Analysis of the coal seam spalling–failure mechanism based on the seepage instability theory

Coal and gas outburst is a common coal-rock dynamic disaster. Such accidents frequently occur, and the mechanism underlying the occurrence of these outbursts is complex. As a typical failure mode of a gas-filled and pressure-relieved coal body, the spallation mechanism should be investigated to reveal the mechanism of coal and gas outburst and guide outburst-prevention strategies. In this paper, a fluid-solid coupling model for coal seam gas flow is established. This model considers the adsorption characteristics of coal. Numerical calculations are used to simulate the stress field distribution and evolution of gas-filled coal bodies under different boundary conditions. The mechanical mechanism of the spallation occurrence after the pressure relief of coal is explained from the perspective of seepage breaking coal. The control of the flow and stress state of the gas to the spallation failure is analyzed. The mechanical-quantitative conditions for the initial failure of the coal body under seepage and the mechanical-qualitative conditions for the continuous advancement and termination of spallation are studied based on numerical solution results. The numerical calculation results show that the formation of a flow field after pressure relief will apply a drag force (tensile stress) on the porous media of coal. The presence of this force plays a crucial role in promoting the spallation and cracking of coal and, thus, the promotion of spallation. The tensile strength, initial adsorption pressure, and pressure relief rate of the coal body jointly control whether the initial failure can occur and the thickness of the fracture layer cracks. Spallation propulsion is mainly determined by the pressure relief conditions of the undestroyed coal body and pressure changes in the spallation space; the former can be quantitatively obtained by numerical calculations, whereas the latter is related to the thickness of the spalled layer and the degree of the layer-crack structure.