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Experimental study on the seepage mutation of natural karst collapse pillar (KCP) fillings over mass outflow

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Abstract

Conduction between the unique geological formation karst collapse pillar (KCP) and the fractures caused by mining in the coal seam floor can lead to catastrophic water inrush disasters in many coalmines in Northern China. It is widely recognized that seepage mutation induced by the migration/loss of KCP fillings (highly broken rocks filling the fractured rocks) happens during occurrence of the KCP-related water inrush. However, roles of fluid path (mining-induced fracture) scale and KCP filling porosity in seepage mutation evolution remain unclear. Here, we conducted seepage tests on natural KCP fillings containing rock particles of different sizes. The filling specimens were deformed to different porosities from 14 to 26% through axial compression, and small to large fluid paths were simulated by seepage plates with distinct pore sizes from 2.5 to 12.5 mm. We found that seepage mutation occurs with significant permeability enhancement by 2 orders of magnitude under a pore diameter of 12.5 mm and a specimen porosity of 26%. There is a strong linear relationship between specimen permeability and Reynolds number (Re) over seepage mutation. The mutation is caused by the sudden collapse of the specimen skeleton and subsequent quick outflow of the particles. Therefore, it is inferred that the KCP-related water inrush is more likely to happen when highly porous KCP fillings are present and mining-induced fractures are well developed.

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Data availability

The original datasets used during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

A s :

Inner cross-sectional area of the specimen chamber, m2

b :

Material constant

h :

Specimen height, m

k :

Permeability, m2

k t  =  i :

Permeability at i second water injection, m2

M t  =  x :

Mass of the water flowing out from the seepage test system after x seconds of water injection, g

M t  =  x  − 1 :

Mass of the water flowing out from the seepage test system after x − 1 s of water injection, g

ΔM t  =  x :

Mass difference between x seconds of water injection and x − 1 s of water injection, g

p :

Pore pressure, MPa

t :

Injection time, s

v :

Flow rate, m/s

v t  =  x :

Flow rate after x seconds of water injection, m/s

V :

Specimen volume, m3

ρ :

Water density, kg/m3

φ :

Specimen porosity

μ :

Dynamic viscosity, Pa·s

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Funding

This work is financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Numbers: 41807209, 51778215, 51708185, and 51974293), the Young Teacher Foundation of HPU (Grant Number: 2019XQG-19), and the Henan Provincial Youth Talent Promotion Program (Grant Number: 2020HYTP003).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, 454000, China

    Boyang Zhang, Gang Liu & Zhibin Lin

  2. School of Energy Science and Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, 454000, China

    Boyang Zhang & Zhibin Lin

  3. State Key Laboratory of Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China

    Yingchun Li

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  1. Boyang Zhang
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  2. Gang Liu
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  4. Zhibin Lin
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Contributions

B.Z.: data curation, formal analysis, methodology, validation, and writing of original draft; G.L.: data curation, formal analysis, methodology, and writing of original draft; Y.L.: conceptualization, formal analysis, methodology, and writing which included review and editing; Z.L.: formal analysis, methodology, and writing which included review and editing.

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Correspondence to Yingchun Li.

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Zhang, B., Liu, G., Li, Y. et al. Experimental study on the seepage mutation of natural karst collapse pillar (KCP) fillings over mass outflow. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 110995–111007 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-30230-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-30230-3

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