Gas diffusion and seepage characteristics can reflect
the transport
capacity of coal mass pores and fracture channels and are also important
parameters to determine the mechanism of methane migration. Currently,
research on the contribution of diffusion and seepage to methane migration
is carried out mainly by fixing one parameter and discussing the effect
of the other. However, few studies are focused on the dynamic combined
effect of diffusion and seepage on methane migration under in situ
stress conditions, which is mainly attributed to difficulties in obtaining
the parameters of diffusion characteristics of coal mass under stress.
This paper presents a study on the dynamic combined effect of coal
mass diffusion and seepage on methane migration under different in
situ stress conditions. First, the physical structure model of coal
mass under high and low stresses was constructed based on the variations
of coal mass porosity, permeability, and computed tomography under
different stresses. Meanwhile, based on the methane desorption and
diffusion curves of coal mass under different stresses, the diffusion
parameters of coal mass were obtained according to the corresponding
diffusion model. Furthermore, the coupled multifield model was used
to calculate the methane migration in coal mass during the process
of borehole extraction with different stresses. The results suggest
that the difficulty in methane extraction is directly proportional
to the stress, but a huge discrepancy exists in methane migration
under high and low stresses principally due to the change of dominant
factors in methane migration of coal mass under different stresses.
Additionally, given the essential factors controlling the overall
methane migration of coal mass under high and low stresses, a joint
technical method for promoting methane flow rate under multicoal seam
conditions in the same mining area was proposed, i.e., hydraulic fracturing
and sand injection (increasing permeability) in coal seams under low
stress and simultaneous application of hydraulic fracturing and sand
injection and multistage cavitation pressure relief (increasing diffusion)
in coal seams under high stress. The research results obtained in
this paper provide theoretical support for understanding the methane
migration mechanism in coal seams under in situ stress and stimulated
gas production.