Oil and Gas Applications

Down Hole Equipment: Sand screens

Sand screens are widely used in oil and gas wells to filter out fines from loosely consolidated formations. Localized damage to the screen results in total screen failure and subsequent sand production. CD-adapco’s expert CAE engineers used STAR-CD to simulate the design of an improved screen, while in its development process. This multiphase analysis looked at the erosion characteristics of the screen.

The simulation resulted in design improvements to improve regularity and reduce the need for expensive repairs, and was vital to demonstrate “proof of concept”. Coordination with laboratory-scale experiments may be next phase.

Down Hole Equipment: Drill head

The temperature, stresses and solidification behavior of the metal during the casting of a drill bit have a significant impact on the bit’s durability. CD-adapco’s solutions were used to simulate the casting process enabling designers to identify areas prone to wear.