This guide is a basic overview to using Muk3D’s semi-automated planning tool, named Prognos.  This tool allows for the user to define the basic construction stages of a TSF, for any number of cells, and then link to a mass balance/water balance spreadsheet and use the predicted tailings volumes and pond volumes/fluid volumes to stage the TSF out over time. 

Prognos is currently licensed under the Simulation license level.

Basic workflow

The basic user workflow is shown below.  More information on each step can be found in the subsequent chapters.

Setup

The first step is to setup the basic outline of the project.  Definition of the layout is done via an Excel spreadsheet.  Within this spreadsheet, the number of TSFs, the pipelines flowing to each TSF, and the tailings properties are defined. 

Once the basic TSF layout is defined, additional tabs are added to the specification sheet to allow for the detailed specification of each TSF.  This include the selection of pond model, and the definition of different cells, lifts, and the mapping between pipelines and tailings properties.

The topo sequencing of TSFs is also defined.  TSFs will be run in the order that they are originally defined, but its possible for each TSF to have its own, independent topography, or it can be built on the output of previous deposition runs.

After the definition of all TSF data, the data model is created.  This will create a directory structure that the user can populate with the relevant geometry for each lift shell and deposition line, for each lift in each TSF.

The final setup step is to create the Excel interface models and then add the interface tabs to a mass balance spreadsheet.

Each TSF will have its own interface worksheet in the mass balance spreadsheet with Muk3D input and output fields.  The input fields can be linked to appropriate cells in the mass balance model and the output fields can be fed back into the mass balance model.

TSF geometry setup

Once the data model has been created there will be a new top-level directory called geometry. Within this folder, there be a sub-folder for each TSF, and then within that, there will be sub-folders for each cell, and then each lift within that cell.

For each cell in each lift, some geometry must be defined to represent the dam raise and the discharge points for each pipeline.  The dam raise shell is a surface and can either be created in Muk3D using the dam design tools, or can be imported from other packages.

The discharge points for each pipeline are just a line and can either be created in Muk3D or imported. 

Once this data has been saved in cell directory, it needs to be registered with the data model, so that when its time to work with that cell/lift, the software knows which geometry to use.

For each TSF, a point needs to be defined that represents the location of the pond. 

Finally, the base topography needs to be defined.  For TSFs that have been tagged as having their ‘own’ topography, then you can register the appropriate tile.  For the situation where multiple TSFs are to be built on the same topography tile, the topo for the first TSF in the sequence will be requested.

Running the deposition

Once the model has been set up, its ready to be run.  There are several ways that the model can be run.

If the allocation of tailings/cell sand has been done for an entire life-of-mine, then an entire deposition sequence can be run.

The model can also be run timestep-by-timestep, either for all TSFs, or on a per-TSF basis. 

Runs can also be separated into different scenarios.  When executing a deposition run there is the option to create/amend different scenarios.