble cloud increases, and it first increases and then decreases with confining pressure increasing. The vibration acceleration of sonic boom increases and then decreases as pump pressure increases, and decreases steadily with confining pressure increasing

Rock-Breaking Properties Under the Rotatory Impact of Water Jets in Water Jet Drilling

Water jet drilling is widely used to develop coalbed methane reservoirs. The water jet drill bit is the core component, and a self-rotating bit is an economical bit because of its high rock-breaking efficiency and low energy consumption. Because the important parameters concerning the rock-breaking efficiency of these drill bits are unclear, this study carried out rock-breaking experiments on water jet rotation under different conditions of drill bit rotation speed, jet pressure, and jet impact angle. How the rock was fractured and eroded under these different conditions was analyzed. The results show that the volume of rock broken under rotary jet erosion increases exponentially with increasing jet pressure. The rock-breaking depth is the most important factor that influences the volume of rock broken, whereas the diameter of the area broken is a secondary factor. There is an optimum water jet rotation speed for the most efficient rock breakage, and this rotation speed is positively correlated with jet pressure. There is also an optimum water jet impact angle for rock breaking, and, in our experiments, this angle was 10°. The rotary impact of the water jet causes the rock to be in a three-way tension state, and this reduces the water cushion effect and jet reflection. This study can be used as a reference and guide for optimizing the design of self-rotating water jet bits and the determination of reasonable drilling parameters

Dynamic behaviour of aluminium alloy plates with surface cracks subjected to repeated impacts

This paper investigates the behaviour of aluminium alloy plates with and without initial cracks under repeated impacts. Three series of impact tests were conducted to study the behaviour of circular plate that do not have any cracks (series B), have surface cracks with varying length (series L), and have cracks varying depths (series D). A hammer was dropped from the same height with a constant initial striking energy 60J for all tests. It was observed that plates with larger cracks carried smaller impact forces and assumed larger deformations. With the increase in impact number, the effects of crack lengths and depths on the dynamic behaviour became much more significant. Predictions using a rigid-plastic theoretical model were compared with these test results. With the stresses determined based on the true strain-stress curve obtained by standard tension test, the refined analytical formula provides better predictions that agree well with the lab tests

Fully Coupled Multi-Scale Model for Gas Extraction from Coal Seam Stimulated by Directional Hydraulic Fracturing

Although numerous studies have tried to explain the mechanism of directional hydraulic fracturing in a coal seam, few of them have been conducted on gas migration stimulated by directional hydraulic fracturing during coal mine methane extraction. In this study, a fully coupled multi-scale model to stimulate gas extraction from a coal seam stimulated by directional hydraulic fracturing was developed and calculated by a finite element approach. The model considers gas flow and heat transfer within the hydraulic fractures, the coal matrix, and cleat system, and it accounts for coal deformation. The model was verified using gas amount data from the NO.8 coal seam at Fengchun mine, Chongqing, Southwest China. Model simulation results show that slots and hydraulic fracture can expand the area of gas pressure drop and decrease the time needed to complete the extraction. The evolution of hydraulic fracture apertures and permeability in coal seams is greatly influenced by the effective stress and coal matrix deformation. A series of sensitivity analyses were performed to investigate the impacts of key factors on gas extraction time of completion. The study shows that hydraulic fracture aperture and the cleat permeability of coal seams play crucial roles in gas extraction from a coal seam stimulated by directional hydraulic fracturing. In addition, the reasonable arrangement of directional boreholes could improve the gas extraction efficiency. A large coal seam dip angle and high temperature help to enhance coal mine methane extraction from the coal seam

Rock-Breaking Properties of Multi-Nozzle Bits for Tree-Type Drilling in Underground Coal Mines

Tree-type drilling is a new technique for drilling radial tree-type boreholes in coal seams in underground mines using water jets to break the coal. The aim is to drain gas from the coal seams in larger quantities and from larger areas than can be done by conventional gas drainage using single boreholes. The self-propelled drill bit is the most important component for this technique. The bit generates a self-propelling force to move forward, break coal, and form a borehole. This paper investigates the relationships between the physical parameters of the forward nozzles in the bit and the diameter and shape of the borehole drilled. The effect of different physical parameters on the rock-breaking efficiency is studied by conducting drilling experiments. The results show that the size, orientation and number of the nozzles significantly affect the rock-breaking efficiency of the bit. To obtain a better rock-breaking efficiency under the experimental conditions used for this paper, the axial angle for forward nozzles should be 15°, the radial angle 90°, and nozzles should be arranged 2.1 mm from the center of a 12 mm drill bit. The experimental results provide a reference for the design of multi-nozzle bits for many applications such as radial jet drilling (RJD) and bent pipe cleaning

Analysis of Application Parameters of Hydraulic Slotting Technology in Jointed Coal Reservoirs

Hydraulic slotting technology is typically used in coal mines to enhance permeability and prevent gas outbursts. Because a coal seam contains many cleats and joints, this study investigated the influence of conventional application parameters on the hydraulic slotting effect by numerical simulation and experimental testing. The cleats in the coal generated stress concentration and initiated with the water jet impact, which promoted the formation of a complex fracture network. The optimized arrangement included angles with an inclination of 20–45° between the borehole and the coal seam strike. The water jet pressure and rotation speed determined the shape of the slot. A high water jet pressure and low rotation speed promoted the formation of cracks at the end of the slot and strengthened the permeability-enhancing effect. Coal fragments could more easily peel off from the sides of the seam and block the borehole. The high water pressure and low rotation speed application parameters were optimized without blocking the borehole. Results obtained by field application revealed that the gas extraction flow after optimization was 1.3 times that of conventional hydraulic slotting. An appropriate angle between the cleats and borehole can more effectively increase the permeability of the coal seam and results in higher gas drainage flow. The results of this study can be useful as guidelines for field applications of hydraulic slotting technology

Progress on the hydraulic measures for grid slotting and fracking to enhance coal seam permeability

A method of hydraulic grid slotting and hydraulic fracturing was proposed to enhance the permeability of low permeability coal seam in China. Micro-structural development and strength characteristics of coal were analysed to set up the failure criterion of coal containing water and gas, which could describe the destruction rule of coal containing gas under the hydraulic measures more accurately. Based on the theory of transient flow and fluid grid, the numerical calculation model of turbulence formed by high pressure oscillating water jet was used. With the high speed photography test, dynamic evolution and pulsation characteristics of water jet water analysed which laid a foundation for mechanism analysis of rock damage under water jet. Wave equation of oscillating water jet slotting was established and the mechanism of coal damage by the impact stress wave under oscillation jet was revealed. These provide a new method to study the mechanism of porosity and crack damage under high pressure jet. Fracture criterion by jet slotting was established and mechanism of crack development controlled by crack zone between slots was found. The fractures were induced to extend along pre-set direction, instead of being controlled by original stress field. The model of gas migration through coal seams after the hydraulic measures for grid slotting and fracking was established. The key technology and equipment for grid slotting and fracking with high-pressure oscillating jet were developed and applied to coal mines in Chongqing and Henan in China. The results show that the gas permeability of coal seam is enhanced by three orders of magnitude, efficiency of roadway excavation and mining is improved by more than 57% and the cost of gas control is reduced by 50%. Keywords: Coal seam permeability, High pressure water jet, Grid slotting and fracking, Gas extractio

A Novel Hydraulic Mode to Promote Gas Extraction: Pressure Relief Technologies for Tectonic Regions and Fracturing Technologies for Nontectonic Regions

Extraction of gas (coalbed methane) produces clean energy and can ensure that coal mines maintain high-efficiency production. The currently available coal seam permeability enhancing technologies and modes have certain application restrictions. Therefore, a novel mode is proposed to promote gas extraction. This mode divides complex coal seams into tectonic regions and nontectonic regions based on geological structures. Then, the characteristics of different regions are matched with the advantages of different hydraulic technologies; thus, pressure relief technologies are proposed for tectonic regions, and fracturing technologies are proposed for nontectonic regions. The permeability of coal seams will be sharply increased without leaving unfractured areas. This mode will promote the effectiveness of gas extraction, shorten the extraction time, and ensure safe and efficient production in coal mines. A field application shows that this mode has a better effect than slotted directional hydraulic fracturing technology (SDHFT). The gas concentration and pure gas flow were increased by 47.1% (up to 24.94%) and 44.6% (up to 6.13 m3/min), respectively, compared to SDHFT over 9 months. The extraction time was reduced by 4 months. This mode reduced the number of times that gas concentration exceeded government standards during coal roadway excavation, and the coal roadway excavation speed was increased by 16% (up to 158 m/month)

Research on and Design of a Self-Propelled Nozzle for the Tree-Type Drilling Technique in Underground Coal Mines

Due to the increasing depths of coal mines and the low permeability of some coal seams, conventional methods of gas drainage in underground mines are facing many problems. To improve gas extraction, a new technique using water jets to drill tree-type boreholes in coal seams is proposed. A self-propelled water-jet drilling nozzle was designed to drill these boreholes. The configuration of the self-propelled nozzle was optimized by conducting drilling experiments and self-propelling force measurements. Experimental results show that the optimal self-propelled nozzle has a forward orifice axial angle at 25°, a radial angle at 90°, a center distance of 1.5 mm, and backward pointing orifices with an axial angle of 25°. The self-propelling force generated by the jets of the nozzle with 30 MPa pump pressure can reach 29.8 N, enough to pull the hose and the nozzle forward without any external forces. The nozzle can drill at speeds up to 41.5 m/h with pump pressures at 30 MPa. The radial angles of the forward orifices improve the rock breaking performance of the nozzle and, with the correct angle, the rock breaking area of the orifices overlap to produce a connecting hole. The diameter of boreholes drilled by this nozzle can reach 35.2 mm. The nozzle design can be used as the basis for designing other self-propelled nozzles. The drilling experiments demonstrate the feasibility of using the tree-type drilling technique in underground mines