Investigation on rock thermal properties in Godavari Valley Coalfield, Telangana, India

Abstract

The study of thermal properties provides significant contributions to the field of geothermal research, material characterization, geological assessments and optimization of heat load in underground mines. The research focuses on the examination of thermal properties in rocks, specifically sandstone, aiming to explore the correlation between thermal properties with density and porosity. The investigation on sandstone rocks within the Godavari coal basin coal mines employed a steady-state instrument to measure thermal properties. The rocks exhibit notable variations in thermal conductivity (ranging from 1.10-4.38 W/m.K) and thermal diffusivity (ranging from 0.63-1.96 J/kg.K), which are substantially influenced by changes in both porosity (ranging from 0.6-19%) and density (ranging from 2.13-2.68 g/cm3). The research findings indicate that in sandstone rocks, thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity rise with increasing density and decline with porosity. In contrast, the specific heat capacity of rocks remains constant. © 2024 The Author(s).