Numerical Simulation of Coupled Thermal-Hydrological-Mechanical-Chemical Processes in the Spontaneous Combustion of Underground Coal Seams

Abstract

In this study, we develop a fully coupled thermal-hydrological-mechanical-chemical (THMC) model to analyze the spontaneous combustion process of underground coal seams, focusing on investigating the influences of the pressure difference between oxygen and coal, the rate of coal-oxygen reaction heat, and the activation energy. The simulation results show that as oxygen propagates into the coal seams, the coal-oxygen reaction causes the spontaneous combustion of coal to heat. The consumption of oxygen leads to an increase in oxygen consumption along the way and a decrease in gas pressure. The permeability near the right boundary increases while significantly reducing the area far away from the right boundary as the predominant effect of spontaneous combustion. Additionally, a sensitivity study shows that a more considerable pressure difference and coal-oxygen reaction heat contribute to promoting the coal temperature, while the activation energy has a slight effect. Moreover, an increase in coal-oxygen reaction heat and activation energy accelerates the oxygen consumption rate and thus causes a lower oxygen concentration. Overall, the results provide a basis for the prediction and prevention of coal seam spontaneous combustion.