Engineering Failure Analysis 106 (2019) 104145

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Engineering Failure Analysis

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

Fracture failure analysis and research on drive shaft of positive

T
displacement motor
⁎ ⁎
Yang Liua, Zhanghua Liana, Chengyu Xiab, , Liqin Qianb, , Shaohu Liub
a
State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Southwest Petroleum University, 610500, PR China
b
School of Mechatronic Engineering, Yangtze University, Jing Zhou 434023, PR China

A R T IC LE I N F O ABS TRA CT

Keywords: In this paper, microstructures and mechanical properties of the fractured drive shaft are in-
Drive shaft vestigated by visual inspection, metallographic analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and
Fracture tensile and impact tests. The composition, structure and mechanical properties of the drive shaft
Thread materials are tested to meet the standards. The fracture surface is mainly characterized by
Finite element analysis
dimples and a small amount of quasi-cleavage by microscopic analysis, which indicates that the
Yield limit
fracture surface is dominated by ductile fracture. At the bottom of the sample pit, there are a
large number of grey inclusions, which are turned to be iron oxides through EDS spectrum
analysis. So, the existence of a large number of iron oxide inclusions in the metal will inevitably
have a serious impact on the performance of drive shaft. The finite element analysis shows that
the stress on the cylindrical surface of the external thread near the shoulder will gradually in-
crease greatly and the rupture risk will increase with the increase of the torque and that it will
also fails due to the relatively high stress on the root of the first tooth of thread. The maximum
stress near the thread shoulder is close to the yield limit of the material when the borehole
curvature is larger and the bending load will lead to stress concentration on the optical axis
section at the shoulder, which will affect the safety of drive shaft. Because there are a large
number of inclusions in raw materials and the conditions in the well are complex, the carrying
capacity of drive shaft decreases and fracture of the drive shaft is finally caused. The maximum
stress value of the improved drive shaft is lower than that before the improvement through the
comparative analysis. It shows that the safety factor and service life of the drive shaft can be
improved by the improved design.

1. Introduction

In the last two decades, drilling directional and horizontal wells with complicated trajectories and large doglegs has become a
common practice especially for exploration and production from unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs [1,2]. The downhole power
tool commonly used in these special and complex wells is positive displacement motor (PDM), but on the whole, the life of PDM is
short and unstable. The failure of PDM seriously affects production, resulting in significant economic losses [3]. Many scholars have
done a lot of researches on the material and structure of drive shaft. Li-Hui Zhao et al. [4] investigated that fatigue was the dominant
mechanism of drive shaft failure due to obvious marks on the fracture surfaces. Adam Adamkowski et al. [5] found that the fractures
were caused mainly by the resonance between pump shaft torsional natural vibrations and those following from the pressure

⁎
Corresponding authors.
E-mail addresses: chengyxia126@163.com (C. Xia), qlq1010@126.com (L. Qian).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2019.08.011
Received 21 May 2019; Received in revised form 9 August 2019; Accepted 11 August 2019
Available online 13 August 2019
1350-6307/ © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Y. Liu, et al. Engineering Failure Analysis 106 (2019) 104145

Fig. 1. Structural diagram of positive displacement motor.

fluctuations. Wouter Ost et al. [6] found that the shafts failed due to the propagation of a fatigue crack, starting from a bottom radius
of the groove for the coupling bush. Mile Savkovic et al. [7,8] analyzed mechanical properties and chemical composition of the
repaired shaft at the point of welding, and particularly in the transition zone, and found that they are considerably different from
those prescribed for the material used. T.C. Henry et al. [9] put forward an idea that the reduction in weight of parts is more
maintenance cost conscious as downtime related to manual part inspection for defects and damage is reduced. A. Vazdirvanidis et al.
[10–12] got the reasons for fracture failure or crack propagation by scanning electron microscopy, metallographic analysis and
mechanical properties test. Lin et al. [13,14] studied the sealing performance of tubing joints and found that excessive deformation,
fracture and surface damage resulted in the decrease of the sealing performance of tubing joints.
In this article, these research methods and experimental means are adopted, and the analysis and research works on fracture
failure of drive shaft are carried out to find the internal and external causes of the driver shaft, providing theoretical basis and data
support for safety work of positive displacement motor (PDM).

2. Structure and working principle of PDM

Positive displacement motor (PDM) has become the most widely used downhole tool in oil drilling engineering. As shown in
Fig. 1, the PDM is made of four major components, i.e., outlet valve assembly, motor assembly, cardan shaft assembly and drive shaft
assembly. In the working process of the PDM, the stator is fixed, and the rotor is driven by the high-pressure drilling fluid to move
around the axis of the stator. The cardan shaft assembly transmits the planetary motion to the drive shaft and the drive shaft drives bit
to rotate. When drilling in or circulating drilling fluid, the outlet valve is closed and the drilling fluid enters into the motor. The PDM
is the tool that converts hydraulic energy of the drilling fluid into mechanical energy of bit, which breaks the rock and drills in [15].
Because the wellbore trajectory is a spatial curve and according to the movement characteristics of injection-production string
that the string will inevitably suffer from fatigue at the well bottom and the integral string will suffer from bending fatigue, two kinds
of coordinate systems are usually used to describe well trajectory, i.e. the common space rectangular coordinate system Oxyz and

Fig. 2. Schematic of three dimensional borehole trajectory.

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Fig. 3. Structure and fracture of drive shaft in-situ，and the “upper” and “lower” fractures are mating faces of the same fracture.

natural system of coordinatesOsTNB, as shown in Fig. 2.

The PDM will bend at the bottom of the well along with the borehole trajectory due to drilling pressure, torque and bending
moment as well as the complex forces in three directions. The main function of the PDM is to transfer the rotational power of motor to
the drill bit when it works at the bottom of the well, and at the same time, it bears the axial and radial loads produced by drilling
pressure and torque. The main restraining parts in the drive shaft are upper and lower TC sleeves and tandem bearings. The upper and
lower TC bearings mainly bear the bending moment caused by the planetary motion of the rotor. As a result, the drive shaft and its
connecting threads are prone to stress concentration and fracture, as shown in Fig. 3.

3. Composition analysis and mechanical properties test

3.1. Chemical composition analysis

The pit on the fracture surface of drive shaft in Fig. 3 is sampled for material testing. The chemical composition of drive shaft is
tested and analyzed by using HCS-140 high frequency infrared sulfur carbon analyzer. It can be found that the composition of drive
shaft sample mainly includes 15 elements through Inductively Coupled Plasma atomic emission spectrometer(ICP-AES), such as C, Si,
Mn, P, S, Ni, Cr, Mo, Cu, V, Ti, Al, N, O, H, as shown in Table 1. It can be found that the contents of harmful elements S and P are
controlled within the standard permitted range through comparison between test results and standard allowed values [16].

3.2. Mechanical properties test

A 150 mm specimen was sectioned from the drive shaft close to 10 mm from the upper fracture, and it's tensile and impact
mechanical properties are tested.
Tensile Standard for 40CrNiMo Specimens: Tensile strength (≥1080 MPa), yield strength (≥930 MPa), fracture elongation

Table 1
Test results of chemical composition (wt%).
Element C Si Mn S P Cr Ni

Standard 0.37 ~ 0.44 0.20 ~ 0.37 0.6 ~ 0.8 ≤0.015 ≤0.015 0.70~0.90 1.45 ~ 1.65
Detection 0.43 0.25 0.64 0.0039 0.009 0.77 1.47

Element Mo Cu Al O N H

Standard 0.17 ~ 0.25 ≤0.20 ≤0.04 ≤0.0015 ≤0.008 ≤0.00015

Detection 0.19 0.02 0.015 0.0009 0.002 0.0001

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Table 2
Data of tensile properties of the drive shaft.
Material Yield strength Rp0.2 (MPa) Tensile strength (MPa) Yield ratio Fracture elongation δ (%) Reduction of area ψ(%)

measured average measured average measured average measured average measured average

1# 1037 1032 1128 1125.2 0.919 0.917 14.5 15.2 55 58.2

2# 1025 1123 0.913 16.0 60
3# 1031 1124 0.917 15.5 59
4# 1031 1124 0.917 16.5 59
5# 1036 1127 0.919 13.5 58

(≥12%), reduction of area (≥55%) and impact toughness (≥78 J/cm2) all meet the standard requirements as shown in Table 2 and
Table 3. Therefore, all the data of mechanical properties are in line with the national standard of steel, but close to the lower limit.

4. Fracture analysis

4.1. Microscopic analysis for the upper fracture

As shown in Fig. 4, the pit of upper fracture on the drive shaft in Fig. 3 is sectioned by wire-electrode cutting, and the inclusions
near the pit are mainly inspected after cleaning up. The fracture morphology of the pit is observed by scanning electron microscopy,
and the bright parts on both sides of the pit are analyzed by energy spectrum.
The results of physical and chemical tests show that the metallographic structure of the center structure of the pit shown in Fig. 4
is tempered sorbite and ferrite with fine grains and uniform distribution as shown in Fig. 5.
The SEM micrograph in Fig. 6 shows the location of the pit surface in Fig. 4. The dimple features on the surface of the pit and
tearing trace in the local region can be seen in Fig. 6. Fig. 7, Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 are magnified SEM micrographs correspond to the area
in Fig. 6(a), (b) and (c) respectively. Figs. 7,8 and 9 show that the fracture surface is mainly dimple and a little quasi-cleavage, which
indicates that the fracture surface is mainly tough and has no obvious abnormal heat treatment or other brittleness.

4.2. Inclusions at fracture edge and energy spectrum analysis

The middle part of the pit in the upper fracture of drive shaft is inspected to have undeformed grey inclusions as shown in
Fig. 4(b) and DS-type inclusions as shown in Fig. 10. (DS-type inclusions [17]: There is an undeformed inclusion with a size of
120 μm × 60 μm, rated at 3.0 as shown in Table 4, and the standard requires that rank of DS inclusions should not exceed 1.5). It can
be further determined that there are serious defects near the fracture surface.
Then, by observing the local area of the fracture edge, a large number of grey inclusions are found, such as grey inclusions in
Fig. 4(b). Its optical microscopic magnification of grey inclusions is shown in Fig. 11.
The inclusions at the edge of fracture were observed by scanning electron microscopy, and the inclusions were analyzed by EDS
(Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy) spectrum analysis. It showed that the inclusions were irregular blocks distributed on the
surface of the metal matrix by scanning electron microscopy. The inclusions, including the outer surface, the inner part, the non-
connected inclusions and the metal matrix, were analyzed by EDS spectrum analysis. The details were as follows:
The outer surface of inclusions is connected with the outside and there is also a certain amount of S in the EDS spectrum, besides
the strong peaks of O and Fe, as shown in Fig. 12. The element S may be the hydrogen sulfide in the material or that dissolved in
drilling fluid (See Figs. 13 and 14).
The spectral response of the metal matrix is dominated by Fe, and the peaks of other elements are weak as shown in Fig. 15.
As shown in Fig. 16, the spectral response of DS inclusions is dominated by O and Fe, while the other peaks are weak. There is a
DS inclusion in the core of the matrix which exceeds the standard, and it is tested to be iron oxide through EDS spectrum analysis.
There are a lot of grey inclusions at the bottom of pit. The results of EDS spectrum analysis are iron oxide. The existence of a large
number of iron oxide inclusions in the metal will inevitably have a serious impact on the product performance.

Table 3
Test results of Charpy impact test.
Number Pre-notched Impact energy/Wt(J) Impact toughness/Ak(J/cm2)

1 V 64.8 81
2 V 70.2 87.75
3 V 70.4 88
4 V 68.2 85.25
5 V 70.6 88.25
Average / 68.84 86.05

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Fig. 4. Macroscopic morphology of fracture surface and sampling location (a. the sectioned location of pit; b. observation location of grey inclusions,
SEM and metallographic composition).

Fig. 5. Metallographic analysis diagram of the center structure (tempered sorbite and ferrite), (a)and (b) are the two adjacent monitoring locations
at the center.

Fig. 6. SEM micrographs of the pit surface in the Fig. 4

5. Establishment of equation and model for connecting thread

From the above analysis, it is known that the PDM transmits the torque to the bit through the drive shaft, and the connecting part
of drive shaft and TC bearings is broken. The following is mainly to calculate the fracture part. According to the elastic-plastic
constitutive equation and control equation of connecting threads, a three-dimensional numerical simulation model of M119 × 4–6 g
threads is established, which provides a theoretical basis for the analysis of the forces on the connecting threads of drive shaft.

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Fig. 7. Magnified SEM micrograph of (a) in Fig. 6

Fig. 8. Magnified SEM micrograph of (b) in Fig. 6

Fig. 9. Magnified SEM micrograph of (c) in Fig. 6

5.1. Finite element equation of connecting thread

5.1.1. Elasto-plastic constitutive equation of connecting thread

When the connecting threads of the drive shaft are subjected to multiple combined loads, the maximum von Mises stress at the
root of the connecting threads will exceed the yield limit of the material and enter the plastic state, resulting in the redistribution of
the stress at the root of the whole connecting threads. When the load changes, the local stresses entering the plastic state no longer
change according to the linear relationship, and thus the elastic constitutive equation becomes inapplicable. In order to accurately
describe the stress-strain relationship in the plastic region, the elastic-plastic constitutive equation of connecting threads is estab-
lished according to the elastic-plastic theory [18]:

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Fig. 10. Optical micrographs of undeformed inclusions (Figure(a)and Figure (b) show magnification of 100 times and 500 times, respectively).

Table 4
Determination of the content of nonmetallic inclusion in steel.
Class Classification of nonmetallic inclusion

i A (length/μm) B (length/μm) C (length/μm) D (number) DS (diameter/μm)

0.5 37 17 18 1 13
1 127 77 76 4 19
1.5 261 184 176 9 27
2 436 343 320 16 38
2.5 649 555 510 25 53
3 898–1181 822–1147 746–1029 36–49 76–107

Fig. 11. Optical micrograph of grey inclusions at fracture edge(Figure(a)and (b) are the two adjacent monitoring locations at fracture edge).

dSij dσm ∂F ∂F ⎞
dεij = + δij + dλ ⎛⎜ δij + ⎟
2G 3K ⎝ ∂σkk ∂Sij ⎠ (1)

where G is shear modulus, Pa; K is bulk modulus, Pa; dεij is plastic strain component; F is successive yield function; Sij is deviatoric
stress tensor, Pa; σm is hydrostatic pressure, Pa; σkk is stress tensor, Pa; δij is Kronecker symbol.
The relationship between the strain increment component, the stress component and the stress increment component in the
plastic zone of the connecting thread and the time can be expressed by the correlation flow rule. The flow rule based on von Mises
yield criterion assumes that the plastic strain increment is derived from the plastic potential, and the flow rule associated with the
plastic condition can be expressed as [18]:

∂Q ∂F
dεijp = dλ = dλ
∂σij ∂σij (2)

where dεijp is plastic strain incremental component; dλ is positive undetermined finite quantity; Q is plastic potential function; F is
successive yield function.

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Fig. 12. EDS spectrum and element content table of external surface of inclusion.

Fig. 13. EDS spectrum and element content table of internal of inclusion.

Fig. 14. EDS spectrum and element content table of inclusions not connected to the outside.

5.1.2. Governing equation of connecting thread

In the drilling process, the connecting threads are usually in the elastic range, but sometimes the connecting threads enter the
plastic state when a large strain occurs. Therefore, the mechanical analysis of the connecting threads can be regarded as a complex
space elastic-plastic problem. According to the transformation relationship between Euler stress tensor and Kirchhoff stress tensor,
the finite element governing equation for connecting threads of drive shaft is deduced as follows [19]:

∭ σij δεij dV0 = ∬ fi δui dA

V0 A (3)

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Fig. 15. EDS spectrum and element content table of metal matrix.

Fig. 16. EDS spectrum and element content table of DS inclusion.

Fig. 17. M119x4-6 g thread profile and finite element model of connecting thread.

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Fig. 18. Mechanical model of PDM under different complex loads.

where σij is Euler stress tensor, Pa; εij is infinite strain in the current configuration; δεij is virtual strain; f is unit surface force vector, N;
δui is virtual displacement, m; V0 is volume in the initial configuration, m3; A is surface area in the current configuration, m2.

5.2. Finite element model for connecting thread of drive shaft

According to the matching relationship between M119 × 4–6 g external thread and internal thread [20], with the thread pitch
being 4 mm and the thread lead being 4 mm, a three-dimensional finite element model with helix angle is established, as shown in
Fig. 17. In order to improve the calculation speed and simplify the thread part properly, the C3D8R hexahedron mesh is used to mesh
the models of external and internal connecting threads. The external thread is divided into 38,550 elements, and the internal thread is
divided into 51,340 elements. The material of connecting thread between drive shaft and TC Bearings of PDM is high strength steel
42CrNiMo. The elastic modulus (E) is 206 GPa, Poisson's ratio (υ) is 0.3, tensile strength (σt) is 1080 MPa and yield strength (σs) is
930 MPa.

5.3. Determination of boundary condition

There is a fracture accident of PDM in 2919–3025 m well hole, the torque is maintained at about 18 kN m −20 kN m and the
bottom hole pressure range is 80–100 kN. The curvature of this set of screw is 5°–30° /100 m in the course of directional drilling.
According to the field data, the given drilling pressure and torque are within a reasonable range. Therefore, this paper mainly
simulates the change in stress and displacement at the connecting thread of drive shaft when drill tool is under the action of three
different hole curvatures, i.e. 10°/100 m, 20°/100 m, and 30°/100 m.
Boundary conditions: According to the actual working conditions, the drive shaft is subjected to combined loads of compression,
torsion and bending moment in the drilling process, as shown in Fig. 18. In order to analyze the stress distribution of the connecting
threads, the force model is shown below. In the calculation process, the right end of the internal thread of the TC bearings is fixed and
the load is applied to the external thread end of the drive shaft.

6. Finite element results analysis

6.1. Stress on connecting thread under compression-torsion compound load

Through finite element calculation, von Mises stress contour of the threaded joint under the torque of 16 kN m, 18 kN m, and
20 kN·m is obtained when the drilling pressure is 100 kN as shown in Fig. 19. It can be seen from Fig. 19 that the stress on external
and internal threads increases with the increase in torque when the drilling pressure is constant, the maximum stress on the cy-
lindrical surface at the shaft end is relatively small when drilling pressure is 100 kN and the torque is 16 kN m −18 kN m, maximum
stress on the cylindrical surface near the shoulder of the drive shaft is 658 MPa and the maximum stress at the root of the first tooth of
the internal thread is 571 MPa when the torque is 20 kN·m, and with the increase of the torque, the stress on the cylindrical surface
will gradually increase and the risk of torsion breakage will increase.

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Fig. 19. von Mises Stress contour of internal and external thread under different torque when drilling pressure is constant.

Fig. 20. von Mises Stress contour of internal and external thread under different bending moments when drilling pressure is constant.

6.2. Stress on connecting thread under compression-bending compound load

Through finite element calculation, von Mises Stress contour plot of connecting thread under bending moment action of θ = 10°/
100 m–30°/100 m when the drilling pressure is 100 kN is obtained as shown in Fig. 20. It can be seen from Fig. 20 that the stress on
external and internal threads increases with the increase in torque when the drilling pressure is constant and the maximum stress on
the internal threads is much larger than that on the external threads; the maximum stress on the cylindrical surface of the shoulder of
external thread is relatively small when the drilling pressure is 100 kN and the borehole curvature is θ = 10°/100 m–20°/100 m;
when the borehole curvature is 30°/100 m, the maximum stress on the shoulder of the drive shaft reaches 926 MPa, the maximum
stress on the internal thread end is 422 MPa, and the maximum stress on the driving shaft end is close to the material yield limit (the
material yield limit is 930 MPa). The stress zone of cylindrical surface presents a slender elliptical stress concentration zone. Under
the combined bending moment and compression load, the external thread is prone to fracture. Compared with the yield strength of
the external thread, the internal thread is in a safe range.
According to the above analysis results, the stress on the front three teeth of the internal and external threads and the cylindrical
surface of the external thread shoulder is larger, so the stress and displacement of the nodes in these parts are analyzed. Fig. 21(a) is
the choice of the first three teeth of the external thread, Fig. 21(b) is the choice of the first three teeth of the internal thread, and
Fig. 21(c) is the first two laps of the cylindrical surface of the external thread shoulder. Finally, data processing and analysis is carried
out to find out the change rule of stress and displacement of internal and external threads.

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Fig. 21. Path and node selection of internal and external thread teeth.

Fig. 22. Stress variation curve at the internal and external thread under different torque when drilling pressure is constant.

The stress curves of the first tooth to the third tooth of the external thread shown in Fig. 22 are obtained under different pressure
and torsion. By comparing the stress variation rules of each figure, it is found that the stress on the internal and external threads
increases correspondingly with the increase in drilling pressure, and the variation law is basically the same. The stress on the first
tooth of the internal thread is larger than that on the other parts, while the stress on the first tooth of the external thread is larger than
that on the second part. The stress on the third teeth is basically the same, but the stress on the third teeth reaches the maximum and
then decreases gradually from the third teeth back. The maximum stress on the thread teeth varies between 500 MPa and 550 MPa in

Fig. 23. Stress variation curve of the internal and external thread under different bending moment when drilling pressure is constant.

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Fig. 24. Displacement variation curve of the cylindrical surface of the internal and external threads under different bending moments when drilling
pressure is constant.

the range of 16 kN m −20 kN m, which is relatively safe.

As shown in Fig. 23, the stress on the root of internal thread teeth first increases and then gradually decreases, the stress on the
first and second teeth of the internal thread is larger than that on the other parts under different bending moment conditions, and
from the second teeth, the stress gradually decreases with uneven variation. However, the stress on the first three teeth of external
thread shows the basically same variation rules, representing a W-shape distribution. It is found that the maximum stress on the
thread teeth varies between 280 MPa and 500 MPa in the range of 10°/100 m–30°/100 m from the stress change of the root of the
internal and external threads. The value of the bending moment is relatively safe, so no failure occurs in the threaded parts.
The displacement curves of the first three teeth of the external threads under different bending moments are obtained by use of
finite element calculation, as shown in Fig. 24. By comparing the displacement variation rules of each figure, it is found that the
displacement of the internal and external threads increases accordingly with the bending moment when the drilling pressure is
constant. The displacement of the internal threads varies greatly, but the displacement of the external threads varies relatively
uniformly, showing a wavy distribution within 0.24 mm. The displacement changes are relatively small and thus the root of the
thread is relatively safe.
The stress distribution curves of the cylindrical surface of the external thread shoulder are as shown in Fig. 25. It is found that the
stress on the first and second laps is showing a sinusoidal shape under different load of compression and torsion. The stress on the first
lap is larger than that of the second lap. The maximum stress on the first and second laps varies between 580 MPa–700 MPa in the
range of 16 kN m −20 kN m, which is relatively safe.
The stress distribution curves of the cylindrical surface of external thread shoulder are as shown in Fig. 26. The stress on the first
lap is larger than that on the second lap. When borehole curvature is θ = 10°/100 m and 20°/100 m, the maximum stress is about

Fig. 25. Von Mises stress variation curve of the first and second laps at the cylindrical surface under different torque when drilling pressure is
constant.

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Fig. 26. Von Mises stress variation at the cylindrical surface under different bending moment when drilling pressure is constant.

Fig. 27. Displacement variation curve of the cylindrical surface under different bending moment when drilling pressure is constant.

600 MPa–700 MPa, and shaft end is still in the safe range. However, when borehole curvature is θ = 30°/100 m, the maximum stress
at the cylindrical surface of external thread shoulder is about 900 MPa–925 MPa, nearly 930 MPa, which is close to the yield limit of
material, and will affect the safety of thread.
The displacement distribution curves of the cylindrical surface of external thread shoulder are as shown in Fig. 27. By comparing
the displacement variation rules of the diagrams, it is found that the displacement of the first and second lap is relatively uniform,
showing a wavy distribution and the displacement varies relatively small within 0.24 mm.
When the drilling pressure of drive shaft is 100 kN and the borehole curvature is θ = 30°/100 m, the maximum von Mises stress
on the thread is 926 MPa at the root of the fracture, the measured yield strength of material is 930 MPa, and the safety factor is 1.01,
which is in dangerous zone.
In summary, the main factor of drive shaft failure should be the defect of raw materials. In the case of a large number of inclusions
in raw materials and a large dynamic load on the drive shaft bears under the condition of well hole, there are many stresses
concentrated in the defective parts, causing initial cracks in the defective parts and ultimately leading to the decrease of the load
capacity of drive bearings and the fracture of the drive shaft.

6.3. Mechanical strength analysis and structural improvement of drive shaft

Drive shaft of positive displacement motor works under the combined loads of drilling pressure, torque and bending moment, so
the strength of drive shaft is the main index to measure its working performance. However, because the whole drive shaft is a stepped
shaft with gradually-varied diameter and also a hollow component, the positions of diameter change will produce stress con-
centration in the working process. Fracture of these positions will occur easily in the field application. Therefore, the inner diameter
and outer diameter of the shaft is the main determining factor for the strength of the shaft. The strength of the shaft can also be

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Fig. 28. Two kinds structure diagram of drive shaft.

increased by increasing the outer diameter without changing the inner diameter. In order to improve the fatigue resistance of the
shaft, the stress concentration at the position of diameter change should be minimized. In this paper, the main improvement measures
are to remove the threaded end of the original structure, increase the inner diameter of the drive shaft, and keep the diameter of the
inner hole unchanged. The structure of the drive shaft before and after the improvement is shown in Fig. 28.
According to Fig. 1, the drive shaft is connected with the bit, and the torque T1 and the drilling pressure P are transferred from
drive shaft to the bit. The mechanical analysis of the drive shaft is shown in Fig. 29. The lower end of the drive shaft is subjected to
the rock breaking torque T1 and lateral force RBtransmitted by the bit, the drive shaft is subjected to the thrust F2 transmitted by
threads of the thrust bearing group, and the left end of the drive shaft is subjected to the torque T2, the axial force F1 of the rotor and
bending moment M transmitted by the water cap. In mechanical analysis, because of different parameters, the force of drive shaft will
change. When the drilling pressure P is greater than the axial force F1 of the rotor, due to the role of thrust bearing, there will be a
reaction force acting on the next shoulder of the drive shaft through the lower radial bearing. As shown in Fig. 29, when the drilling
pressure P is smaller than the axial force F1 of the rotor, the thrust bearing group will act on the next shoulder of the drive shaft and
the counter-acting force will act within the thread length of the left end of the drive shaft.
According to Fig. 29, the force balance equation is established as follows:
T1 = T2 (4)

F1 + F2 = P (5)

RB = N1 − N2 (6)

1
M= N1 L
2 (7)

where P is drilling pressure, N; T1, T2 is torque, N·m; RB is lateral force, N; F1, F2 is thrust of bearing, N; N1, N2 is thrust of bearing, Pa;

Fig. 29. The mechanical analysis diagram of the drive shaft.

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Fig. 30. von Mises Stress variation of the original structure under different bending moments.

L is the length of threads, m; M is bending moment, N·m.

According to Fig. 29, the mechanical analysis model of drive shaft is established. The right end of the drive shaft is fixed, and the
torque of 20,000 N m, the bending moment of 10°/100 m–30°/100 m, and the axial force of 10,000 N are applied to the left end of the
drive shaft. The calculation results are shown in Fig. 30.
When the curvature is 10°/30 m, the maximum von Mises stress on external thread is 523 MPa as shown in Fig. 30(a); when the
curvature is 20°/100 m, the maximum von Mises stress on drive shaft is 761 MPa as shown in Fig. 30(b). Under the action of these two
curvatures, the maximum von Mises stress is much less than the yield strength of the material. It is found that much larger stress
occurs on the shoulder location of thread under the action of 30°/100 m, as shown in Fig. 30(c); the maximum von Mises stress on the
shoulder location is 920 MPa, which is approximately to the yield strength of material. Therefore, the stress concentration is likely to
appear in this place, which corresponds exactly to the site of fracture, as shown in Fig. 30(c).
From the above analysis, it can be seen that the maximum stress appears at the relief groove, and the stress concentration also
occurs in the transition zone of the minimum diameter of the shaft when the load is applied to the left and right ends of the drive shaft
respectively.
The left end of the improved drive shaft is applied with the same constraining load as that on the unimproved drive shaft, and the
stress contour is obtained by mechanical analysis and calculation, as shown in Fig. 31.
When the curvature is 10°/100 m, the maximum von Mises stress on external thread is 451 MPa as shown in Fig. 31(a); when the
curvature is 20°/100 m, the maximum von Mises stress on drive shaft is 665 MPa as shown in Fig. 31(b). Under the action of these two
curvatures, the maximum von Mises stress is much less than the yield strength of the material. It is found that the maximum von
Mises stress on the shoulder location of large diameter end is 828 MPa under the action of 30°/100 m as shown in Fig. 31(c), the value
is less than the yield strength of material.
The analysis shows that under the same stress conditions, the maximum von-Mises stress on the improved drive shaft decreases
from 920 MPa to 828 MPa, and the stress at the shoulder of the drive shaft is between 485 MPa and 691 MPa，which is much less
than the yield strength of the material.
The results show that the improved drive shaft can withstand greater flexural and torsional strength. The structure before and
after the improvement is as shown in Fig. 32. The improved drive shaft has good effect in field using.
Comparison on the finite element calculation results of the two kind of drive shaft shows that the improved drive shaft can be used
to reduce the overall stress level and improve its loading capacity.

7. Conclusions

After the appearance inspection, metallographic analysis, scanning electron microscopy analysis, tensile and impact tests, the
fracture parts of the drive shaft are calculated by finite element method, and the following conclusions are obtained:

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Y. Liu, et al. Engineering Failure Analysis 106 (2019) 104145

Fig. 31. von Mises Stress variation of the improvement structure under different bending moments.

Fig. 32. Structure diagrams of the drive shaft.

(1). The fracture surface is mainly characterized by dimples and a small amount of quasi-cleavage, which indicates that the fracture is
mainly ductile without any obvious abnormal heat treatment or other brittle fracture.
(2). The composition, structure and mechanical properties of the drive shaft material are tested to completely meet the standard.
There is a Ds inclusion in the core of the matrix which exceeds the standard, and it is tested to be iron oxide through energy
spectrum detection. There are a lot of grey inclusions at the bottom of pit and they are tested to be iron oxides through EDS
spectrum detection. The existence of a large number of iron oxides will definitely have serious impact on the product perfor-
mance.
(3). When the drilling pressure is 100 kN and the torque is 20 kN m, the maximum stress on the cylindrical surface of the external
thread near the shoulder will reach 658 MPa and the maximum stress on the root of first tooth of the internal thread will reach
571 MPa. Therefore, the stress on the cylindrical surface of the external thread near the shoulder will gradually increase greatly
with the increase in torque, and the risk of torsion breakage will be increased. The stress on the root of the first tooth of the
internal thread will also be large and failure will thus occur.
(4). When the borehole curvature is small, the connecting thread will be safe under the bending moment. However, when the
borehole curvature is 30°/100 m, the maximum stress near the threaded shoulder is 926 MPa, which is close to the yield limit of
the material. The bending moment causes stress concentration on the cylindrical surface of external thread shoulder, which will
affect the safety of drive shaft.
(5). Through the comparative analysis of the results before and after the improvement of the drive shaft, it can be seen that the

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Y. Liu, et al. Engineering Failure Analysis 106 (2019) 104145

maximum stress before the improvement occurs in the position of the thread shoulder, which is the possible part to be subjected
to stress concentration and also the most vulnerable part to be subjected to failure. The maximum stress value of the improved
drive shaft is lower than that before the improvement. It shows that the safety factor and service life of the drive shaft can be
improved by the improved design.

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the support from open fund (PLN201605) of State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology
and Exploitation, 1.Southwest Petroleum University. The authors are grateful to the support from open fund (PLN1504) of State Key
Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Southwest Petroleum University. Key Laboratory of Ministry of
Education of Petroleum and Natural Gas Equipment (OGE201702-02). The authors are grateful to financial support from National
Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51574198 and No. 51405032).

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