Abstract: To study the effect of elliptical collapse columns on the advance of fully mechanized mining face, taking the 639^# collapse column in 12408 working face of a mine as the engineering background, using a combination method of theoretical analysis, numerical simulation and field measurement, the plastic zone distribution and mining stress distribution around the collapse columns were studied. When the fully mechanized mining face is determined to be 32 m away from the collapse column, the influence of the collapse column on the advance of the fully-mechanized mining face is determined, and the safety protection measures should be taken.