Study on Multifield Migration and Evolution Law of the Oxidation Heating Process of Coal Spontaneous Combustion in...

To study the dynamic evolution law of the oxidation heating process of coal spontaneous combustion in the goaf during the advancing process of the working face, a dynamic model of oxidation heating of coal spontaneous combustion in the goaf was established on the basis of deformed geometry. Through numerical simulation research, the evolution and migration laws of seepage field, oxygen concentration field, temperature field, and high-temperature area of coal spontaneous combustion in the goaf during the advancement of the working face was obtained. The results indicate that the distribution of the bulking coefficient, porosity, and permeability of the falling coal and rock mass in the goaf is nonuniform. They are relatively large in the area near the working face and the inlet and return airway and remain relatively unchanged with the advancement of the working face, but they are constantly decreasing in the location of the gob in the middle and deep. The oxygen concentration in the goaf presents an asymmetrical distribution. The oxygen concentration distribution area on the inlet side is wider than that on the return air side. At the same depth of the goaf, the oxygen concentration gradually decreases from the inlet side to the return air side; after the advancement distance exceeds 200 m, the air leakage in the goaf basically disappears, and the oxygen concentration decreases to zero. The high-temperature area of coal spontaneous combustion oxidation in the goaf was mainly concentrated on the air inlet side and extended toward the return air side. The advancing speed has a significant effect on the oxidation heating process of coal spontaneous combustion in the dynamic goaf. Under the same propulsion distance, when the advancing speed is 6 m/day, the highest temperature in the goaf is about 40 °C, and when the advancing speed is 2 m/day, the highest temperature in the goaf is as high as 120 °C. The smaller the advancing speed, the higher the heating rate of the goaf and the closer the high-temperature area to the working surface. The higher the advancing speed, the lower the temperature of the high-temperature point of the goaf and the greater the depth of the high-temperature point of the high temperature area; when the advancing speed is 2 m/day, the highest temperature point in the goaf is 70 m away from the working face, whereas when the advancing speed is 6 m/day, it reaches 174.6 m.