Title: A numerical modelling study of longwall face stability in mining thick coal seams in China

Authors: Gaofeng Song; Yoginder P. Chugh; Jiachen Wang

Addresses: College of Resources and Safety Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China ' Department of Mining and Mineral Resources Engineering, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA ' College of Resources and Safety Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China

Abstract: Longwall face failures remain a major ground control and safety hazard in Chinese coal mines. This paper develops a better scientific understanding of stress and displacement distribution in the face area through 2-D finite element modelling of a typical longwall face in China. The results show: 1) most of the yielding occurs in the upper part of the face; 2) most vertical displacement occurs near the upper part of the coal face, while most horizontal displacement occurs around the centre part; 3) most face falls should, therefore, occur in the upper part of the coal face; 4) face stability is most affected by the load carrying characteristics of caved gob; 5) increased loading capacity of shields has limited effect on the stress distribution ahead of the face; 6) currently used face plate pressure distribution does not have a major effect on the redistribution of stress in the face area.

Keywords: thick coal seams; longwall mines; face failure; face falls; face stability; finite element method; FEM; modelling; caved gob; roof support; face plates; structural failure; functional failure; numerical modelling; China; coal mining; yielding; most vertical displacement; horizontal displacement; load carrying; shield loading capacity; stress distribution; face plate pressure distribution; stress redistribution.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMME.2017.082682

International Journal of Mining and Mineral Engineering, 2017 Vol.8 No.1, pp.35 - 55

Received: 26 Mar 2016
Accepted: 22 Aug 2016
Published online: 06 Mar 2017 *

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