Rock Breaking Mechanism and Drilling Performance of Harmonic Vibro-Impact Drilling

Abstract An improved model of displacement response of rock considering damping is proposed and the energy response model is further presented. Then, the rock breaking mechanism under harmonic vibro-impact is investigated based on the displacement response and energy response. Furthermore, the numerical simulations are conducted to analyze the principal stress of rock and drilling characteristics in axial and torsional directions under harmonic vibro-impact. Finally, the performance of the harmonic vibro-impact drilling technology is verified by the field application. Based on the analysis undertaken, it can be concluded that the periodic harmonic impact force makes the rock subjected to more tensile stress and continuous damage accumulation, which causes the efficient rock breakage. What’s more, the harmonic vibro-impact can also alleviate the stick-slip effect and bounce phenomenon of drill bit to a certain extent. Our investigations confirm that the harmonic vibro-impact can achieve the purpose of rate of penetration (ROP) improvement.