Abstract

The catastrophic evolution of damage fractures and seepage in surrounding rocks under coupled actions significantly impacts the safety of rock mass engineering, such as mining and tunnel construction. To address this, we developed a test platform to observe the spatiotemporal evolution of water inrush from the floor of a mining coal seam. The platform comprises a test bench, servo loading system, water pressure control system, flexible loading system, and intelligent monitoring system. This setup enables flexible loading during overlying rock movement, conducts three-dimensional simulation tests on mining water inrush solid-flow coupling, simulates various crustal stresses, quantitatively monitors water inrush flow and pressure in specific floor areas in real time, and observes the entire process of water inrush crack formation. Using this system and nonhydrophilic similar simulation materials, we conducted experimental simulations on pressurized water inrush in the floor after coal seam mining. We analyzed the visual fracture development process of the floor, the distribution characteristics of water gushing flow in the floor area, and the sudden changes in instant water inrush and stress variation law of the water-resisting layer in the floor. The test results vividly illustrate the catastrophic process of water inrush in the coal seam floor. Our study reveals that, under the combined effects of water, rocks, and stresses, coal mine floor crack expansion exhibits periodic changes. The flow sensor demonstrates a noticeable upward trend during floor crack group expansion, allowing for early warning before water inrush disasters occur by leveraging changes in physical parameters such as flow rates and water pressures. This platform offers a novel and vital tool for addressing rock mechanics challenges in coal mining and for experimental research and testing of mine water inrush mechanisms, prevention, and control.

References

1.
Chen
,
J.
,
Zhao
J.
,
Zhang
S.
,
Zhang
Y.
,
Yang
F.
, and
Li
M.
.
2020
. “
An Experimental and Analytical Research on the Evolution of Mining Cracks in Deep Floor Rock Mass
.”
Pure and Applied Geophysics
177
, no. 
11
(November):
5325
5348
. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-020-02550-9
2.
Frith
,
R.
,
Reed
G.
, and
Jones
A.
.
2020
. “
A Causation Mechanism for Coal Bursts during Roadway Development Based on the Major Horizontal Stress in Coal: Very Specific Structural Geology Causing a Localised Loss of Effective Coal Confinement and Newton’s Second Law
.”
International Journal of Mining Science and Technology
30
, no. 
1
(January):
39
47
. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmst.2019.12.018
3.
Galav
,
A.
,
Singh
G. S. P.
, and
Sharma
S. K.
.
2023
. “
Hydro-Mechanically Coupled Numerical Modelling of Protective Water Barrier Pillars in Underground Coal Mines in India
.”
Mine Water and the Environment
42
, no. 
3
(September):
418
440
. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10230-023-00946-2
4.
Gubaidullin
,
A. A.
,
Boldyreva
O. Y.
, and
Dudko
D. N.
.
2022
. “
Numerical Simulation of Wave Propagation in a Fractured Porous Medium
.”
Lobachevskii Journal of Mathematics
43
, no. 
12
(December):
3471
3477
. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1995080222150094
5.
Islavath
,
S. R.
2023
. “
Numerical Modelling Approach for Estimation of a Yield Zone in the Face of a Deep Longwall Panel
.”
Scientific Reports
13
, no. 
1
(November): 20811. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-47683-8
6.
Jiang
,
Y.
,
Zhao
Y.
,
Wang
H.
, and
Zhu
J.
.
2017
. “
A Review of Mechanism and Prevention Technologies of Coal Bumps in China
.”
Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering
9
, no. 
1
(February):
180
194
. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrmge.2016.05.008
7.
Li
,
X.
,
Gong
F.
,
Tao
M.
,
Dong
L.
,
Du
K.
,
Ma
C.
,
Zhou
Z.
, and
Yin
T.
.
2017
. “
Failure Mechanism and Coupled Static-Dynamic Loading Theory in Deep Hard Rock Mining: A Review
.”
Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering
9
, no. 
4
(August):
767
782
. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrmge.2017.04.004
8.
Li
,
Y.
,
Zhang
S. C.
,
Sun
X. Z.
,
Shen
B. T.
,
Sun
W. B.
,
Chen
J. T.
, and
Zhao
J. H.
.
2021
. “
Development and Experimental Study on Visualizxation Testplatform for Water Inush Evolution Process of Coal Seam Mining Floor
.”
Journal of China Coal Society
46
, no. 
11
(November):
3515
3524
. https://doi.org/10.13225/j.cnki.jccs.2020.1435
9.
Liang
,
D.-X.
,
Jiang
Z.-Q.
,
Zhu
S.-Y.
,
Sun
Q.
, and
Qian
Z.-W.
.
2016
. “
Experimental Research on Water Inrush in Tunnel Construction
.”
Natural Hazards
81
, no. 
1
(March):
467
480
. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-015-2090-2
10.
Liu
,
Y.
,
Liu
Q.
,
Jin
Z.
,
Cai
L.
, and
Cui
X.
.
2014
. “
A Simulation Study of Support Break-Off and Water Inrush during Mining under the High Confined and Thick Unconsolidated Aquifer
.”
Open Journal of Geology
4
, no. 
12
(December):
599
611
. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojg.2014.412044
11.
Ma
,
K.
,
Sun
X. Y.
,
Tang
C. A.
,
Yuan
F. Z.
,
Wang
S. J.
, and
Chen
T.
.
2021
. “
Floor Water Inrush Analysis Based on Mechanical Failure Characters and Microseismic Monitoring
.”
Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology
108
: 103698. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2020.103698
12.
Pan
,
D.
,
Li
S.
,
Xu
Z.
,
Lin
P.
, and
Huang
X.
.
2019
. “
Experimental and Numerical Study of the Water Inrush Mechanisms of Underground Tunnels Due to the Proximity of a Water-Filled Karst Cavern
.”
Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment
78
, no. 
8
(December):
6207
6219
. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-019-01491-5
13.
Phillipson
,
S. E.
2008
. “
Texture, Mineralogy, and Rock Strength in Horizontal Stress-Related Coal Mine Roof Falls
.”
International Journal of Coal Geology
75
, no. 
3
(August):
175
184
. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coal.2008.05.018
14.
Rutqvist
,
J.
and
Stephansson
O.
.
2003
. “
The Role of Hydromechanical Coupling in Fractured Rock Engineering
.”
Hydrogeology Journal
11
, no. 
1
(February):
7
40
. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-002-0241-5
15.
Sakhno
,
I.
,
Sakhno
S.
,
Petrenko
A.
,
Barkova
O.
, and
Kobylianskyi
B.
.
2023
. “
Numerical Simulation of the Surface Subsidence Evolution Caused by the Flooding of the Longwall Goaf during Excavation of Thin Coal Seams
.”
IOP Conference Series. Earth and Environmental Science
1254
, no. 
1
(October): 012057. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1254/1/012057
16.
Shao
,
S.
,
Wang
Q.
,
Luo
A.
, and
Shao
S.
.
2017
. “
True Triaxial Apparatus with Rigid-Flexible-Flexible Boundary and Remolded Loess Testing
.”
Journal of Testing and Evaluation
45
, no. 
3
(May):
808
817
. https://doi.org/10.1520/JTE20150177
17.
Shao
,
S.
,
Wang
Y.
, and
Shao
S.
.
2021
. “
A Large-Scale True Triaxial Apparatus with Rigid-Flexible-Flexible Boundary for Granular Materials
.”
Geotechnical Testing Journal
44
, no. 
5
(September):
1179
1196
. https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ20190359
18.
Shapka-Fels
,
T.
and
Elmo
D.
.
2022
. “
Numerical Modelling Challenges in Rock Engineering with Special Consideration of Open Pit to Underground Mine Interaction
.”
Geosciences
12
, no. 
5
(May): 199. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences12050199
19.
Shen
,
B.
2014
. “
Development and Applications of Rock Fracture Mechanics Modelling with FRACOD: A General Review
.”
Geosystem Engineering
17
, no. 
4
(July):
235
252
. https://doi.org/10.1080/12269328.2014.969388
20.
Shen
,
B.
,
Stephansson
O.
, and
Rinne
M.
.
2014
.
Modelling Rock Fracturing Processes: A Fracture Mechanics Approach Using FRACOD
, 1st ed.
Dordrecht, the Netherlands
:
Springer
. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6904-5
21.
Shi
,
L.
,
Wang
Y.
,
Qiu
M.
, and
Wang
M.
.
2019
. “
Assessment of Water Inrush Risk Based on the Groundwater Modeling System—A Case Study in the Jiaojia Gold Mine Area, China
.”
Arabian Journal of Geosciences
12
, no. 
24
(December): 807. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-019-4986-8
22.
Sun
,
W.
,
Zhang
S.
,
Guo
W.
, and
Liu
W.
.
2017
. “
Physical Simulation of High-Pressure Water Inrush through the Floor of a Deep Mine
.”
Mine Water and the Environment
36
, no. 
4
(November):
542
549
. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10230-017-0443-7
23.
Wang
,
L.
,
Kong
H.
, and
Karakus
M.
.
2020
. “
Hazard Assessment of Groundwater Inrush in Crushed Rock Mass: An Experimental Investigation of Mass-Loss-Induced Change of Fluid Flow Behavior
.”
Engineering Geology
277
: 105812. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2020.105812
24.
Yang
,
T.
,
Zhang
Q. S.
,
Zhang
X.
, and
Wang
D.
.
2020
. “
Experimental Research on Destruction Characteristics of Mud Inrush on Tunnel in Argillaceous Fault Fracture Zone
.”
IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science
555
: 012110. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/555/1/012110
25.
Yin
,
J.-H.
,
Zhou
W.-H.
,
Kumruzzaman
M.
, and
Cheng
C.-M.
.
2011
. “
A Rigid-Flexible Boundary True Triaxial Apparatus for Testing Soils in a Three-Dimensional Stress State
.”
Geotechnical Testing Journal
34
, no. 
3
(May):
265
272
. https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ102886
26.
Zhang
,
S.
,
Guo
W.
, and
Li
Y.
.
2017
. “
Experimental Simulation of Water-Inrush Disaster from the Floor of Mine and Its Mechanism Investigation
.”
Arabian Journal of Geosciences
10
, no. 
22
(November): 503. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-017-3287-3
27.
Zhang
,
B.
,
He
Q.
,
Lin
Z.
, and
Li
Z.
.
2021
. “
Experimental Study on the Flow Behaviour of Water-Sand Mixtures in Fractured Rock Specimens
.”
International Journal of Mining Science and Technology
31
, no. 
3
(May):
377
385
. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmst.2020.09.001
28.
Zhang
,
S.
,
Shen
B.
,
Li
Y.
, and
Zhou
S.
.
2019
. “
Modeling Rock Fracture Propagation and Water Inrush Mechanisms in Underground Coal Mine
.”
Geofluids
2019
: 1796965. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/1796965
29.
Zhang
,
G.
,
Wang
H.
,
Yan
S.
,
Jia
C.
, and
Song
X.
.
2020
. “
Simulated Experiment of Water-Sand Inrush across Overlying Strata Fissures Caused by Mining
.”
Geofluids
2020
: 6614213. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/6614213
30.
Zhao
,
X.
and
Yang
X.
.
2019
. “
Experimental Study on Water Inflow Characteristics of Tunnel in the Fault Fracture Zone
.”
Arabian Journal of Geosciences
12
, no. 
13
(July): 399. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-019-4561-3
31.
Zhu
,
G.
,
Zhang
W.
,
Wang
S.
, and
Zhang
P.
.
2018
. “
Experimental Research on Characteristics of Fault Activation and Confined Water Rising
.”
Geotechnical and Geological Engineering
36
, no. 
4
(August):
2625
2636
. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-018-0487-x
This content is only available via PDF.
You do not currently have access to this content.