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Naghedifar, S. M., Ziaei, A. N., Naghedifar, S. A., & Ansari, H. (2020). A new model for simulation of collection and conveyance sections of Qanat. Journal of Hydrology, 590, 125218.
Abstract: In this paper, a new numerical model has been developed for simulation of Qanat-aquifer system. This model employs quasi-3D mixed-form of Richards’ equation and 1D fully-hydrodynamic form of Saint-Venant equations to simulate subsurface and overland flow, respectively. In order to handle non-orthogonal grids, subsurface flow module benefits from coordinate transformation technique. Using the above-mentioned governing equations, the presented model is able to simulate water flow inside both collection and conveyance sections of the gallery as well as dynamics of groundwater and vadose zone from impermeable bed rock to the soil-air interface. Since measured data corresponding to the hydraulics of Qanats is scarce, the overland and subsurface modules have been validated with analytical, numerical and experimental benchmarks in the literature. Subsequently, the model was employed to simulate ten different hypothetical aquifer-Qanat systems with different properties including the depth of groundwater aquifer, roughness of the gallery and saturated hydraulic conductivity of the gallery-aquifer boundary and the influence of each the parameters was monitored on the outflow rate at the appearance point of each Qanat. Furthermore, the advance of water inside two initially dry galleries were simulated at different time levels up to steady state. Eventually, the streamlines have been shown at the steady state for two Qanat-aquifer systems. Although, the presented study sheds light on some aspects of Qanat-aquifer hydraulics, the validation of the presented model with in-lab or on-field data remains ongoing for the future researches.
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Shayakhmetov, N. M., Alibayeva, K. A., Kaltayev, A., & Panfilov, I. (2023). Enhancing uranium in-situ leaching efficiency through the well reverse technique: A study of the effects of reversal time on production efficiency and cost. Hydrometallurgy, 219, 106086.
Abstract: In this study, the application of the Well Reversal Technique (WRT) and the impact of reversal time on the efficiency of uranium mining via In-Situ Leaching (ISL) were investigated. A prevalent issue in ISL mineral extraction is the formation of stagnant zones caused by limited access of the lixiviant, which leads to increased operating expenditures. The WRT, which involves altering the function of some wells from injection to production or vice versa, is a potential solution to this problem. The efficiency of WRT is heavily dependent on the well pattern and reversal time. Two commonly used well patterns in ISL are the 9-spot (row arrangement) and 7-spot (hexagonal arrangement). The objective of this study was to determine the optimal reversal time for a 9-spot well pattern through mathematical modeling of hydrodynamic and physico-chemical processes and subsequent economic assessment. A mathematical model of uranium extraction processes was developed using the principles of mass conservation, Darcy’s, and mass action laws. The results obtained for a 9-spot well pattern without reversal, with two reversal options, and a 7-spot scheme were analyzed comparatively. The 7-spot scheme without reversal was found to be the most effective of the options examined. The application of WRT on a 9-spot well pattern allows to enhance production efficiency to a level comparable to that of a 7-spot well pattern. Additionally, the effect of reversal time on recovery was studied based on two well reversal options. The results from calculation revealed that the optimal scenario was when the well reversal is conducted immediately after the time point at which the average concentration of the pregnant solution in the production wells reaches its peak value. The overall efficiency of WRT application was determined through economic calculations of capital (CAPEX) and operating (OPEX) expenditures. Based on economic calculations, it was determined that the utilization of WRT results in a 3–18% increase in mineral production efficiency for a 9-point scheme, depending on the chosen reversal method.
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Netzer, L., Kurtzman, D., Ben-Hur, M., Livshitz, Y., Katzir, R., & Nachshon, U. (2024). Novel approach to roof rainwater harvesting and aquifer recharge in an urban environment: Dry and wet infiltration wells comparison. Water Research, 252, 121183.
Abstract: In urban environments there is a severe reduction of infiltration and groundwater recharge due to the existence of large impervious areas. During rain events, large volumes of water that could have recharged groundwater and surface water bodies are diverted into the municipal drainage system and lost from the freshwater storage. Moreover, extreme rain events impose high peak flows and large runoff volumes, which increase the risk of urban floods. Recent studies have suggested the use of rainwater harvesting for groundwater recharge, as a plausible solution for these challenges in dense urban environments. While the benefits of this approach are well understood, research on its practical, engineering, and hydrological aspects is relatively limited. The objective of the present study was to examine the use of infiltration wells for groundwater recharge with harvested rainwater collected from building rooftops under Mediterranean climate conditions. Two types of wells with similar hydraulic and technical properties were examined: a well that reaches the groundwater (wet well); and a well that discharges the harvested water into the unsaturated zone (dry well). Infiltration capacities of the wells were compared in controlled experiments conducted during summer months, and in operational recharge of harvested rainwater, during winter. Both dry and wet wells were found to be suitable for purposes of groundwater recharge with rooftop-harvested rainwater. Infiltration capacity of the wet well was about seven times greater than the infiltration capacity of the dry well. While the infiltration capacity of the wet well was constant throughout the entire length of the study (∼10 m3/h/m), the dry well infiltration capacity improved during winter (from 0.5 m3/h/m to 1.5 m3/h/m), a result of development of the dry well with time. Considering Tel-Aviv, Israel, as a case study for a dense modern city in a Mediterranean climate, it is demonstrated herein that the use of infiltration wells may reduce urban drainage by ∼40 %.
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Haque, N., & Norgate, T. (2014). The greenhouse gas footprint of in-situ leaching of uranium, gold and copper in Australia. Journal of Cleaner Production, 84, 382–390.
Abstract: In-situ leaching (ISL) is a chemical method for recovering useful minerals and metals directly from underground ore bodies which is also referred to as ‘solution mining’. ISL is commonly used for uranium mining, accounting for about 45% of global production. The main benefits are claimed to be a lower environmental impact in terms of visual disturbances, emissions, lower energy use, cost compared with conventional open-cut or underground mining methods, and potential utilisation of lower grade resources. However, there is a lack of reported studies on the assessment of the environmental impacts of ISL, particularly greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions using life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The SimaPro LCA software was used to estimate the GHG footprint of the ISL of uranium, gold and copper. The total GHG emissions were estimated to be 38.0 kg CO2-e/kg U3O8 concentrate (yellowcake), 29 t CO2-e/kg gold, and 4.78 kg CO2-e/kg Cu. The GHG footprint of ISL uranium was significantly lower than that of conventional mining, however, the footprints of copper and gold were not much less compared with conventional mining methods. This is due to the lower ore grade of ISL deposits and recovery compared with high ore grades and recovery of conventional technology. Additionally, the use of large amount of electricity for pumping in case of ISL contributes to this result. The electricity consumed in pumping leaching solutions was by far the greatest contributor to the well-field related activities associated with ISL of uranium, gold and copper. The main strategy to reduce the GHG footprint of ISL mining should be to use electricity derived from low emission sources. In particular, renewable sources such as solar would be suitable for ISL as these operations are typically in remote locations with smaller deposits compared with conventional mining sites.
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Rossetto, R., Filippis, G. D., Borsi, I., Foglia, L., Cannata, M., Criollo, R., et al. (2018). Integrating free and open source tools and distributed modelling codes in GIS environment for data-based groundwater management. Environmental Modelling & Software, 107, 210–230.
Abstract: Integrating advanced simulation techniques and data analysis tools in a freeware Geographic Information System (GIS) provides a valuable contribution to the management of conjunctive use of groundwater (the world’s largest freshwater resource) and surface-water. To this aim, we describe here the FREEWAT (FREE and open source software tools for WATer resource management) platform. FREEWAT is a free and open source, QGIS-integrated interface for planning and management of water resources, with specific attention to groundwater. The FREEWAT platform couples the power of GIS geo-processing and post-processing tools in spatial data analysis with that of process-based simulation models. The FREEWAT environment allows storage of large spatial datasets, data management and visualization, and running of several distributed modelling codes (mainly belonging to the MODFLOW family). It simulates hydrologic and transport processes, and provides a database framework and visualization capabilities for hydrochemical analysis. Examples of real case study applications are provided.
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Baptista, V. S. G., Coelho, V. H. R., Bertrand, G. F., Silva, G. B. L. da, Caicedo, N. O. L., Montenegro, S. M. G. L., et al. (2023). Rooftop water harvesting for managed aquifer recharge and flood mitigation in tropical cities: Towards a strategy of co-benefit evaluations in João Pessoa, northeast Brazil. Journal of Environmental Management, 342, 118034.
Abstract: Intense urbanisation in many coastal areas has led to intensification of groundwater consumption, while reducing permeable areas and increasing the frequency and magnitude of flooding. Among the potential strategies to compensate for these adverse effects, which are expected to become worse as a result of climate change, rooftop rainwater harvesting (RWH) in combination with managed aquifer recharge (MAR), may be indicated. This work investigated the performance of different configurations of such a system, tested as a twofold sustainable stormwater and domestic water management tool in a tropical metropole (João Pessoa, Brazil). This area located over a sedimentary aquifer system illustrates the water security challenges of densely urbanised areas in southern cities. To that end, several configurations of rooftop catchments and storage volumes were evaluated, by simulating a MAR-RWH system connected to the regional unconfined aquifer (Barreiras Formation) through a 6″ diameter injection well. Rainfall-runoff-recharge processes and water balances were simulated using monitored high-temporal resolution rainfall data. The results showed that catchments ranging from 180 to 810 m2, connected to tanks from 0.5 to 30.0 m³, are the optimal solutions in terms of efficient rainwater retention and peak flow reduction. These solutions provided mean annual estimates of aquifer recharge between 57 and 255 m³/yr from 2004 to 2019. The results of this study highlight the opportunity for MAR schemes to reconcile stormwater management and water supply goals.
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Zeng, S., Song, J., Sun, B., Wang, F., Ye, W., Shen, Y., et al. (2023). Seepage characteristics of the leaching solution during in situ leaching of uranium. Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 55(2), 566–574.
Abstract: Investigating the seepage characteristics of the leaching solution in the ore-bearing layer during the in situ leaching process can be useful for designing the process parameters for the uranium mining well. We prepared leaching solutions of four different viscosities and conducted experiments using a self-developed multifunctional uranium ore seepage test device. The effects of different viscosities of leaching solutions on the seepage characteristics of uranium-bearing sandstones were examined using seepage mechanics, physicochemical seepage theory, and dissolution erosion mechanism. Results indicated that while the seepage characteristics of various viscosities of leaching solutions were the same in rock samples with similar internal pore architectures, there were regular differences between the saturated and the unsaturated stages. In addition, the time required for the specimen to reach saturation varied with the viscosity of the leaching solution. The higher the viscosity of the solution, the slower the seepage flow from the unsaturated stage to the saturated stage. Furthermore, during the saturation stage, the seepage pressure of a leaching solution with a high viscosity was greater than that of a leaching solution with a low viscosity. However, the permeability coefficient of the high viscosity leaching solution was less than that of a low viscosity leaching solution.
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Wang, W., Liang, X., Niu, Q., Wang, Q., Zhuo, J., Su, X., et al. (2023). Reformability evaluation of blasting-enhanced permeability in in situ leaching mining of low-permeability sandstone-type uranium deposits. Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 55(8), 2773–2784.
Abstract: It is essential to evaluate the blasting-enhanced permeability (BEP) feasibility of a low-permeability sandstone-type uranium deposit. In this work, the mineral composition, reservoir physical properties and rock mechanical properties of samples from sandstone-type uranium deposits were first measured. Then, the reformability evaluation method was established by the analytic hierarchy process-entropy weight method (AHP-EWM) and the fuzzy mathematics method. Finally, evaluation results were verified by the split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) experiment and permeability test. Results show that medium sandstone, argillaceous sandstone and siltstone exhibit excellent reformability, followed by coarse sandstone and fine sandstone, while the reformability of sandy mudstone is poor and is not able to accept BEP reservoir stimulation. The permeability improvement and the distribution of damage fractures before and after the SHPB experiment confirm the correctness of evaluation results. This research provides a reformability evaluation method for the BEP of the low-permeability sandstone-type uranium deposit, which contributes to the selection of the appropriate regional and stratigraphic horizon of the BEP and the enhanced ISL of the low-permeability sandstone-type uranium deposit.
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Frumkin, A., & Gvirtzman, H. (2006). Cross-formational rising groundwater at an artesian karstic basin: the Ayalon Saline Anomaly, Israel. Journal of Hydrology, 318(1), 316–333.
Abstract: It is proposed that a geothermal artesian karstic system at the central part of the Yarkon–Taninim aquifer creates the ‘Ayalon Saline Anomaly’ (ASA), whose mechanism has been under debate for several decades. A 4-year-long detailed groundwater monitoring was carried out at 68 new shallow boreholes in the Ayalon region, accompanied by a comprehensive survey of karstic voids. Results indicate the rising of warm-brackish groundwater through highly permeable swarms of karstic shafts, serving as an outflow of the artesian geothermal system. The ASA area contains ‘hot spots’, where groundwater contrasts with ‘normal’ water hundreds of meters away. The ASA temperature reaches 30°C (∼5°C warmer than its surroundings), chloride concentration reaches 528mg/l (50–100mg/l in the surrounding), H2S concentration reaches 5.6mg/l (zero all around) and pH value is 7.0 (compared with 7.8 around). Subsequently, the hydrothermal water flows laterally of at the watertable horizon through horizontal conduits, mixing with ‘normal’ fresh water which had circulated at shallow depth. Following rainy seasons, maximal watertable rise is observed in the ASA compared to its surroundings. Regional hydrogeology considerations suggest that the replenishment area for the ASA water is at the Samaria Mountains, east of the ASA. The water circulates to a great depth while flowing westward, and a cross-formational upward flow is then favored close the upper sub-aquifer’s confinement border.
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Jamali, B., Bach, P. M., & Deletic, A. (2020). Rainwater harvesting for urban flood management – An integrated modelling framework. Water Research, 171, 115372.
Abstract: It is well known that rainwater harvesting (RWH) can augment water supply and reduce stormwater pollutant discharges. Due to the lack of continuous 2D modelling of urban flood coverage and its associated damage, the ability of RWH to reduce urban flood risks has not been fully evaluated. Literature suggests that small distributed storage spaces using RWH tanks will reduce flood damage only during small to medium flooding events and therefore cumulative assessment of their benefits is needed. In this study we developed a new integrated modelling framework that implements a semi-continuous simulation approach to investigate flood prevention and water supply benefits of RWH tanks. The framework includes a continuous mass balance simulation model that considers antecedent rainfall conditions and water demand/usage of tanks and predicts the available storage prior to each storm event. To do so, this model couples a rainfall-runoff tank storage model with a detailed stochastic end-use water demand model. The available storage capacity of tanks is then used as a boundary condition for the novel rapid flood simulation model. This flood model was developed by coupling the U.S. EPA Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) to the Cellular-Automata Fast Flood Evaluation (CA-ffé) model to predict the inundation depth caused by surcharges over the capacity of the drainage network. The stage-depth damage curves method was used to calculate time series of flood damage, which are then directly used for flood risk and cost-benefit analysis. The model was tested through a case study in Melbourne, using a recorded rainfall time series of 85 years (after validating the flood model against 1D-2D MIKE-FLOOD). Results showed that extensive implementation of RWH tanks in the study area is economically feasible and can reduce expected annual damage in the catchment by up to approximately 30 percent. Availability of storage space and temporal distribution of rainfall within an event were important factors affecting tank performance for flood reduction.
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