PASSIVE VIBRATION CONTROL OF PERIODIC DRILL STRING

Abstract

In this dissertation, the stop and pass bands (i.e. the band gaps) characteristics are determined for gyroscopic systems by developing an approach which is compatible with such class of systems which is based on the concept of Bloch wave propagation in periodic structures. In this approach, the dispersion curves of the periodic gyroscopic systems are determined for different rotational speeds. The obtained characteristics are compared with non-rotating systems in an attempt to quantify the effect of the gyroscopic forces on the “band gap” characteristics. The developed approach is illustrated by a new class of drill strings with passive periodic inserts. These inserts are utilized to filter out the vibration transmission along the drill string. Such mechanical filtering capabilities allow the vibrations to propagate along the periodic drill string only within specific frequency bands called the ‘pass bands’ and completely block it within other frequency bands called the ‘stop bands’. The inserts introduce impedance mismatch zones along the vibration transmission path to impede the propagation of vibration along the drill string. The design and the location of the inserts are optimized to confine the dominant modes of vibration of the drill string within the stop bands generated by the periodic arrangement of the inserts in order to completely block the propagation of the vibrations.

A finite element model (FEM) that simulates the operation of this new class of drill strings is developed to describe the complex nature of the vibration encountered during drilling operations. The FEM is used to extract the dispersion characteristics of the gyroscopic unit cell of the drill string in order to determine its stop and pass band characteristics. Experimental prototype of the passive periodic drill string is built and tested to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the concept of periodic drill string in mitigating undesirable vibrations. The experimental results are used to validate the developed theoretical model in order to develop a scalable design tool that can be used to predict the dynamical behavior of this new class of drill strings.