Bench testing of a drilling shock absorber with a multistart screw unit during hard-rock drilling with a PDC bit
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31471/1993-9868-2026-1(45)-100-114Keywords:
bench testing, drilling shock absorber, screw unit, PDC bit, Belleville springs, rate of penetrationAbstract
During deep drilling of hard and interbedded rocks, the drill string operates as a long, elastically deformable system that is sensitive to changes in drilling operating parameters and bit–bottomhole contact conditions. A dangerous manifestation of the unstable dynamics of such a system is intermittent bit rotation, known as stick-slip, which is accompanied by peak torsional loads and the risk of PDC bit damage. This paper presents a laboratory prototype structurally similar to a downhole shock absorber for longitudinal-torsional vibrations of a drill string. The main units of the prototype are a multistart non-self-locking screw pair and a pack of Belleville springs. Through their interaction, an increase in torque is converted into axial displacement of the output shaft, followed by additional compression of the elastic element. The aim of the study was to perform bench testing of the shock absorber prototype during hard-rock drilling with a PDC bit and to evaluate its effect on the rate of penetration compared with a rigid load-transmission scheme. The tests were carried out on a 2A554 radial drilling machine using a 92 mm PDC bit and granite specimens. Two configurations were compared: rigid connection of the bit to the spindle and installation of the shock absorber between the spindle and the bit. For each operating mode, the time required to drill a 10 mm control interval was recorded, and the rate of penetration was calculated. Before drilling, static calibration of the screw and elastic units was performed. It was established that the absorber axial displacement range of 10–15 mm recorded on the test bench corresponded to a torque of 170–225 N·m and a compression force of 1253–1773 N. The use of the shock absorber increased the rate of penetration in the tested operating modes. The relative increase was 22.3–34.6%, while the integral increase based on the total drilling time was approximately 25.3%; a more pronounced effect was observed under more intensive drilling modes. The obtained results confirm the operability of the shock absorber prototype and justify the transition toward the development of an experimental downhole shock absorber for field testing.
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