Mechanical analysis of effective pressure relief protection range of upper protective seam mining

This paper analyzes the control mechanism of coal and gas outbursts and proposes the concept of an effective pressure relief protection range, based on the stress relief of the underlying coal-rock mass and the development of a plastic zone. Also this study developed a stress change and fracture development model of the underlying coal-rock mass. In addition, the stress and depth of fracture of any point in the floor were deduced with the application of Maple Calculation Software. The specific engineering parameters of the Pingdingshan No. 12 colliery were applied to determine the relationship between the depth of fracture in the floor and the mining height. The pressure-relief principle of the underlying coal-rock mass was analyzed while varying the mining height of the upper protective seam. The findings indicate that as the depth of fracture in the floor increases, the underlying coal-rock mass experiences a limited amount of pressure relief, and the pressure relief protection range becomes narrower. Additionally, the stress distribution evolves from a “U” shape into a “V” shape. A 2.0 m mining height of protective seam situates the outburst-prone seam, Ji15, within the effective pressure relief protection range. The fracture development and stress-relief ratio rises to 88%, ensuring the pressure-relief effect as well as economic benefits. The measurement data show that: after mining the upper protective seam, the gas pressure of Ji15 dropped from 1.78 to 0.35 MPa, demonstrating agreement between the engineering application and the theoretical calculation.