An Experimental Investigation of Permeability Measurement of Water Flow in Crushed Rocks

Due to the high permeability of water flow in crushed rocks, flow catastrophes and water inrush accidents are apt to take place in the broken zones of aquifers in coal mining engineering. The pore, crack and fracture geometries needed for water transport are strongly influenced by grains diameter size and axial displacement conditions. In order to inspect and quantify the influence, we designed and manufactured a water flow apparatus that can be connected to the electro-hydraulic servo-controlled test system MTS815.02 which provides loading pressure in the experiment. Using the apparatus and MTS system, we tested crushed mudstone, limestone and sandstone specimens and obtained the relationship between permeability and variable grain diameter of a (2.5–5 mm), b (5–10 mm), c (10–15 mm), d (15–20 mm) and e (mixed sizes) under variable axial displacement (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 mm). In particular, the permeability calculation based on collection of water flow velocity and pore pressure gradient difference has involved the influence of non-Darcy flow. The results show that (1) The porosity decreases with the increase of axial displacement and decrease of bigger particle size, respectively. Particle crushing during compaction is a main cause of size 0–2.5 mm appearing, some fine particles be washed away is a main cause of weight loss because of the effect of water seepage. (2) Water flow properties of crushed rocks are found to be strongly influenced by axial displacement and grain diameter size; in general, the permeability decreases with the increase of axial displacement and the decrease of grain diameter, respectively. (3) The fluctuations of permeability–axial displacement are especially intense for mudstone and sandstone than that for limestone. The permeability of crushed rocks is not only related to loading levels but also to grain diameters, style of arrangement. (4) To each grain diameter sizes, the permeability change of sandstone has a greater value than that of mudstone and limestone. The permeability of crushed mudstone shows much less than that of limestone and sandstone.