• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.121-130
• /
• 2021

In this study, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation based on an Eulerian-Eulerian approach was used to evaluate the mixing performance of a mud agitator through the distribution of bulk particles. Firstly, the commercial CFD software Star-CCM+ was verified by performing numerical simulations of single-phase water mixing problems in an agitator with various turbulence models, and the simulation results were compared with an experiment. The standard model was selected as an appropriate turbulence model, and a grid convergence test was performed. Then, a simulation of the liquid-solid multi-phase mixing in an agitator was simulated with different multi-phase interaction models, and lift and drag models were selected. In the case of the lift model, the results were not significantly affected, but Syamlal and O'Brien's drag model showed more reasonable results with respect to the experiment. Finally, with the properly determined simulation conditions, a multi-phase flow simulation of a mud agitator was performed to predict the mixing time and spatial distribution of solid particles. The applicability of the CFD multi-phase simulation for the practical design of a mud agitator was confirmed.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.111-118
• /
• 2014

In drilling process of oil wells, the drilling fluid such as mud keeps the drill bit cool and clean during drilling, with suspending drill cuttings and lubricating a drill bit. In this paper, a commercial CFD package(ANSYS Fluent 15.0) was used to solve the hydrodynamic force and evaluate mud mixing time in the mud mixing tank on offshore drilling platforms. Prediction of power consumption in co-rotating and counter-rotating models has been compared with results of Nagata's correlation equation. This research shows the hydrodynamic effect inside the two phase mud mixing tank according to rotating directions(co-rotating and counter-rotating). These results, we can conclude that the co-rotating direction of the two shafts with mixing blade in the mud mixing tank can be a preferable in power consumption and mixing time reduction.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
• /
• v.17 no.6
• /
• pp.29-37
• /
• 2014

Non-Newtonian fluid mechanics takes charge of an important role in the oil industries. Especially in the oil well drilling process, the drilling fluid such as mud keeps the drill bit cool and clean during drilling, with suspending drill cuttings and lubricating a drill bit. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of fluid mud rheological properties to predict different characteristics of non-Newtonian fluid in the mud mixing tank on offshore drilling platforms. In this paper, ANSYS fluent package was used for the simulation to solve the hydrodynamic force and to evaluate mud mixing time. Prediction of the power consumption and the pumping effectiveness has been presented with different operating fluid models as Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluid. The comparison between Newtonain mud model and non-Newtonian mud model is confirmed by the CFD simulation method of drilling mud mixing tank. The results present useful information for the design of the drilling mud mixing tanks and provide some guidance on the use of CFD tool for such non-Newtonian fluid flow.