International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Engineering

2019; 7(2): 52-59

http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/ogce
doi: 10.11648/j.ogce.20190702.12
ISSN: 2376-7669 (Print); ISSN: 2376-7677 (Online)

Fine Prediction for Mine Water Inflow on Basis of Visual

Modflow
Wang Guorui1, 2, Wu Qiang1, Yan Zizhong2, Zhao Na3, Duan Chengbao4, Cheng Xia2,
Wang Hui2
1
Department of Geological Environment, College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology,
Beijing, China
2
Ningxia Survey and Monitor Institute of Land and Resources, Ningxia Department of Natural Resources, Yinchuan, China
3
Department of Business Technology, Ningxia Branch of Agricultural Bank of China, Yinchuan, China
4
Department of Geological Survey, Xinjiang Tianchi Energy Co. Ltd., Changji, China

Email Address:
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To cite this article:

Wang Guorui, Wu Qiang, Yan Zizhong, Zhao Na, Duan Chengbao, Cheng Xia, Wang Hui. Fine Prediction for Mine Water Inflow on Basis of
Visual Modflow. International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Engineering. Vol. 7, No. 2, 2019, pp. 52-59. doi: 10.11648/j.ogce.20190702.12

Received: March 12, 2019; Accepted: April 23, 2019; Published: June 4, 2019

Abstract: Mine water inflow refers to the influx of mine within the mine construction and production process of water per unit
time. The amout of water inflow is not only an important indicator of the technical and economic evaluation of mine construction
and rational development but also the main basis for coal mining production design department to develop programs to identify
and develop the ability to mine dewatering and drainage measures, playing an important role in preventing the accidents of mine
water inrush and flooding mine malignant as well as reducing the production costs and protecting mine safety. In this paper, the
way coal mining in northeast in china for points, by means of sequence numerical simulation compared to traditional separated
mining area in calculating water inflow, then matches the results to the existing mine water inflow, to validate the model accuracy,
improve the accuracy of the numerical simulation, to provide security for mining coal mine safety.
Keywords: Coal Mine, Mine Water Inflow, Mining Sequence, Visual Modflow

agricultural and industrial needs [4].

1. Introduction In recent years, the numerical simulation method has been
Darcy discovered groundwater flow in porous aquifers is widely used in mine water inflow forecast, providing
mostly considered to be laminar and thus named Darcy’s law, important guarantee for coal mine safety production, the
that is, by a linear relationship between specific discharge and software Visual Modflow is included [5, 6]. YANG et al. made
hydraulic gradient [1]. Ahmed & Umar applied Visual great progresss on analysis and prediction of mine
Modflow to their attempt to simulate the behavior of a flow groundwater flow field with Visual Modflow [7]. ZHOU et al.
system and evaluate a water balance, and showed that the applied the Visual Modflow into simulating and evaluating the
model was the most sensitive to hydraulic conductivity and effect of groundwater resources in coal mining, making fully
recharge parameters [2]. Seyf-Laye et al. applied a use of the model–bulid and forecast function of the software.
three-dimensional groundwater flow model to evaluate WANG et al. did deep research in faults effection on
groundwater potential and assess the effects of groundwater numerical simulation method of gielding water in mining area
withdrawal on the regional water level and flow direction in exploitation, creating an ideal model of the groundwater
the central Beijing area [3]. Rao et al. applied a aquifer system with tool of Visual Modflow to study and
three-dimensional steady state finite difference groundwater explore the impact on underground water distribution and
flow model to quantify the groundwater fluxes and analyze the gielding water. LIU et al. published the paper mine inflow
subsurface hydrodynamics in a basaltic terrain by giving simulation and dynamic prediction based on Visual Modflow,
particular emphasis to a well field that supplies domestic, analying the groundwater flow field in the mine to get the
 International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Engineering 2019; 7(2): 52-59 53

dynamic characteristics of groundwater [8]. In this paper, the and cretaceous weathering fracture aquifer, meanwhile the
author set the Dong Baowei coal mine in the northeast of china following several aspects taken to carry on the generalized
as an example, the coal seam in this mining area has a large dip regional groundwater flow system:
angle and the overlying sediments are mainly sand rocks. The (1) The input and output of the groundwater flow system
production mode is up and down from the water-level of change with time, so the flow model is unsteady flow.
mining area. By means of sequence numerical simulation (2) The hydrogeological parameters of the aquifer vary
compared to traditional separated mining area in calculating with the lithology, and there are differences in the
water inflow, then matches the results to the existing mine direction, so the water-bearing medium is generalized as
water inflow, to validate the model accuracy and practicability, a 3-layer anisotropic anisotropic structure.
improving the accuracy of the numerical simulation, to (3) The aquifer in this area is of great thickness and wide
provide security for coal mine safety. distribution, with small hydraulic gradient, and the
groundwater movement conforms to darcy's law.
2. Geological Model In conclusion, the groundwater system in this area is
generalized as a three layered heterogeneous anisotropic and
In this paper, a practical hydrogeological physical model is three dimensional unstable groundwater flow system. At the
constructed based on Visual Modflow, and the simulation same time, according to the data collected from the coal mine
results of the two methods are compared with the actual party for the assignment model, which can get Dong Baowei
situation so as to obtain the advancement, practicability and coal mine zoning maps including quaternary pore
correctness of the numerical simulation of the mining area permeability coefficient (figure 2) partition and cretaceous
under the interference flow field according to the mining weathering fissure permeability coefficient partition (figure 3),
sequence. In order to highlight the practicability of the method, even the quaternary pore aquifer initial flow field contour map
the study in Dong Baowei coal mine as an example, (mining (figure 4) and the cretaceous weathering fissure aquifer initial
area distribution as shown in figure 1), according to the actual flow field contour map (figure 5). The model is fitted
circumstance of the geological condition, the stratum from top according to the pumping test data, which provides a reliable
to bottom can be generalized as three layers model: quaternary model for accurately predicting the mine water inflow.
pore aquifer, sand and mudstone relative water-resisting layer

Figure 1. Distribution map of Dongbaowei coal mine.

54 Wang Guorui et al.: Fine Prediction for Mine Water Inflow on Basis of Visual Modflow

Figure 2. Partition map of permeability coefficient of quaternary pore aquifer.

Figure 3. Partition diagram of permeability coefficient of cretaceous weathered fractured aquifer.

 International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Engineering 2019; 7(2): 52-59 55

Figure 4. Contour map of initial flow field of quaternary pore aquifer.

Figure 5. Contour map of initial flow field in cretaceous weathered fractured aquifer.
56 Wang Guorui et al.: Fine Prediction for Mine Water Inflow on Basis of Visual Modflow

Figure 6. Flow field chart when water level in one mining area falls to -500 separately.

is used to solve the above equation numerically in

3. Mathematical Model accordance with boundary conditions. The solver of
Without considering the density change of water, the Modflow simulation software adopts the finite difference
movement characteristics of groundwater in the method.
three-dimensional pore medium can be expressed by the There are many kinds of solvers that can be used in
following mathematical equation: simulation, such as PCG2, SIP, SOR and WHS among
Visual Modflow solvers. Among them, strong implicit
δ  δh  δ  δh  δ  δh  δh method is an iterative solution method for large
K xx  + K yy  + K ZZ  − W = SS
δx  δ x  δ y  δ y  δ z  δ z  δt simultaneous equations, which was first proposed by
Weinstein et al. The difference equations based on each
Where the Kxx, Kyy and Kzz are the components of the unknown computing unit can be written as:
permeability coefficient in the x, y and z directions
respectively, and the unit is m/ s. H is the water head, and [ A]{H } = {q}
the unit is m; W is the flow rate per unit volume, used to
represent the amount of water flowing into or from the Where [A] is the coefficient matrix of water head, {H} is
source, and the unit is m 3 / s. Ss is the water storage rate of the vector matrix of water head, {q} is the known vector in
pore medium, and is a dimensionless parameter; T is time. the equation. Since this method has the advantage of stable
In general, it is not easy to obtain the analytic solution of solution and can often converge to a certain solution that
the definite solution problem composed of the above meets the precision requirement, this solver is used in the
equation, boundary condition and initial condition. In this solution of the model.
paper, the solver provided by Modflow simulation software
 International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Engineering 2019; 7(2): 52-59 57

Figure 7. Flow field chart when water level in the third mining area falls to -500 separately.

Figure 8. Flow field chart when water level in three mining areas simultaneously decreases to -500.
58 Wang Guorui et al.: Fine Prediction for Mine Water Inflow on Basis of Visual Modflow

4. Results and Analysis in the first mining area at the moment (figure 6) can be
obtained, Through the Zone Budget of water balance
At present, the first level of the mine has been excavated, calculation module, the water inflow in first mining area can
and no other mining areas upper the three mining areas of the be obtained as: Q1=176 m3/h; when the first and third mining
second level. The initial flow field is the natural flow field, area together pumped from natural water drain down to - 500,
and the mining sequence is from the first mining area to the get the tourism mining joint distribution of flow field (figure
third then the fourth, the first and third mining areas have also 8), through the calculation of water balance module Zone
been excavated, but the two mining areas maintain a stable Budget get the together total mining water inflow: Q4= 289
water inflow. m3/h, The total water inflow of the first and third mining area
4.1. Prediction of Water Inflow in Separated Mining Areas minus the water inflow of the first mining area is the water
inflow in the third mining area under the state of post-mining
The so-called calculation of water inflow in separated interference flow field, that is, Q5= Q4-Q3 =113 m3/h.
mining areas only considers the initial flow field (figure 5) and
terminates the stable flow field when predicting the water 4.3. Prediction of Water Inflow According to the "Big Well
inflow. Through simulation, when the first mining area and Method"
third mining areas is drained to -500 respectively, the The "big well method" is used to calculate the water inflow
distribution diagram of water flow field in the corresponding in the first and third mining areas respectively, and the water
mining area at the moment (figure 6, figure 7) can be obtained. inflow in the first mining area is Q6=269 m3/h, The water
Through the Zone Budget of water balance calculation module, inflow in the third mining area is Q7=171 m3/h.
the water inflow in first mining area can be obtained as:
Q1=176 m3/h; Water inflow in third mining area: Q2=142 4.4. Result Analysis
m3/h.
generally not more than mining area in the process of coal
4.2. Prediction of Water Inflow According to Mining mining at the same time, will be in accordance with the mining
Sequence plan arrangement, successively for mining, Comparison
between two kinds of simulation results, the "big well
The so-called drainage in accordance with the mining method" and the actual water inflow shows (table 1), all the
sequence is to conduct drainage successively according to the results larger than the actual water inflow, but can be seen
actual mining sequence. The initial flow field of the drainage from the data, simulate and predict water inflow in mining
in the first mining area is the natural flow field, but the initial order than other method is more accurate and close to the
flow field of the drainage in the third mining area is the actual production conditions, has a strong advancement,
disturbed flow field after mining in the first mining area. practicability and accuracy.
Through simulation, when the first mining area is drained to
-500 respectively, the distribution diagram of water flow field
Table 1. Statistical table of water inflow in mining area.

mining area separated mining area Q predicted in order Q big well method Q actual water inflow Q
first mining area 176 m3/h 176 m3/h 269 m3/h 142 m3/h
third mining area 142 m3/h 113 m3/h 171 m3/h 90.5 m3/h

3. The application scope of numerical method in coal mine

5. Conclusions should be broadened. This method can not only predict
water inflow, but also simulate and depict the change of
1. The numerical simulation method is a computer groundwater flow field when water inflow occurs
simulation method for solving the complex water inflow somewhere in mine. It can provide guidance for
condition in the mine water inflow prediction. Compared emergency plan of water inrush.
with the hydrogeological comparison method, the water
quantity equalization method and the analytical method, Acknowledgements
the mine water inflow predicted by this method is more
realistic. Field work and paper writing work were obtained by
2. Compared with the "big well method" and the separated Professor Dong Donglin, Professor Cui Ximin, Dr. Fang
mining area numerical simulation method, the numerical Shizheng from China University of Mining and Technology
simulation of water inflow predicted by mining sequence (Beijing), Zhang Wei engineer of Northwest Color Survey
method not only conforms to the mine production law, Engineering Company, Dr. Gong Yongfeng, Dr. Fang Yuan,
but also can simulate the groundwater flow field changes He Xiaofeng and other scholars of Ningxia Land Survey and
in the adjacent mining area and the obtained simulation Monitoring Institute. The enthusiastic help and guidance of
results are advanced, practical and accurate. the experts, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks!
 International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Engineering 2019; 7(2): 52-59 59

[8] Liu Ji, Wang Qiangmin, Yang Jian. (2018). Study on

Simulation and dynamic prediction of mine water inflow based
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