Numerical simulation study on the relationship between thickness of the overburden and radon exhalation rate of a uranium tailings reservoir beach based on Fluent software

As one of the radioactive waste repository, uranium tailings pond has certain potential danger. Radon treatment is an important part of decommissioning of uranium tailings. In order to study the relationship between radon emission rate and the thickness of overlying soil on the beach of uranium tailings reservoir, the physical models of radon emission under natural conditions with 1.5m thickness of overlying soil and radon emission under sampling and measuring conditions were established respectively by using Fluent software and porous medium model. It is found that the numerical simulation results of radon emission rate reduction under 1.5m cover thickness is 3.45% different from those of physical experiments, and the coefficient of the relationship between cover thickness and radon emission rate function is 2.92% different from that of actual physical calculation. Therefore, the numerical simulation method based on Fluent has high accuracy, which can provide a theoretical basis for the reasonable design of decommissioning treatment parameters of uranium tailings reservoir. (author)