Gas extraction is most commonly used to control gas disasters in coal mines. The distribution of the plastic zone around a borehole and the sealing quality are key factors affecting gas extraction. In this paper, the plastic zone was simulated by COMSOL, and a theoretical equation of the plastic zone radius was derived. In addition, an antispray hole equipment and the “two plugging and one injection” sealing technology were proposed. The results show that a larger borehole pore size corresponds to a larger plastic zone and larger range of pressure relief of the borehole. The error between the calculated and simulated plastic zone radii is within 1%, and the modified equation is applicable to Puxi mine. The loss and harm caused by borehole spraying are reduced by applying antispray hole equipment. By applying the “two plugging and one injection” sealing technology and phosphogypsum-based self-produced gas expansion paste material to block the borehole, the sealing quality is improved and an accurate gas mixing flow, pure flow, and concentration were obtained. As the plastic zone enlarges, the gas extraction flow gradually increases with, but the relative variation of flow first increases and subsequently decreases. Considering the safety and economy of construction, the optimal radius of the plastic zone is 64.9 mm.

The Fluent computational fluid dynamics software was used to study the relevant factors affecting the maximum commutation half cycle for thermal countercurrent oxidation of low-concentration gas in coal mine ventilation. Based on orthogonal experiments, the maximum commutation half cycle for thermal countercurrent oxidation of the exhaust gas in the coal mine ventilation under 25 working conditions with the combination of different methane concentrations, inlet speeds, porosities, and oxidation bed filling lengths is investigated. SPSS data processing software was used to perform regression analysis on the numerical simulation data, and a mathematical model for predicting the maximum commutation half cycle under the influence of four factors was obtained. Through experiments, the mathematical model of the maximum commutation half cycle by the numerical simulation was verified. After introducing the wall heat loss correction coefficient, the complete prediction model of the maximum commutation half cycle was obtained. Comparing the experimental test value with the calculated value using the corrected model, the relative error was not more than 3%. The complete mathematical model corrected can be applied to the design calculation of the maximum commutation half cycle for thermal countercurrent oxidation of low-concentration gas in actual coal mine ventilation.

Dust is one of the main pollutants in coal mines, which seriously affects the physical and mental health of workers, as well as the safe production in underground mines. Dual-radial swirl shielding ventilation is a new ventilation method for a fully mechanized excavation face and can effectively reduce the dust concentration in the underground. The dust control effect of dual-radial swirl shielding ventilation is mainly affected by the thickness and integrity of the shielding air curtain, as well as the disturbance of the flow field near the air curtain. By changing the blowing and suction air volume ratio of the air duct, the strength of the radial air curtain can be improved, and the dust control effect of the dual-radial swirl shielding ventilation system can be effectively improved. In order to determine the optimal operating parameters of the dual-radial swirl shielding ventilation system, a numerical simulation method was used to conduct an in-depth study on the blowing and suction air volume ratio of the system. The results showed that when the blowing and suction air volume ratio of the air duct was 1.5, the radial air curtain had the highest strength. Under this condition, the dust concentration at the driver’s position of the roadheader was the lowest, and the dual-radial swirl shielding ventilation system can achieve an ideal dust control effect.