This research is an experimental, field and numerical study of the sedimentation and consolidation of in-line thickened oil sands fine tailings. In-line thickening is a process that adds flocculant and coagulant into a modified tailings pipeline in a multi stage fashion to improve the dewatering behaviour of oil sands fine tailings cyclone overflow.
The parent untreated cyclone overflow, in-line thickened tailings and sheared in-line thickened tailings were investigated in the laboratory. In-line thickened tailings were produced in the laboratory using the same process as in the field project and sheared in-line thickened tailings were prepared by shearing the thickened tailings with a specified shearing effort to simulate tailings transportation. A combination of hindered sedimentation tests, compressibility standpipe tests and large strain consolidation tests with vane shear tests was then used to capture a full range of sedimentation, consolidation and shear strength characteristics for these materials. Results show that the in-line thickening process significantly improves hydraulic conductivity and undrained shear strength of the fine tails. Shearing damages some of the floc structure but does not cause the material to fully return to the original state of the cyclone overflow.
The laboratory data of the in-line thickened tailings was compared with field performance at two in-line thickened tailings pilot scale ponds and with a validation standpipe test by utilizing a developed finite strain consolidation model. Good agreements were obtained between the field performance, the laboratory test results and the validation standpipe test. These good agreements confirmed the validity of the laboratory determined geotechnical parameters and of the developed numerical model and indicated that it is possible to model large scale field performance with small scale laboratory tests.
Finally, composite tailings was made from the in-line thickened tailings and was found to have a similar segregation boundary to that of gypsum treated composite tailings made with mature fine tailings but had a much higher hydraulic conductivity and shear strength which were inherited from the flocculated fines. / Geotechnical Engineering
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:AEU.10048/1138 |
| Date | 06 1900 |
| Creators | Silawat, Jeeravipoolvarn |
| Contributors | Dr. Rick J. Chalaturnyk (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Dr. J. Don Scott (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Dr. Alireza Bayat (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Dr. Jozef Szymanski (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Dr. John M. Shaw (Chemical and Materials Engineering), Dr. Paul H. Simms (Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carleton University) |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 11082225 bytes, application/pdf |
| Relation | Jeeravipoolvarn, S., Chalaturnyk, R.J., and Scott, J.D. 2009. Sedimentation-consolidation modeling with an interaction coefficient. Computer and Geotechnics, 36(5):751-76, Azam, S., Jeeravipoolvarn, S., and Scott, J.D. 2009. Numerical modeling of tailings thickening for improved mine waste management. Journal of Environmental Informatics, 13(2):111-118., Azam, S., Scott, J.D., and Jeeravipoolvarn, S. 2007. When does a slurry become a soil? Geotechnical News. BiTech, BC, 25(3):44-46., Jeeravipoolvarn, S., Chalaturnyk, R.J. and Scott, J.D. 2008. Consolidation Modeling of Oil Sands Fine Tailings: History Matching, In Proceedings of 61st Canadian Geotechnical Conference, Edmonton, AB, September 22-24:190-197., Scott, J.D., Jeeravipoolvarn, S. and Chalaturnyk, R.J. 2008. Tests for Wide Range of Compressibility and Hydraulic Conductivity of Flocculated Tailings. In Proceedings of the 61st Canadian Geotechnical Conference, September 22-24, Edmonton, AB: 738-745., Jeeravipoolvarn S., Scott J.D. and Chalaturnyk R.J., 2008. Multi-Dimensional Finite Strain Consolidation Theory: Modeling Study. Proceedings of 61st Canadian Geotechnical Conference, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, September 22-24, pp. 167-175., Jeeravipoolvarn, S., Scott, J.D., Chalaturnyk R.J., 2008. "Sedimentation and Consolidation of In-Line Thickened Fine Tailings", Proceedings of International Oil Sands Tailings Conference, December 7-10, Edmonton, AB, 209-223., Jeeravipoolvarn S., Scott J.D. and Chalaturnyk R.J. 2009. "Geotechnical characteristics of laboratory in-line thickened oil sands tailings", Proceedings of Tailings and Mine Waste Conference 2009, November 1-4, Banff, AB, 813-828. |
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