Modelling test of cavity growth during underground coal gasification process using CFD method

Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) is a novel technology, enabling conversion of underground coal seams into flammable gases. One of the problems in UCG is influence of void space (cavity) developed during the process on produced gas quality and process effectiveness. The article presents the mathematical model for cavity growth under the conditions of underground coal gasification. The numerical model of coal gasification process is presented. The numerical model, developed in Ansys-Fluent software, was based on analysis and description of the ex-situ experiments simulating underground coal gasification. The numerical model was implemented with the use of computational fluid dynamic (CFD) methods. The modelled shape of cavity was verified with the experimental data gathered by means of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) measurements.