Water abundance analysis of aquifer in coal roof based on grey relational analysis and analytic hierarchy process

As water abundance of aquifer of coal roof significantly influences roof water hazard, evaluating and grading the degree of water abundance are important in practical application. By analyzing the influencing factors of water abundance of aquifer, an evaluation index system and a grading standard for the water abundance were established integrating quantitative and qualitative indexes. Meanwhile, according to the grey relation characteristics of the major factors influencing water abundance, a multi-factor evaluation model for water abundance was constructed based on grey relational analysis and analytic hierarchy process. The model can objectively reveal the influences of the multiple factors on the evaluation of water abundance. Furthermore, the method was verified by comprehensively evaluating the water abundance of the aquifer of coal roof in a working face of Pingshuo Coal Mine in Shanxi, China using the model. The method provides basis for the research on the evaluation of water abundance of aquifer in coal roof.