Original scientific paper
Application of numerical methods to simulate the unsteady flow of lean liquor solution through a porous medium made up of porous ore particles
G. A. Sheikhzadeh
; Mechanical Engineering Department, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, IRAN
M. A. Mehrabian
; Mechanical Engineering Department, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, IRAN
S. H. Mansouri
; Mechanical Engineering Department, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, IRAN
A. Sarrafi
; Chemical Engineering Department, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, IRAN
Abstract
Unsaturated flow of liquid in a bed of uniform and spherical ore particles is studied numerically and experimentally. An unsteady and two-dimensional model is developed based on the mass conservation equations of the liquid phase in the bed and in the particles. The model equations are solved using a fully implicit finite difference method giving the distribution of the degree of saturation in the particles and in the bed and the vertical velocity of flow in the bed, as well as, the effect of periodic infiltration on the above distributions. To calibrate the computational model, several column tests are performed using periodic infiltration of water on 40 cm high columns composed of ore having particles smaller than 25 mm. The numerical analysis shows that (a) the results obtained from numerical modelling under the same operating conditions as used for column tests, are in good agreement with those from the experimental procedure, (b) the degree of saturation of the bed and the time required to reach steady state conditions depend on the inflow of water and intrinsic permeability of the bed and (c) the velocity fluctuations and the fluctuations of the degree of saturation in the bed depend on the inflow of water, period of infiltration, height, and intrinsic permeability of the bed.
Keywords
modelling, unsaturated liquid flow, heap leaching, porous media, column test
Hrčak ID:
316013
URI
Publication date:
30.6.2003.
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