Evaluating the Performance of Unoconcrete Floating Cover to Reduce Evaporation from Open Water Resources

In order to prevent evaporation in tailings dam of Sarcheshmeh copper mine, Unoconcrete floating cover was designed and built. After preparing, 36 units of Unoconcrete coatings were transferred to research ponds in the vicinity of Sarcheshmeh tailing dam and then, the amount of evaporation reduction of coatings was measured for two months from 11-09-2016 to 11-11-2016. The results showed that the efficiency of Unoconcrete coatings in reducing evaporation rate with a variance less than 0.88 was about 89.1% percent. Regarding the above efficiency, it is possible to say that the amount of water lost by evaporation loss is estimated to be 22987800 cubic meters, which is equivalent to the use of more than 22 months of water harvesting from Khatunabad wells at present time. Finally, due to the efficiency and durability of the above coating in evaporation reduction, its use to protect the reservoirs of Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex was appropriately and efficiently evaluated.