1. Introduction

This whitepaper presents the mathematical and theoretical foundations of the MINEDW finite-element groundwater modeling code. It details the governing equations, numerical methods, and boundary conditions for groundwater flow simulations in mining applications.

The theoretical framework described here forms the basis for MINEDW’s numerical algorithms. The following sections present the theoretical foundations of the software’s computational methods for simulating groundwater flow in mining environments.

This whitepaper covers:

• Three-dimensional groundwater flow equations and their finite-element discretization

• Forchheimer equation implementation for non-Darcian flow regimes

• Boundary condition formulations specific to mining applications

• Mining-specific features including progressive excavation, zones of relaxation, and pit lake development

• Numerical solution methods and convergence criteria

For practical guidance on model construction, data preparation, and results interpretation, see the MINEDW User Manual.