Analytical and Numerical Modeling of Mechanical Cleaning Device (MCD) for High Angle Wells

Drilling subs, having helical grooves or blades on their surface, assist in cuttings bed removal by creating turbulence and bringing the cuttings into suspension for removal by the drilling mud. Several of these subs, primarily meant for highly deviated and horizontal wells, are employed in a typical drilling application to reduce the in-situ cuttings concentration and hence prevent the occurrence of commonly-known drilling problems. A thorough analysis of these tools is required to determine their hole cleaning efficiency. This report presents a new cutting transport model which includes the effect of pipe rotation. Also, the report presents CFD simulations to determine dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) with distance. This TKE is then coupled with the transport model to give tool placement in the drill string. The results obtained from the simulations were analyzed giving valuable insights into the use of these devices for improving cuttings transport while drilling.