Thermo-Mechanical Numerical Analysis of Stress and Damage Distribution within the Surrounding Rock of Underground Coal Gasification Panels

Abstract

Underground coal gasification (UCG) is a promising technology for extracting synthesis gas from coal seams through in situ gasification. This study aims to investigate the thermo-mechanical behavior and integrity of the surrounding rock in the gasification vicinity to facilitate safe and efficient UCG operations. Rock property testing experiments are conducted under varying temperature conditions, revealing significant temperature dependencies for the thermal and mechanical parameters. A thermo-mechanical coupling model is developed to analyze the stress and damage distribution near the gasification chamber. The influence of the temperature dependency of stress states and failure risks during the gasification process is evaluated. In addition, the effects of panel orientation, chamber width, maintaining duration, operating temperature and operating pressure on the failure behavior of the gasification surrounding rocks are illustrated through parametric analysis. The findings have practical implications for the design and assessment of UCG processes, enhancing the safety and efficiency of coal gasification operations.