Simulation of coal low-temperature oxidation heating process in gob with “U+L” ventilation

In a gob with U + L ventilation, a tail roadway exists, which has important effects on the oxidation heating process and gas concentration in gob areas. Research on the heating process and gas concentration in the "U+L" ventilation can provide the basis for the prevention of spontaneous combustion, thus, the regularities of the oxidation heating process and gas concentration in gob areas were researched by simulation. Results showed that compared with U ventilation, U + L ventilation caused the high temperature zone and high temperature points in the gob areas to increase in depth and width and to be influenced by the distance between the crossheading of the tail roadway and workface. The heating rate of the high-temperature point in the gob with tail roadway was 1.5 times of that in gob without tail roadway, but was unaffected by the location of the tail roadway. Tail roadway had diversion effects on the airflow, especially near return side and the maximum reduction of gas concentration can be 0.36%.