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Coal seams are commonly associated with poor quality water that requires treatment. Water treatment can be very expensive and can severely affect the profitability of mining projects. This study investigated the potential cultivation of Arthrospira maxima (Spirulina) in coal seam water to beneficiate coal seam water in order to effectively offset the water treatment cost. The study was conducted in Northern South Africa and formed part of a larger Coal Seam Water Beneficiation Project (CSWBP). The study consisted of laboratory based Flask Studies and outdoor High Rate Algal Pond Studies. The Flask Studies that were carried out in the on-site field laboratory, found that the coal seam water could provide a suitable medium for Spirulina cultivation. In addition, it was found that the optimal pH for the selected strain ranged between 9 - 10.5 and that the addition of excess iron, up to 100 times the concentration found in defined growth media such as Schlösser’s, to the culture media could enhance productivity. The High Rate Algal Pond Studies (HRAP) were carried out over a period of 18 months. The studies showed that the coal seam water at the CSWBP is a valuable resource that can reduce media costs by 50% without affecting productivity. In a study encompassing 334 days it was shown that heating the culture through plate heat exchangers would result in a significant increase in productivity and a heated productivity of 19.86 g/m2/day was recorded. An unheated productivity of 14.11 g/m2/day was recorded. Therefore, it was found that it would be economically feasible to beneficiate coal seam water found at the CSWBP through the cultivation of Arthrospira maxima (Spirulina). / Environmental Sciences / M. Sc. (Environmental Science)

<p>To extract metals and increase the pH value of water around a historical mine waste deposit a series of barrels are used. Polluted water is forced to pass inside these barrels where different filter materials purify the water. This research project is carried out in Sweden by MTM at Örebro University and Bergkraft in Kopparberg, titled “Methods for characterisation and remediation of historical mine waste”.</p><p> </p><p>The fluid flow trough the filter materials in the barrels are needed to be understood, in order to improve the extracting process.</p><p> </p><p>In this work a small transparent model filled with sand was made to visualise the fluid flow. In that model coloured water is representing the polluted water. To describe the flow in the transparent model a mathematical model is presented. The theory used in this work is the complex variable method in fluid dynamics together with numerical methods and computer programming. There is a pretty good match between the theoretical and experimental results presented in two dimensions. Continuing work could result in a three dimensional model with different geometries using the same technique.</p>

Coal seams are commonly associated with poor quality water that requires treatment. Water treatment can be very expensive and can severely affect the profitability of mining projects. This study investigated the potential cultivation of Arthrospira maxima (Spirulina) in coal seam water to beneficiate coal seam water in order to effectively offset the water treatment cost. The study was conducted in Northern South Africa and formed part of a larger Coal Seam Water Beneficiation Project (CSWBP). The study consisted of laboratory based Flask Studies and outdoor High Rate Algal Pond Studies. The Flask Studies that were carried out in the on-site field laboratory, found that the coal seam water could provide a suitable medium for Spirulina cultivation. In addition, it was found that the optimal pH for the selected strain ranged between 9 - 10.5 and that the addition of excess iron, up to 100 times the concentration found in defined growth media such as Schlösser’s, to the culture media could enhance productivity. The High Rate Algal Pond Studies (HRAP) were carried out over a period of 18 months. The studies showed that the coal seam water at the CSWBP is a valuable resource that can reduce media costs by 50% without affecting productivity. In a study encompassing 334 days it was shown that heating the culture through plate heat exchangers would result in a significant increase in productivity and a heated productivity of 19.86 g/m2/day was recorded. An unheated productivity of 14.11 g/m2/day was recorded. Therefore, it was found that it would be economically feasible to beneficiate coal seam water found at the CSWBP through the cultivation of Arthrospira maxima (Spirulina). / Environmental Sciences / M. Sc. (Environmental Science)

To extract metals and increase the pH value of water around a historical mine waste deposit a series of barrels are used. Polluted water is forced to pass inside these barrels where different filter materials purify the water. This research project is carried out in Sweden by MTM at Örebro University and Bergkraft in Kopparberg, titled “Methods for characterisation and remediation of historical mine waste”.   The fluid flow trough the filter materials in the barrels are needed to be understood, in order to improve the extracting process.   In this work a small transparent model filled with sand was made to visualise the fluid flow. In that model coloured water is representing the polluted water. To describe the flow in the transparent model a mathematical model is presented. The theory used in this work is the complex variable method in fluid dynamics together with numerical methods and computer programming. There is a pretty good match between the theoretical and experimental results presented in two dimensions. Continuing work could result in a three dimensional model with different geometries using the same technique.