A mathematical model of gas flow during coal outburst initiation

Abstract A proposed concept of outburst initiation examines the release of a large amount of gas from coal seams resulted from disintegrating thermodynamically unstable coal organic matter (COM). A coal microstructure is assumed to getting unstable due to shear component appearance triggered by mining operations and tectonic activities considered as the primary factor while COM disintegration under the impact of weak electric fields can be defined as a secondary one. The energy of elastic deformations stored in the coal microstructure activates chemical reactions to tilt the energy balance in a “coal–gas” system. Based on this concept a mathematical model of a gas flow in the coal where porosity and permeability are changed due to chemical reactions has been developed. Using this model we calculated gas pressure changes in the pores initiated by gas release near the working face till satisfying force and energy criteria of outburst. The simulation results demonstrated forming overpressure zone in the area of intensive gas release with enhanced porosity and permeability. The calculated outburst parameters are well combined with those evaluated by field measurements.