Zofia Majewska

The relationship between acoustic emission and permeability of rock under stress

Abstract The results of research into an assessment of the applicability of high-frequency acoustic emission techniques to the prediction of gas outbursts are reported. Simultaneous measurements of acoustic emission and permeability under triaxial compression have been conducted on outburst-prone sandstone. The results show that the changes in acoustic emission activity and permeability occur together at the dilatancy stage. This relationship was considered theoretically. The agreement between the theoretical and experimental results shows that the high-frequency acoustic emission method is very promising for predicting gas outbursts. The high-frequency acoustic emission measurements in the field, at Polish collieries, have been successfully interpreted in terms of permeability changes.