Application and prospect of acoustic detection in the mining sector

Acoustic detection for mines is a geophysical prospecting technique for mine information detection based on acoustic methods. Compared with other detection methods, acoustic detection has the advantages of wide applicability, high reliability, and low economic investment. This paper reviews the development of acoustic detection technology in the mine field and sorts out and expounds on the research progress and technical characteristics of this technology in detecting basic physical information inside mines and geological information outside mines. Furthermore, this study investigates the detection mechanisms, implementation methods, and applicable scenarios of this technology in determining the object states in the field of mine detection. Regarding the basic physics inside mines, this study reviews the development of technologies such as acoustic thermometry, acoustic positioning, and acoustic velocity measurement of flow fields, focusing on the technologies in the fields of coal temperature measurement, mine pipeline positioning, the integrity detection of underground structures, and life detection and rescue. Moreover, it introduces the developmental trends of acoustic detection in the fields of flue gas velocity monitoring, gas concentration sensing, and humidity information detection. In terms of geological conditions outside mines, this study summarizes the applications of acoustic logging and acoustic CT detection, focusing on their research status in applications such as the ultrasonic detection of fractures in surrounding rocks and the detection of the anomaly areas of strong mine earthquakes. In addition, this paper discusses the shortcomings of the existing studies on mine acoustic measurement technologies, including positioning accuracy, algorithm optimization, and noise interference, among others. In combination with the current application status of physical exploration and the development of modern acoustics, this paper proposes the future development trends and research focuses of acoustic waves in mine detection fields, such as micro-information detection, real-time systematic control, and error optimization. The results of this study can be used as a reference for research on the acoustic detection of mine information in China.