Experimental and smoothed particle hydrodynamics‐finite element method simulation investigation of synergistic erosion mechanism of gangue‐based abrasive water jets

Abstract To address the dual challenges of deep coal impermeability and mine waste disposal, this study investigates the performance of gangue abrasive jets using coupled smoothed particle hydrodynamics‐finite element method (SPH‐FEM) simulations and laboratory experiments. Flow field analysis reveals that abrasive jets exhibit earlier divergence compared to pure water jets. Erosion tests demonstrate that, at an injection pressure of 4 MPa, gangue jets achieve an erosion depth 13 times greater and an erosion volume 21.3 times larger than those of pure water jets, significantly reducing the specific energy consumption. Furthermore, a solid–liquid synergistic erosion mechanism is elucidated, identifying an abrasive concentration of 15% as optimal for maximizing erosion depth under the investigated conditions. These findings confirm the feasibility of transforming hazardous waste into an efficient tool for sustainable deep mining and permeability enhancement.