Drilling Library: A Modelica library for the simulation of well construction

Abstract

A Modelica library for the simulation of well construction (drilling) is presented in this paper. The library contains most of the components of a drilling system. The simulation model is capable to capture the main dynamics of the well, including the hydraulics, the mud transport, the mechanics of the drill string as well as the drill bit interaction with the bore hole. The library is well suited to simulate the well operation and to support the development of new technologies. The modelling assumptions of the library's components are first reviewed. Subsequently, an experiment is performed to test the rotational and translational frictions.