Characteristics of Coal Spontaneous Combustion and Gas Distribution Under Varying CO2 Concentrations in Goaf Oxidation Zones: Experiments and Simulations
摘要
The gaseous composition of the goaf atmosphere represents a critical factor governing processes of coal spontaneous combustion, creating essential need to investigate how varying CO2 concentrations influence the characteristics of coal spontaneous combustion (CSC). This study systematically examined effects of different CO2 concentrations on CSC through temperature-programmed gas chromatography and in situ infrared spectroscopy experiments, combined with numerical simulations to analyze impact of CO2 injection on oxidation zone area before and after implementation. The study revealed that CO2 concentrations above 30% significantly enhance inhibition of oxygen consumption and CO generation rates in coal. In the 30–70% concentration range, increasing CO2 levels progressively reduce areas of hydroxyl peaks while expanding peaks of aliphatic hydrocarbons. When concentrations exceed 70%, CO2 molecules predominantly occupy active sites in coal, causing hydroxyl peaks to increase while peaks of aliphatic hydrocarbons and oxygen-containing functional groups diminish. Under optimal injection parameters (40 m distance, 750 m3/h injection volume), the oxidation zone area reached 2892.46 m2, with areas having CO2 concentrations below 30% and above 30% accounting for 37.36% and 6.32% of the total area, respectively. CO2 injection in goaf areas achieves effective suppression of CSC via dual inhibition mechanisms: macroscopic reduction of oxidation zone dimensions and microscopic blockade of reactions between coal and oxygen at concentrations above 30%.