Band Gap Characteristics of Nonrotating Passive Periodic Drill String

Abstract

A new class of drill strings is investigated whereby strategically designed and placed periodic inserts are utilized to filter out the vibration transmission along the drill strings. Such mechanical filtering capabilities allow the vibrations to propagate along the periodic drill string only within specific frequency bands called the “pass bands” and completely block it within other frequency bands called the “stop bands.” The design and the location of the inserts are selected to confine the dominant modes of vibration of the drill string within the stop bands generated by the periodic arrangement of the inserts in order to completely block the propagation of the vibrations. A finite element model (FEM) that simulates the operation of this new class of drill strings is developed to describe the complex nature of the vibration encountered during drilling operations. Experimental prototype of the passive periodic drill string was built and tested to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the concept of periodic drill string in mitigating undesirable vibrations. The experimental results are used to validate the developed theoretical model and to develop a scalable design tool that can be used to predict the dynamical behavior of this new class of drill strings.