1. Introduction
China's domestic shallow oil and gas resources have been exploited, and the development of unconventional oil and gas resources will be the future focus. According to a survey and study, China ranks second in the world in terms of unconventional oil and gas resources reserves, but the external dependence on oil and natural gas is as high as 73% and 43% respectively, and it is urgent to increase the exploitation of unconventional oil and gas resources [
1]. However, unconventional oil and gas resources are located in complex formations and are difficult to extract [
2], which puts higher requirements on the performance of drill bits. It is well known that PDC (Polycrystalline Diamond Compact) bits have higher wear resistance and efficiency compared with roller cone bits, especially in hard formations [
3,
4], which has led to a higher market share of PDC bits, which was investigated to be as high as 75%-80% in 2018 [
5,
6]. However, the current common PDC bits mainly rely on the mounted cutters to break the rock by shearing, which is weak in aggressiveness, and it is difficult to penetrate hard rocks (such as granite) during drilling, and the PDC cutter needs to constantly rub against the rock and wait for the drill string to accumulate enough energy to break the rock, which leads to a serious decrease in bit life and efficiency and increases the drilling cost, so the performance of PDC bits needs to be improved, and the structure of PDC cutter is closely related to the performance of the bit.
The study or optimization of the performance of PDC cutters with different structures is an effective way to improve the overall drill bit life and efficiency [
7]. Therefore, many scholars have conducted a lot of research on the rock-breaking characteristics of PDC cutters under different structures and their formation suitability, especially for non-planar cutters [
8]. Dong et al [
9] conducted a study on the rock-breaking characteristics and efficiency of circular cutters, axe-shaped cutters, angled cutters, wedge-shaped cutters, and triangular prism cutters through experiments combined with numerical simulation methods. Their results showed that the axe cutters have better drilling ability in hard formations and are suitable for the front row of the cutter blade of the PDC bit, while the angled cutters are more suitable for auxiliary rock breaking and should be installed in the back row of the cutter blade of the PDC bit. Conical PDC cutters are mostly used for auxiliary rock breaking in PDC bits [
10,
11]. Li et al [
12] used the finite element method to numerically simulate the rock-breaking process of conventional PDC cutters, conical PDC cutters, and the overall rock-breaking process of the drill bit, and the results of the study showed that the conical cutters as auxiliary cutting structures could well produce pre-breaking of rocks at 100 MPa compressive strength, thus improving the overall drilling ability of the bit in hard rocks, while this approach was not effective for rocks with 50 MPa compressive strength. The axe PDC cutter not only has the characteristics of conventional cutter’s shear breaking in the rock-breaking process but also has a crushing effect on the rock, which can significantly improve the ROP and mechanical specific energy (MSE) of the drill bit [
13,
14]. The unique ridged structure of the axe-shaped PDC cutter not only reduces the weight of the bit but also maximizes the rock-breaking efficiency. It has been studied that a drill bit with an axe cutter can provide up to 35% higher instantaneous ROP for the same input energy [
15].
Because the axe-shaped PDC cutter has a high ROP during rock breaking, it is easier to penetrate hard rock, which can prevent the bit from sticking and sliding [
16], keep the weight on the bit (WOB) stable during drilling, and keep the bit drilling at high ROP, and its simple structure, easy processing, and relatively mature technology make it a preferable choice for drilling into hard rock.
In addition to axe-shaped cutters, new cutter structures have been proposed by some scholars and verified by experiments or numerical simulations. For example, Wang et al [
17] designed a wavy PDC cutter using the mole paw toe as a bionic prototype, and it was found by field experiments that the life and efficiency of PDC bits could be improved by 54% and 230%, respectively, using this cutter, which provided new ideas and methods for the performance improvement of PDC bits. Zeng et al [
18] designed a triangular non-planar PDC cutter, numerically simulated its rock-breaking process, and compared it with conventional PDC cutters, and found that the designed cutter was subject to less rock-breaking resistance, easier to break the rock, and had both good wear resistance and efficiency. Liu et al [
19] studied the rock-breaking characteristics of the triangular PDC cutter by numerical simulation and found that this cutter not only has a shearing effect on the rock, but also has a crushing effect, and the results of field experiments showed that the PDC bit using this cutter requires less torque and penetrates the rock more easily, which helps the stable drilling of the bit. The change or optimization of the cutter structure is a more intuitive way to improve the performance of the bit. In addition, the reasonable arrangement of the cutter position on the PDC bit blade can also improve the performance of the drill bit to a great extent.
To rationalize the cutter layout, Chen et al [
20] changed the cutter layout by extracting the characteristic curve of the Siberian sheep's horn, which will be applied to the design of the cutter blade of the PDC drill bit, and after the study, the probability of load concentration of the changed cutter was greatly reduced and the utilization rate of the cutter was increased to 90%, and this study helped to improve the overall life and efficiency of the PDC drill bit. Previous PDC cutters were often arranged in one row on the cutter blade [
21], which would lead to wasted space on the cutter blade, and gradually, the cutter layout of some drill bits began to be changed to two or even more rows on one cutter blade [
22], which not only rationalized the use of space on the cutter blade but also improved the efficiency and lifetime of PDC drill bits. Even if the cutter structure is not changed, changing the cutter space layout can greatly improve the performance of the whole drill bit[
12], and these studies mentioned above provide theoretical support for the cutter space layout.
A rational approach is important in the study of the rock-breaking process of PDC bits. Most of the current related studies, using experiments combined with numerical simulations [
23], have greatly improved the accuracy of the simulations while reducing the research cost. However, most of the studies treat the rock as a homogeneous model during the numerical simulation, which does not reflect the real scenario of the actual drilling process. In addition, the current studies on PDC cutting tool-related parameters, such as back rake angle [
24], depth of cut [
25], and speed [
26], are conducted in an interval-modified parameter study, which yields experimental results that do not necessarily reflect the true relationship between the parameters and the target variables, and thus may lead to inaccurate conclusions.
Box-Behnken is a method for constructing multi-factor orthogonal rotating combination experiments [
27], which considers the random error in the experimental process and allows for continuous analysis of each level in the process of finding the optimal test conditions, while the method can fit unknown complex functional relationships with simple primary or quadratic polynomials in a small area, which is computationally simple and can solve practical problems. The above method simplifies the optimization process, and at the same time can obtain more reliable results [
28], which provides ideas and ways to solve optimization problems in engineering.
It is not difficult to find that although the performance of axe cutters and triangular prism cutters has been fully verified, most of the relevant research is focused on the rock-breaking characteristics of single cutters, and there are still gaps in the research related to the mixed cutter laying of both, and there is still a very large research space about the parameters, effects and rock-breaking characteristics of mixed cutter arrangement, and the numerical simulation process does not reflect the real formation is also a problem of the current research. Given this, this paper constructs a non-homogeneous granite model using Python script in ABAQUS software based on the measured granite data in the field and investigates the rock-breaking process of the mixed tooth arrangement scheme of the axe, triangular prism, and cylindrical PDC cutters using the finite element method, and after determining the best scheme, the cutters arrangement spacing is optimized using the Box-Behnken response surface method, based on the obtained parameters, a hybrid cutter arrangement PDC bit was constructed and compared with one type cutter arrangement bit for rock breaking numerical simulation. The study is of guiding significance for the rational layout of cutters to improve the performance of PDC bits.
Figure 1.
Composition of heterogeneous granite [
30].
Figure 1.
Composition of heterogeneous granite [
30].
Figure 3.
Crack comparison.
Figure 3.
Crack comparison.
Figure 4.
Comparison of stress-strain curves.
Figure 4.
Comparison of stress-strain curves.
Figure 5.
PDC cutters with different shapes.
Figure 5.
PDC cutters with different shapes.
Figure 6.
Model simplification.
Figure 6.
Model simplification.
Figure 7.
Interaction between PDC cutters and rocks.
Figure 7.
Interaction between PDC cutters and rocks.
Figure 8.
Finite element model.
Figure 8.
Finite element model.
Figure 9.
Stress contour of the PDC cutter during the rock-breaking process.
Figure 9.
Stress contour of the PDC cutter during the rock-breaking process.
Figure 10.
Different cutting forces with cylindrical cutter in the front row.
Figure 10.
Different cutting forces with cylindrical cutter in the front row.
Figure 11.
Axe cutter with different cutting forces for the front row.
Figure 11.
Axe cutter with different cutting forces for the front row.
Figure 12.
Different cutting forces with triangular prism cutters in the front row.
Figure 12.
Different cutting forces with triangular prism cutters in the front row.
Figure 13.
Comparison of Mechanical Specific Energy and Mean Cutting Force.
Figure 13.
Comparison of Mechanical Specific Energy and Mean Cutting Force.
Figure 14.
Contact stress contour: (a) Circular cutter as front row; (b) Axe cutter as front row;(c) Triangular-shaped cutter as front row.
Figure 14.
Contact stress contour: (a) Circular cutter as front row; (b) Axe cutter as front row;(c) Triangular-shaped cutter as front row.
Figure 15.
The picture of Pareto.
Figure 15.
The picture of Pareto.
Figure 17.
Comparison of cutting forces before and after optimization.
Figure 17.
Comparison of cutting forces before and after optimization.
Figure 18.
Drill cutting structure and finite element model.
Figure 18.
Drill cutting structure and finite element model.
Figure 19.
Bit numerical simulation verification.
Figure 19.
Bit numerical simulation verification.
Figure 20.
Stress contour of rock broken by a bit.
Figure 20.
Stress contour of rock broken by a bit.
Figure 21.
Bit penetration rate and displacement comparison.
Figure 21.
Bit penetration rate and displacement comparison.
Figure 22.
Effect of using bit: (a) Before using the triangular prism bit; (b) After use of the triangular prism PDC bit.
Figure 22.
Effect of using bit: (a) Before using the triangular prism bit; (b) After use of the triangular prism PDC bit.
Figure 23.
Effect of using bit: (a) Before using the bit with mixed arrangement cutter; (b) After use of bit with mixed arrangement cutter.
Figure 23.
Effect of using bit: (a) Before using the bit with mixed arrangement cutter; (b) After use of bit with mixed arrangement cutter.
Figure 24.
Data from the actual drilling process of the bit.
Figure 24.
Data from the actual drilling process of the bit.
Table 1.
Material parameters of each component in granite.
Table 1.
Material parameters of each component in granite.
Parameters |
Quartz Mineral |
Feldspar Mineral |
Mica Mineral |
Other Mineral |
Volume content /(%) |
24 |
49 |
24 |
3 |
Density /(kg/m3) |
2650 |
2600 |
3050 |
1650 |
Elastic /(GPa) |
51 |
42 |
33 |
24 |
Linear stiffness ratio |
1.1 |
1.3 |
1.7 |
3.7 |
Parallel modulus of elasticity |
51 |
42 |
33 |
24 |
Bonding stiffness ratio |
1.1 |
1.3 |
1.7 |
3.7 |
Tensile strength /(MPa) |
126±16 |
105±16 |
98±13 |
77±9 |
Bonding strength /(MPa) |
196±42 |
162±28 |
146±22 |
105±0 |
Friction angle /(°) |
19.5 |
22.4 |
17.3 |
23.7 |
Table 2.
Sampling points.
Table 2.
Sampling points.
Serial Number |
Factors |
Cutting Force break//Average Value E/kN |
A/mm |
B/mm |
C/mm |
D/mm |
1 |
15.0 |
12.5 |
12.0 |
9.5 |
16.7153 |
2 |
12.5 |
15.0 |
7.0 |
9.5 |
14.4970 |
3 |
12.5 |
12.5 |
12.0 |
12.0 |
18.6900 |
4 |
15.0 |
12.5 |
9.5 |
12.0 |
15.7510 |
5 |
10.0 |
10.0 |
9.5 |
9.5 |
14.5990 |
6 |
12.5 |
12.5 |
9.5 |
9.5 |
15.1812 |
7 |
15.0 |
12.5 |
9.5 |
7.0 |
14.7283 |
8 |
10.0 |
12.5 |
12.0 |
9.5 |
16.0326 |
9 |
15.0 |
12.5 |
7.0 |
9.5 |
14.6482 |
10 |
10.0 |
12.5 |
9.5 |
7.0 |
13.7766 |
11 |
15.0 |
10.0 |
9.5 |
9.5 |
15.4635 |
12 |
12.5 |
10.0 |
7.0 |
9.5 |
14.6482 |
13 |
12.5 |
12.5 |
9.5 |
9.5 |
15.1812 |
14 |
10.0 |
12.5 |
7.0 |
9.5 |
14.2570 |
15 |
12.5 |
12.5 |
7.0 |
7.0 |
13.2620 |
16 |
12.5 |
12.5 |
9.5 |
9.5 |
15.1812 |
17 |
12.5 |
15.0 |
12.0 |
9.5 |
18.2124 |