Dynamic Response Characteristics and Damage Evolution of Multi-Layer Combined Coal and Rock Mass under Impact Loading

The areas involved in coal and gas outbursts are composed of multi-layer coal and rock mass, in which external dynamic disturbance propagates in the form of stress waves; therefore, reflection, transmission and diffraction occur at the interfaces, resulting in dynamic effects such as reflected tension, convergence and superposition of stress and strain, and sudden changes of reflected and transmitted stress, which are the key factors leading to the outburst. Based on the Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar system, the dynamic time-history changes of stress, strain and strain rate of five-layer combined coal and rock mass were studied under impact loading. The results show that the time-history curves of stress and strain could be divided into five stages and that of strain rate three stages; the dynamic curves of the five stress-strain stages were significantly different between high-velocity and low-velocity impact. It was hypothesized that under high-speed impact loading, the mechanical anisotropy of combined coal and rock mass at the linear elastic stage tends to be isotropic. Based on ANSYS LS-DYNA, the damage evolution and failure process of five-layer combined coal and rock mass were simulated and analyzed under impact loading. It is concluded that the initial positions of damage of each layer were located at the circle center and its vicinity; radial cracks were mainly formed under low-speed impact loading, and circumferential cracks were mainly formed under high-speed impact loading. In the propagation and action of loading and unloading waves, the weak layer was damaged first by tensile stress and formed a free surface, and the subsequent loading waves were reflected on the free surface to form unloading waves and tensile stress, resulting in damage and spalling in multi-layer coal and rock mass.

Automated summary

This study investigates the dynamic response and failure process of combined coal and rock mass under impact loading through experiments and numerical simulations, and finds significant differences in stress-strain stages between high-velocity and low-velocity impacts. The findings are important for a better understanding of the development mechanism of coal and gas outbursts.