Flocculation occurring in a feedwell plays a critical role in tailings slurry thickening process, which is complicated and significantly influenced by flow characteristics. This work presents a numerical approach to explore the effect of flow characteristics on flocculation performance. It combines an aggregation kernel and a breakage kernel, used to describe the polymer-bridging flocculation kinetics, with a conventional Computational Fluid Dynamics-Population Balance Model (CFD-PBM) coupling to model the complex flocculation-thickening behavior in a lab-scale gravity thickener. The solid-liquid phase interaction is described by an Euler-Euler approach with a modified Schiller-Naumann drag model. The turbulence of liquid phase is resolved by the RNG k-ε turbulence model, while the solid kinematic eddy viscosity is described by a dispersed phase zero equation model. The capability of this proposed model is validated by a good agreement between experimental and predicted results in terms of single-liquid velocity and floc size distribution. The momentum and turbulence dissipation rates are investigated in and around the feedwell over a wide range of feed velocities, showing that the momentum and turbulence dissipation rates have a positive correlation with feed velocity. The momentum and turbulence dissipation rates decrease with the increase in scaled depth in the feedwell. The formation of large vortexes in the feedwell may cause a locally low turbulence dissipation rate. A reasonable increase of feed velocity favours the flocculation, however, an excessive feed velocity can cause a decrease in mean floc size. Modelling tailings flocculation is of great significance for understanding the flocculation behavior and revealing the effect of flow characteristics on flocculation performance. Display omitted •A population balance model (PBM) was used to describe the polymer-bridging flocculation kinetics.•The Tailings flocculation process in a thickener was modelled by a coupled CFD-PBM approach.•The capability of the proposed model was validated both in liquid velocity and floc size distribution.•The effects of feed velocity on flow characteristics and flocculation performance were explored.