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Hydraulic and Thermal Modelling of an Underground Mining Reservoir

Hydraulische und thermische Modellierung eines untertägigen Bergwerksspeichers

Modelización térmica e hidrogeológica de un embalse minero subterráneo

地下水库的水动力学与热力学模拟

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Abstract

Flooded mines are a groundwater reservoir that can be used geothermally. Modelling such a reservoir can be complicated because it is necessary to simultaneously solve the equations of flow and heat transport within the mine voids and the surrounding medium, whose hydraulic parameters may have been affected by mining. We present a numerical model developed for the reservoir formed by the Barredo and Figaredo shafts in the Central Coal Basin of Asturias (Spain), using FEFLOW software. Both 2- and 3-D versions of the model were used to simulate the flooding of the mine. They were calibrated by comparing the results with actual water levels measured during flooding. The hydrogeological and thermal characteristics of the reservoir were adjusted to predict the long-term temperature of the water under different scenarios of water extraction and injection.

Zusammenfassung

Geflutete Bergwerke bilden ein Grundwasserreservoir, welches geothermisch genutzt werden kann. Die Modellierung solcher Speicher ist jedoch kompliziert, da bei der Simulation Fließ- und Wärmetransportgleichungen sowohl in den Grubenhohlräumen als auch in den umgebenden Gesteinen gemeinsam gelöst werden müssen, wobei die hydraulischen Parameter zudem durch den Bergbau beeinflusst sind. Es wird ein numerisches Modell präsentiert, welches für das Grundwasserreservoir der Bergbaufelder von Barredo und Figaredo im zentralen Kohlebecken von Astriuas (Spanien) entwickelt worden ist. Sowohl 2-D als auch 3-D Versionen der Software FEFLOW wurden verwendet, um die Flutung des Untertagebergbaus nachzubilden. Die Modelle wurden kalibriert, indem die Modellergebnisse mit aktuellen Wasserständen während der Flutung verglichen wurden. Die hydrogeologischen und geothermischen Parameter des Reservoirs wurden angepasst, um langzeitliche Temperaturentwicklungen im Wasser bei verschiedenen Entnahme- und Injektionsszenarien vorherzusagen.

Resumen

Las minas inundadas constituyen un embalse de agua subterránea, del que se puede hacer un aprovechamiento geotérmico. Modelizar este tipo de embalses puede resultar complejo, ya que es necesario resolver simultáneamente las ecuaciones de flujo y transporte de calor en los huecos mineros y el medio circundante, cuyos parámetros hidrogeológicos pueden haber resultado afectados por la actividad minera. Se presenta un modelo numérico desarrollado para el embalse constituido por los pozos mineros Barredo y Figaredo en la Cuenca Carbonífera Central de Asturias (España), por medio del software FEFLOW. Se realizaron versiones del modelo en 2 y 3 dimensiones para simular la inundación de la mina, que fueron calibradas comparando los resultados con los valores reales de nivel de agua medidos durante dicha inundación. Las características hidrogeológicas y térmicas del embalse fueron ajustadas para predecir la temperatura a largo plazo del agua bajo diferentes escenarios de extracción de agua y reinyección.

抽象

闭坑(或废弃)淹没矿坑可用作提供地热的地下水库。由于需要同时求解矿坑及周围介质的水力学和热力学方程以及方程水文地质参数受矿坑严重影响,地下水库的水力与热力学数值模拟比较复杂。利用 FEFLOW建立了西班牙阿斯图里亚斯地区(Asturias)中央聚煤盆地(Central Coal Basin)Barredo井与Figaredo竖的地下水库模型。同时利用二维和三维模型模拟了矿坑淹没过程,用矿坑淹没期间实际观测水位进行了模型识别。地下水库模型经水文地质学及热力学特征校正后用以预测不同抽水、注水情形下的水温长期预测。

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the HUNOSA company for providing valuable information, as well as DHI-WASY for their support regarding FEFLOW software. We are also very grateful to Dr. R. Kleinmann and Dr. C. Wolkersdorfer for their useful comments on an earlier version of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept Explotación y Prospección de Minas, University of Oviedo, c/Independencia, 13, 33004, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain

    C. Andrés, A. Ordóñez & R. Álvarez

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  1. C. Andrés
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  2. A. Ordóñez
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  3. R. Álvarez
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Correspondence to C. Andrés.

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Andrés, C., Ordóñez, A. & Álvarez, R. Hydraulic and Thermal Modelling of an Underground Mining Reservoir. Mine Water Environ 36, 24–33 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10230-015-0365-1

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