Mechanical Modeling And Cfd Simulation To Evaluate Cutting Transport In Deviated Wells

Résumé: Cuttings transportation in the annulus from the bottom to the surface is one of the essential functions performed by drilling fluid. Predicting the efficiency of drilling fluid in transporting cuttings in the annulus is very complicated due to the numerous parameters that affect drilling operations. To better understand the effects of some of the parameters affecting cutting transportation, the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (k-epsilon) turbulent model, the Navier-Stokes equations, the continuity equation, and the power law of the non-Newtonian viscosity model were adopted to establish the mathematical model of the cutting transport process in the annulus of the well. The CFD simulation to solve the governing equations was carried out using the ANSYS (FLUENT) student academic version. A combination of the hole-drill pipe annulus section was simulated, and a model called the “Discrete Phase Model” was used to observe the transportation of cuttings in the annulus. CFD computations were conducted to determine the effects of annular flow behavior, drilling fluid shear-thinning behavior, and cutting size and shape on cutting transportation in various orientations of a wellbore. In directional drilling, where an eccentric annulus is often used, there is a tendency for the cuttings to accumulate in the narrowest gap where the velocity is lowest. Since turbulence tends to suppress such accumulation, knowledge of the velocity profiles in the annulus is essential in the design and operation of these drills. This work evaluates the performance of the numerical method used, comparing the results obtained with the mechanical model used in the first part of this work.

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