Study on Mechanical Characteristics of Deformation and the Failure of Gas-Containing Coal in the Wuhai Mining Area of China under Different Gas Pressure Conditions
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
In light of the extensive literature on coal-bearing gas, it is recommended to specify the innovation. It is difficult to determine what has been accomplished that is novel from the introduction. It is therefore recommended that the most recent citations related to this area be included, identify the problem, and clearly state it. In my view, Rather than being a scientific paper, this article is more like an experimental report
Author Response
The innovation of this article lies in: Combined with the characteristics of gas-containing coal seam in Wuhushan Coal Mine, Wuhai Mining area, China, the mechanical parameters of coal samples in the process of loading failure under different gas pressure conditions were measured and analyzed with SAW-2000 rock mechanics testing machine as the carrier, combined with the uniaxial compression device and inflation system of gas-containing coal. The failure process and mechanical parameters of coal samples under different gas pressure were simulated by RFPA2D gas plate numerical simulation software.
作者对引言进行了大量的补充和修改，体现了手稿的必要性和新颖性。在引言中，介绍了含气煤力学性能的影响因素、本构模型和数值模拟的大量研究，研究成果是最新的。在此基础上，深入研究了中国乌海矿区含气煤的力学特性和变形破坏特性，为揭示该矿区煤气爆裂机理提供技术支持。
感谢您的建议。在修订稿中，笔者增加了含气煤力学特性的理论基础、数学模型和建模过程，丰富了文章的内容和深度。
修订稿件请参考附件
谢谢！
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
Dear Editor:
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to revise the manuscript entitled “Study on mechanical characteristics of deformation and failure of gas-bearing coal in Wuhai Mining area under different gas pressure conditions” by Yejiao Liu and his/her colleagues that was submitted to “Applied Sciences”. The manuscript used RFPA numerical software to analysis the failure condition under gas pressure leads to fractures in rock mass in coal mine. In general, the manuscript contains an interesting topic, but it required several modifications. In this regard, the following comments are requested to be addressed by the authors:
Comment 1: The English of the paper is readable; however, I would suggest the authors to have it checked preferably by a native English-speaking person to avoid any mistakes.
Comment 2: The concluding remarks of the abstract are not well-written. It’s merely the repetition of the objectives and title of the manuscript. Please kindly add quantitative findings, method limitations, model verifications and objective of the study into the abstract.
Comment 3: The necessity & novelty of the manuscript should be presented and stressed in the “Introduction” section.
Comment 4: Provide a literature of the methods developed/applied on fracture modeling and its application at rock mass/mining engineering in “Introduction”. The use of a table to demonstrate the advantage-disadvantage of these methods can be useful. Towards the end, mention the superiority & repeat the novelty of your work.
Comment 5: The methodology section is weakly written. So, my suggestion is to reconstruct it. Please kindly add model verifications and describe the process /steps of the modeling properly.
Comment 6: Please add a subsection clearly articulating the main limitations, wider applicability of your methods, and findings in the “Discussion” section.
Comment 7: The authors should deepen the discussion.
Comment 8: I noticed that the conclusion section tends to repeat abstract and results. The conclusion paragraph should be short, impactful, and direct the reader to this research’s next steps and opportunities.
Comment 9: I would suggest that the authors review and include the following studies to improve the manuscript.
1. Wu, N., Liang, Z., Zhang, Z., Li, S., & Lang, Y. (2022). Development and verification of three-dimensional equivalent discrete fracture network modelling based on the finite element method. Engineering Geology, 306, 106759.
2. Mehrabi, A., Derakhshani, R., Nilfouroushan, F., Rahnamarad, J., & Azarafza, M. (2022). Spatiotemporal subsidence over Pabdana coal mine Kerman Province, central Iran using time-series of Sentinel-1 remote sensing imagery. Episodes Journal of International Geoscience.
3. Huang, N., Liu, R., Jiang, Y., & Cheng, Y. (2021). Development and application of three-dimensional discrete fracture network modeling approach for fluid flow in fractured rock masses. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, 91, 103957.
4. Azarafza, M., Akgün, H., & Asghari-Kaljahi, E. (2018). Stochastic geometry model of rock mass fracture network in tunnels. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 51(3), 379-386.
Best regards,
Author Response
Comment 1: The English of the paper is readable; however, I would suggest the authors to have it checked preferably by a native English-speaking person to avoid any mistakes.
Author's Reply:The revised paper has been reviewed with the help of two English major teacher of the university to improve the quality of English writing.
Comment 2: The concluding remarks of the abstract are not well-written. It’s merely the repetition of the objectives and title of the manuscript. Please kindly add quantitative findings, method limitations, model verifications and objective of the study into the abstract.
Author's Reply:The concluding remarks of the abstract are rewritten. The quantitative findings, method limitations, model verifications and objective of the study are added in the revised abstract.
Comment 3: The necessity & novelty of the manuscript should be presented and stressed in the “Introduction” section.
Author's Reply:The author has made a lot of supplements and modifications to the introduction, which reflects the necessity & novelty of the manuscript.
Comment 4: Provide a literature of the methods developed/applied on fracture modeling and its application at rock mass/mining engineering in “Introduction”. The use of a table to demonstrate the advantage-disadvantage of these methods can be useful. Towards the end, mention the uperiority & repeat the novelty of your work.
Author's Reply:The author has made a lot of supplements and modifications to the introduction, and a literature of the methods developed/applied on fracture modeling and its application at rock mass/mining engineering are supplemented in “Introduction”. The previous research results are summarized and the research purpose and significance of this paper is introduced.
Comment 5: The methodology section is weakly written. So, my suggestion is to reconstruct it. Please kindly add model verifications and describe the process /steps of the modeling properly.
Author's Reply:The methodological section of the original paper is really weakly written. The model verifications are added and the process /steps of the modeling are described. The supplementary content is in part 2.1 and 4.1 of the revised draft.
Comment 6: Please add a subsection clearly articulating the main limitations, wider applicability of your methods, and findings in the “Discussion” section.
Author's Reply:The main limitations, wider applicability of our methods, and findings are added in the “Conclusions and Discussion” section. The “Conclusions and Discussion” section has been rewritten and revised.
Comment 7: The authors should deepen the discussion.
Author's Reply:The authors have carefully considered and discussed the way of writing the conclusion and have rewritten the “Conclusions and Discussion” section.
Comment 8: I noticed that the conclusion section tends to repeat abstract and results. The conclusion paragraph should be short, impactful, and direct the reader to this research’s next steps and opportunities.
Author's Reply:Thanks for the suggestion. The “Conclusions and Discussion” section has been rewritten and revised.
Comment 9: I would suggest that the authors review and include the following studies to improve the manuscript.
- Wu, N., Liang, Z., Zhang, Z., Li, S., & Lang, Y. (2022). Development and verification of three-dimensional equivalent discrete fracture network modelling based on the finite element method. Engineering Geology, 306, 106759.
- Mehrabi, A., Derakhshani, R., Nilfouroushan, F., Rahnamarad, J., & Azarafza, M. (2022). Spatiotemporal subsidence over Pabdana coal mine Kerman Province, central Iran using time-series of Sentinel-1 remote sensing imagery. Episodes Journal of International Geoscience.
- Huang, N., Liu, R., Jiang, Y., & Cheng, Y. (2021). Development and application of three-dimensional discrete fracture network modeling approach for fluid flow in fractured rock masses. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, 91, 103957.
- Azarafza, M., Akgün, H., & Asghari-Kaljahi, E. (2018). Stochastic geometry model of rock mass fracture network in tunnels. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 51(3), 379-386.
Author's Reply:The above references have been added, and many more recent references have been added in the introduction and other parts of the paper.
Please refer to the attachment for revised manuscript
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Reviewer 3 Report
Must improve punctuation and formatting. See marked script attached.
(i) The paper is poorly presented. Punctuation and formatting must be improved.
(ii) In the conclusions the authors talk of confining pressure when they never did triaxial testing of the coal. It is believed that they are talking about the gas pressure in the coal samples BUT that is not confining pressure.
(iii) The authors need to introduce the study site to include location, geology, mining method, production and problems encountered during mining.
(iv) "Coal body" should be changed to "Coal" throughout the manuscript.
Comments for author File: 
Comments.pdf
Author Response
The paper is poorly presented. Punctuation and formatting must be improved.
Author's Reply:The revised paper has been reviewed with the help of two English major teachers of the university. And the authors have gone over the revised paper thoroughly and corrected formatting and punctuation errors.
In the conclusions the authors talk of confining pressure when they never did triaxial testing of the coal. It is believed that they are talking about the gas pressure in the coal samples BUT that is not confining pressure.
Author's Reply:The conclusion of the original paper is indeed not well written. As one of the important factors affecting the mechanical properties of coal containing gas, confining pressure has not been studied and analyzed in depth in this paper. In the subsequent research, triaxial compression test will be carried out to further analyze the influence of confining pressure. Therefore,the “Conclusions and Discussion” section has been rewritten.
The authors need to introduce the study site to include location, geology, mining method, production and problems encountered during mining.
Author's Reply:The background information on the test site including location, geology, mining method, production and problems encountered during mining has been supplemented, as detailed in the last paragraph of the introduction.
"Coal body" should be changed to "Coal" throughout the manuscript.
Author's Reply:The author has changed "Coal body" to "Coal" throughout the manuscript.
Please refer to the attachment for revised manuscript
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Round 2
Reviewer 2 Report
accepted
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Reviewer 3 Report
Language and formatting still requires significant improvement
Comments for author File: Comments.pdf
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
