Experimental study on the permeability of crushed coal medium based on the Ergun equation

Accurate determination of the permeability of crushed coal medium is the basis for the study of their permeability characteristics. To investigate the permeability characteristics of this special porous medium composed of crushed coal particles, the permeability parameters of crushed coal specimens of different initial porosities were measured by designing a lateral-limit compression seepage test system. Parameters were determined separately for specimens of different initial porosities. (1) the Reynolds number distribution region characterising the seepage state was determined and obtained. Specimens with initial porosity distribution between 0.02 and 0.08, and seepage Reynolds number distribution in the low-permeability zone, under Darcy flow; (2) the intrinsic permeability of the crushed coal medium was obtained by using the Ergun equation. The complex inverse proportional relationship between the drag coefficient and Reynolds number was derived; (3) Through the determination of the permeability of the crushed coal medium, the mean value of βK value was obtained to be about 45.7, and the analysis of the permeability of porous medium can determine its critical permeability. The relationship between the Forchheimer number Fo and critical Reynolds number was measured. The results indicate that it conforms to a linear distribution. In-depth analysis of these two parameters can be used to explore the flow transition process between laminar, transition, and turbulent flow. This study provides insight into the permeability characteristics of the media in fractured coal bodies.