Paste and thickened tailings transportation: flow characterisation

Authors: Javadi Rudd, S; Thomas, A; Pirouz, B Download Paper Open access courtesy of:

DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2655_38

Cite As:
Javadi Rudd, S, Thomas, A & Pirouz, B 2026, 'Paste and thickened tailings transportation: flow characterisation', in AB Fourie, M Horta, M Oliveira & S Wilson (eds), Paste 2026: Proceedings of the 28th International Conference on Paste, Thickened and Filtered Tailings, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 1-11, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2655_38



Abstract:
Tailings transport and distribution are integrated elements of any wet tailings storage facility (TSF). Tailings from the process plant are typically thickened to a moderate or relatively high solids concentration, still pumpable, depending on factors such as TSF deposition requirements and strategies, process plant water security, the dewatering technology employed and costs. The primary author of this paper discussed the tailings transport aspects in a paper published in Paste 2020 (Javadi et al. 2020). The paper provided an overview of various aspects of a tailings transportation system, such as material and flow characteristics, flow regimes, basis of design definition, as well as the environmental considerations for tailings transportation post pipe integrity failure. This paper focuses on the flow characterisation and hydraulic modelling of paste and thickened tailings transport in the turbulent and laminar regime. In this paper, the predicted flow behaviours of non-Newtonian tailings types (copper, coal and gold) during the design phase are compared and evaluated against actual operational data collected after commissioning. The main objective of the paper is to present the flow characterisation findings from the full-scale operation of the thickened tailings system. Particle settling in laminar flow is discussed for a hypothetical copper/gold tails application, and flushing scenarios to prevent bed build-up are suggested. Pump pressures in an operating high-density gold tailings pipeline are compared with predicted pump pressures. It is concluded that the pipeline is operating with a fixed bed of solids with turbulent flow above the bed, and good agreement between measured and predicted pressures is obtained.

Keywords: paste and thickened tailings transport, flow characterisation and hydraulic modelling

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