Project Details

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Design and Optimization of a Slurry Pipeline

Company: Hatch

Major(s):
Primary: ME
Secondary: IE
Optional: EGEE

Non-Disclosure Agreement: NO

Intellectual Property: NO

Objective: The objective of this project is to optimize the design of a slurry pipeline that is typically used to transport tailings on a mine site. The design of the system is to be optimized for performance, material and cost by first performing research, then hydraulic analysis, and then confirming the feasibility of the design through a scale model. Background: For most mining sites, it is typical to require the design of a slurry pipeline to transport tailings byproducts from one location on the site to a tailings processing unit. In many cases, the locations between which these tailings must be transported are a long distance apart and include several elevation changes and obstacles across the site. The successful design of a tailings slurry pipeline involves several factors including: - Use of topography - Material Selection - Temperature Changes - Containment Strategies - Addition of Equipment - Addition of Structures Overall, the project will focus on proper fluid dynamic design with the need to optimize cost with the constraints that will be provided to the team. The optimized design will then confirm the feasibility of the design with a scale model of the pipeline. More details about the design parameters and constraints will be provided at the kickoff. Deliverables will include: - Summary Design Report - Scale Model Demonstration