Experimental study on oxygen consumption rate of residual coal in goaf

In order to research the actual oxygen consumption rate of residual coal in goaf, the heating and oxidizing experiment was conducted respectively on five types of single particle size of coal samples and one hybrid particle size of coal samples by using self-developed CSC-B2 test system. This study measured inlet and outlet oxygen concentration of the oxidation tank, and calculated the oxygen consumption rate of each coal sample at different temperatures. For the residual coal in the same goaf, which is regarded as a hybrid particle size of coal consisting of a variety of single granularity of coal, its oxygen consumption rate is the mass weighted average of the rate of each particle size of coal. Accordingly, this paper established the equation of oxygen consumption rate of hybrid particle size of coal samples, taking into account temperature, granularity and oxygen concentration. Then comparison between the calculated value and the actually measured value of oxygen consumption rate of hybrid particle size of coal samples at different temperatures was conducted. And the results reveal that the calculated value basically coincide with the actually measured one. Moreover, the results prove that the established calculation formula for oxygen consumption rate can be used to accurately calculate the actual oxygen consumption rate of residual coal samples. The achievement of this research is of theoretical and practical significance for learning about the characteristics of coal spontaneous combustion and forecasting the self-ignition of residual coal in goaf.

► The oxygen consumption rate of residual coal is the mass weighted average.
► The calculation formula for oxygen consumption rate of residual coal is established.
► The correctness of the formula is verified by heating and oxidizing experiment.
► The result is of significance for forecasting the self-ignition of residual coal.