A new potential prediction approach for coal mine disaster based on electromagnetic radiation

Coal-rock dynamic disaster is very serious in deep coal mine. A new potential method, which is based on electromagnetic radiation, is proposed to predict coal-rock dynamic disaster with a coal-rock uniaxial compression experimental investigation conducted in laboratory. Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) and acoustic emission (AE) signals were gained during coal-rock fracture under different antenna types and arrangements. The results show that EMR excited by coal-rock fracture are broadband frequency, the EMR and AE signals are from the same source, but their generation mechanism is different. Under the same frequency band of antenna, the EMR amplitude from antenna parallel with crack plane is bigger than from antenna vertical to crack plane. Thus, EMR signals from developing crack propagates along the crack surfaces, which are principle contributions to total EMR signals and the EMR signals from antenna reflect the crack state parallel with receiving direction plane of antenna in coal-rock under uniaxial compression. A quantitative relationship between EMR frequency along the major crack plane and crack was derived by theoretical studies, which can be used into applications for coal-rock dynamic disaster prediction in coal mine.