Simulation Analysis on Water’s Micro Seepage Laws under Different Pressure Gradients Using Computed Tomography Method

TLDR: In this article, the authors developed a model that can characterize the actual micropore structures in coal and gain an in-depth insight into water's seepage rules in coal pores under different pressure gradients from a microscopic perspective.

Abstract: The aim of this paper was to develop a model that can characterize the actual micropore structures in coal and gain an in-depth insight into water’s seepage rules in coal pores under different pressure gradients from a microscopic perspective. To achieve this goal, long-flame coals were first scanned by an X-ray 3D microscope; then, through a representative elementary volume (REV) analysis, the optimal side length was determined to be 60 μm; subsequently, by using Avizo software, the coal’s micropore structures were acquired. Considering that the porosity varies in the same coal sample, this study selected four regions in the sample for an in-depth analysis. Moreover, numerical simulations on water’s seepage behaviors in coal under 30 different pressure gradients were performed. The results show that (1) the variation of the simulated seepage velocity and pressure gradient accorded with Forchheimer’s high-velocity nonlinear seepage rules; (2) the permeability did not necessarily increase with the increase of the effective porosity; (3) in the same model, under different pressure gradients, the average seepage pressure decreased gradually, while the average seepage velocity and average mass flow varied greatly with the increase of the seepage length; and (4) under the same pressure gradient, the increase of the average mass flow from the inlet to the outlet became more significant under a higher inlet pressure.