Determination of the key parameters of high-position hard roofs for vertical-well stratified fracturing to release strong ground pressure behavior in extra-thick coal seam mining

Abstract

Traditional methods of controlling hard roofs have a limited scope of action and cannot effectively release the strong ground pressure behavior (SGPB) induced by high-position hard roofs (HHRs) in extra-thick coal seam mining (ETCSM). Thus, an innovative control technology of fracturing HHRs by vertical-well stratified fracturing (VWSF) has been proposed. However, the key parameters of VWSF, namely fracturing horizon and fracturing thickness of HHRs, which have a significant influence on stope stability, remain uncertain. In this study, a mechanical model of the “coal wall–hydraulic support–gangue” support system is established by considering the effective loading acting on HHRs, through which modified expressions for the periodic breaking span and impact kinetic energy of the stope are deduced. Based on the self-bearing of bulking rocks, the stability principle of the surrounding rock, and energy dissipation theories, the criteria for determining the fracturing horizon and thickness of the HHR are obtained. Next, a numerical model of ETCSM, which accounts for the supporting effect of gangue, is constructed in FLAC3D. The support load and energy released by stratum breakage are determined through modeling under various hard roof parameters, thus verifying the correctness of the determination criteria. The results show that the energy released by a hard roof, average support load, and critical support load are positively correlated with thickness, and first increase before declining with respect to an increase in the fracturing horizon. The key parameters for a real coal mine are obtained by theoretical calculations and numerical simulations. A field application demonstrates that the support load and advance roadway deformation can be decreased using the proposed parameterization. This provides theoretical support for determining the key parameters of HHRs for VWSF and facilitates the widespread application of VWSF technology in HHR control.