Mine Impacted Water

The research goal was to reduce the concentration of selenium in mine impacted water. The research was done in collaboration with a coal mine in northern Canada. The project progressed from a proof of treat-ability study to the design of a pilot scale system.

Just a day in the lab with the grad students!

The completed phases of the study include:

1. ​Performing a treat-ability study on the raw mine impacted water with a stationary batch scale reactor

2. Designing, building and testing a batch scale continuous flow through reactor

3. Performing a treat-ability study on the mine impacted water brine with same stationary batch scale reactor

4. Scaling reactor system intensity and volume, studied the reaction impacts.

5. Researching and designing a pilot scale flow through reactor

Reactor test flow through batch system.

Responsibilities:

• Coordinated lab schedule for 1-2 lab workers

• Trained and guided new staff in lab procedures and safety

• Compiled and presented designs and research results to industry partners

• Optimized photocatalytic reaction conditions within design parameters using reaction data statistics

• Modelled degradation of Selenate in mining wastewater through photocatalysis using MATLAB and ANSYS FLUENT

• Designed and constructed a flow-through reaction system by re-outfitting an existing stationary batch-scale system

• Collected experimental data by preparing reaction samples for acid digestion and conducting ICP analysis