The concept of the carbon cycle in the old goaf of a coal mine based on CO_(2)utilization and storage was put forward adhering to the principle of low-carbon development,utilization of space resources in old goafs,and...The concept of the carbon cycle in the old goaf of a coal mine based on CO_(2)utilization and storage was put forward adhering to the principle of low-carbon development,utilization of space resources in old goafs,and associated gas resources development.Firstly,the evolution characteristics of overburden fissures in the goaf of the case was studied using a two-dimensional physical similarity simulation test,the sealing performance of the caprocks after stabilization was analyzed,and the fissures were counted and classi-fied.Then,the process of gaseous CO_(2)injection in the connected fissure was simulated by Ansys Fluent software,and the migration law and distribution characteristics of CO_(2)under the condition of gaseous CO_(2)injection were analyzed.Finally,the estimation models of free CO_(2)storage capacity in the old goaf were constructed considering the proportion of connected fissure and the effectiveness of CO_(2)injection.The CO_(2)storage capacity in the old goaf of the case coal mine was estimated.The results showed that a caprock group of“hard-thickness low-permeability hard-thickness”was formed after the caprock-fissures system in the goaf of the case tended to be stable vertically.The connected fissure,occlude cracks,and micro-fractures in the goaf accounted for 85.5%,8.5%,and 6%of the total fissures,respectively.Gaseous CO_(2)first migrated to the bottom of the connected fissure after CO_(2)was injected into the goaf,then spread horizontally along the bottom of the connected fissure after reaching the bottom,and finally spread longitudinally after filling the bottom of the entire connected fissure.The theoretical and effective storage capacities of free CO_(2)at normal temperature and pressure in the old goaf of the case were 9757 and 7477 t,respectively.The effective storage capacity of free CO_(2)at normal temperature and pressure in the old goaf after all minefield mined was 193404 t.The research can provide some reference for the coal mining industry to help the goal of“carbon peaking and carbon neutrality”.展开更多
Prevention and control measures of spontaneous combustion of coal and gas accumulation in a goaf require an accurate description of its gas flow state.However,the commonly used fluid dynamics in porous media is not su...Prevention and control measures of spontaneous combustion of coal and gas accumulation in a goaf require an accurate description of its gas flow state.However,the commonly used fluid dynamics in porous media is not suitable for the new-born goaf with fracture cavity combination,multi-scale,and large blocks.In this study,we propose a cavity flow algorithm to accurately describe the gas flow state in the new-born goaf.The genetic algorithm(GA)is used to randomly generate the binary matrix of a goaf caving shape.The difference between the gas flow state calculated by the lattice Boltzmann method(LBM)and the measured data at the boundary or internal measuring points of the real goaf is taken as the GA fitness value,and the real goaf caving shape and the gas flow state are quickly addressed by GA.The experimental model of new-born goaf is established,and the laser Doppler anemometry(LDA)experiment is carried out.The results show that the Jaccard similarity coefficient between the reconstructed caving shape and the real caving shape is 0.7473,the mean square error between the calculated wind speed and the LDA-measured value is 0.0244,and the R2 coefficient is 0.8986,which verify the feasibility of the algorithm.展开更多
Atmospheric pressure fuctuation is one of the most important factors afecting the climate environment and gas emission in the fre area.To obtain the infuence rule of the surface atmospheric pressure change on the gas ...Atmospheric pressure fuctuation is one of the most important factors afecting the climate environment and gas emission in the fre area.To obtain the infuence rule of the surface atmospheric pressure change on the gas sampling and abnormal emission in the mine closed goaf,the No.1 coal mine in Dananhu was taken as the research object.Using Fourier transform and Fisher harmonic analysis and other statistical methods,the infuence of the periodic variation of atmospheric pressure on the gas leakage and outfow in the closed goaf was studied.The results showed that there were three atmospheric pressure periods of 15.2 d,1 d and 182.2 d,and the probability was greater than 95%.The time period with the highest number of atmospheric pressure peaks was 7:00–8:00,which accounted for 20.2%of total occurrence number in a day.And the time periods with the highest number of atmospheric pressure trough were 2:00,15:00 and 16:00,accounting for 27.4%.The peak-to-trough transition time was mainly concentrated around 6 h,and the diurnal variation curve of atmospheric pressure was mainly bimodal.The atmospheric pressure change rate was mostly concentrated in 10–50 Pa/h.It was determined that the distance that the gas sampling pipe was pre-laid into the inner side of the closed wall should be greater than 44.4 m,and the CO concentration and atmospheric pressure in the closed goaf were both periodic and negative with atmospheric pressure.The research results have important guiding signifcance for the monitoring,early warning and environmental protection of the goaf.展开更多
An approach which combines particle swarm optimization and support vector machine(PSO–SVM)is proposed to forecast large-scale goaf instability(LSGI).Firstly,influencing factors of goaf safety are analyzed,and followi...An approach which combines particle swarm optimization and support vector machine(PSO–SVM)is proposed to forecast large-scale goaf instability(LSGI).Firstly,influencing factors of goaf safety are analyzed,and following parameters were selected as evaluation indexes in the LSGI:uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)of rock,elastic modulus(E)of rock,rock quality designation(RQD),area ration of pillar(Sp),the ratio of width to height of the pillar(w/h),depth of ore body(H),volume of goaf(V),dip of ore body(a)and area of goaf(Sg).Then LSGI forecasting model by PSO-SVM was established according to the influencing factors.The performance of hybrid model(PSO+SVM=PSO–SVM)has been compared with the grid search method of support vector machine(GSM–SVM)model.The actual data of 40 goafs are applied to research the forecasting ability of the proposed method,and two cases of underground mine are also validated by the proposed model.The results indicated that the heuristic algorithm of PSO can speed up the SVM parameter optimization search,and the predictive ability of the PSO–SVM model with the RBF kernel function is acceptable and robust,which might hold a high potential to become a useful tool in goaf risky prediction research.展开更多
While the fully-mechanized longwall mining technology was employed in a shallow seam under a room mining goaf and overlained by thin bedrock and thick loose sands, the roadway pillars in the abandoned room mining goaf...While the fully-mechanized longwall mining technology was employed in a shallow seam under a room mining goaf and overlained by thin bedrock and thick loose sands, the roadway pillars in the abandoned room mining goaf were in a stress-concentrated state, which may cause abnormal roof weighting, violent ground pressure behaviours, even roof fall and hydraulic support crushed(HSC) accidents. In this case,longwall mining safety and efficiency were seriously challenged. Based on the HSC accidents occurred during the longwall mining of 3-1-2 seam, which locates under the intersection zone of roadway pillars in the room mining goaf of 3-1-1 seam, this paper employed ground rock mechanics to analyse the overlying strata structure movement rules and presented the main influence factors and determination methods for the hydraulic support working resistance. The FLAC3 D software was used to simulate the overlying strata stress and plastic zone distribution characteristics. Field observation was implemented to contrastively analyse the hydraulic support working resistance distribution rules under the roadway pillars in strike direction, normal room mining goaf, roadway pillars in dip direction and intersection zone of roadway pillars. The results indicate that the key strata break along with rotations and reactions of the coal pillars deliver a larger concentrated load to the hydraulic support under intersection zone of roadway pillars than other conditions. The ‘‘overburden strata-key strata-roadway pillars-immediate roof" integrated load has exceeded the yield load that leads to HSC accidents. Findings in HSC mechanism provide a reasonable basis for shallow seam mining, and have important significance for the implementation of safe and efficient mining.展开更多
The research about subsurface characteristics by using transient electromagnetic method(TEM) and high density resistivity method(HDRM) were already conducted in Ordos. The objective of this research is to detect coalm...The research about subsurface characteristics by using transient electromagnetic method(TEM) and high density resistivity method(HDRM) were already conducted in Ordos. The objective of this research is to detect coalmine goaf areas based on rock resistivity. The data processing using wavelet transform, three point smoothing, RES2 DINV and Maxwell processing software to obtain 2D resistivity structure. The results showed that the layers with maximum resistivity values(30e33 U m on Line 1, 30e31 U m on Line 2, 32e40 U m on Line3) are founded at station 1e7, and 14e20 on Line 1,13e18 on Line 2, and 8e13 and 16e20 on Line 3 which is predicted as goaf layer, and the minimum resistivity values(20e26 U m of TEM, 45e75 U m of HDRM) at the other layers. This resistivity difference was caused by the geology and characteristics of the study area which is located close by the cleugh with rich coal, so the goaf area distinguishable with aquifer layer and coal seam. The results were also significant accidents and serious destruction of ecological environment.展开更多
The ultimately exposed roof area(UERA)of goaf is crucial to the safety and economics of underground mining.The prediction models do not consider the mechanical weakness of rock mass and ignore the influence of the joi...The ultimately exposed roof area(UERA)of goaf is crucial to the safety and economics of underground mining.The prediction models do not consider the mechanical weakness of rock mass and ignore the influence of the joint damage factor,causing a large predicted exposure area with a high roof falling risk.This work adopted joint damage factor to derive a new UERA prediction model.The relationships between the UERA(S)and the span ratio(m),the density(k)and the diameter of fracture(d)were analysed by the new prediction model.The results showed that the exposed area S and the span ratio m have a U-shaped curve relationship.The S decreases with the increase of m and then increases when m is beyond 2.The exposed roof area S is in an inversely proportional power-law relationship with the fracture surface density k,and the curvature of the S-k relationship curve decreases when d=0.5 and k>7,and S is close to 0.There is a negative correlation between S and the fracture surface diameter d,the curvature of the S-d curve decreases with the increase of d and k,and the variation rate increases first and then decreases with the increase of d;when k=0.5 and d>9,S is close to 0.The predicted values of the UERA prediction model are 119.3,112.8,and 114.6 m2 with different joint damage parameters,which are slightly smaller than the actual critical exposure area of a roof(S=120 m2).The case study shows that the alternative prediction model is reasonable and acceptable and provides new theoretical support for the underground mining safety of sedimentary bauxite ore.展开更多
Underground gassy longwall mining goafs may suffer potential gas explosions during the mining process because of the irregularity of gas emissions in the goaf and poor ventilation of the working face,which are risks d...Underground gassy longwall mining goafs may suffer potential gas explosions during the mining process because of the irregularity of gas emissions in the goaf and poor ventilation of the working face,which are risks difficult to control.In this work,the 3235 working face of the Xutuan Colliery in Suzhou City,China,was researched as a case study.The effects of air quantity and gas emission on the three-dimensional distribution of oxygen and methane concentration in the longwall goaf were studied.Based on the revised Coward’s triangle and linear coupling region formula,the coupled methane-oxygen explosive hazard zones(CEHZs)were drawn.Furthermore,a simple practical index was proposed to quantitatively determine the gas explosion risk in the longwall goaf.The results showed that the CEHZs mainly focus on the intake side where the risk of gas explosion is greatest.The CEHZ is reduced with increasing air quantity.Moreover,the higher the gas emission,the larger the CEHZ,which moves towards the intake side at low goaf heights and shifts to the deeper parts of the goaf at high heights.In addition,the risk of gas explosion is reduced as air quantities increase,but when gas emissions increase to a higher level(greater than 50 m3/min),the volume of the CEHZ does not decrease with the increase of air quantity,and the risk of gas explosion no longer shows a linear downward trend.This study is of significance as it seeks to reduce gas explosion accidents and improve mine production safety.展开更多
On detailed analysis basis of spontaneous coal combustion for the three zones in mine goaf,we use O2 and CO concentrations to divide the three zones of the coal combustion.Through our experiment,we selected a typical ...On detailed analysis basis of spontaneous coal combustion for the three zones in mine goaf,we use O2 and CO concentrations to divide the three zones of the coal combustion.Through our experiment,we selected a typical working face and focused on the changes in gas concentrations.In order to overcome establishment limitations of actual layout location and underground conditions in a mine goaf,we based our observations on the three zones,combined them with numerical simulation,described the distribution and the changes in O2 and CO concentrations during the coal spontaneous combustion in the goaf,which provided us with an understanding of the distribution of coal spontaneous combustion in the three zones in the form of maps.Essentially,our study summarizes the changes of O2and CO concentrations in the entire goaf and shows them to be in agreement with our observations at the scene.The study shows that it is feasible to divide the three zones,given our comprehensive targets of O2,CO and our numerical simulation.This method avoids the limitation of dividing the three zones with a single target and the likely errors of observations at the scene.In addition,the method offers a basis for optimizing measures of fre-fghting with important and practical effects.展开更多
In order to determine the rational width of backfill in the goaf-side retained roadway, the deformation failure mechanism of surrounding rock in retained roadway is studied in the use of theoretical analysis, numerica...In order to determine the rational width of backfill in the goaf-side retained roadway, the deformation failure mechanism of surrounding rock in retained roadway is studied in the use of theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, etc., when the width of backfill is different. The results show that: with the increase of backfill width, the roof deformation above the backfill decreases; the outside of backfill obviously suffers from greater stress compared to the inner side of backfill; the damage firstly appears in the intersection of top backfill and roof; the plastic failure area is mainly distributed in the roof and floor of inside the roadway; 2 m wide backfill in the goaf-side retained roadway can meet the requirements of roadway deformation. Based on the original combination support of "anchor-mesh-belt-lock" in the haulage-track roadway, the study also considers the reinforced support of "anchor-mesh-belt" above the backfill, and 50 m ahead of working face, and 200 m behind the working face. This kind of support achieves a good result. The roadway deformation of field measurement shows that it can satisfy the need of the next working face.展开更多
The deformation of rupture rock mass in goaf is the main reason for ground terrene residual deformation. Based on field measurement and similar material simulation, the rupture strata structure and its residual deform...The deformation of rupture rock mass in goaf is the main reason for ground terrene residual deformation. Based on field measurement and similar material simulation, the rupture strata structure and its residual deformation characteristics in the longwall goaf and its overburden are pointed out. On the basis of these achievements, the authors propose the mechanism of strengthening rupture rock mass ground and the control measures of deformation resistant structure. Using the case of main coal building in Xinzhuangzi Coal Processing Plant, this paper introduces the influence of strengthening rupture rock mass and deformation resistant structure.展开更多
Water inrush disasters poses a great threat to the safe exploitation of coal resources.To solve this problem,the transient electromagnetic method(TEM)was proposed to accurately detect the water accumulation in the goa...Water inrush disasters poses a great threat to the safe exploitation of coal resources.To solve this problem,the transient electromagnetic method(TEM)was proposed to accurately detect the water accumulation in the goaf.The electromagnetic response characteristics of diferent water-flled goaves were studied by electromagnetic feld theory,numerical simulation and feld verifcation.Through the models of 100%water accumulation,50%water accumulation,0%water accumulation,100%water accumulation with collapsed rock,50%water accumulation with collapsed rock and 0%water accumulation with collapsed rock goaf,the characteristics of induced voltage attenuation curves were studied.Meanwhile,the relationship between the attenuation voltage value and area of the transmitting coil,the depth of the goaf,the background resistivity,and the delay time were also simulated.The results illustrate that the attenuation curve of induced voltage presented a regular exponential decay form in the 0%water accumulation model but existed abnormal exaltation for voltage in water-flled model.Through the linear ftting curve,it can be seen that the abnormal intensity of the induced voltage becomes stronger as the distance between the measuring point and the center of the target decrement.Moreover,the abnormal amplitude of the induced voltage increases with the rise of the water accumulation and collapsed rock will weakly reduce the low-resistivity anomalous efect on the water-accumulated goaf.In addition,the response value of the attenuation voltage increased as the area of the transmitting coil increases,but decreased with increasing delay time and increasing background resistivity and depth of the target body.The feld detection results of the Majiliang coal mine also confrmed the theoretical analysis and the numerical simulation.展开更多
In exploiting shallow coal resources in western China, conservation of water resources is often subjugated to considerations of safety and production in coal mines. In order to maintain a sustainable development in th...In exploiting shallow coal resources in western China, conservation of water resources is often subjugated to considerations of safety and production in coal mines. In order to maintain a sustainable development in the Shenfu-Dongsheng coalfield, we propose a technology of constructing groundwater reservoirs in goafs in shallow coalfields to protect fragile ecological environments. Given the premise of safe production, we selected an appropriate goaf as the site for constructing a groundwater reservoir and used a mine water recharge technique in combination with other related techniques for effective water conservation. Then filtering and purification techniques were used to purify the mine water given the physical and chemical properties of mine water and its filling material, ,thereby greatly reducing suspended matter, calcium and other harmful ions in the water. With the potential of widely application, the research result has been successfully applied in the Daliuta coal mine, to great economic and ecological effect. Therefore, this achievement provides a new way for mine water conservation in shallow coal resources in western China.展开更多
Based on the classical static theory and static numerical simulation,the static method could not accurately reflect the stability of goaf where the rocks on the pillar and roof are influenced by Theological and blasti...Based on the classical static theory and static numerical simulation,the static method could not accurately reflect the stability of goaf where the rocks on the pillar and roof are influenced by Theological and blasting disturbance for a long time.According to the test from the site,an experimental study was made in Theological and dynamic disturbance.After that,on the basis of variable rock mechanics parameters from the experimental data,numerical simulation was used to analyze the vertical stress distribution of goaf,vertical displacement and plastic area of roof in the "deterioration" caused by Theological and blasting,which shows that the mechanics properties of the rock were greatly influenced by Theological,and dynamic disturbance.The results of the experimental study and numerical simulation show that the mechanics properties of rock are greatly influenced by Theological and dynamic disturbance.As a result,the stability of goaf is greatly reduced.Finally,by comparing golf monitoring results with the analysis of theoretical calculation,it was found that the results were approximately the same,which testifies the reliability of the method.This method provides a new way of studying the stability of goaf as well as laying a basic foundation for future safety management.展开更多
In order to precisely predict the hazard degree of goaf(HDG), the RS-TOPSIS model was built based on the results of expert investigation. To evaluate the HDG in the underground mine, five structure size factors, i.e. ...In order to precisely predict the hazard degree of goaf(HDG), the RS-TOPSIS model was built based on the results of expert investigation. To evaluate the HDG in the underground mine, five structure size factors, i.e. goaf span, exposed area, goaf height, goaf depth, and pillar width, were selected as the evaluation indexes. And based on rough dependability in rough set(RS)theory, the weights of evaluation indexes were identified by calculating rough dependability between evaluation indexes and evaluation results. Fourty goafs in some mines of western China, whose indexes parameters were measured by cavity monitoring system(CMS), were taken as evaluation objects. In addition, the characteristic parameters of five grades' typical goafs were built according to the interval limits value of single index evaluation. Then, using the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution(TOPSIS), five-category classification of HDG was realized based on closeness degree, and the HDG was also identified.Results show that the five-category identification of mine goafs could be realized by RS-TOPSIS method, based on the structure-scale-effect. The classification results are consistent with those of numerical simulation based on stress and displacement,while the coincidence rate is up to 92.5%. Furthermore, the results are more conservative to safety evaluation than numerical simulation, thus demonstrating that the proposed method is more easier, reasonable and more definite for HDG identification.展开更多
Additional displacement of the building foundations over old goaf are prone to happen under the additional loads induced by new buildings, weakening-rock mass by mining and seismic actions, which will cause serious da...Additional displacement of the building foundations over old goaf are prone to happen under the additional loads induced by new buildings, weakening-rock mass by mining and seismic actions, which will cause serious damage to the buildings. In order to analyze the safety of the building foundations safety over the old goaf, the structure characteristics of the strata over the old goaf was investigated and the instability conditions of overhanging rocks upon old goaf were also analyzed in this paper. The results indicate that the stability of overhanging rocks is remarkably decreased by the interactions of mining fractures, earthquake force and building load, in addition, the settlement of the foundations over old goaf is increased by the instability of overhanging rocks. According to the location of a new power plant in Yima Mine and its ambient conditions, we defined the influence scope of old goaf via resistivity tomography. Based on the seismic parameters of the construction site, a numerical FLAC3 dmodel of the building foundation under the seismic actions and building load was developed. The numerical results are obtained as follows: the foundation of the main power house meets the requirement of 6°seismic fortification intensity; however, under 7° seismic fortification intensity, the maximum differential settlement of foundation between the neighboring pillars is close to the maximum allowable value, while the seismic fortification intensity reaches 8°, but the safety requirements will not be satisfied.展开更多
‘‘U" and ‘‘U+I" type ventilation experiments were performed on a three-dimensional fully mechanized caving face simulation experimental platform. The distribution laws of the pressure field and gas field...‘‘U" and ‘‘U+I" type ventilation experiments were performed on a three-dimensional fully mechanized caving face simulation experimental platform. The distribution laws of the pressure field and gas field in the mine goaf were obtained. Results show that the flow field in the goaf is generally asymmetric;the location of the gas accumulation area changes with ventilation parameters and can be used as an evaluation indicator to study the air leakage extent in the goaf. Hence, drainage pipes buried in the goaf to intensively extract gas can be designed in such gas areas, which can give considerations in both improving gas drainage efficiency and reducing air leakage. By comparing the gas extraction effect of model experiments with that of on-site underground practices, the basic laws are commonly consistent according to comparative analysis. Thus the experimental results can be used to guide the application of underground gas prevention and control.展开更多
In order to simulate field distribution rules,mathematical models for 3-D air flows and gas transfer in the goaf of the coal mining are established,based on theories of permeability and dynamic dispersion through poro...In order to simulate field distribution rules,mathematical models for 3-D air flows and gas transfer in the goaf of the coal mining are established,based on theories of permeability and dynamic dispersion through porous media. A gas dispersion equation in a 3-D field is calculated by use of numerical method on a weighted upstream multi-element balance. Based on data of an example with a U type ventilation mode,surface charts of air pressure distribution and gas concentration are drawn by Graphtool software. Finally,a comparison between actually measured results in the model test and the numerical simulation results is made to proves the numerical implementation feasible.展开更多
The roof of a roadway under goaf with ultra-close separation consists of thin rock strata and rocks caving in upper goaf. Influenced by the mining of the upper coal seam, the roof is loose and broken, and its integrit...The roof of a roadway under goaf with ultra-close separation consists of thin rock strata and rocks caving in upper goaf. Influenced by the mining of the upper coal seam, the roof is loose and broken, and its integrity is poor. Resin anchored bolts cannot provide an effective anchoring force in such roof conditions. By conducting free expansion tests and field pull-out tests on a hydraulic expansion bolt, this study has analyzed the influencing factors and laws of radial expansion and anchoring force changes in the rod body.This has revealed the anchoring mechanism of such bolts, and has obtained reasonable water injection pressures and suitable drilling diameters(which are 20–25 MPa and 32–35 mm respectively) for the hydraulic expansion bolt(u28 mm) used in these tests. Based on pull-out tests at different interlayer spacing, the applicability of hydraulic expansion bolts had been verified for controlling the roof of roadways under goaf with ultra-close distance. Combined with the deformation and failure characteristics of the test roadway roof, this paper proposes a united roof-control technology based on the use of hydraulic expansion bolts and advancing intubation for the roof. Engineering practice indicated that the roof of the test roadway did not generate leaking and caving phenomenon, and the amount of roof deformation was controlled to within 150 mm. Maintenance of the roadway roof has been improved significantly, which ensures safe mining in coal seams with ultra-close separation.展开更多
Targeting at the coal seam with useful value discarded above goafs,attempted to explore the feasibility of'mining technique in the condition of floor failure' from theoretical point of view,and predicted.It in...Targeting at the coal seam with useful value discarded above goafs,attempted to explore the feasibility of'mining technique in the condition of floor failure' from theoretical point of view,and predicted.It indicated that mining technique in the condition of floor failure used above Longwall Goafs in Baijiazhuang Mining is totally feasible.At law,the deformation of the floor in the mining technique by means of probability-integral method.And it is discov- ered that deformed basin can emerge in the footwall of No.6 coal seam and its maximum subsidence was possibly 1 633 mm or so and its maximum positive curvature is 61.74/10^(-3). At last,it therefore suggests appropriate ground pressure control measures as strengthening observation of ground pressure and adopting false slope for exploitation and strengthening support for reasonable push and slide based on the adverse ground pressure behaviors possibly occurring in the mining technique.This serves to gather data and lay sturdy founda- tion for further probe into the mining technique,and offers theoretical and technical grounds for concrete implementation of the mining technique.展开更多
基金the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52074217)the Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi Province(No.2021JLM-26).
文摘The concept of the carbon cycle in the old goaf of a coal mine based on CO_(2)utilization and storage was put forward adhering to the principle of low-carbon development,utilization of space resources in old goafs,and associated gas resources development.Firstly,the evolution characteristics of overburden fissures in the goaf of the case was studied using a two-dimensional physical similarity simulation test,the sealing performance of the caprocks after stabilization was analyzed,and the fissures were counted and classi-fied.Then,the process of gaseous CO_(2)injection in the connected fissure was simulated by Ansys Fluent software,and the migration law and distribution characteristics of CO_(2)under the condition of gaseous CO_(2)injection were analyzed.Finally,the estimation models of free CO_(2)storage capacity in the old goaf were constructed considering the proportion of connected fissure and the effectiveness of CO_(2)injection.The CO_(2)storage capacity in the old goaf of the case coal mine was estimated.The results showed that a caprock group of“hard-thickness low-permeability hard-thickness”was formed after the caprock-fissures system in the goaf of the case tended to be stable vertically.The connected fissure,occlude cracks,and micro-fractures in the goaf accounted for 85.5%,8.5%,and 6%of the total fissures,respectively.Gaseous CO_(2)first migrated to the bottom of the connected fissure after CO_(2)was injected into the goaf,then spread horizontally along the bottom of the connected fissure after reaching the bottom,and finally spread longitudinally after filling the bottom of the entire connected fissure.The theoretical and effective storage capacities of free CO_(2)at normal temperature and pressure in the old goaf of the case were 9757 and 7477 t,respectively.The effective storage capacity of free CO_(2)at normal temperature and pressure in the old goaf after all minefield mined was 193404 t.The research can provide some reference for the coal mining industry to help the goal of“carbon peaking and carbon neutrality”.
基金This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.51774169 and 51574142)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2017YFC0804401).
文摘Prevention and control measures of spontaneous combustion of coal and gas accumulation in a goaf require an accurate description of its gas flow state.However,the commonly used fluid dynamics in porous media is not suitable for the new-born goaf with fracture cavity combination,multi-scale,and large blocks.In this study,we propose a cavity flow algorithm to accurately describe the gas flow state in the new-born goaf.The genetic algorithm(GA)is used to randomly generate the binary matrix of a goaf caving shape.The difference between the gas flow state calculated by the lattice Boltzmann method(LBM)and the measured data at the boundary or internal measuring points of the real goaf is taken as the GA fitness value,and the real goaf caving shape and the gas flow state are quickly addressed by GA.The experimental model of new-born goaf is established,and the laser Doppler anemometry(LDA)experiment is carried out.The results show that the Jaccard similarity coefficient between the reconstructed caving shape and the real caving shape is 0.7473,the mean square error between the calculated wind speed and the LDA-measured value is 0.0244,and the R2 coefficient is 0.8986,which verify the feasibility of the algorithm.
基金This work was financially sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(51864045,51804161,52074156 and 51804355)And Central University Basic Scientifc Research Business Expenses Special Funds(2023ZKPYAQ03).
文摘Atmospheric pressure fuctuation is one of the most important factors afecting the climate environment and gas emission in the fre area.To obtain the infuence rule of the surface atmospheric pressure change on the gas sampling and abnormal emission in the mine closed goaf,the No.1 coal mine in Dananhu was taken as the research object.Using Fourier transform and Fisher harmonic analysis and other statistical methods,the infuence of the periodic variation of atmospheric pressure on the gas leakage and outfow in the closed goaf was studied.The results showed that there were three atmospheric pressure periods of 15.2 d,1 d and 182.2 d,and the probability was greater than 95%.The time period with the highest number of atmospheric pressure peaks was 7:00–8:00,which accounted for 20.2%of total occurrence number in a day.And the time periods with the highest number of atmospheric pressure trough were 2:00,15:00 and 16:00,accounting for 27.4%.The peak-to-trough transition time was mainly concentrated around 6 h,and the diurnal variation curve of atmospheric pressure was mainly bimodal.The atmospheric pressure change rate was mostly concentrated in 10–50 Pa/h.It was determined that the distance that the gas sampling pipe was pre-laid into the inner side of the closed wall should be greater than 44.4 m,and the CO concentration and atmospheric pressure in the closed goaf were both periodic and negative with atmospheric pressure.The research results have important guiding signifcance for the monitoring,early warning and environmental protection of the goaf.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program Project of China(No.2010CB732004)the National Natural Science Foundation Project of China(Nos.50934006 and41272304)+2 种基金the Graduated Students’ResearchInnovation Fund Project of Hunan Province of China(No.CX2011B119)the Scholarship Award for Excellent Doctoral Student of Ministry of Education of China and the Valuable Equipment Open Sharing Fund of Central South University(No.1343-76140000022)
文摘An approach which combines particle swarm optimization and support vector machine(PSO–SVM)is proposed to forecast large-scale goaf instability(LSGI).Firstly,influencing factors of goaf safety are analyzed,and following parameters were selected as evaluation indexes in the LSGI:uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)of rock,elastic modulus(E)of rock,rock quality designation(RQD),area ration of pillar(Sp),the ratio of width to height of the pillar(w/h),depth of ore body(H),volume of goaf(V),dip of ore body(a)and area of goaf(Sg).Then LSGI forecasting model by PSO-SVM was established according to the influencing factors.The performance of hybrid model(PSO+SVM=PSO–SVM)has been compared with the grid search method of support vector machine(GSM–SVM)model.The actual data of 40 goafs are applied to research the forecasting ability of the proposed method,and two cases of underground mine are also validated by the proposed model.The results indicated that the heuristic algorithm of PSO can speed up the SVM parameter optimization search,and the predictive ability of the PSO–SVM model with the RBF kernel function is acceptable and robust,which might hold a high potential to become a useful tool in goaf risky prediction research.
基金financially supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China(NO.2015XKMS002)the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions of Chinagratefully acknowledge financial support of the above-mentioned agencies
文摘While the fully-mechanized longwall mining technology was employed in a shallow seam under a room mining goaf and overlained by thin bedrock and thick loose sands, the roadway pillars in the abandoned room mining goaf were in a stress-concentrated state, which may cause abnormal roof weighting, violent ground pressure behaviours, even roof fall and hydraulic support crushed(HSC) accidents. In this case,longwall mining safety and efficiency were seriously challenged. Based on the HSC accidents occurred during the longwall mining of 3-1-2 seam, which locates under the intersection zone of roadway pillars in the room mining goaf of 3-1-1 seam, this paper employed ground rock mechanics to analyse the overlying strata structure movement rules and presented the main influence factors and determination methods for the hydraulic support working resistance. The FLAC3 D software was used to simulate the overlying strata stress and plastic zone distribution characteristics. Field observation was implemented to contrastively analyse the hydraulic support working resistance distribution rules under the roadway pillars in strike direction, normal room mining goaf, roadway pillars in dip direction and intersection zone of roadway pillars. The results indicate that the key strata break along with rotations and reactions of the coal pillars deliver a larger concentrated load to the hydraulic support under intersection zone of roadway pillars than other conditions. The ‘‘overburden strata-key strata-roadway pillars-immediate roof" integrated load has exceeded the yield load that leads to HSC accidents. Findings in HSC mechanism provide a reasonable basis for shallow seam mining, and have important significance for the implementation of safe and efficient mining.
基金supported by the Institute of Seismology Foundation, China Earthquake Administration (201326126)
文摘The research about subsurface characteristics by using transient electromagnetic method(TEM) and high density resistivity method(HDRM) were already conducted in Ordos. The objective of this research is to detect coalmine goaf areas based on rock resistivity. The data processing using wavelet transform, three point smoothing, RES2 DINV and Maxwell processing software to obtain 2D resistivity structure. The results showed that the layers with maximum resistivity values(30e33 U m on Line 1, 30e31 U m on Line 2, 32e40 U m on Line3) are founded at station 1e7, and 14e20 on Line 1,13e18 on Line 2, and 8e13 and 16e20 on Line 3 which is predicted as goaf layer, and the minimum resistivity values(20e26 U m of TEM, 45e75 U m of HDRM) at the other layers. This resistivity difference was caused by the geology and characteristics of the study area which is located close by the cleugh with rich coal, so the goaf area distinguishable with aquifer layer and coal seam. The results were also significant accidents and serious destruction of ecological environment.
基金This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(51974135,51704094)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2016YFC0600802).
文摘The ultimately exposed roof area(UERA)of goaf is crucial to the safety and economics of underground mining.The prediction models do not consider the mechanical weakness of rock mass and ignore the influence of the joint damage factor,causing a large predicted exposure area with a high roof falling risk.This work adopted joint damage factor to derive a new UERA prediction model.The relationships between the UERA(S)and the span ratio(m),the density(k)and the diameter of fracture(d)were analysed by the new prediction model.The results showed that the exposed area S and the span ratio m have a U-shaped curve relationship.The S decreases with the increase of m and then increases when m is beyond 2.The exposed roof area S is in an inversely proportional power-law relationship with the fracture surface density k,and the curvature of the S-k relationship curve decreases when d=0.5 and k>7,and S is close to 0.There is a negative correlation between S and the fracture surface diameter d,the curvature of the S-d curve decreases with the increase of d and k,and the variation rate increases first and then decreases with the increase of d;when k=0.5 and d>9,S is close to 0.The predicted values of the UERA prediction model are 119.3,112.8,and 114.6 m2 with different joint damage parameters,which are slightly smaller than the actual critical exposure area of a roof(S=120 m2).The case study shows that the alternative prediction model is reasonable and acceptable and provides new theoretical support for the underground mining safety of sedimentary bauxite ore.
基金the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2018YFC0808100)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.2652018098)the Cultivation Fund from the Key Laboratory of Deep Geodrilling Technology,Ministry of Natural Resources(No.PY201902).
文摘Underground gassy longwall mining goafs may suffer potential gas explosions during the mining process because of the irregularity of gas emissions in the goaf and poor ventilation of the working face,which are risks difficult to control.In this work,the 3235 working face of the Xutuan Colliery in Suzhou City,China,was researched as a case study.The effects of air quantity and gas emission on the three-dimensional distribution of oxygen and methane concentration in the longwall goaf were studied.Based on the revised Coward’s triangle and linear coupling region formula,the coupled methane-oxygen explosive hazard zones(CEHZs)were drawn.Furthermore,a simple practical index was proposed to quantitatively determine the gas explosion risk in the longwall goaf.The results showed that the CEHZs mainly focus on the intake side where the risk of gas explosion is greatest.The CEHZ is reduced with increasing air quantity.Moreover,the higher the gas emission,the larger the CEHZ,which moves towards the intake side at low goaf heights and shifts to the deeper parts of the goaf at high heights.In addition,the risk of gas explosion is reduced as air quantities increase,but when gas emissions increase to a higher level(greater than 50 m3/min),the volume of the CEHZ does not decrease with the increase of air quantity,and the risk of gas explosion no longer shows a linear downward trend.This study is of significance as it seeks to reduce gas explosion accidents and improve mine production safety.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 50974055 and 50906023)the Education Department of Hennan Province (No. 13A440333)
文摘On detailed analysis basis of spontaneous coal combustion for the three zones in mine goaf,we use O2 and CO concentrations to divide the three zones of the coal combustion.Through our experiment,we selected a typical working face and focused on the changes in gas concentrations.In order to overcome establishment limitations of actual layout location and underground conditions in a mine goaf,we based our observations on the three zones,combined them with numerical simulation,described the distribution and the changes in O2 and CO concentrations during the coal spontaneous combustion in the goaf,which provided us with an understanding of the distribution of coal spontaneous combustion in the three zones in the form of maps.Essentially,our study summarizes the changes of O2and CO concentrations in the entire goaf and shows them to be in agreement with our observations at the scene.The study shows that it is feasible to divide the three zones,given our comprehensive targets of O2,CO and our numerical simulation.This method avoids the limitation of dividing the three zones with a single target and the likely errors of observations at the scene.In addition,the method offers a basis for optimizing measures of fre-fghting with important and practical effects.
基金Financial support for this work was provided by Chinese National 863 High Technology Plan (No. 2012AA062101)the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (No. SZBF2011-6-B35)the Graduate Students Innovation Fund of Colleges and Universities in Jiangsu Province (No.CXZZ12_0950)
文摘In order to determine the rational width of backfill in the goaf-side retained roadway, the deformation failure mechanism of surrounding rock in retained roadway is studied in the use of theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, etc., when the width of backfill is different. The results show that: with the increase of backfill width, the roof deformation above the backfill decreases; the outside of backfill obviously suffers from greater stress compared to the inner side of backfill; the damage firstly appears in the intersection of top backfill and roof; the plastic failure area is mainly distributed in the roof and floor of inside the roadway; 2 m wide backfill in the goaf-side retained roadway can meet the requirements of roadway deformation. Based on the original combination support of "anchor-mesh-belt-lock" in the haulage-track roadway, the study also considers the reinforced support of "anchor-mesh-belt" above the backfill, and 50 m ahead of working face, and 200 m behind the working face. This kind of support achieves a good result. The roadway deformation of field measurement shows that it can satisfy the need of the next working face.
基金Project (50004008) supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China
文摘The deformation of rupture rock mass in goaf is the main reason for ground terrene residual deformation. Based on field measurement and similar material simulation, the rupture strata structure and its residual deformation characteristics in the longwall goaf and its overburden are pointed out. On the basis of these achievements, the authors propose the mechanism of strengthening rupture rock mass ground and the control measures of deformation resistant structure. Using the case of main coal building in Xinzhuangzi Coal Processing Plant, this paper introduces the influence of strengthening rupture rock mass and deformation resistant structure.
基金supported by the Joint Funds of National Natural Science Foundation of China and Shanxi Province(U1710258 and U1810120)Distinguished Youth Funds of National Natural Science Foundation of China(51925402)+3 种基金Ten Thousand Talent Program of China for Leading Scientists in Science,Technology and Innovation,Shanxi Science and Technology Major Project Funds(No.20201102004)Shanxi“1331 Project”Funds,Shanxi Province Key Laboratory Construction Project Funds(No.202104010910021)Shanxi-Zheda Institute of Advanced Materials and Chemical Engineering(No.2021SX-TD001,No.2021SX-TD002)National Natural Science Foundation of China(51804208).
文摘Water inrush disasters poses a great threat to the safe exploitation of coal resources.To solve this problem,the transient electromagnetic method(TEM)was proposed to accurately detect the water accumulation in the goaf.The electromagnetic response characteristics of diferent water-flled goaves were studied by electromagnetic feld theory,numerical simulation and feld verifcation.Through the models of 100%water accumulation,50%water accumulation,0%water accumulation,100%water accumulation with collapsed rock,50%water accumulation with collapsed rock and 0%water accumulation with collapsed rock goaf,the characteristics of induced voltage attenuation curves were studied.Meanwhile,the relationship between the attenuation voltage value and area of the transmitting coil,the depth of the goaf,the background resistivity,and the delay time were also simulated.The results illustrate that the attenuation curve of induced voltage presented a regular exponential decay form in the 0%water accumulation model but existed abnormal exaltation for voltage in water-flled model.Through the linear ftting curve,it can be seen that the abnormal intensity of the induced voltage becomes stronger as the distance between the measuring point and the center of the target decrement.Moreover,the abnormal amplitude of the induced voltage increases with the rise of the water accumulation and collapsed rock will weakly reduce the low-resistivity anomalous efect on the water-accumulated goaf.In addition,the response value of the attenuation voltage increased as the area of the transmitting coil increases,but decreased with increasing delay time and increasing background resistivity and depth of the target body.The feld detection results of the Majiliang coal mine also confrmed the theoretical analysis and the numerical simulation.
基金Projects NCET-05-0480 supported by the New Century Excellent Talents in University50904063 by the National Natural Science Foundation of China+1 种基金07KF09 by the Research Fund of the State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Mine Safety of China University of Mining & Technology2008A003 and 2005B002 by the Scientific Research Foundation of China University of Mining & Technology
文摘In exploiting shallow coal resources in western China, conservation of water resources is often subjugated to considerations of safety and production in coal mines. In order to maintain a sustainable development in the Shenfu-Dongsheng coalfield, we propose a technology of constructing groundwater reservoirs in goafs in shallow coalfields to protect fragile ecological environments. Given the premise of safe production, we selected an appropriate goaf as the site for constructing a groundwater reservoir and used a mine water recharge technique in combination with other related techniques for effective water conservation. Then filtering and purification techniques were used to purify the mine water given the physical and chemical properties of mine water and its filling material, ,thereby greatly reducing suspended matter, calcium and other harmful ions in the water. With the potential of widely application, the research result has been successfully applied in the Daliuta coal mine, to great economic and ecological effect. Therefore, this achievement provides a new way for mine water conservation in shallow coal resources in western China.
文摘Based on the classical static theory and static numerical simulation,the static method could not accurately reflect the stability of goaf where the rocks on the pillar and roof are influenced by Theological and blasting disturbance for a long time.According to the test from the site,an experimental study was made in Theological and dynamic disturbance.After that,on the basis of variable rock mechanics parameters from the experimental data,numerical simulation was used to analyze the vertical stress distribution of goaf,vertical displacement and plastic area of roof in the "deterioration" caused by Theological and blasting,which shows that the mechanics properties of the rock were greatly influenced by Theological,and dynamic disturbance.The results of the experimental study and numerical simulation show that the mechanics properties of rock are greatly influenced by Theological and dynamic disturbance.As a result,the stability of goaf is greatly reduced.Finally,by comparing golf monitoring results with the analysis of theoretical calculation,it was found that the results were approximately the same,which testifies the reliability of the method.This method provides a new way of studying the stability of goaf as well as laying a basic foundation for future safety management.
基金Project(51074178)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProject(2011ssxt274)supported by the Graduated Students’ Research and Innovation Foundation of Central South University of China+1 种基金Project(2011QNZT087)supported by the Graduated Students’ Free Exploration Foundation of Central South University of ChinaProject(1343-76140000011)supported by Scholarship Award for Excellent Doctoral Student granted by Ministry of Education,China
文摘In order to precisely predict the hazard degree of goaf(HDG), the RS-TOPSIS model was built based on the results of expert investigation. To evaluate the HDG in the underground mine, five structure size factors, i.e. goaf span, exposed area, goaf height, goaf depth, and pillar width, were selected as the evaluation indexes. And based on rough dependability in rough set(RS)theory, the weights of evaluation indexes were identified by calculating rough dependability between evaluation indexes and evaluation results. Fourty goafs in some mines of western China, whose indexes parameters were measured by cavity monitoring system(CMS), were taken as evaluation objects. In addition, the characteristic parameters of five grades' typical goafs were built according to the interval limits value of single index evaluation. Then, using the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution(TOPSIS), five-category classification of HDG was realized based on closeness degree, and the HDG was also identified.Results show that the five-category identification of mine goafs could be realized by RS-TOPSIS method, based on the structure-scale-effect. The classification results are consistent with those of numerical simulation based on stress and displacement,while the coincidence rate is up to 92.5%. Furthermore, the results are more conservative to safety evaluation than numerical simulation, thus demonstrating that the proposed method is more easier, reasonable and more definite for HDG identification.
基金the Funds of the State Key Development Program for Basic Research of China (Nos. 2013CB227900, 2010CB226800)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51108161, 51374201)+2 种基金the Open Laboratory Foundation for Deep Mine Construction of Henan Province of China (No. 2011KF-09)the Doctor Foundation in Henan Polytechnic University of China (No. Q2013-065)the Key Program for Science and Technology Research of Henan Province of China (Nos. 14A560002, 14B560021).
文摘Additional displacement of the building foundations over old goaf are prone to happen under the additional loads induced by new buildings, weakening-rock mass by mining and seismic actions, which will cause serious damage to the buildings. In order to analyze the safety of the building foundations safety over the old goaf, the structure characteristics of the strata over the old goaf was investigated and the instability conditions of overhanging rocks upon old goaf were also analyzed in this paper. The results indicate that the stability of overhanging rocks is remarkably decreased by the interactions of mining fractures, earthquake force and building load, in addition, the settlement of the foundations over old goaf is increased by the instability of overhanging rocks. According to the location of a new power plant in Yima Mine and its ambient conditions, we defined the influence scope of old goaf via resistivity tomography. Based on the seismic parameters of the construction site, a numerical FLAC3 dmodel of the building foundation under the seismic actions and building load was developed. The numerical results are obtained as follows: the foundation of the main power house meets the requirement of 6°seismic fortification intensity; however, under 7° seismic fortification intensity, the maximum differential settlement of foundation between the neighboring pillars is close to the maximum allowable value, while the seismic fortification intensity reaches 8°, but the safety requirements will not be satisfied.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51174198 and 51304203)Supported by State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining (No. SKLCRSM11X01)
文摘‘‘U" and ‘‘U+I" type ventilation experiments were performed on a three-dimensional fully mechanized caving face simulation experimental platform. The distribution laws of the pressure field and gas field in the mine goaf were obtained. Results show that the flow field in the goaf is generally asymmetric;the location of the gas accumulation area changes with ventilation parameters and can be used as an evaluation indicator to study the air leakage extent in the goaf. Hence, drainage pipes buried in the goaf to intensively extract gas can be designed in such gas areas, which can give considerations in both improving gas drainage efficiency and reducing air leakage. By comparing the gas extraction effect of model experiments with that of on-site underground practices, the basic laws are commonly consistent according to comparative analysis. Thus the experimental results can be used to guide the application of underground gas prevention and control.
基金Projects 50534090 and 50674090 supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China2005CB221503 by the National Key Basic ResearchDevelopment Program (973 Program)
文摘In order to simulate field distribution rules,mathematical models for 3-D air flows and gas transfer in the goaf of the coal mining are established,based on theories of permeability and dynamic dispersion through porous media. A gas dispersion equation in a 3-D field is calculated by use of numerical method on a weighted upstream multi-element balance. Based on data of an example with a U type ventilation mode,surface charts of air pressure distribution and gas concentration are drawn by Graphtool software. Finally,a comparison between actually measured results in the model test and the numerical simulation results is made to proves the numerical implementation feasible.
基金supports from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51204166 and 51174195)the Advantage Disciplines Construction Fund Program of Jiangsu Universities (No. SZBF2011-6-B35)
文摘The roof of a roadway under goaf with ultra-close separation consists of thin rock strata and rocks caving in upper goaf. Influenced by the mining of the upper coal seam, the roof is loose and broken, and its integrity is poor. Resin anchored bolts cannot provide an effective anchoring force in such roof conditions. By conducting free expansion tests and field pull-out tests on a hydraulic expansion bolt, this study has analyzed the influencing factors and laws of radial expansion and anchoring force changes in the rod body.This has revealed the anchoring mechanism of such bolts, and has obtained reasonable water injection pressures and suitable drilling diameters(which are 20–25 MPa and 32–35 mm respectively) for the hydraulic expansion bolt(u28 mm) used in these tests. Based on pull-out tests at different interlayer spacing, the applicability of hydraulic expansion bolts had been verified for controlling the roof of roadways under goaf with ultra-close distance. Combined with the deformation and failure characteristics of the test roadway roof, this paper proposes a united roof-control technology based on the use of hydraulic expansion bolts and advancing intubation for the roof. Engineering practice indicated that the roof of the test roadway did not generate leaking and caving phenomenon, and the amount of roof deformation was controlled to within 150 mm. Maintenance of the roadway roof has been improved significantly, which ensures safe mining in coal seams with ultra-close separation.
基金National Nature Science Foundation of China(50704024)Shanxi Youth Sci-Tech Research Foundation(2007021024)Taiyuan Innovation Program(special item for undergraduate innovation and starting business)(07010746)
文摘Targeting at the coal seam with useful value discarded above goafs,attempted to explore the feasibility of'mining technique in the condition of floor failure' from theoretical point of view,and predicted.It indicated that mining technique in the condition of floor failure used above Longwall Goafs in Baijiazhuang Mining is totally feasible.At law,the deformation of the floor in the mining technique by means of probability-integral method.And it is discov- ered that deformed basin can emerge in the footwall of No.6 coal seam and its maximum subsidence was possibly 1 633 mm or so and its maximum positive curvature is 61.74/10^(-3). At last,it therefore suggests appropriate ground pressure control measures as strengthening observation of ground pressure and adopting false slope for exploitation and strengthening support for reasonable push and slide based on the adverse ground pressure behaviors possibly occurring in the mining technique.This serves to gather data and lay sturdy founda- tion for further probe into the mining technique,and offers theoretical and technical grounds for concrete implementation of the mining technique.
