Multi-scale (single cutter and full bit) oil & gas drilling Simulations

Oil and gas and other associated drilling process involve a detailed understanding of the fluid mechanics, rock geomechanics, tribology, and the thermal sciences. The PFTL employs a host of experiments and modeling approached to elucidate the physics of drilling in order to predict downhole performance and to enable the design of smarter drilling tools and equipment. VFC modeling
Simulation of Particle-Fluid-Surface-Interaction during Rock Drilling
PFTL Research Assistant(s):   Prathamesh Desai, Jeremiah Mpagazehe, Patrick Dougherty, John Shelton, and several MS/BS students
Method(s) Employed:   CFD, tribology, rock geomechanics, thermal sciences, etc.
Rig(s) and/or Software(s) Employed:   Pin-on-disk tribometry
Sponsor(s):   NASA GSRP Fellowship, Sloan PhD Fellowship; NSF CAREER

Sample Results:

Single Cutter Simulation with Heat Transfer


Single Cutter Rock Property Investigations
one graph two
Rock Testing In silico rock property curves In silico rock crushing simulations
(Instron.com)

Select PFTL References:

Mpagazehe, J., Queiruga, A., and Higgs III, C.F., "Towards an Understanding of the Drilling Process for Fossil Fuel Energy: A Continuum-Discrete Approach", Tribology International, 59, pp. 273-283, 2013.

Mpagazehe, J., "A Physics-based, Eulerian-Lagrangian Computational Modeling Framework to Predict Particle Flow and Tribological Phenomena", Ph.D. Thesis, CMU, 2013.

Menezes, P., Lovell, M. Avdeev, I., Lin, J.S., and Higgs III, C. F. "Studies on the formation of discontinuous chips during rock cutting using an explicit finite element model", International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 70, 1-4, pp 635-648, 2014.