Analysis of the influence characteristics and correction effect of the mine direct current method in advance detection of roadway cavities

To ensure safety during coal mining, the DC electric method is frequently used for the advanced detection of concealed water-rich abnormal geological bodies located ahead of a drivage roadway. However, to some extent, the accuracy of the detection is influenced by the roadway cavity, resulting in a deviation from the actual location of the anomaly. To investigate this phenomenon, the principle of advanced detection based on a spheroidal physical model was analyzed via “comparative analyses” and “simulated” methods using COSMOL Multiphysics software. Following the principle of numerical simulations, the influence of the roadway cavity on the accuracy of the advanced DC detection method was introduced, and the ratio of apparent resistivity calculated from actual data to that calculated only with the roadway cavity was carried out to obtain the roadway correction coefficient. This coefficient was employed to correct the apparent resistivity data for advanced 3-D detection. Additionally, the response characteristics of the anomalies at different electrode layout locations in the roadway were discussed. The results show that the ratio method effectively corrects the influence of the roadway during advance detection using the DC electric method and simultaneously improves the resolution of geological anomalies and the accuracy of positioning. Additionally, the influence of the roadway was related to the relative positions of the electrodes along the roadway. When the electrodes are set at the junction of the floor and the sidewall, the obtained resistivity curve is less affected. Therefore, the resolutions of the anomalies are higher, and their positioning is more accurate. Furthermore, a practical application of the ratio method indicated that the corrected curves reflected the geological anomalies better.