Application rate arithmetic
Solution is spread at a rate measured in liters per square meter per hour. Multiply by the area being leached and divide by 1,000 to get cubic meters per hour, which sets the size of the pumps, pipes and ponds.
Operators often aim for a rate near 10 liters per square meter per hour. Too high and solution can pond, channel or destabilize the slope; too low and parts of the heap stay dry. The range shown here is a teaching guideline.
Try it: set the rate to 20 and the area to 50,000 m². The solution flow reaches 1,000 m³ per hour and the pregnant pond in the scene fills higher.
Slow and patient
A heap may be leached for months. The method suits low-grade ore that would not pay for fine grinding in a mill, at the cost of lower overall recovery.