Numerical and Experimental Investigation on Flow Capacity and Erosion Wear of Blooey Line in Gas Drilling

Abstract

Blooey line is a discharge pipe, used to conduct gas to keep drilling rock dust and cuttings away from the drilling rig, reducing the fire hazard and transporting the cuttings to a suitable distance from the well. In this paper, the blooey line's flow capacity and erosion mechanism have been investigated by numerical and experimental method. The model of blooey line, which is commonly used in Sichuan district, China, is established by using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. And, the distribution of pressure field and velocity field in the blooey line are investigated by the CFD model. And, the effect of gas flow rate on impact force and erosion is also discussed. Compared with the simulation results, an experimental apparatus of the blooey line has been conducted under the mechanical similarity principle. The impact force and pressure on the elbows are measured under different gas flow rates. The numerical simulation and experimental method proposed in this paper can provide a reference for layout optimization and flow capacity calculation of blooey line in gas drilling.