Mine Dewatering
Mine Dewatering
Mine Dewatering
groundwater control
1.What is Dewatering
2. Mine dewatering process
3. Methods of Dewatering
4. Effects of Mine Dewatering
5. Groundwater control
GENERAL
•Many base metal mines have to contend with acid water (pH
as low as 2) while other mines have problems with high
alkalinity.
1. What is Dewatering ?
• Dewatering means the removal of ground water from an area
through lowering of water table.
1. Prevention
2. Collection and containment
3. Removal
4. Disposal
1. Prevention
• Rainfall and snow cannot be prevented from falling directly into
an open pit
• Diverting the flow away from the workings can prevent the
overland flow of water into the excavation.
•Water flow from the overburden soil at a pit edge can be
collected and pumped to the diversion ditches.
•Water that seeps through the rock walls of the pit may
be redirected by collection from drill holes or lowering the
ground water table in the bedrock by drilling and pumping
from deep wells.
•Many open pit mines and some underground mines reduce the
flow of ground water with deep well in-the-hole pumps.
2. Collection and Containment/control
• Mine water that reaches the workings is typically collected
and confined to a central location using-
-ditches,
-boreholes, and
-piping arranged
• Centrifugal pumps are available for high volumes that can pump
“dirty” mine water (not allowed to settle).
The quantity (Q) of water flowing upwards from a hole drilled vertically
can be estimated by measuring the height of flow (H) over the collar of
the hole.
Q = 5.1 D2H½
In which,
D is the hole diameter (inches)
H is the height of flow (inches)
Q is the flow in USGPM
The flow rate from a sinker drill (plugger) hole can be quickly
determined by measuring the height of flow and comparing it with the
data in the following Table
Q 5.1 D H 2 1/2
Where
A is area,
S is slope (gradient of the tunnel),
P is the wetted boundary, and
the formula assumes a roughness coefficient, n = 0.04
For a fixed cross section and depth of flow, the equation
is simplified to as follows:
Where
Q kS 1/2
S is slope (gradient of the tunnel),
k is a constant)
The rate of flow is directly proportional to the square root of
the gradient.
Standard Drainage Tunnel Capacity
In which,
Q = Rate of flow
H = Total friction head
N = RPM of the impeller
• The formula is valid for metric or imperial units.
• The flow rate, Q is expressed in USGPM in many pump
catalogues; however, using CFS (cubic feet per second) instead
produces values that are simpler to use
• If the specific speed (CFS) is over 200 and less than 400, two
centrifugal pumps in parallel may be employed.
Pump efficiency
The following figure plots the range of efficiencies for typical mine application
Where,
hf = Head loss due to friction (in feet) of liquid
d = Inside diameter of circular pipe (in inches)
C = Friction factor (Hazen-Williams)
L = Length of pipe including equivalent length for loss through fittings (in
feet)
Q = Flow of liquid (in USGPM)
The “C” Factor for steel pipe used in mine de-watering design is typically
120, therefore, the equation can be simplified to the following.
Where,
t = Wall thickness (in.)
D = Outside diameter of pipe (in.) [D= d+2t] [here outside
diameter D= inside diameter (d) plus twice the wall thickness, t]
P = Maximum internal pressure (psi)
y = Temperature coefficient, typically equal to 0.4
s = Allowable stress in pipe (typically, s=17,500 psi)
c = allowance for corrosion, equal to 0.062 in
Settling Velocity
• For particles of diameter less than 1 mm (1,000μ), Stokes’
Law applies to calculate the settling velocity in still water.
Vs 1962 ( s 1) d 2
Where,
Vs = particle settling velocity in meters per hour,
ρs = specific gravity of the particle,
d = diameter of the particle in millimeters.
(1) cut off seepage that would otherwise emerge from the
slopes or bottom of an excavation.
Fig-1
Gravity
The surface of the water table is below the top of the pervious
aquifer (Fig-1)
(2) Where the site is not adjacent to a river or lake, the source of seepage
will be from storage in the formation being drained and recharged
from rainfall over the area.
Self-jetting wellpoint
Use of wellpoints where submergence is small
Note
Wellpoints are more suitable than deep wells where the
submergence available for the well screens is small
3. Deep-well systems
• Deep wells can be used to dewater pervious sand or rock
formations or to relieve artesian pressure beneath an
excavation.
• They are particularly suited for dewatering large excavations
requiring high rates of pumping, and for dewatering deep
excavations for dams, tunnels, locks, powerhouses, and mine
shafts.
• Excavations and shafts as deep as 300 feet can be dewatered
by pumping from deep wells with turbine or submersible
pumps
• The principal advantages of deep wells are that they can be
installed around the periphery of an excavation.
A deep well system consists of an array of bored wells pumped by
submersible pumps.
Pumping from each well lowers the groundwater level and creates a cone of
depression or drawdown around itself.
Several wells acting in combination can lower groundwater level over a wide
area beneath an excavation.
The wells are generally sited just outside the area of proposed excavation,
and are pumped by electric submersible pumps near the base of each well.
Eductors are typically used to help stabilise the side slopes and base of
excavations in soils that would be difficult to dewater with wellpoints or
deep wells.
The system works by circulating high pressure water (from a tank and
supply pumps at ground level) down the well to a small-diameter nozzle
and venturi located in the eductor in each well.
Open-pit-draining
Mine Dewatering Hose
Mine Dewatering Hose
Dewatering from
underground Mine
Mine Dewatering Impacts