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Experimental Study on Coal Damage Subjected to Microwave Heating

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Abstract

Coalbed methane (CBM) reservoirs usually require stimulation to enhance the permeability, thereby promoting CBM production. Realized by the conversion of the electromagnetic energy into heat, microwave heating may be an effective CBM stimulation method. In this study, the effects of microwave heating on the damage of coal were investigated through scanning electron microscope and ultrasonic wave tests. The results indicate that the mineral grain in coal generally disappears after microwave heating. For low-permeable coals with highly mineralized fractures, the dissolution of mineral could potentially enhance permeability and improve stress resilience. Microwave selective heating can lead to the opening and extension of original fractures and the generation of secondary fractures, reducing P-wave and S-wave velocity of coal. The stronger the anisotropy of coal is, the greater the microwave fracturing effect becomes. In a word, microwave heating has potential for assisting coalbed methane exploitation.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Open Research Fund of The State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and safe Mining, CUMT (SKLCRSM20KF001), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51904103, 51974120, 51974119, and 51804115), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2019M652765), Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (2019JJ50180, 2019JJ50512), Scientific Research Foundation of Hunan Provincial Education Department (18C0328, 18B210).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Resource, Environment and Safety Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, 411201, Hunan, China

    He Li, Li Tian, Jiexin Lu, Shiliang Shi, Yi Lu, Fei Huang & Yong Liu

  2. State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, Jiangsu, China

    He Li & Bingxiang Huang

  3. Work Safety Key Lab On Prevention and Control of Gas and Roof Disasters for Southern Coal Mines, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, 411201, Hunan, China

    He Li, Shiliang Shi, Yi Lu, Fei Huang & Yong Liu

  4. College of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266590, Shandong, China

    Xiangnan Zhu

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  1. He Li
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  2. Li Tian
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  3. Bingxiang Huang
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  4. Jiexin Lu
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  7. Fei Huang
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  8. Yong Liu
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  9. Xiangnan Zhu
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Correspondence to Bingxiang Huang.

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No conflict of interest exits in the submission of this manuscript, and the manuscript is approved by all authors for publication. The work described was an original research that has not been published previously, and not under consideration for publication elsewhere, in whole or in part.

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Li, H., Tian, L., Huang, B. et al. Experimental Study on Coal Damage Subjected to Microwave Heating. Rock Mech Rock Eng 53, 5631–5640 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-020-02230-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-020-02230-z

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