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Working mechanism and rock-breaking characteristics of coring drill bit

Article  in  Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering · December 2017

DOI: 10.1016/j.petrol.2017.12.047

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 Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 162 348–357

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/petrol

Working mechanism and rock-breaking characteristics of coring drill bit

Jialin Tian a, b, *, Jurui Li a, **, Wenming Cheng b, Zhi Zhu a, Lin Yang a, Yi Yang a, Tangjia Zhang a
a
School of Mechanical Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, 610500, China
b
School of Mechanical Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, China

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: For improving the rate of penetration of the complex well structure and performance of the coring drill bit, this
Drilling paper is to investigate a new type of coring drill bit that generates small-diameter core samples during the drilling
Coring drill bit process. A special jet channel is designed inside the drill bit body, and the high-pressure drilling fluid flows
Drillability through the special jet channel to the coring channel, then the cored rock is taken out of the downhole from the
ROP(rate of penetration) drill bit under the negative pressure. Based on the hydrodynamics theory, rock breaking mechanics and actual
Mechanism
drilling conditions, the rock breaking mechanism model of the coring drill bit is established. The difference of
Cores
rock breaking performance between the new drill bit and the existing drill bit is analyzed based on the analysis of
numerical example, laboratory and field test. The research results indicate that the special structure design in the
new drill bit has the effect of ‘absorbing the bottom rock cuttings and pushing the upper rock cuttings’ during the
process of rock breaking. The effect can reduce the repeated cutting of cores at the bottom hole and improve the
ROP(rate of penetration). Field tests show that when the flow rate of drill pump is 25L/s, the result of ROP can be
increased by 15%–40%. The new design drill bit can present innovative ideas for improving the efficiency of
coring and the quality of geological logging during the drilling process. Moreover, the analysis models can provide
references for the new research of improving ROP and drilling efficiency, especially under the conditions of
complex structure or large displacement wells.

1. Introduction difficult to be sampled, analyzed and identified in geologic control and

During the process of current oil and gas exploration and develop-
ment, the formation core has an important significance to oil and gas
production technological process. Compared with the previous core
drilling, the formation core in the drilling process can not only accurately
record the formation lithology parameters, assess petroleum resources
and determine exploration value, but also including: (1) According to the
stratum lithology parameters, the drilling tools in the relevant geologic
position can be optimized to improve the drilling speed, save production
costs and reduce the risk of downhole accidents (JQB and Rice, 2002; Xue
et al., 2016; Ersoy and Waller, 1995; Watton et al., 2014; Murphy et al.,
2010); (2) The complete formation core can provide important basic data
and reference for petroleum resources development and increasing pro-
duction in the later stage (Santarelli et al., 1998; Hackley and Karlsen,
2014; Guo and Company, 2006; Tian et al., 2015).
At present, the cuttings produced by cutters of conventional PDC drill
bit in drilling engineering are tiny and even complete distorted due to its
special rock-breaking mechanism, and as a direct consequence, it is
accessibility petroleum resources (Henan, 2002; Qian and Zhang, 2003;
Menezes et al., 2014; Wei et al., 2015). Therefore, different types of drill
bits are often used to meet the requirements of drilling and coring in the
actual drilling process. Nevertheless, the high drilling cost and long
drilling cycle seriously affect the drilling efficiency. For solving the above
problems, a variety of coring drill bits have applied to the drilling engi-
neering, which generates cores during conventional drilling operations.
This kind of coring drill bit is different from the conventional PDC drill
bit, which forms an evacuation area instead of arranging the cutter at the
central region of the drill bit. The evacuation area is a wider and deeper
junk slot between the 2 front blades, and the junk slot volume formed by
the evacuation area is larger than other junk slots. In the drilling process,
the core will be broken by the broken cutter arranged on the evacuation
area and then discharged from the evacuation area to the annulus by the
action of drilling fluid (Desmette et al., 2008; Deschamps et al., 2008;
Shinmoto et al., 2012; Yahiaoui et al., 2013; Kanyanta et al., 2014; Tian
et al., 2017, 2016a, 2016b). This kind of drill bit can improve the ROP
and effectively solve the difficult problem of taking cores. However, the

* Corresponding author. School of Mechanical Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, 610500, China.
** Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: tianjialin001@gmail.com (J. Tian), lijurui1994@163.com (J. Li).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2017.12.047
Received 15 June 2017; Received in revised form 28 October 2017; Accepted 14 December 2017
Available online 20 December 2017
0920-4105/© 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
J. Tian et al.
overall strength of the drill bit body is reduced by the structure of the
deep junk slot on the drill bit. Furthermore, the deep junk slot influences
not only the structural design of the blades, but also the bottom hole flow
field (Liu et al., 2014; Dou et al., 2015; Menand and Sellami, 2011; Vern,
2015; Bilgesu et al., 1997).
This paper presents a new type of coring drill bit that generates small-
diameter core samples, which is different from the working principle of
existing coring drill bit. A coring channel and a special jet channel are set
inside the drill bit body, when the drilling fluid flows through the
channel, the cores will be discharged out of the bit body by the adsorp-
tion and push effect caused by the negative pressure effect. Based on
hydrodynamics theory and rock breaking mechanics, the working
mechanism model of the coring drill bit is established in this paper, and
the calculation procedure of rock breaking and ROP is studied during
drill process. Through the comparison of experimental field data, we find
that the new drill bit can enhance the integrity of the cores. Moreover,
the coring and jet channel will change the confining pressure of the
bottom hole rock, and then significantly increase the rock drillability and
improve the ROP. The analysis models and research results in this paper
have important reference values for the development of core drilling
technology and enhancing the drilling rate.
2. New design of coring drill bit
First of all, the structure and rock breaking characteristics of the
existing coring drill bit are analyzed in this paper, and the basic structure
of the existing coring drill bit is shown in Fig. 1. In the drilling engi-
neering, the cores may be clogged at the channel due to the compound
motion of the drill bit. However, with the further operation of drilling
and rock breaking, core annulus pressure will be increased accordingly.
For minimizing or preventing this disadvantage, the design of the water
hole and the angle of inclination of the blade should be optimized.
Challenged by the blockage, it is possible to cause repeated crashes of the
cores in practical drilling due to the coupling relationship between the
drilling fluid, core, drill bit and borehole wall, which may affect the
integrity of coring even reduce the drilling efficiency.
Accordingly, the coring drill bit designed in the second proposal has a
special channel inside bit body. Since the cored rock will be through the
channel from a place far away from the bottom hole and get into the
annulus space, it can prevent problems in the first design. When other
conditions remain the same, it plays a significant role in keeping the
integrity of the cored rock and preventing the repeated crush of the rock
cuttings. Meanwhile, it can also improve the speed and efficiency of the
drilling and rock breaking. However, because the cored rock flows
through the special channel, the design should make sure that the cored
Fig. 1. The model of existing coring drill bit.
349
Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 162 348–357
Fig. 2. Design of the coring drill bit generating small-diameter core samples.
rock will not block in the channel during the operation, which means that
the cored rock should not be locked when extruded upside. It is important
to design the shape of the cored rock, structure and size of the special
channel, the contact and the friction between the cored rock and channel
to prevent this problem (Dou et al., 2015).
Based on the current design and research, this article has proposed an
entirely new coring drill bit that generates small-diameter core samples
shown in Fig. 2. By creating a special jet channel (hereafter referred to as
‘special channel’) inside the drill, part of high-pressure drilling fluid in-
side the drill will not be injected into the annulus through the bit nozzle.
Instead, the drilling fluid will flow to the coring channel through the
special channel and carry the core back to the annulus.
During the process of drilling fluid into the special channel to the
annulus, due to high-pressure drilling fluid inside the drill bit and ac-
cording to the hydrodynamic theory, the negative pressure at the center
of the drill bit will absorb the cored rock at the bottom and push the cored
rock in the channel. In another word, in the process of rock breaking, due
to the existence of the special channel and the actual drilling operation,
the newly designed coring drill bit will have an effect of ‘absorbing the
bottom rock cuttings and pushing the upper rock cuttings’ on the cored
rock.
This design will affect the performance of rock breaking in two as-
pects: on the one hand, it can ensure coring channel smooth, keep rock
sample size uniform and prevent repeated crashes of cored rock. On the
contrary, the newly designed drill bit can change the confining pressure
distribution around the center of the drilled hole, which can considerably
increase the rock drillability at the center and improve the rate of
penetration (ROP) for the drill.1.
J. Tian et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 162 348–357

3. Analysis model work mechanism
The working mechanism study of the new coring drill bit includes
analyzing the drilling fluid dynamics in the channel and its influence on
the rock pressured state, then establishing the calculation models of rock-
breaking under the new condition. Based on it, the rock breaking prop-
erties of the new drill bit are obtained.
3.1. Hydrodynamic characteristics
The innovative point of this paper is the design of the special channel
inside the drill bit, which will influence the cored rock and the confining
pressure parameters by the hydrodynamic results of drilling fluid, thus
influencing the rock breaking performance and drilling efficiency.
Firstly, the hydrodynamic calculation of the new coring drill bit is carried
out. Then, the drilling fluid pressure distribution in the special channel
can be obtained under different drilling fluid flow rate and pressure,
which can be used to provide a theoretical basis for the effect of
‘absorbing the bottom rock cuttings and pushing the upper rock cuttings’.
According to the actual drilling conditions, the key parameters of the
drilling fluid include density, pressure, flow rate, viscosity and temper-
ature, and then combined with working condition of the drill bit, the
drilling fluid pressure and flow are analyzed.
First of all, according to the actual working condition of the bottom
hole, flow rate distribution of the drilling fluid flowing through the
nozzle and the special channel is calculated, and the following formula is
derived based on the stable flow distribution method.
1
γi ¼
R
¼P1
Li
(1)
Ri
Li
taking advantage of computer programming iteration, the flow distri-
bution ratio of the turbulent tube can be obtained. Eventually, the dril-
ling fluid flow into the special channel can be determined.
According to the above, the invention of the paper lies in absorbing
the bottom rock cuttings and pushing the upper rock cuttings. Based on
the fluid dynamics theory, the calculation method of bottom adsorption
effect can be achieved caused by the negative pressure effect.
Two factors should be taken account in calculating the channel
pressure of the coring drill bit. The first factor is the change of the fluid
pressure due to the nozzle in the special channel to the coring channel,
and the second is the calculation and analysis of entrainment effect based
on fluid dynamics. The pressure drop at the nozzle was analyzed firstly
0:05ρd Q2
Δpb ¼ (7)
C 2 A20
Where Δpb is pressure drop at the nozzle, MPa; C is the resistance coef-
ficient of the nozzle, dimensionless; A0 is cross-sectional area of the
nozzle, cm3; Q is drilling fluid flow, L/s; ρd is drilling fluid density, g/cm3.
The entrainment effect of the jet structure on the bottom core can be
calculated based on the drilling fluid pressure and flow rate at the nozzle
outlet. The drilling fluid can be acknowledged as an incompressible fluid,
and the basic equations are defined as follows (Menand and Sellami,
2011; Vern, 2015).
Continuity equation
r⋅!
u ¼0 (8)
Motion equation
d! !
¼ ρ F  rp þ μΔ!
u
ρ u (9)
dt

Where γi is the proportion of the analysis object in the total flow rate; R Energy equation
and Ri are the flow resistance of the total and the analysis object, dT
respectively; Li is the channel length. ρcp ¼ ϕ þ kΔT þ ρq (10)
dt
The fluid flow regime in the tube can be distinguished by the Rey-
nolds number. When Re > 4000, the fluid flow regime is turbulence. The Where cp is the specific heat capacity of fluid, J/(mol⋅K).
friction coefficient of turbulence can be expressed as The absorption effect of the special channel on the bottom rock cut-
  tings is focused on the analysis of its negative pressure effect on the
ρui di 0:25 bottom. Firstly, flow ratio is defined
λi ¼ 0:3164Re0:25 ¼ 0:3164 (2)
μ
Qs
q¼ (11)
Where ρ, ui and μ are the density, velocity and viscosity coefficient of the Q0
fluid, respectively. di is the equivalent diameter of the special channel.
Tube resistance calculation formula is given by Where Qs and Q0 are the flow rate of the sucked fluid and operating fluid,
respectively.
λi ρu2i Similarly, pressure ratio can be expressed as below
ΔP ¼ Li (3)
di 2    
v2c v2s
Δpc pc þ 2g ρc g þ zc ρc g  ps þ 2g ρs g þ zs ρs g
The flow resistance can be rewritten as h' ¼ ¼    (12)
Δp0 v2 v2s
p0 þ 2g0 ρ0 g þ z0 ρ0 g  ps þ 2g ρs g þ zs ρs g
 
ΔP ρui di 0:75 μ
Ri ¼ ¼ 2  0:3164 L (4)
Vi μ π di2 i The k-ε double-equation turbulence model is adopted to solve pres-
sure and velocity fields. The flow control equation is given by
Vi is flow rate of the analysis object.    
Turbulent tube length Li is equivalent to the laminar flow tube length ∂ 1 ∂ ∂ ∂ϕ 1 ∂ ∂ϕ
ðρ ϕÞ þ ðrρ ϕÞ ¼ Γϕ þ Γϕ r þ Sϕ (13)
is L*i under the same flow resistance conditions, the flow resistance can be ∂x u r ∂r v ∂x ∂x r ∂r ∂r
obtained as follows
Its continuity equation can be written as
128
R*i ¼ 4 μL*i (5) ∂ðρUÞ ∂ðρVÞ J ρv
π di þ þ ¼0 (14)
∂ξ ∂η r
Furthermore, the following formula is derived based on the system
flow resistance condition R*i ¼Ri Where, U¼urη-νxη, V¼urξ-νxξ.
The momentum equation can be expressed as (Bilgesu et al., 1997)
 
0:3164 ρui di 0:75
L*i ¼ Li (6) ∂2 ϕ ∂2 ϕ ∂ϕ ∂ϕ
64 μ D 2 þC  2AD  2BC  Eϕ þ F ¼ 0 (15)
∂ξ ∂η2 ∂ξ ∂η
Equivalent laminar flow tube length L*i substituted into Eq. (1), then

350
J. Tian et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 162 348–357

Furthermore, the velocity field and the pressure field can be solved.
The entrainment effect of the jet is calculated based on the steady-
state solution of generalized Reynolds equation. According to the coor-
dinate relation in the analytical model, Reynolds equation under y-di-
rection zero entrainment condition is obtained
     
∂ ρ ∂p ∂ ρ ∂p ∂ *  ∂ * 
h3 þ h3 ¼ 6ue ρ h þ 6uay ρ h (16)
∂x η e ∂x ∂y η e ∂y ∂x x ∂y y1

Where ρy1* is defined as

  
ρ*y ⋅us ¼ ρ'e ηe uby  uay þ ρe uay
(17)
ρ*y1 ¼ ρe  2ρ'e ηe

The boundary conditions of the Reynolds equation can be obtained Fig. 3. Downhole stress analysis.
    
pðxin ; yÞ ¼ pðxout ; yÞ ¼ pðx; yout Þ ¼ p xy ; yout ¼ 0 xin < x < xout ;
rock, Pf is the confining pressure of the formation, Pm, Pr and Pp are the
pðx; yout Þ  0 yout < y < yout
fluid pressure of drilling fluid, the rock cohesion, and formation pore
(18) pressure, respectively, as shown in Fig. 3.
According to the Bernoulli's equation of viscous fluid Moreover, in the bottom of the failure surface, the shearing stress and
the normal stress generated by the various pressures have the following
1 1 relationship.
p1 þ α1 ρv21 þ ρgh1 ¼ p2 þ α2 ρv22 þ ρgh2 þ ρghw (19)
2 2
1 
Where α1 and α2 are kinetic energy correction factors, hw is the viscous τF ¼ Pf  Pm sin 2 θ (22)
2
fluid head loss.
1  1 
σF ¼ Pf þ Pm  Pf  Pm cos 2 θ  Pp (23)
2 2
3.2. Drillability and cuttings carrying capacity
Where τF and σ F are the shearing stress and the normal stress on the
The core problems of this paper lie in rock breaking performance of failure surface, respectively.
new coring drill bit and calculation of the rate of penetration. Because of Thus, equation (21) can be simplified as
the innovative design of new coring drill bit, it's drilling process will
influence the rock drillability around the center of the hole, thus affecting σ t D sin θ½cosðα þ θÞ  sinðα þ θÞtan ψ 
h¼ (24)
ROP of the bit. It is different from the existing research results that the 2 sin αðσ F tan ψ þ Pr  τF Þ
research on rock breaking mechanism of new coring drill bit mainly in-
In the above calculation, it considers the effects of cutting force, cutter
cludes the following aspects: (1) the influence on rock drillability; (2) the
shape, rock cohesion, internal friction angle of rock, formation pore
calculation of ROP.
pressure, ground stress and bottom hole pressure. The calculation model
Firstly, the effect on rock drillability is analyzed. As a result of the
takes into account both the mechanical properties of the rock and the
existence of the special channel, the confining pressure of the center drill
influence of the confining pressure, which is highly correlated with the
bit of the borehole changes, and the constitutive relation of the drill bit is
rock drillability and can be used to predict the rock drillability under real
affected. For analyzing this problem, the plastic theory is necessary for
drilling conditions.
establishing the rock failure model. Consistent the confining pressure
The calculation method of rock drillability can be obtained by the
influence of new structure and Combining the strain space elastoplastic
following formula
damage process, the stain increment relationship can be established the
following Kd ¼ log2 tave (25)

d εij ¼ dεeij þ dεpij þ d εfij
Where dεeij, dεpij and dεfij are elastic strain increment, plastic strain incre-
ment and material degradation strain increment caused by damage
evolution, respectively.
The contact surface between cutters and rock is analyzed, and the
following relational expression is obtained by using Mohr-Coulomb cri-
terion.
(20) Where Kd is the rock drillability, and tave is the average drilling time
under the same conditions.
Due to the structural characteristics of the new coring drill bit, the
entrainment effect of the special channel on cuttings at the bottom and
the pushing effect on cuttings in the coring channel can reduce or avoid
regrinding of cuttings, which affect cuttings diameter, the flow rate and
pressure of the drilling fluid. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze cuttings

σ D sin θ½cosðα þ θÞ  sinðα þ θÞtan ψ 

h¼
  t       (21)
2 sin α 12 Pf þ Pm  12 Pf  Pm cos 2 θ  Pp tan ψ þ Pr  12 Pf  Pm sin 2 θ

carrying capacity of the drilling fluid. Considering that the borehole

structure may be a vertical or horizontal well, according to the charac-
Where σ t is the stress of a single cutter, D is the diameter of cutter, θ is teristics of cuttings carrying, cuttings transportation can be divided into
the angle between failure surface and bottom plane, α is half of the closed different forms of suspension, rolling and saltation. For the suspension
angle between cutter and tight core, ψ is the internal friction angle of movement, the calculation method can be expressed as

351
J. Tian et al.
ρm u2m π ds2 π ds3
CD þ ρm g¼G (26)
2 4 6 considered that the drill bit is breaking rock in the bottom of the clean
Where CD is the resistance coefficient, ρm and um are the drilling fluid
density and the drilling fluid flow velocity, respectively; ds and G are the
cutting diameter and the cuttings gravity, respectively.
The mathematical model of rolling movement is established based on
the minimum amount of drilling fluid required for single cutting.
ρm u2m π ds2
CD ¼ kG (27)
2 4
Where k is friction resistance coefficient.
The force analysis formula of cuttings during saltation process can be
written as
ρm ðum  us Þ2 π ds2
FD ¼ CD (28)
2 4
Where FD is the resistance, and us is the cutting movement velocity.
3.3. Calculation of ROP
The calculation and analysis of ROP are affected by many factors,
which includes the following content. First, the influence of the negative
pressure effect on the rock confining pressure caused by the special
channel results in changing in rock drillability, and reduces the effective
rock breaking work per unit volume of rock and the power consumption
required for rock-breaking. Simultaneously, in the actual drilling process,
the design of new coring drill bit special channel has the effect of
absorbing the bottom rock cuttings and pushing the upper rock cuttings.
The new design can also enhance the rock cuttings evacuation effect by
reducing the repeated crush and improve the drilling efficiency.
The mathematical model of ROP is based on laboratory and field test.
Considering the influence of various complicated factors in the drilling
process, combined with the influence factors of ROP studied in this
paper, the general ROP equation is introduced to analyze the ROP during
the drilling process.
131:27
Rate ¼ W a N b Eb eρm 1:15 (29)
5:62a 60b 1:026c e1:13d
Where Rate is the ROP, m/h; a is the exponent of weight on bit,
a ¼ 0.5366 þ 0.1993Kd; b is rotary speed exponent,
b ¼ 0.9250–0.0375Kd; c is the formation hydraulic index,
c ¼ 0.7011–0.05682Kd; d is the drilling fluid concentration difference
coefficient, d ¼ 0.97673Kd 7.2703; W is the specific weight on bit, t/
cm; N is the revolving speed, r/min; Eb is the bit effective specific
Fig. 4. The coring drill bit used in test.
352
Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 162 348–357
hydraulic horsepower, when Eb is greater than 0.32 kW/cm2, it can be
state; e is a Napierian logarithm; ρm is the drilling fluid density, g/cm3; Kd
is the rock drillability coefficient. In addition, the coefficients a, b, c and
Eb in the formula can be used to determine the range of values according
to the lithological parameters, and then use the computer programming
to iterate the calculation to determine the final results.
As mentioned earlier, due to entraining effect of the new drill bit on
the bottom of the core, as well as the impact of repeated crushing rate, the
new formula of calculating the ROP is obtained on the basis of the
existing calculation
131:27
Rate ¼ ðW  M0 þ We Þa N b Eb eρm 1:15 (30)
5:62a 60b 1:026c e1:13d
Where M0 is the threshold bit weight of critical specific hydraulic
horsepower to ensure the bottom clean, We is the hydraulic equivalent of
weight on bit.
Taking into account the specific situation in the field drilling engi-
neering, when the other factors remain unchanged, the relationship be-
tween the ROP and the bit fluidic specific hydraulic horsepower can be
expressed as follows
Rate ¼ R0ate þ rate Eb (31)
Where R0-ate is the drilling rate solely dependent on mechanical cutting,
rate is the increment of drilling rate due to hydraulic factors.
Thus the relationship between Wε and Eb can be a linear relationship,
the formula of ROP can be rewritten as
131:27
Rate ¼ ðW  M0 þ Ce Eb Þa N b Eb eρm 1:15 (32)
5:62a 60b 1:026c e1:13d
Where Ce is the conversion coefficient between the jet hydraulic horse-
power and equivalent weight on bit, that is the conversion rate of bit
specific hydraulic horsepower. When the rock drillability is 3.13–9.98,
the range of Ce is 0.2178–0.0124.
The conversion rate of bit specific hydraulic horsepower and drill-
ability can be expressed as unary power exponent regression formula
Ce ¼ ωKdλ (33)
Where ω and λ are the correlation coefficient and exponent of specific
hydraulic power and drillability, respectively. The modified method for
calculating ROP is obtained as
131:27  a
Rate ¼ W  M0 þ ωKdλ Eb N b Eb eρm 1:15 (34)
5:62a 60b 1:026c e1:13d
All parameters in the formula are the actual drilling parameters
J. Tian et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 162 348–357

Table 1
The structure parameters of new drill bit.

Parameter name Values

drill bit size, dbit (mm) 215.9

special channel diameter, ds-core (mm) 9.87
special channel corner, φ( ) 136.6
deviation angle of the jet nozzle, φ( ) 65
core diameter, db-core(mm) 17
coring channel diameter, da-core(mm) 25

except the rock drillability coefficient. If the actual drilling parameters

record is accurate, the actual drilling parameters can be used to solve the
ROP, and the results are much closer to the real value. Compared with
other methods, this calculation method is more accurate, more compre-
hensive, and more consistent with the actual situation.

4. Numerical example and experimental test

For performing quantitative analysis of rock-breaking characteristics

of the new drill bit, this paper established the theoretical model for Fig. 6. The difference in the fluid pressure drop between the nozzles(6#) in the special
channel and other nozzles.
calculating the hydraulic distribution, determining the influence of key
parameters on the rock–breaking performance. The rock-breaking model
of the drill bit can be used to analyze the influence of the drill bit on the
ROP and obtain the practical method of the new drill bit to improve ROP
during the drilling process. At the same time, to perform laboratory test
and field experiment, it's essential to keep the structure parameters of
drill bit are same as the calculating parameters. The coring drill bit used
in the experimental test is shown in Fig. 4, and the concrete structure
parameters of the drill bit are illustrated in Table 1.

4.1. Numerical calculation results

Regarding the nozzles in the special channel, the result of flow ratio
according to the change of its equivalent size is shown in Fig. 5. From the
figure below, as the diameter of the nozzle increasing, the flow ratio has
been increased from 11.6% to 13% and the slope of the extent of increase
is decreasing presenting a non-linear characteristic.
The difference in the fluid pressure drop, velocity and the rock-
carrying maximum diameter between the nozzles in the special chan-
nel(6#) and other nozzles is shown in Figs. 6~8. According to the figures,
the pressure drop of the nozzles in the special channel(6# nozzle), which
up to over 7Mpa, is far greater than other nozzles. Simultaneously, fluid Fig. 7. The difference in outlet flow velocity between No.6# nozzle and other nozzles.
velocity around its nozzle is also larger than others with a difference over
13 m/s. Drilling fluid flows through the nozzle, the total nozzle flow area
decreases, the fluid velocity increases, resulting in fluid pressure

Fig. 8. The difference in rock-carrying maximum diameter between No.6# nozzle and
Fig. 5. The relationship between nozzle equivalent size and flow ratio. other nozzles Laboratory test and analysis.

353
J. Tian et al.
Fig. 9. Laboratory test and results of coring drill bit.
Fig. 10. Comparison of ROP of new coring drill bit.
Fig. 11. The ratio of increasing ROP of new coring drill bit.
decreases, the pressure drop increases.
Based on the hydraulic parameters, the difference between the
maximum diameter of the particles while carrying the rock in the nozzles
354
Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 162 348–357
in the special channel and the diameter of other cuttings is over 37 mm.
Typically, the result is based on the hydraulic parameters around the
nozzle. In fact, the downhole is such a complicated place with various
influencing factors. Therefore, to make it closer to the reality, it's
essential to consider other hydraulic parameters and the characteristic of
rock. For comparing the rock breaking performance results of the
calculation and experimental test, the structural parameters in the test
should be same as the calculating example.
4.2. Laboratory test and analysis
The laboratory test is used to conduct the testing analysis of new drill
bits, and the test results are compared with the theoretical results to
deepen the understanding of the rock breaking performance of the new-
designed coring drill bits. The test results include the cored rock status,
rock-breaking behavior and so on. The water is used for the drilling fluid
of laboratory test, and the basic parameters include: weight on bit
WOB ¼ 0.5~2 T, rotate speed nbit ¼ 50–180 rpm, drilling fluid density
ρ ¼ 1000kg/m3, drilling fluid flow Q ¼ 0.5–1.2L/s. Laboratory test pro-
cess and the bottom hole model are shown in Fig. 9. In order to compare
the rock-breaking performance, experiments with other types of coring
drill bits of the same size are carried out under the same condition, and
results of the rock-breaking are analyzed.
The ROP (rate of penetration) results of the drilling process of existing
drill bits and new drill bits are shown in Fig. 10, which includes the
experiment results of the new bit and existing bit, and the results of the
two algorithms. The existing bit has 5 blades, wherein, diameter of the
PDC cutter is 16 mm and diameter of the bit is 215.9 mm. Moreover, the
condition of method 1 is the clean bottom and unworn cutting teeth,
while the method 2 is the clean bottom but worn cutting teeth. Fig. 10
indicates that the ROP of the drill bit will improve as the drilling fluid
flow increases.
Comparing ROP of the new drill bit with the existing drill bit, getting
its increased ROP ratio as shown in Fig. 11, it can be seen from the figure
that approximate distribution range of the value is 3%–5%, and the effect
of improving ROP is not very obvious. This is due to the drilling fluid
displacement is too small, resulting in the role of the ‘absorbing the
bottom rock cuttings and pushing the upper rock cuttings’ with the newly
designed drill bit is not obvious, leading to a little effect on reducing the
repeated crushing, improving ROP.
For analyzing the accuracy of the method 1 and the method 2, the
corresponding error is analyzed with the test value, and the result is
shown in Fig. 12. Combined with the results of Figs. 10 and 12, the error
of method 2 is 5%–10%, while the error of method 1 is 2%–3%. The error
value of method 1 is smaller and closer to the test value, because the
J. Tian et al.
Fig. 12. Error between results of different calculation method and test value.
Fig. 13. The fitting results of K and ROP.
cutters of drill bit used in laboratory is new and the testing time is
shorter. Moreover, the bottom hole is cleaner during the drilling prog-
ress, which is closer to the assumption condition of the method 1.
4.3. Field test and analysis
Furthermore, to validate the results of rock breaking performance and
ROP, the field test was carried out with the new coring drill bit. And the
drill bit used in field test is the same as the numerical example and
Fig. 14. Core of different well depths field tests.
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Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 162 348–357
Fig. 15. The ROP results of different types of drill bit.
laboratory tests, then contrasted and analyzed with other drill bits.
Bottom hole assembly parameters include: 215.9 mm PDC drill
bit  0.32 m þ 172 mm screw  7.97 m þ Backpressure
value  0.5 m þ 165.1 mm Non-magnetic drill
collar  1  9.32 m þ 215 mm centralizer  1.07 m þ 165.1 mm Drill
collar  14  128.6 þ 165.1 mm Drilling jar  9.56 m þ 165.1 mm Drill
collar  3  26.92 mm þ 127 mm Drill pipe (with 3 blast joints). Field
test parameters include: WOB/(T) ¼ 7–10, rotate speed nbit/
(rpm) ¼ 160–180, drilling fluid density ρ/(kg/m3) ¼ 2150, drilling fluid
flow Q/(L/s) ¼ 25, drilling fluid pressure P/(MPa) ¼ 20, drilling fluid
viscosity/(s) ¼ 50, well depth/(m) ¼ 3600 – 4400.
The ROP of new coring drill obtained from the field test is fitted ac-
cording to the range of drillability coefficient K in the numerical
example, as shown in Fig. 13. The experimental results indicate that the
new coring drill bit can provide lots of high-quality geosphere cores
which is better and larger than cores of existing drill bits. The harder the
lithology is, the smaller the deviation of core diameter is. In well depth of
3582 m, the core samples returned to the ground are mainly dolomite.
Dolomite is a sedimentary carbonate rock with high hardness, uniform
structure and high shaping rate. The diameter of cores is about 14 mm,
and the length is about 15–25 mm (Fig. 14a). The core diameter of pure
silica limestone is 16.9 mm in well depth of 4386 m (Fig. 14b). Due to the
high content of silicon in the silica limestone, it is difficult to be worn.
And the integrity of the core is better, which is closer to the designed
diameter, as shown in Fig. 14.
Simultaneously, ROP of new coring drill bit and other drill bit are
obtained, and the results of various calculation methods are shown in
Fig. 15. The results indicate that the effect of improving ROP is very
apparent. The test value of ROP is close to the results of the calculation
method 2. Furthermore, the results of the calculation method 1 are larger
J. Tian et al.
than the test value, and the deviation of calculation method 1 is bigger
than the calculation method 2.
Furthermore, to analyze the effect of improving ROP of new coring
drill bit, the results are shown in Fig. 16 after data processing. The results
indicate that due to the significant increase in drilling pump displace-
ment, the new drill bit enhances its ability to reduce the repeated
breaking, leading to obvious speed enhance the effect of the new drill bit.
In the field experiment, the increasing of ROP is about 15%–40%, even
reaching over 60% in part of the horizons.
The error analysis results for different calculation methods are as
shown in Fig. 17, which show different characteristics from laboratory
test due to the change of drilling conditions. As the pressure of the bottom
hole is large, the total drill length of the drilling is longer, and the
assumption condition of calculation method 1 is less consistent with that
of bottom hole, which leads to large deviation of the calculation result.
The premise condition of calculation method 2 is closer to the actual
condition of bottom hole, and the corresponding calculation result is
closer to the test value, and the range of fitting error is <10%.
5. Conclusions
Based on the structural features of existing coring drill bit, a type of
coring drill bit generating small-diameter core samples design with the
coring and special jet channel is proposed. The rock breaking perfor-
mance and ROP of the new drill bit are superior to coring bit with the
structure of junk slot with a deep channel. The cores and cuttings
generated by the new coring drill bit have their respective channel,
which reduces the repeated cutting of cores at the bottom hole, and the
distribution of hydraulic energy is also more reasonable. The new bit
design can provide essential references for the development of core
drilling technology and the improvement of rock breaking efficiency
under the conditions of complex structure or large displacement wells.
(1) According to the hydrodynamic theory, rock breaking mechanics
and actual drilling conditions, the theoretical analysis model of
the new coring bit is constructed. Meanwhile, the systematic study
of the working mechanism and rock-breaking characteristics of
the new drill bit are performed by focusing on different structural
parameters.
(2) The key parameters and rock-breaking performance of coring drill
bit are analyzed using analysis of numerical example, laboratory
and field test. The results of different types and calculation
methods of bits are compared, and the factors influencing the rock
breaking performance are determined. Laboratory and field test
data indicate that the flow rate and power of the drill pump have a
Fig. 16. Increased value of ROP of new coring drill bit.
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Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 162 348–357
Fig. 17. Deviation between results of different calculation method and test value.
significant influence on the rock-breaking performance of the drill
bit. Furthermore, the effect of improving ROP is consistent with
the theoretical calculation results, which verify the accuracy of the
theoretical model.
(3) The field application of new drill bit shows that the drill bit can
continually provide a lot of high-quality geosphere cores. The
harder the lithology is, the smaller the deviation of core diameter
and the better effect of the core forming is. While ensuring the
integrity of the cores, the new coring bit can also improve the
efficiency of rock breaking. In the field test, when the flow rate of
drill pump reaches 25L/s, the performance of ROP is the highest,
which is 15%–40% higher than other bits at the same layer.
Conflicts of interest
All authors in this paper declare that there are no conflicts of interest
regarding the publication of this article.
Acknowledgements
All authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the Open Fund of
Key Laboratory of Oil & Gas Equipment, Ministry of Education (South-
west Petroleum University) (OGE201701-02), The State Scholarship
Fund of the China Scholarship Council (CSC) (No. 201608515039), Na-
tional Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (No.51674216),
National Science and Technology Major Project (No.2016ZX05038).
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