Stochastic and Deterministic Vibration Analysis on Drill-String With Finite Element Method

Using Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, a finite element model with six degrees of freedom per node is developed for a drill-string assembly. The drill-string is driven by a DC motor on the top and is subjected to distributed loads due to its own weight as well as bit/formation interaction. The model is axial-torsional, lateral-torsional coupled. Under deterministic excitations, the model captures stick-slip behavior in drilling operation. Analysis on its negative effect on drilling performance are made, and potential mitigation measures are also discussed. In random model, the excitations to the drill-bit are modeled as combination of deterministic and random components. Monte Carlo (MC) simulation is employed to obtain the statistics of the response. Two cases of random excitation with different intensities are investigated. The results from MC simulation are compared against that from deterministic case.