DYNAMICS OF GAS EMISSION FROM EXPOSED SURFACE OF GAS-BEARING COAL SEAMS HAVING MEDIUM THICKNESS

The goal of the research was to clarify the regularities of the dynamics of gas release from the surface of the outcrop of the developed coal seam. The main research methods were theoretical methods of mathematical physics and non-equilibrium thermodynamics. Gas-bearing coal seams are usually mined underground. When driving development workings, outcropping surfaces of gas-bearing coal seams appear and gases in the seams under excessive pressure are released into the atmosphere of the mine workings. Gas-bearing coal seams are usually mined underground. When driving preparatory workings, surfaces of outcropping of gas-bearing coal seams arise and gases that are in the seams under excessive pressure are released into the atmosphere of the mine workings. The most important gas-dynamic characteristic of this process is the rate of gas release, which represents the volume of gases released from a unit area of exposure of a coal seam per unit of time. A generalized law of resistance for gas filtration in a rock mass is recommended, and a fairly rigorous thermodynamic substantiation is given. It is shown that the densities of gas mass flows in accordance with the postulate of their linear relationship with the driving forces are determined by the Onsager relation. The results obtained and their discussion is presented. Mathematical models are proposed for engineering calculations of the dynamics of methane release from the outcropping surface of medium-thick coal seams. The error of the adopted approximations does not exceed 3%. The intensity of methane release is directly related to the planogram of work in the working face. Analysis of this dependence indicates that during the extraction cycle, methane release increases due to an increase in the area of the gas-release surface. The main conclusions are as follows: mathematical modeling of the processes of gas movement in a porous sorbing medium using approximate mathematical models representing linearized equations of mathematical physics; the regularities of the dynamics of the rate of gas release from the surface of the outcrop of a gas-bearing coal seam is the theoretical basis for the mathematical description of the process of gas release; the use of a linearized hyperbolic filtration equation most accurately describes the processes of methane release from the outcropping surface of mined coal seams.