Application of Partial Least Squares Regression for Calculating Height of Water Flowing Fractured Zone

To overcome the calculation errors of the development height of the water flowing fractured zone caused by the empirical formula in which the coal roof lithologic character and mining thickness were only taken into consideration, comprehensive analysis was made on the influence of the varables such as the mining depth, the coal seam pitch, the mining thickness, the length in strike and inclination and the roof lithologic character, the partial least squares regression method was applied for extracting the principal components which had strong interpreting ability to the independent variable and dependent variable, and the regression formula between the independent variable and dependent variable was established. Based on the measured data of the development height of the water flowing fractured zone in longwall caving mining along the strike in Huainan Coal Mining Area, a prediction model for the height of the water flowing fractured zone was built by using the partial least squares regression method. Auxiliary analysis and test showed that this model had high prediction accuracy and can be used as the calculation formula of the development height of the water flowing fractured zone under the similar condition in Huainan Coal Mining Area.