Numerical Modeling of Main and Tail Gate of a Modified Long Wall Mining Operation

Abstract

Coal mines opting for longwall mining or its variations rely on the main and tail gates for production. Stability of these entries or crosscuts is crucial in coal mining operations. Roof or strata failure can be fatal, may lead to property loss and delay in production. Failure of the gates depends upon many factors including the mining method, panel dimensions, pillar width, mine depth, caving rate, dimensions of gates and roof strength properties. In Pakistan coal is mined through a variation of longwall mining method with almost no mechanization while using timber as a primary support. Timber support as chock is very useful in coal mines especially in overhanging face. Similarly gate entries and coal faces are supported by chock supports throughout their length. In this paper the stability of the longwall gate is assessed for a typical coal mine in Pakistan by using finite element code. Numerical modelling considerations for gate entries are discussed. A model parametric study is performed for key factors. The results showed that the existing mining practice is not suitable and there is a need to review the mining approach.

Department(s)

Mining Engineering

Keywords and Phrases

Coal mining; Gate entries; Numerical modelling; Underground mining

International Standard Book Number (ISBN)

978-151083647-1

Document Type

Article - Conference proceedings

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2024 Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Jan 2017

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