Analysis of Natural Groundwater Flowing into the Flow Field of In Situ Leaching Mining

Qinci Li; Zhaokun Li; Tingting Xie; Ye Ding; Nan Gan; Yahui Tan; Chong Zhang

LAPSE:2023.11367

Published Article

LAPSE:2023.11367

Analysis of Natural Groundwater Flowing into the Flow Field of In Situ Leaching Mining

Qinci Li, Zhaokun Li, Tingting Xie, Ye Ding, Nan Gan, Yahui Tan, Chong Zhang

February 27, 2023

Abstract
This paper aims to quantitatively analyze the influence of natural groundwater flowing into the flow field of in situ leaching mining. The computational method was built to evaluate the effect of natural groundwater on the production efficiency of pumping wells for the in situ leaching of uranium, and the “flow ratio of groundwater” and related formulas were defined. C1 and C2 mining areas of an in situ leaching uranium mine in Inner Mongolia were taken as an example, and the effect on the “flow ratio of groundwater” when changing the flow quantity of injection wells and the position and length of the filter in the pumping and injection wells were compared. The results show that the variation in the “flow ratio of groundwater” of a whole mining area or a single pumping well in different production stages can be obtained by the neutral solution concentration value from the mining area’s numerical simulation. Regulating the position, length of the filter, and mode of fluid injection in an in situ leaching mine can control the quantity of natural groundwater flowing into the mining area and reduce the fluid exchange between the flow field of in situ leaching uranium mining and natural groundwater.

Record ID

LAPSE:2023.11367

Keywords

flow ratio of groundwater, in situ uranium leaching, natural groundwater, numerical simulation, open flow field

Subject

Modelling and Simulations

Suggested Citation

Li Q, Li Z, Xie T, Ding Y, Gan N, Tan Y, Zhang C. Analysis of Natural Groundwater Flowing into the Flow Field of In Situ Leaching Mining. (2023). LAPSE:2023.11367

Author Affiliations

Li Q: Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Engineering and Metallurgy, China National Nuclear Corporation, Beijing 101149, China; China Nuclear Mining Science and Technology Corporation, China National Nuclear Corporation, Beijing 101149, China [ORCID]
Li Z: Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Engineering and Metallurgy, China National Nuclear Corporation, Beijing 101149, China; China Nuclear Mining Science and Technology Corporation, China National Nuclear Corporation, Beijing 101149, China
Xie T: Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Engineering and Metallurgy, China National Nuclear Corporation, Beijing 101149, China; China Nuclear Mining Science and Technology Corporation, China National Nuclear Corporation, Beijing 101149, China
Ding Y: Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Engineering and Metallurgy, China National Nuclear Corporation, Beijing 101149, China; China Nuclear Mining Science and Technology Corporation, China National Nuclear Corporation, Beijing 101149, China
Gan N: Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Engineering and Metallurgy, China National Nuclear Corporation, Beijing 101149, China; China Nuclear Mining Science and Technology Corporation, China National Nuclear Corporation, Beijing 101149, China
Tan Y: Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Engineering and Metallurgy, China National Nuclear Corporation, Beijing 101149, China; China Nuclear Mining Science and Technology Corporation, China National Nuclear Corporation, Beijing 101149, China
Zhang C: Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Engineering and Metallurgy, China National Nuclear Corporation, Beijing 101149, China; China Nuclear Mining Science and Technology Corporation, China National Nuclear Corporation, Beijing 101149, China [ORCID]

Journal Name

Processes

Volume

11

Issue

2

First Page

471

Year

2023

Publication Date

2023-02-03