Search Results (86)

This study explores the optimisation of nozzle design for external twin fluid, single-stage atomisation in handling high-viscosity, shear-thinning polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). A single PDMS grade was employed and atomised using unheated sonic air and the viscosity was varied by the fluid temperature. A systematic experimental approach was used, varying nozzle geometry—specifically apex angle, gas nozzle diameter, and number of gas nozzles—to identify the optimal nozzle configuration (ONC). The spray qualities of the nozzle configurations were evaluated via high-speed imaging at 75,000 FPS. Shadowgraphy was employed for the optical characterisation of the spray, determining the optimal volumetric air-to-liquid ratio (ALR), a key parameter influencing energy efficiency and operational cost, and for assessing droplet size distributions under varying ALR and viscosity of PDMS. The ONC yielded a Sauter mean diameter $d_{32}$ of 570 × 10⁻⁶$\mathrm{m}$, at an ALR of 8532 and a zero-shear viscosity of 15.9 $\mathrm{Pa}$ $\mathrm{s}$. The results are relevant for researchers and engineers developing twin fluid atomisation systems for challenging industrial fluids with similar physical properties, such as those in wastewater treatment and coal–water slurry atomisation (CWS). This study provides design guidelines for external twin fluid atomisers to enhance atomisation efficiency under such conditions. Full article

Fossil fuels, including coal, are a basis of energy systems in many countries worldwide. However, coal mining is associated with several difficulties, which include high temperatures within the coal mining area. It causes a need for cooling for safety reasons and also for the comfort of miners’ work. Typical cooling systems in mines are based on central systems, in which chilled water is generated in the compressor or absorption coolers on the ground and transported via pipelines to the air coolers in the areas of mining. The progressive mining operation causes a gradual increase in the distance between chilled water generators and air coolers, causing a decrease in the efficiency of the entire system and insufficient cooling capacity. As a result, it is necessary to increase the diameter of the chilled water pipelines and increase the cooling capacity of the chillers, which is associated with additional investment and technical problems. One solution to this problem may be the use of so-called ice slurry instead of chilled water in the existing mine cooling system. This article presents the cooling system, located in the mine LW Bogdanka S.A., based on ice slurry. The structure of the system and its key parameters are presented. The results show that switching from cooling water to ice slurry allowed the cooling capacity of the entire system to increase by 50% while maintaining the existing piping. This demonstrates the very high potential for the use of ice slurry, not only in mines, but wherever further increases in piping diameters to maintain the required cooling capacity are not possible or cost-effective. Full article

To reduce the cost of coal mine filling materials, a novel composite cementitious material was developed by utilizing coal-based solid waste materials, including fly ash, desulfurized gypsum, and carbide slag, along with cement and water as raw materials. Initially, a comprehensive analysis of the physical and chemical properties of each raw material was conducted. Subsequently, proportioning tests were systematically carried out using the single-variable method. During these tests, multiple crucial performance indicators were measured. Specifically, the fluidity and bleeding rate of the slurry were evaluated to assess its workability, while the compressive strength and chemically bound water content of the hardened sample were tested to determine its mechanical properties and hydration degree. Through in-depth analysis of the test results, the optimal formulation of the composite cementitious material was determined. In the basic group, the mass ratio of fly ash to desulfurized gypsum was set at 70:30. In the additional group, the carbide slag addition amount accounted for 20% of the total mass, the cement addition amount was 15%, and the water–cement ratio was fixed at 0.65. Under these optimal proportioning conditions, the composite cementitious material exhibited excellent performance: its fluidity ranged from 180 to 220 mm, the bleeding rate within 6 h was less than 5%, and the 28-day compressive strength reached 17.69 MPa. The newly developed composite cementitious material features good fluidity and high strength of the hardened sample, fully meeting the requirements for mine filling materials. Full article

In this study, a polycarboxylate coal–water slurry dispersant (SSPA) containing benzenesulfonic acid groups was synthesized using allyl alcohol polyoxyethylene ether 500, sodium styrenesulfonate, and acrylic acid as raw materials. The effects of SSPA and a commercially available naphthalene-based dispersant (MF) on the slurry characteristics of low-rank coal were compared, and the maximum solid content of CWS prepared with SSPA reached 65.2%, which was 4% higher than that achieved with MF (61.2%). Unlike the more electronegative MF dispersant, SSPA features long polyether side chains that exert a robust steric hindrance effect, significantly enhancing coal particle dispersion. This results in a decrease in apparent viscosity and an increase in the stability of the CWS formulated with SSPA. Furthermore, adsorption experiments revealed that the adsorption kinetics of both SSPA and MF on coal conformed to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. SSPA’s adsorption on coal particles followed the Langmuir isothermal adsorption model, and the K_L value of 0.0094 for SSPA was greater than that of MF (0.0086). This indicates that SSPA has a stronger affinity for the coal surface. Overall, the superior adsorption efficacy of SSPA is attributed to the benzene ring in its nonpolar group, which facilitates steric hindrance with aromatic structures in coal. Additionally, SSPA improves slurry stability, achieving a penetration rate of 96.7%. Finally, the carboxylic acid groups in SSPA likely engage in electrostatic attraction with cations on the coal surface, enhancing adsorption. Full article

The mechanical properties of grouting materials and their cured grouts significantly impact the reinforcement effectiveness in deep coal mine roadways. This study employed shear rheology tests of slurry, structural tests, NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance), and uniaxial compression tests to comparatively analyze the mechanical characteristics of a composite cement-based grouting material (HGC), ordinary Portland cement (OPC), and sulfated aluminum cement (SAC) slurry and their cured grouts. The HGC (High-performance Grouting Composite) slurry is formulated with 15.75% sulfated aluminum cement (SAC), 54.25% ordinary Portland cement (OPC), 10% fly ash, and 20% mineral powder, achieving a water/cement ratio of 0.26. The results indicate that HGC slurry more closely follows power-law flow characteristics, while OPC and SAC slurries fit better with the Bingham model. The structural recovery time for HGC slurry after high-strain disturbances is 52 s, significantly lower than the 312 s for OPC and 121 s for SAC, indicating that HGC can quickly produce hydration products that re-bond the flocculated structure. NMR T2 spectra show that HGC cured grouts have the lowest porosity, predominantly featuring inter-nanopores, whereas OPC and SAC have more super-nanopores. Uniaxial compression tests show that the uniaxial compressive strength of HGC, SAC, and OPC samples at various curing ages gradually decreases. Compared to traditional cementitious materials, HGC exhibits a rapid increase in uniaxial compressive strength within the first seven days, with an increase rate of approximately 77.97%. Finally, the relationship between micropore distribution and strength is analyzed, and the micro-mechanisms underlying the strength differences of different grouting materials are discussed. This study aids in developing a comparative analysis system of mechanical properties for deep surrounding rock grouting materials, providing a reference for selecting grouting materials for various engineering fractured rock masses. Full article

The development of coal–water slurry (CWS), a new type of coal-based chemical product in China, has garnered increasing attention as a potential substitute for petroleum resources. The Coriolis mass flow meter is widely used in industrial measurement due to its low uncertainty and its ability to simultaneously measure fluid density and mass flow rate, with a single-phase measurement error as low as 0.1%. However, significant errors still exist in multiphase flow measurement scenarios. To address this issue, we designed and constructed a CWS liquid–solid two-phase flow measurement platform to investigate the flow measurement errors of CWS in Coriolis mass flow meters under various conditions. A deep learning correction framework was developed to mitigate the significant measurement errors in liquid–solid two-phase flow. Based on the theoretical support provided by repeatability experiments, two correction models were established: (1) An error correction model based on a BP neural network was developed, which provided corrections for the measurement errors of CWS liquid–solid two-phase flow. The first correction results showed that the corrected error of the predictive model was 3.98%, a significant improvement compared to the 5.11% error measured by the X company’s meter. (2) Building on this, a second correction model was established through algorithm optimization, successfully reducing the corrected error of the predictive model to 1.01%. Through this study, we aim at providing a new technical approach for Coriolis mass flow meters in the field of liquid–solid two-phase flow measurement, enhancing measurement accuracy, reducing costs, and offering more reliable data support for industrial process control and scientific research. Full article

The fault fracture zone has the characteristics of low strength and poor water resistance. These factors often lead to stress concentration and significant deformation during roadway excavation. In order to improve the anti-deformation ability and strength of the surrounding rock and reduce the support pressure, taking the roadway passing through the F2 fault in the Wugou coal mine as an example, the evolution characteristics of the surrounding rock of the roadway passing through the fault were studied using FLAC3D numerical simulation software, and the stress evolution law and failure characteristics of the surrounding rock in three stages of the roadway driving through the fault fracture zone were analyzed. The slurry diffusion characteristics under different grouting hole layouts were studied using COMSOL software, and the effectiveness of ground directional grouting (combined directional drilling technology with ground grouting technology) reinforcement technology was explored via similar simulation experiments. After the pre-grouting reinforcement of the surrounding rock by the ground directional hole in the field, the fault fracture zone was successfully excavated. The key technical system of the shield roadway passing through the fault based on the directional drilling and ground grouting technology was summarized and put forward. The three-hole drilling and the circumferential four-hole drilling layouts were used to realize the grouting in the fault fracture zone. Engineering practice shows that ground directional grouting has significant advantages and improves the mechanical properties of the broken weak surrounding rock. The deformation of the roadway roof is 128 mm, and the deformation of the two sides is controlled within 100 mm. This method greatly improves the stability of the roadway and has been verified by the field results. Full article

Accurately detecting coal slime water concentration during coal washing is crucial for optimizing dosing systems and improving separation efficiency. Traditional concentration detection methods are often affected by flow field disturbances. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a pressure differential concentration detection system utilizing interference rectification for a stabilized flow field and improved measurement accuracy. The experimental system comprises a circulating slurry tank, a defoamer, and a turbulence removal measuring tank. Numerical simulations and experimental studies investigated the effects of slurry concentration and inflow velocity on detection accuracy. Through dynamic measurement of pressure difference data under different concentrations and flow rates, the characteristics of a solid–liquid two-phase flow field are simulated using Fluent software. The results demonstrate that for low-concentration (C = 10%) and high-concentration (C = 30%) slurries, a flow velocity of ≥0.7 m/s significantly improves flow uniformity and achieves a stable particle suspension state, maintaining a measurement error within 1% for a flow rate of 0.7 m/s. However, flow rates exceeding 0.7 m/s decrease flow stability, increasing errors. Notably, the combination of sensors at positions No. 2 and No. 4 yields the lowest measurement errors, which verifies the influence of sensor layout on detection accuracy. A 0.7 m/s velocity is identified as the key threshold for flow field stability, and the nonlinear influence of the synergistic effect of flow rate and concentration on the detection stability is revealed. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing pulp concentration detection systems and enhancing industrial dosing precision. Full article

Gas extraction from coal seams can significantly mitigate gas accidents and improve resource utilization. The effectiveness of borehole sealing directly determines the concentration and efficiency of gas drainage. In recent years, liquid-phase sealing materials, represented by non-solidifying pastes, gel-based materials, and inorganic retarders, have gradually become a research hotspot. Compared to the traditional solid sealing materials such as cement-based or organic polymers, liquid-phase sealing materials can effectively seal secondary fractures caused by mining vibration through grout replenishment. However, the influence of each component in liquid-phase non-solidified materials on sealing properties such as fluidity, water retention, and permeability remains unclear. To address these issues, a novel liquid-phase non-solidified hole sealing material was developed using bentonite as the base material, sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate as the dispersant, and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose as the thickener. Initially, single-factor experiments were applied to investigate the effects of material ratios on the fluidity, water retention, and permeability. Subsequently, orthogonal experimental design and response surface methodology were used to establish nonlinear quadratic regression models relating these properties to water–bentonite ratio, dispersant content, and thickener content. The results indicated that an optimal water–bentonite ratio enhances both fluidity and permeability, while dispersants improve water retention and permeability and thickeners primarily boost water retention. Finally, the optimized composition was determined as a water–bentonite ratio of 4.41:1, a dispersant content of 0.38%, and a thickener content of 0.108%. We believe that the developed slurry materials will maintain excellent sealing performance through the entire gas extraction period. Full article

Coal mine gangue cementation filling technology has increasingly become an effective and major means of dealing with “coal mining under buildings, railways, and bodies of water” and other complex hard-to-mine coal seams; but also, an important part of a large number of treatments of coal gangue stockpiled on the ground is to realize the green mining of coal mines. Coal mine cement filling often contains gangue particles with particle sizes larger than 15 mm; however, the viscometer and rheometer currently used at home and abroad are unable to accurately measure the rheological parameters of the slurry containing large-particle-sized gangue. In order to accurately measure the rheological parameters of slurry containing large-sized gangue particles combined with the site filling materials, the torque values obtained on the mixing blades at different speeds were generated by the combined action of the slurry between the blade side edge and the mixing drum wall, as well as the slurry between the blade lower edge and the mixing drum bottom. A new type of gangue slurry rheometer was developed. The new type of gangue slurry rheometer mainly included components such as the power system, sensing system, mechanical system, and other auxiliary units. Finally, using Fluent software ANSYS2023 to numerically simulate the fluidity of the slurry under the same conditions, the results obtained after the calculation and the test results showed that the error was within a reasonable range, indicating the correctness of the test principles of the new gangue slurry rheometer and the effectiveness of the instrument. This research offers new insights for accurately measuring the rheological parameters of particles with large sizes. Full article

The sedimentation process of coal slurry water is influenced by numerous factors and has complex mechanisms. Its nonlinear and large hysteresis characteristics pose great challenges to process optimization control, making it a current research hotspot. This paper takes the typical slime water treatment process of a coal preparation plant as the object, and, on the basis of selecting raw coal quantity, flocculation dosage, coagulation dosage, overflow turbidity, raw coal ash content, underflow concentration, and slime quantity as the key variables, establishes a quality control method for process detection data consisting of data acquisition → data anomaly detection → data filling and noise reduction; subsequently, different machine-learning algorithms are used to predict the performance of coal-slurry-settling agents. It was found that Long Short-Term Memory shows the highest prediction accuracy for coagulants, with corresponding root mean square errors of 2.72% and 6.23%. Finally, using iFix software (version 5.5), an intelligent control system for the settling process of coal slurry water was constructed, which reduced the usage of coagulants by 31.56% and 37.21%. Full article

The European Union prioritizes nature restoration, particularly in semiarid Mediterranean regions where integrating degraded coal mining areas into the landscape is essential. This involves maximizing water use and controlling runoff. A rehabilitation project in a former mining quarry was conducted with the objective of constructing suitable Technosols to support vegetation, limit erosion, and reduce rehabilitation costs. To prepare the substrate, mine spoils (saline materials) were mixed with residual materials, including discarded lignite powder, sewage sludge, pig slurry, and straw. Pig slurry was also introduced as a mulch in the experiment. A complete randomized block design with three replicates was set up, with each block containing two plots of the prepared substrate. In one of the plots, pig slurry was applied on the surface as a mulch to enhance infiltration and promote plant establishment. The quality of the newly created Technosols and the benefits of mulch application were evaluated 2 and 4 years after the rehabilitation. After two years, salt-tolerant plant species colonized the rehabilitated areas, providing sufficient vegetation cover to control water, soil, and nutrient losses, keeping soil losses below a 2.2 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ threshold. Four years later, the new Technosols showed a fourfold increase in soluble organic-C content (up to 0.59 g kg⁻¹) and higher soil respiration rates compared to the mine spoils and lignite powder in the surrounding degraded quarry areas. No significant differences were observed in any parameters due to superficial slurry application. Addressing salinity and optimizing vegetation cover are crucial for the successful formation and sustainability of Technosols in these environments. Full article

This study introduces a novel water-insoluble dispersant for coal water slurry (CWS), namely, a poly(sodium styrene sulfonate)-grafted SiO₂ nanoparticle (SiO₂-g-PSSNa). SiO₂-g-PSSNa was synthesized by combining the surface acylation reaction with surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP). Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) verified that SiO₂-g-PSSNa with the desired structure was successfully obtained. Afterwards, the performance of SiO₂-g-PSSNa as a dispersant in CWS preparation was evaluated. The results indicated that the optimal dosage of SiO₂-g-PSSNa was 0.3%. Compared to the famous commercial products, PSSNa and lignosulfonate (LS), SiO₂-g-PSSNa exhibits improved viscosity reduction performance. When SiO₂-g-PSSNa was used as the dispersant, the maximum coal loading of CWS was 64.2%, which was higher than LS (63.4%) and PSSNa (63.9%). All CWSs obtained in this study were pseudoplastic fluids and more consistent with the Herschel–Bulkley rheological model. The turbiscan stability index (TSI) of CWS prepared with SiO₂-g-PSSNa was 0.05, which was significantly lower than CWSs obtained from PSSNa (0.30) and LS (0.36). Therefore, SiO₂-g-PSSNa also exhibits excellent stability performance. This result was confirmed by rod penetration tests. The underlying mechanism was also clarified by various measurements, such as contact angle, zeta potential, EDS and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance spectra (low-field NMR). The results reveal that SiO₂-g-PSSNa can adsorbed onto the coal surface. SiO₂-g-PSSNa possesses a special branched structure, which bears a higher charge density as compared to linear ones with approximate chemical composition. As a result, coal particles adsorbed with SiO₂-g-PSSNa exhibit more electronegativity. With the enhancement of the electrostatic repulsive between coal particles, the apparent viscosity was lowered and the static stability was improved. This study demonstrated that solubility in water is not an essential factor in engineering the dispersant. Densely charged groups are probably more important. Full article

The increasing incidence of structural failures, such as cracks and collapses, in rock masses within mines, tunnels, and other civil engineering environments has attracted considerable attention among scholars in recent years. Grouting serves as a principal solution to these issues. The Renlou Coal Mine in the Anhui Province is used as a case study to evaluate the effectiveness of nanosilica (NS) as an additive in ultrafine cement (UC), introducing a novel grouting material for practical applications. This study investigates the physical and microscopic properties of a UC–ultrafine fly ash (UFA) mixed slurry containing powdered NS. Slurries of pure UC, UFA-blended UC, and UFA-blended UC with NS were prepared, and their viscosity, water precipitation rate, and compressive strength were evaluated. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction were used for microscopic analyses. The results showed that the addition of UFA and NS to the UC slurry induced a more compact structure with reduced porosity. It was found that the viscosity and 7 d and 28 d compressive strengths of the slurry containing 50% UFA decreased by 91%, 51%, and 29.2%, respectively, and the water separation rate increased by 306.5%. The decrease in early strength was more pronounced, and the UFA content should not exceed 25%. Compared with the slurry without NS, the viscosity and 7 d and 28 d compressive strength of the slurry containing 1.5% NS increased by 216%, 51.2%, and 37%, respectively, and the water separation rate decreased by 45%. Notably, when the NS content is 1.5%, the performance of cement slurry is improved the most, and more C-S-H gel is produced. Cement consumption costs could be lowered and slurry performance improved by replacing a part of the cement with UFA and NS. Finally, orthogonal tests were conducted to select the optimal proportions for cement grouting. The optimal blend was determined to be composed of 20% UFA and 1.5% NS, with a water–cement ratio of 0.6. The study’s results not only demonstrate that NS has a good effect on improving the performance of cement-based grouting materials but also provide new insights for the design and application of grouting support in underground engineering. Full article

Effective coal slurry water solid–liquid separation is indispensable for the recycling and sustainable development of coal resources. The interaction between bubble and coal particles plays a critical role in the process of dewatering for clean coal. In this study, we firstly conducted a comprehensive investigation of the impact of froth on the interactions between coal particles by rheological measurement and particle aggregation behavior. Furthermore, the macroscopic dewatering performance of coal slurry in the presence of froth and its microscopic cake structure were investigated using the filtration test and X-ray microtomography (CT). It was found that the interaction between coal particles in the presence of froth was enhanced as a result of the dynamic shear value, combined with the large floc size and compact structure, which led to a higher cake moisture and higher filtration velocity. The CT results indicated that the enhanced interaction of particles in the presence of froth also led to a dense microstructure of the filter cake. The porosity of the filter cake decreased to 2.05% when the aeration time increased from 0 s to 90 s, the throat radius in the filter cake was reduced to 1.32 μm, and the number of throat passages was reduced to one third. Multiple blind pores and low coordination numbers led to a poor connectivity of the pore network and high moisture content. Full article