CONTINUOUS TUNING OF SHIP PROPULSION SYSTEM BY MEANS OF PNEUMATIC TUNER OF TORSIONAL OSCILLATION

Mechanical system drives consist of driving machines and gearing mechanisms interconnected by shafts and couplings. In terms of dynamics it is possible to say that every driving mechanism is able to oscillate. Especially piston devices can create excessive torsional oscillation, vibrations, as well as noise. Important task of a designer is to reduce torsional oscillation in mechanical systems. Presently this problem is mainly solved by the flexible shaft couplings that are selected with regard to the dynamic properties of the given system. It means that every torsional oscillating mechanical system needs to be suitably tuned. The aim of this paper is to present the possibilities of controlling of dangerous torsional oscillations of the mechanical systems by the means of new method, i.e. its optimal tuning by means of the pneumatic coupling with self-regulation, which were developed by us.

Mechanisms and Mitigation of 3D Coupled Vibrations in Drilling with PDC Bits

In this paper we present a new type of vibration related to PDC bits in drilling and its mitigation: a vibration coupled in axial, lateral and torsional directions at a high common frequency (3D coupled vibration). The coupled frequency is as high as 400Hz. 3D coupled vibration is a new dysfunction in drilling operation. This type of vibration occurred more often than stick-slip vibration. Evidences reveal that the coupled frequency is an excitation frequency coming from the bottom hole pattern formed in bit/rock interaction. This excitation frequency and its higher order harmonics may excite axial resonance and/or torsional resonance of a BHA. The nature of 3D coupled vibration is more harmful than low frequency stick-slip vibration and high frequency torsional oscillation (HFTO). The correlation between the occurrence of 3D coupled vibration and bit design characteristics is studied. Being different from prior publications, we found the excitation frequency is dependent on bit design and the occurrence of 3D coupled vibration is correlated with bit design characteristics. New design guidlines have been proposed to reduce or to mitigate 3D coupled vibration.

Utilizing Downhole Sampled High-Frequency Torsional Oscillation Measurements for Identifying Stringers and Minimizing Operational Invisible Lost Time ILT

Horizontal drilling has been the industry standard for oil production wells in the North Sea for decades. Significant improvements have been made in the precision of directional drilling by rotary steerable systems (RSS), nevertheless there remain opportunities to mitigate operational challenges in complex drilling environments. One such challenge is the occurrence of hard stringers interbedded between soft sandstone and limestone formations within the reservoirs. The interaction between the bit and hard stringers at the interfaces can lead to a deflection of the bit, resulting in high local doglegs (HLDs), and excessive static loads unless mitigation actions are triggered in a timely fashion. Operational parameters have to be adjusted during hard-stringer drilling, but are also constrained in the underlying formation to avoid HLDs and guarantee bit and BHA integrity. The key to efficient stringer drilling presented here is a consistent, timely and reliable method of detecting stringers. This is enabled by a fit for purpose stringer detection algorithm embedded in a measurement-while-drilling (MWD) tool for vibration and load measurements, combined in a systems approach with an automated surface system. Different indicators such as vibrations, loads and ROP that are traditionally used for stringer detection have been analyzed in the development phase of the algorithm. High-frequency torsional oscillations (HFTO) have been found to be a leading indicator for stringer drilling: HFTO is a torsional vibration phenomenon with high frequencies (50Hz-450Hz) and is only excited by the bit-rock interaction in hard formations. The HFTO amplitudes in sand/lime stones and calcite stringers show well separated distributions. Finally, HFTO is unique in that it is not directly affected by the driller, or due to other downhole dysfunctions, e.g. compared to a change in weight on bit (WOB) which may be caused by a surface parameter change or a stabilizer. The physics-based algorithm embedded in the MWD tool combines tangential acceleration and dynamic torque measurements to calculate the maximum HFTO load in the BHA. A stringer is identified if an HFTO maximum amplitude threshold is exceeded and the energy is localized in one frequency. The downhole indicator is aggregated to a 1-bit value (stringer/no stringer) that enables a high telemetry update rate and thereby a timely reaction at surface. The stringer indicator and advice are displayed to the driller and are actively used for stringer drilling. The paper describes the technology as well as the operational setup, and experience from the first field deployments. By using the new technology, the driller can react faster to any stringer and use appropriate parameters to avoid costly HLDs. First field deployments demonstrate a significant improvement in invisible lost time (ILT) caused by deflections of the bit, resulting in a considerable reduction in well delivery costs.

Bit Design Methodology to Mitigate High-Frequency Torsional Oscillation

This paper reviews field data where high-frequency torsional oscillation (HFTO) was seen on previous bit runs and hypothesizes on features or design metrics that may have directly influenced this vibration. This paper investigates four metrics of bit design: Cutter wear, shear length:shear area ratio, choice of secondary cutter material, and effective backrake. Hypotheses are established linking these metrics to HFTO, and then data from field runs is shown to correlate the hypotheses. At this point, a bit was designed and manufactured to put the HFTO avoidance hypotheses into practice. Prior to laboratory testing, a theoretical model is used to identify resonant torsional frequencies. A series of laboratory experiments followed to test the hypotheses and demonstrated that there is correlation between all factors, but in one case is counter to the hypothesis. This information is of use when selecting or designing bits in environments where HFTO is known to occur. The findings may also assist in explaining performance that's below expectations where HFTO is not able to be explicitly measured.

Spatially and temporally resolved measurements of turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection by Lagrangian particle tracking of long-lived helium-filled soap bubbles

We present spatially and temporally resolved velocity and acceleration measurements of turbulent RayleighBénard convection spanning the whole volume (~ 1 m³) of a cylindrical sample with aspect ratio one. With the "Shake-The-Box" (STB) Lagrangian particle tracking (LPT) algorithm, we were able to instantaneously track up to 560,000 particles, corresponding to mean inter-particle distances down to 6 - 8 Kolmogorov lengths. We used the data assimilation scheme ‘FlowFit’, which involves continuity and Navier-Stokesconstraints, to map the scattered velocity and acceleration data on cubic grids, herewith recovering the smallest flow scales. Lagrangian and Eulerian visualizations reveal the dynamics of the large-scale circulation and its interplay with small scale structures, such as thermal plumes and turbulent background fluctuations. As a result, the complex time-dependent behavior of the LSC comprising azimuthal rotations, torsional oscillation and sloshing can be extracted from the data. Further, we found more seldom dynamic events, such as spontaneous reorientations of the LSC in the data from long-term measurements.