A new model for coal gas seepage based on fracture-pore fractal structure characteristics

Coal reservoir is a typical double pore medium, and the magnitude of its permeability is controlled by the parameters of the fracture pore structure. However, the relationship between fracture-pore parameters and permeability is not yet clear. Based on the fractal geometry theory, the fracture-pore morphology of coal body is characterized by tree bifurcation network and tortuous capillary bundle. This study also established a coal gas seepage flow model based on the fracture-pore fractal structure characteristics. The model includes the influence of coal structure parameters, different levels of original coal seam stress, and gas pressure on the gas seepage characteristics. Each parameter in the model has definite physical meaning and does not contain any empirical constants. Finally, the applicability of the model is evaluated by gas radial seepage experiment. It is shown that the gas permeability in the model is a function of fractal dimensions and structural parameters, and based on the sensitivity analysis of each parameter in the model, it is found that the tree diameter ratio β and length ratio γ of the bifurcation network have a significant impact on the permeability. When β increases from 0.1 to 0.9, the model permeability increases by 12 orders of magnitude. However, changes in the characteristic parameters of the pore structure have little effect on gas permeability. For dual porous media such as coal, the permeability of the fracture network dominates the overall permeability of the model, and small changes in the geometric structure of the fracture bifurcation network can lead to significant changes in permeability. The construction of this theoretical model provides a reliable basis for further improving coal-rock porous medium structure seepage models, as well as to better characterize the effect of gas drainage.