Pilot scale simulation of thickened tailings flows for surface deposition

在地表处理前浓缩尾矿是一种有吸引力的替代大坝常规处置的方法，因为它消除了大坝坍塌的灾难性风险，减少了尾矿的总体积，并减少了污染物渗漏的可能性。当堆积在地面上时，浓缩的尾矿像牙膏一样流动，形成缓缓倾斜的堆积物。然而，目前工程师们无法预测尾矿如何流动，以及堆栈的几何形状将如何发展，这使得浓缩尾矿的管理变得困难。这项研究对浓缩尾矿的大规模流动进行了研究，并将开发一种模拟堆积几何演变的计算机代码电缆。然后，工程师可以使用这个计算机代码在尾矿沉积之前设计封闭方案，这将有助于尾矿与环境的快速隔离。

Thickening mine tailings prior to surface disposal is an attractive alternative to conventional disposal in dams, as it eliminates the catastrophic risks of dam failure, reduces the total volume of tailings, and reduces the potential for seepage of contaminants. When deposited on the ground, thickened tailings flow like toothpaste, forming gently sloping stacks. However, at present, engineers are unable to anticipate how the tailings flow and how the geometry of the stack will develop, making thickened tailings management difficult. This study investigates the large-scale flow of thickened tailings and will develop a computer code cable of simulating the evolution in stack geometry. This computer code can then be used by engineers to design closure schemes before the tailings are even deposited, which will facilitate rapid isolation of the tailings from the environment.