Numerical analysis of the transport of brine in the Odra River downstream of a mine's discharge

Szymon Zieliński; Stanisław Kostecki; Paweł Stefanek

doi:10.2478/sgem-2021-0036

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Numerical analysis of the transport of brine in the Odra River downstream of a mine's discharge

Studia Geotechnica et Mechanica

Volume 43 (2021): Issue 4 (December 2021)

By: Szymon Zieliński, Stanisław Kostecki and Paweł Stefanek

Open Access

|Dec 2021

Figures & Tables

(a) Examples of mixing zone for river discharges: (A) a traditional shoreline discharge, (B) a submerged offshore single-port discharge, (C) a regular perpendicular diffuser design and (D) a diffuser design for navigating rivers or rivers with other cross-sectional limitations. BMZ – the width of mixing zone, LMZ – the length of the mixing zone downstream. BMZ at distance LMZ must be greater than BMZ specified in the water legislation [4]. (b) Photo of a fragment of the discharge installation damaged by sediment (after disassembly).

A diagram of the flow of the KGHM mine water [13].

The discharge system during construction.

Cross section of the discharge installation, dimensions in mm [14].

The relationship between the flow of the Odra River and its natural salinity.

Three-dimensional model of the Odra riverbed, with the brine outflow zone marked.

Image of the brine concentration in the cross section at the end of the model: (a) grid 1 × 1 × 0.5 – 500,000 elements, (b) grid 0.67 × 0.67 × 0.31 – 1,912,500 elements and (c) grid 0.5 × 0.5 × 0.25 – 4,400,000 elements.

Spatial distribution of chloride for low flow 41 m3 s−1 at elevation (a) 68.45, (c) 69.08, (e) 69.38 m asl and for high flow 318 m3 s−1 at elevation (b) 68.45, (d) 69.08, (f) 72.13 m asl.

Distribution of chloride in the cross section at the end of the model for flow values: (a) Qi = 41 m3 s−1, (b) Qi = 51 m3 s−1, (c) Qi = 77.2 m3 s−1, (d) Qi = 113 m3 s−1, (e) Qi = 169 m3 s−1 and (f) Qi = 318 m3 s−1.

Distribution of the concentration of brine in the outlet cross section for (a) Qi = 41 m3 s−1 and (b) Qi=318 m3 s−1.

Input data and results_

No.	Q_i	A_i	u_xi	q_d	u_zd	C_d	C_avg	C_max

	m³ s⁻¹	m²	m s⁻¹	m³ s⁻¹	m s⁻¹	kg m⁻³	kg m⁻³	kg m⁻³
1	41	63.58	0.645	0.282	0.0007	40	0.2729	0.341
2	51	75.25	0.678	0.425	0.0010	40	0.3306	0.341
3	77.2	106.11	0.728	0.767	0.0018	40	0.3933	0.497
4	113	139.07	0.813	1.467	0.0035	40	0.5125	0.632
5	169	173.75	0.973	2.000	0.0047	40	0.4678	0.560
6	318	246.77	1.289	2.000	0.0047	40	0.2500	0.340

The results of the maximum concentration value and the component values of velocity vector ux_

Distance	Case	(i)	(ii)	(iii)	Error (ii) - (i), %	Error (iii) - (ii), %
X = 250 m	C_s (kg m⁻³)	0.991	0.999	0.997	0.80	−0.14
X = 250 m	u_x (m s⁻¹)	0.999	1.000	1.000	0.12	−0.13
X = 500 m	C_s (kg m⁻³)	2.022	2.140	2.173	5.52	1.52
X = 500 m	u_x (m s⁻¹)	1.442	1.448	1.437	0.43	−0.71

Measured values of the brine concentration at selected depths in the Odra River upstream and downstream the discharge_

Location		Salinity of the Odra River at selected depths

		kg m⁻³	kg m⁻³	kg m⁻³	kg m⁻³

		m	m	m	m
80 m upstream the discharge		0.188	0.188	0.181	0.185
80 m upstream the discharge		2.2	1.5	0.6	0.0
420 m downstream the discharge	Left riverbank	0.614	0.594	0.594	0.565
	Left riverbank	2.5	2.0	0.6	0.0
	Middle of the river's current	0.549	0.566	0.565	0.565
	Middle of the river's current	2.5	1.5	0.5	0.0
	Right riverbank	0.266	0.246	0.263	0.257
	Right riverbank	1.5	1.0	0.5	0.0

Brine propagation simulation results (Cs) compared with the measurements of chloride content (Cm) at the end of the model section_

Left riverbank				Middle of the river's current				Right riverbank

h	C_s	C_m	Δ	H	C_s	C_m	Δ	h	C_s	C_m	Δ

m	kg m⁻³	kg m⁻³	kg m⁻³	m	kg m⁻³	kg m⁻³	kg m⁻³	m	kg m⁻³	kg m⁻³	kg m⁻³
0.0	0.400	0.380	0.020	0.0	0.287	0.380	−0.093	0.0	0.218	0.072	0.146
0.5	0.401	0.413	−0.012	0.5	0.287	0.384	−0.097	0.5	0.219	0.082	0.137
1.5	0.407	0.406	0.001	1.5	0.290	0.379	−0.089	1.0	0.220	0.059	0.161
2.5	0.410	0.426	−0.016	2.5	0.292	0.361	−0.069	1.5	0.224	0.078	0.146

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sgem-2021-0036 | Journal eISSN: 2083-831X | Journal ISSN: 0137-6365

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Language: English

Page range: 366 - 379

Submitted on: Oct 23, 2021

Accepted on: Nov 19, 2021

Published on: Dec 22, 2021

Published by: Wroclaw University of Science and Technology

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Publication frequency: 4 issues per year

Keywords:

Water quality,

mining,

wastewater management,

brine,

Related subjects:

Physics,

Mechanics and fluid dynamics

© 2021 Szymon Zieliński, Stanisław Kostecki, Paweł Stefanek, published by Wroclaw University of Science and Technology
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 43 (2021): Issue 4 (December 2021)

Numerical analysis of the transport of brine in the Odra River downstream of a mine's discharge

Figures & Tables

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Input data and results_

The results of the maximum concentration value and the component values of velocity vector ux_

Measured values of the brine concentration at selected depths in the Odra River upstream and downstream the discharge_

Brine propagation simulation results (Cs) compared with the measurements of chloride content (Cm) at the end of the model section_

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