Transformation of the energy state of the molecular structure of coal in the process of metamorphism

SUMMARY

This article discusses processes of rock-mass geothermal and geomechanical energy transfer on the nanolevel and describes different mechanisms of potential energy absorption, distribution and usage by the molecular structure of the coal substance. We show that mechanical and thermal energies in the molecular structure of the coal substance are transformed into quantum-mechanical energy which feeds the structural transformations and generation processes in the substance. At the nanolevel, the energy inflow transforms the atomic-molecular structure, changes the physical and chemical properties of the coal and may cause fluid (including methane) emission. The availability of a general solution for energetic problems of different hierarchical levels is evidence of the possibility of using a fractal approach for researching the energy re-distribution in the system.