# US 2016/0258265 A1 · Nozzle and underground coal gasification method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2016/0258265 A1 - Document ID: US20160258265A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/029,308 - Filed: 2014-04-03 - Published: 2016-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2013-10-30 - Assignees: Enn Coal Gasification Mining Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Enn Coal Gasification Mining Co. - Inventors: Feng CHEN; Xia PAN - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160258265A1 ## CPC - E21B 43/295: Gasification of minerals, e.g. for producing mixtures of combustible gases (E21B43/243 takes precedence) - B05B 1/005: {Nozzles or other outlets specially adapted for discharging one or more gases} - B05B 1/3006: {the controlling element being actuated by the pressure of the fluid to be sprayed (B05B1/323 takes precedence; single-unit outlet valves actuated by the pressure of the fluid to be sprayed B05B11/0062)} - E21B 41/0078: {Nozzles used in boreholes (drilling by liquid or gas jets E21B7/18; drill bits with nozzles E21B10/60; perforators using direct fluid action E21B43/114; obtaining a slurry of minerals using nozzles E21B43/29)} - E21B 43/243: Combustion in situ - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D) ## Abstract Disclosed is a nozzle including a housing, the housing including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion and the second portion being in fluid communication via a front hole, and a side hole being provided on a side wall of the second portion. The nozzle further includes a sealing assembly able to open and close the front hole and the side hole in a sliding manner in the housing, and a spring provided between the housing and the sealing assembly. Furthermore, an underground coal gasification method using the nozzle is disclosed, which includes the steps of adjusting the injection flow rate and injection pressure of a gasification agent and the pressure of a gas output channel port, and controlling the opening and closing of the front hole and the side hole. The nozzle can optionally alternately or simultaneously open the front hole and the side hole without any manual operation. In the underground coal gasification process, opening the front hole of the nozzle can guide the movement of a gasification working face, opening the side hole can intensify gasification of a coal seam at two sides of a gasification channel, making the two sides of the gasification channel expand more uniformly, increasing the rate of recovery of coal resources. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A nozzle, comprising: a shell comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion and the second portion communicating through a front hole, and the second portion having side holes on a side wall thereof; a seal assembly configured to slidably open and close the front hole and the side holes in the shell; and a spring disposed between the shell and the seal assembly. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The nozzle of claim 1, wherein the seal assembly comprises a first sealing element constituting a first seal pair together with the front hole, a second sealing element constituting a second seal pair together with the side holes, and a connector connecting the first sealing element and the second sealing element. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The nozzle of claim 2, wherein the front hole is a round hole, and the first sealing element is a ball or a plate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The nozzle of claim 2, wherein the second portion has two side holes arranged oppositely on the side wall thereof; and the second sealing element is configured to include two arched components arranged oppositely or a hollow cylinder conformally sliding in the shell. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The nozzle of claim 1, wherein the first portion has an inner diameter less than that of the second portion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The nozzle of claim 1, wherein a separator is arranged at a position where the first portion is connected with the second portion, and the separator is provided with the front hole. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The nozzle of claim 1, wherein threads are provided on the side wall of the second portion of the shell. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) An underground coal gasification method using the nozzle of claim 1, comprising the following steps in order: a. creating a gas inlet channel, a gas outlet channel, and a gasification channel connecting the gas inlet channel and the gas outlet channel; b. connecting a nozzle at a first end of the gas injection pipe, and feeding the first end of the gas injection pipe into the gasification channel through the gas inlet channel; c. connecting a second end of the gas injection pipe to a gasification agent delivery device; d. injecting a gasification agent into the gasification channel through the gas injection pipe; e. igniting a coal seam where the nozzle is located; and f. regulating injection flow rate and injection pressure of the gasification agent and pressure at a mouth of the gas outlet channel to control opening and closing of the front hole and the side holes, so as to gasify coals in front and at sides of the nozzle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The underground coal gasification method of claim 8, wherein comprising: after performing the step f, performing step g: moving the nozzle backward by pulling the gas injection pipe to continue to gasify the coals in front and at the sides of the nozzle; and repeating steps f and g until the nozzle is retreated to a position away from the bottom of the gas inlet channel with a distance from 1 m to 3 m. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The underground coal gasification method of claim 8, wherein comprising: before performing the step b, according to ranges of injection pressure of the gasification agent, pressure at the mouth of the gas outlet channel and flow rate of the gasification agent for a target coal seam, selecting a suitable spring inside the nozzle and determining ranges of injection pressure of the gasification agent, pressure at the mouth of the gas outlet channel and flow rate of the gasification agent under the condition of the front hole in an opened state and the side holes in a closed state, and ranges of injection pressure of the gasification agent, pressure at the mouth of the gas outlet channel and flow rate of the gasification agent under the condition of the front hole in a closed state and the side holes in an opened state. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The underground coal gasification method of claim 8, wherein the step f comprises the following sub-steps in order: opening the front hole and closing the side holes; closing the front hole and opening the side holes when the total volume ratio of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and methane in coal gas is decreased by 15%, or a volume ratio of hydrogen, carbon monoxide or methane in coal gas is decreased by 20%; and moving the gas injection pipe, and opening the front hole and closing the side holes when the total volume ratio of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and methane in coal gas is decreased by 15%, or a volume ratio of hydrogen, carbon monoxide or methane in coal gas is decreased by 20% again. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The underground coal gasification method of claim 8, wherein the step f comprises the following sub-steps in order: opening the front hole and half-opening the side holes simultaneously; and moving the gas injection pipe when the total volume ratio of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and methane in coal gas is decreased by 15%, or a volume ratio of hydrogen, carbon monoxide or methane in coal gas is decreased by 20%.