Numerical and experimental study of rocks under very high temperature conditions - Underground coal gasification

In this study, the behaviour of thermally-modified physico-mechanical properties of rocks have been evaluated under the purview of underground coal gasification, by performing detailed experimental and numerical analysis. The studies have been performed on a mono-mineralic, fine-grained sandstone that have been recovered from the Dholpur district of the state of Rajasthan. The underlying mechanisms of thermal alteration have been established by analysing the change in mineralogy, morphology and microcracking behaviour of the specimen. The novelty of our research lied in the use of statistical and soft-computing tools for the prediction of thermally-modified geotechnical properties.