ARTYKUŁY INFORMACYJNE Modelowanie wód podziemnych na terenach górniczych z wykorzystaniem oprogramowania FEFLOW
Abstract
FEFLOW groundwater modelling of mine sites.
A b s t r a c t. Development of groundwater flow, and solute and heat transport models for underground and open-pit mining areas is a challenging and very complex issue. Despite the fact, models play an increasingly common role in mine water management. The aim of the paper is to present and illustrate theoretical aspects and practical strategies facilitating groundwater model set-up for mine sites by means of FEFLOW software. FEFLOW solved governing equations based on finite elements methods, which enables users to create models with very flexible meshing strategies including time-varying geometries. Unstructured and structured mesh generators allow creating very complex geological settings and with complex geometrical designs, as found for example in mine dewatering (open-cast geometry, inclined dewatering wells, inclined faults), or underground structures (pipes, tunnels, shafts etc.). In order to obtain reliable results and reduce uncertainty in provided forecast for mine sites, groundwater models often should be developed for transient condition and involve unsaturated flow and transport, fracture flow, density effects, chemical reactions, or
time-varying behaviour of boundary conditions and material properties (such as conductivity or porosity). FEFLOW enables groundwater modeller set-up these all physical processes and via plug-ins extended functionality by integrated FEFLOW models with other models: geochemical (PHREEQC), watershed (MIKE 11, Hydro River) or develop user own plug-ins. Considering the above, FEFLOW seems to be appropriate software for accurate and reliable models development for mine sites, and an interesting alternative for more widely used MODFLOW models in Poland.
A b s t r a c t. Development of groundwater flow, and solute and heat transport models for underground and open-pit mining areas is a challenging and very complex issue. Despite the fact, models play an increasingly common role in mine water management. The aim of the paper is to present and illustrate theoretical aspects and practical strategies facilitating groundwater model set-up for mine sites by means of FEFLOW software. FEFLOW solved governing equations based on finite elements methods, which enables users to create models with very flexible meshing strategies including time-varying geometries. Unstructured and structured mesh generators allow creating very complex geological settings and with complex geometrical designs, as found for example in mine dewatering (open-cast geometry, inclined dewatering wells, inclined faults), or underground structures (pipes, tunnels, shafts etc.). In order to obtain reliable results and reduce uncertainty in provided forecast for mine sites, groundwater models often should be developed for transient condition and involve unsaturated flow and transport, fracture flow, density effects, chemical reactions, or
time-varying behaviour of boundary conditions and material properties (such as conductivity or porosity). FEFLOW enables groundwater modeller set-up these all physical processes and via plug-ins extended functionality by integrated FEFLOW models with other models: geochemical (PHREEQC), watershed (MIKE 11, Hydro River) or develop user own plug-ins. Considering the above, FEFLOW seems to be appropriate software for accurate and reliable models development for mine sites, and an interesting alternative for more widely used MODFLOW models in Poland.