Optimization of a wastewater treatment system for the mining industry

该项目旨在优化Technosub开发的名为Mudwizard®的废水处理系统。该技术目前被用作采矿业的泵送和脱水解决方案，可防止将大量泥浆泵送到地面。该系统由三个主要部分组成，溶解器，混合器和沉淀池，所有这些都是在试验和错误的基础上设计的。溶解器是一个污泥絮凝系统，包含冰球，以加速固体颗粒和液体水的分离。然后在混合器和溶解器中继续分离，导致每分钟分离约500加仑的废水。本文提出了一种实验和数值相结合的方法来优化这三个组成部分的广泛的操作条件（温度，pH值，流量和类型的冰球）。将在舍布鲁克大学开发一个实验装置，并将结果与LaRonde金矿的数值模拟和现场测量结果进行比较。这将导致工艺和系统在几何形状和操作条件方面的优化。这个为期3年的项目的预算是240 k$，将能够招募三名全日制硕士生，一名兼职研究助理和一名本科实习生。该项目的成功将提高Technosub的经济潜力和环境影响。更广泛地说，它将通过更妥善地管理废水，从而防止水和土壤污染，减少加拿大采矿业对环境的影响。

The project aims at optimizing a wastewater treatment system, named Mudwizard®, developed by Technosub. This technology is currently used as a pumping and dewatering solution for the mining industry, which prevents the pumping of large amount of mud to the surface. The system is composed of three main parts, the dissolver, the mixer and the settling tank, all designed on a trial and error basis. The dissolver is a sludge flocculation system containing pucks to accelerate the separation of solid particles and liquid water. The separation then continues in the mixer and dissolver resulting in the separation of about 500 gallons per minute of wastewater. A combined experimental and numerical approach is proposed here to optimize these three components for a wide range of operating conditions (temperature, pH, flowrate and type of puck). One experimental set-up will be developed at Université de Sherbrooke and the results compared to both numerical simulations and on-site measurements in LaRonde gold mine. This will lead to the optimization of both the process and the system in terms of geometry and operating conditions. The budget of this 3-year project is 240 k$ and will enable to recruit three full-time master students, one part-time research assistant and one bachelor intern. The success of this project will improve the economic potential and environmental impact of Technosub. More generally, it will reduce the environmental impact of the Canadian mining industry by more properly managing wastewater and so preventing water and soil pollution.