Speaker
Description
Coal fracture intensity strongly controls coal mass quality and geomechanical stability. However, its assessment in situ is often limited by safety constraints that prevent the use of external heat sources. This study investigates the use of infrared thermography (IRT) combined with controlled water cooling as a non-destructive method to evaluate fracture development in coal without external heating. Coal samples with varying fracture densities were rapidly cooled by water exposure and their thermal recovery under ambient conditions was monitored using IRT. Analysis of time-dependent thermograms shows that more intensely fractured coal exhibits faster and more heterogeneous thermal recovery, reflecting enhanced heat transfer associated with fracture networks. Water cooling amplifies thermal contrasts between samples. A synthetic index was introduced to describe recovery behaviour independently of absolute boundary conditions. The results demonstrate the potential of water induced thermal recovery dynamics as a safe for assessing coal quality and fracture-controlled permeability.
