A Semi-Analytical Study of Stick-Slip Oscillations in Drilling Systems

Author(s):  
B. Besselink ◽  
N. van de Wouw ◽  
H. Nijmeijer

Rotary drilling systems are known to exhibit torsional stick-slip vibrations, which decrease drilling efficiency and accelerate the wear of drag bits. The mechanisms leading to these torsional vibrations are analyzed using a model that includes both axial and torsional drill string dynamics, which are coupled via a rate-independent bit-rock interaction law. Earlier work following this approach featured a model that lacked two essential aspects, namely, the axial flexibility of the drill string and dissipation due to friction along the bottom hole assembly. In the current paper, axial stiffness and damping are included, and a more realistic model is obtained. In the dynamic analysis of the drill string model, the separation in time scales between the fast axial dynamics and slow torsional dynamics is exploited. Therefore, the fast axial dynamics, which exhibits a stick-slip limit cycle, is analyzed individually. In the dynamic analysis of a drill string model without axial stiffness and damping, an analytical approach can be taken to obtain an approximation of this limit cycle. Due to the additional complexity of the model caused by the inclusion of axial stiffness and damping, this approach cannot be pursued in this work. Therefore, a semi-analytical approach is developed to calculate the exact axial limit cycle. In this approach, parametrized parts of the axial limit cycle are computed analytically. In order to connect these parts, numerical optimization is used to find the unknown parameters. This semi-analytical approach allows for a fast and accurate computation of the axial limit cycles, leading to insight in the phenomena leading to torsional vibrations. The effect of the (fast) axial limit cycle on the (relatively slow) torsional dynamics is driven by the bit-rock interaction and can thus be obtained by averaging the cutting and wearflat forces acting on the drill bit over one axial limit cycle. Using these results, it is shown that the cutting forces generate an apparent velocity-weakening effect in the torsional dynamics, whereas the wearflat forces yield a velocity-strengthening effect. For a realistic bit geometry, the velocity-weakening effect is dominant, leading to the onset of torsional vibrations.

2018 ◽  
Vol 148 ◽  
pp. 16002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulf Jakob F. Aarsnes ◽  
Roman J. Shor

Stick slip is usually considered a phenomenon of bit-rock interaction, but is also often observed in the field with the bit off bottom. In this paper we present a distributed model of a drill string with an along-string Coulomb stiction to investigate the effect of borehole inclination and borehole friction on the incidence of stick-slip. This model is validated with high frequency surface and downhole data and then used to estimate static and dynamic friction. A derivation of the torsional drill string model is shown and includes the along-string Coulomb stiction of the borehole acting on the string and the ‘velocity weakening’ between static and dynamic friction. The relative effects of these two frictions is investigated and the resulting drillstring behavior is presented. To isolate the effect of the along-string friction from the bit-rock interaction, field data from rotational start-ups after a connection (with bit off bottom) is considered. This high frequency surface and downhole data is then used to validate the surface and downhole behavior predicted by the model. The model is shown to have a good match with the surface and downhole behavior of two deviated wellbores for depths ranging from 1500 to 3000 meters. In particular, the model replicates the amplitude and period of the oscillations, in both the topside torque and the downhole RPM, as caused by the along-string stick slip. It is further shown that by using the surface behavior of the drill-string during rotational startup, an estimate of the static and dynamic friction factors along the wellbore can be obtained, even during stick-slip oscillations, if axial tension in the drillstring is considered. This presents a possible method to estimate friction factors in the field when off-bottom stick slip is encountered, and points in the direction of avoiding stick slip through the design of an appropriate torsional start-up procedure without the need of an explicit friction test.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 1663-1672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabio F. Real ◽  
Anas Batou ◽  
Thiago G. Ritto ◽  
Christophe Desceliers

This paper aims at constructing a stochastic model for the hysteretic behavior of the nonlinear bit–rock interaction of a drill string under torsional vibrations. The proposed model takes into account the fluctuations of the stick–slip oscillations observed during the drilling process. These fluctuations are modeled by introducing a stochastic process associated with the variations of the torque on bit, which is a function of the bit speed. The parameters of the stochastic model are calibrated with field data. The response of the proposed stochastic model, considering the random bit–rock interaction, is analyzed, and statistics related to the stability of the drill string are estimated.


Author(s):  
Abdelbasset Krama ◽  
Mohamed Gharib ◽  
Shady S. Refaat ◽  
Alan Palazzolo

Abstract This paper presents a novel controller for drill string systems based on a super-twisting sliding mode theory. The aim is to eliminate the stick-slip vibration and maintain a constant drill string velocity at the desired reference value. The proposed controller inherently attenuates the torsional vibration while ensuring the stability and high efficiency of the drill string. A discontinuous lumped-parameter torsional model of vertical drill strings based on four components (rotary table, drill pipes, drill collars and drill bit) is considered. The Karnopp friction model is adopted to simulate the nonlinear bit-rock interaction phenomena. In order to provide a more accurate evaluation, the proposed drill string controller is implemented with the induction motor, a variable frequency drive and a gearbox to closely mirror the real environment of oil well drill strings. The increasing demand for prototyping and testing high-power plants in realistic and safe environments has led to the advancement of new types of experimental investigations without hurting the real system or building a small-scale prototype for testing. The dynamic performance of the proposed controller has been investigated with MATLAB software as well as in a novel hardware in-the-loop (HIL) testing platform. A power plant is modeled and implemented in the real-time simulator OPAL-RT 5600, whereas the controllers are implemented in the dSPACE 1103 control board. The results obtained through simulation and HIL testing demonstrate the feasibility and high performance of the proposed controller.


Author(s):  
Jialin Tian ◽  
Genyin Li ◽  
Liming Dai ◽  
Lin Yang ◽  
Hongzhi He ◽  
...  

Torsional stick–slip vibrations easily occur when the drill bit encounters a hard or a hard-soft staggered formation during drilling process. Moreover, serious stick–slip vibrations of the drill string is the main factor leading to low drilling efficiency or even causing the downhole tools failure. Therefore, establishing the stick–slip theoretical model, which is more consistent with the actual field conditions, is the key point for new drilling technology. Based on this, a new torsional vibration tool is proposed in this paper, then the multidegree-of-freedom torsional vibrations model and nonlinear dynamic model of the drill string are established. Combined with the actual working conditions in the drilling process, the stick–slip reduction mechanism of the drill string is studied. The research results show that the higher rotational speed of the top drive, smaller viscous damping of the drill bit, and smaller WOB (weight on bit) will prevent the stick–slip vibration to happen. Moreover, the new torsional vibration tool has excellent stick–slip reduction effect. The research results and the model established in this paper can provide important references for reducing the stick–slip vibrations of the drill string and improving the rock-breaking efficiency.


2014 ◽  
Vol 665 ◽  
pp. 589-592
Author(s):  
Lelya Khajiyeva ◽  
Almaz Sergaliyev

The dynamics of the horizontal drill string considering frictional forces between the column and the borehole is investigated. A model of longitudinal vibrations of columns proposed in T.G. Ritto et al. is considered. The investigated model has a nonlinear character, and is modelled by the lumped parameters method. The drill-string is discretized with 100 nodes of lumped masses. Displacement of the bit, bit speed and also the ratio between the output power (obtained from the bit-rock interaction) and the input power is defined by the authors. The frictional force between the column and the borehole is relevant and uncertain. The frictional coefficient is modelled as a random field with exponential autocorrelation function. The obtained results are qualitatively and quantitatively consistent with the results of Ritto, where the dynamic model calculations are carried out by the finite element method.


The reason for this work is to plan a robust yield feedback control way to deal with dispense with torque stick-slip vibrations in boring frameworks. Current industry controllers generally neglect to dispose of stick-slip vibrations, particularly when different torque flex modes assume a job in maniacal assault. In terms of build controller production, a real trainingstring system performs a multi-level model work such as torque mechanics. The proposed controller design is artfully distorted at optimizing the stability with respect to the uncertainty of the nonlinear bit-rock interaction. Based on heroes and intentions. Besides, a closed loop strength examination of the nonlinear preparing string model is displayed. This controller structure system offers a few points of interest contrasted with existing controllers. To begin with, just surface estimations are utilized, barring the requirement for entire estimations underneath it. Second, multi-level training-string dynamics are effectively handled in ways to access state-training controllers. Third, stability is explicitly provided with respect to bit-rock contact uncertainty and closed-loop performance specifications include controller design. The results of the study report confirm that stick-slip vibrations are actually eliminated in realistic drilling scenarios using a controller designed to achieve this state-ofcontrol control.


2019 ◽  
Vol 300 ◽  
pp. 04004
Author(s):  
Edris Hassan ◽  
Jamil Abdo ◽  
Jan Kwak ◽  
Abdullah Al Shabibi

Drilling is one of the costliest activities in oil and gas industry due to the complexity of interactions with downhole rock formation. Under such conditions, the uncertainty of drillstring behaviour increase and hence it becomes difficult to predict the causes, occurrences, and types of failures. Lateral and torsional vibrations often cause failure of Bottom Hole Assembly (BHA), drillstring failure, drill bit and wall borehole damages. In this work, a model is presented to determine the impact of lateral and torsional vibrations on a drillstring during the drilling operation. The model aims to mimic real drillstring behaviour inside a wellbore with regards to its dynamic movements due to multiple real situations such as eccentricity of collars, drill pipe sections, and stick-slip phenomena occurring due to the interaction of the bit and the drillstring with the well formation. The work aims to develop a basis for determining critical operating speeds and design parameters to provide safe drilling procedures and reduce drill string fatigue failure. Lagrangian approach is used in this study to attain drillstring lateral and torsional vibration coupling equations. The nonlinear equations are solved numerically to obtain the response of the system. In this work, we also present a brief description of an in-house constructed experimental setup. The setup has the capability to imitate the downhole lateral and torsional vibration modes. Parameters from the experimental investigations are incorporated for validation of the mathematical models and for prediction of the drillstring fatigue life. Such investigations are essential for oil and gas industries as they provide solutions and recommendations about operational speed, lateral and torsional amplitudes measurements and corrections, and the conditions for avoiding occurrence of natural frequencies of the system.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 285-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maciej Wasilewski ◽  
Dominik Pisarski ◽  
Robert Konowrocki ◽  
Czesław I. Bajer

Abstract Torsional vibrations induced in drilling systems are detrimental to the condition of the machine and to the effectiveness of the engineering process. The cause of vibrations is a nonlinear and unknown friction between a drill string and the environment, containing jumps in its characteristics. Nonlinear behaviour of the friction coefficient results in self-excited vibration and causes undesirable stick-slip oscillations. The aim of this paper is to present a novel adaptive technique of controlling vibrating systems. The scheme is based on the linear quadratic regulator and uses direct measurements of the friction torque to synthesize its linear dynamic approximation. This approach allows generating a control law that takes into account the impact of the friction on the system dynamics and optimally steers the system to the desired trajectory. The controller’s performance is examined via numerical simulations of the stabilization of the drilling system. The proposed solution outperforms the comparative LQG regulator in terms of the minimization of the assumed cost functional and the overall stability of the control system under the nonlinear disturbance.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shabnam Tashakori ◽  
Gholamreza Vossoughi ◽  
Hassan Zohoor ◽  
Ehsan Azadi Yazdi

Abstract Drill strings are subjected to complex coupled dynamics. Therefore, accurate dynamic modeling, which can represent the physical behavior of real drill strings, is of great importance for system analysis and control. The most widely used dynamic models for such systems are the lumped element models, which neglect the system distributed feature. In this paper, a dynamic model called neutral-type time delay model is modified to investigate the coupled axial–torsional vibrations in drill strings. This model is derived directly from the distributed parameter model by employing the d'Alembert method. Coupling of axial and torsional vibration modes occurs in the bit–rock interface. For the first time, the neutral-type time delay model is combined with a bit–rock interaction model that regards cutting process in addition to frictional contact. Moreover, mistakes made in some of the related previous studies are corrected. The resulting equations of motion are in terms of neutral-type delay differential equations with two constant delays, related to the oscillatory behavior of the system, and a state-dependent delay, induced by the bit–rock interaction. Illustrative simulation results are presented for a representative drill string, which demonstrates intense axial and torsional vibrations that may lead to system failure without a controller.


2004 ◽  
Vol 126 (4) ◽  
pp. 709-720 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Mihajlovic´ ◽  
A. A. van Veggel ◽  
N. van de Wouw ◽  
H. Nijmeijer

In this paper, we aim for an improved understanding of the causes for torsional vibrations that appear in rotary drilling systems used for the exploration of oil and gas. For this purpose, an experimental drill-string setup is considered. In that system, torsional vibrations with and without stick-slip are observed in steady state. In order to obtain a predictive model, a discontinuous static friction model is proposed. The steady-state behavior of the drill-string system is analyzed both numerically and experimentally. A comparison of numerical and experimental bifurcation diagrams indicates the predictive quality of the model. Moreover, specific friction model characteristics can be linked to the existence of torsional vibrations with and without stick-slip.


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