Fracture evolution and nonlinear seepage characteristic of gas-bearing coal using X-ray computed tomography and the lattice Boltzmann method

Fracture is the primary channel of gas seepage in coal seams and controls the drainage efficiency of coal bed methane (CBM). However, the seepage characteristics and dynamic evolution law in the fractures of gas-bearing coal under external loads are yet to be clearly revealed. In this study, an industrial computer tomography (CT) scanner equipped with a triaxial loading system was used to conduct gas-seepage and CT scanning experiments under triaxial compression conditions. The results showed that the fracture volume and permeability decreased first and then increased during the complete stress–strain process of gas-bearing coal, displaying an approximate U-shaped variation trend involving a decrease stage, an increase stage, and a jump-increase stage. The lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) was applied to make the seepage processes of gas-bearing coal reappear, and a modified nonlinear permeability model was developed to represent non-Darcy seepage inside fractured coal. The LBM simulation results mirrored the dynamic evolution of the gas seepage field and gas permeability controlled by fracture propagation. The proposed modified nonlinear permeability model effectively reflected the nonlinear variation behaviour of gas permeability and was superior to the traditional Darcy's model in describing nonlinear seepage of gas-bearing coal.