In today’s oil drilling, non-excavation engineering and all kinds of resource exploration and development fields, the cementing system is like a loyal guardian, silently guarding the smooth progress of the project. In the solid control system, desander is undoubtedly a bright star, and the important role it plays is remarkable.
The basic concept and working principle of desander
Desander is a kind of precision equipment specially used for purifying drilling fluid. It is mainly composed of key parts such as liquid inlet, cyclone, sand discharge port and overflow port. Its working principle is like a wonderful ‘centrifugal dance’. When the drilling fluid pours into the cyclone from the inlet at a specific pressure and flow rate, a marvellous separation journey begins. Inside the cyclone, powerful centrifugal forces come into play. The solid-phase particles in the drilling fluid are rapidly thrown against the walls of the vessel by the violent ‘pull’ of the centrifugal force. As if by an irresistible force, the particles cling to the wall. Subsequently, under the call of gravity, they slowly slide down the wall and are finally discharged from the sand discharge port. The purified drilling fluid is like a light dancer, forming an upward internal cyclone, flowing gracefully from the overflow port, returning to the drilling fluid circulation system, and continuing to contribute to the drilling project.
Important roles of desander in solid control system
Remove harmful solid-phase particles: During the drilling process, the crushing of the formation will produce a large number of solid-phase particles such as rock chips and sand particles. These particles are like uninvited guests, if not removed in time, the performance of drilling fluid will be seriously reduced. The desander acts as a strict sifter, accurately removing sand particles larger than 44 microns in diameter from the drilling fluid and restoring the fluid to its pure state. This not only improves the cleanliness of the drilling fluid, but also lays a solid foundation for subsequent drilling operations.
Stabilisation of the drilling fluid: The desander contributes to the stabilisation of the drilling fluid by efficiently removing harmful solid-phase particles. It keeps the key performance parameters such as density, viscosity and shear force of the drilling fluid in a stable state. As a result, the rock-carrying capacity of the drilling fluid is greatly improved, and it can carry the rock chips to the surface more easily; the enhanced lubrication performance reduces the friction between the drilling tools and the well wall, and lowers the risk of wear; and the optimised cooling performance effectively reduces the temperature of the drill bit in the process of work, and prolongs its service life.
Extend the life of the drill bit: The sand and other solid particles in the drilling fluid are like a group of ‘little devils’ that constantly wear the drill bit. As time passes, the service life of the drill bit will be greatly shortened. The appearance of the desander is like a strong umbrella for the drill bit. It removes these particles in a timely manner, reduces wear and tear on the drill bit, and allows the drill bit to remain resilient in the harsh drilling environment, extending its service life.
Protecting drilling pumps and other equipment: Sand and other solid-phase particles will not only harm the drill bit, but also cause serious wear and clogging to drilling pumps, drill pipes, casing and other equipment. Once these equipments have problems, the whole drilling project will face great risks. The existence of desander effectively removes these particles and provides all-round protection for drilling equipment. It reduces the cost of equipment maintenance, improves the reliability and stability of the equipment, and ensures that the drilling project can be carried out smoothly.
Reduce drilling accidents: Excessive solid-phase particles in drilling fluid is like a time bomb, which may cause serious drilling accidents such as stuck drill, well leakage and well collapse at any time. Desander is like a sharp ‘demining expert’, which can remove these particles in time and reduce the incidence of drilling accidents. It provides a higher level of safety for the drilling process, allowing the driller to work with greater peace of mind.
Increased drilling speed: Clean drilling fluids act as an unobstructed highway, making better use of their rock-carrying capacity and cooling properties. This not only reduces drag during the drilling process, but also increases the drilling speed of the bit. By continuously purifying the drilling fluid, the desander has made great achievements for improving drilling efficiency.
Reduction of waste discharge: Desander removes a large number of solid-phase particles from the drilling fluid, and at the same time greatly reduces the discharge of waste. This is not only in line with the strict requirements of today’s society on environmental protection, but also saves a lot of waste disposal costs for enterprises. It is an important guarantee for drilling engineering to achieve green development.
– Recovery of useful substances: The solid-phase particles separated by the desander often contain some useful substances, such as barite. These substances can be recycled through further processing, which improves the utilisation rate of resources and contributes to sustainable development.
Types and characteristics of desander
With simple structure, it is like a simple and unobtrusive labourer, quietly dedicating itself to the drilling project. It is small in size and light in weight, easy to install and transport, and can adapt to various complicated drilling environments. With a large processing capacity, it can quickly process a large amount of drilling fluid to meet the needs of high-intensity drilling operations. High separation efficiency, like a skilled craftsman, it can accurately remove solid-phase particles from drilling fluid. Disadvantages: It is not easy to separate the solid-phase particles from the drilling fluid.
It can remove both larger and smaller particles of sand, just like an all-round cleaner, leaving no corner untouched. The treatment effect is good and can provide more thorough purification of the drilling fluid. Disadvantages: It is noisy, like a headache.
High separation efficiency, like an efficient sorter, can quickly and accurately separate solid-phase particles from drilling fluid. Large processing capacity, able to meet the needs of large-scale drilling projects. Wide range of adaptability, whether in deep sea drilling or desert drilling, centrifugal desander can play an excellent performance. Disadvantages: high cost of the equipment, as in the case of deep sea drilling and desert drilling.
Selection and installation of desander
Requirements of drilling process: Different drilling processes have different requirements for desander. For example, in the deep well drilling, need to choose a large handling capacity, high separation efficiency desander; while in the horizontal well drilling, need to choose a small size, easy to install desander. Therefore, when selecting the type, it is necessary to choose the appropriate type and specification of desander according to the specific drilling process and stratigraphic conditions.
Requirements for treatment volume: The flow rate of drilling fluid and the content of solid-phase particles are the key factors in determining the treatment volume of the desander. If the treatment capacity is too small, it will not be able to meet the demand of drilling operation; while the treatment capacity is too large, it will cause waste of resources. Therefore, when selecting the model, the treatment capacity of the desander must be determined according to the actual flow rate of drilling fluid and the content of solid-phase particles.
Equipment performance requirements: the separation efficiency, service life, maintenance costs and other performance parameters of the desander are also important factors to be considered when selecting the type. A desander with high separation efficiency can better purify drilling fluid and improve drilling quality; a desander with long service life can reduce equipment replacement cost; a desander with low maintenance cost can save operation cost for enterprises.
Installation position: The desander should be installed in a suitable position in the drilling fluid circulation system to ensure that the drilling fluid can flow smoothly into and out of the desander. Generally speaking, the desander should be installed at the outlet of the drilling pump in order to remove the solid-phase particles in the drilling fluid in time. Connection: The inlet and outlet of the desander should be firmly connected to the piping of the drilling fluid circulation system to avoid leakage. When connecting, suitable seals and connectors should be used to ensure the sealing and reliability of the connection. Foundation fixing: The desander should be installed on a firm foundation to avoid vibration and displacement during operation. If the installation foundation is not firm, the desander may produce violent vibration during operation, which will not only affect the normal operation of the equipment, but also cause safety hazards to the surrounding equipment and personnel.
Maintenance and care of desander
Check the operating status of the equipment: observe the parameters such as import and export pressure, flow rate and separation effect of the desander to judge whether the equipment is running normally. If abnormal parameters are found, they should be promptly investigated and dealt with. Check the wear and tear of the equipment: Regularly check the wear and tear of the cyclone, sand discharge port, overflow port and other parts of the desander, and replace the parts with serious wear and tear in time. If the worn parts are not replaced in time, it will affect the separation efficiency and service life of the desander.
Regular cleaning of the desander: remove the accumulated sand and dirt inside the cyclone to maintain the cleanliness of the equipment. If too much sand accumulates inside the cyclone, it will affect the centrifugal force and reduce the separation efficiency. Cleaning of drilling fluid pipes: Clean the pipes of the drilling fluid circulation system regularly to avoid clogging of the pipes. If the pipeline is clogged, it will affect the flow and pressure of drilling fluid and the normal operation of the desander.
Lubricate and maintain the transmission parts of the equipment: add lubricant regularly to ensure the normal operation of the transmission parts of the equipment. If the transmission parts are not lubricated, it will cause wear and noise, affecting the service life of the equipment.
Timely treatment of equipment failure: when the desander fails, it should be promptly investigated and dealt with to avoid the expansion of the failure. Common failures are cyclone blockage, sand discharge port blockage, overflow port blockage and so on. For these failures, they should be handled according to the specific situation to ensure that the desander can resume normal operation as soon as possible.
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