Development of turbodrill tachometer. Final report

Technical Report · Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1981

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5630695· OSTI ID:5630695

McDonald, W J; Dareing, D W; Maurer, W C

The objective of the study was to develop a tachometer for use with the METC turbodrills. Tachometers are needed to allow efficient operation of the turbodrills. The operating speed of the turbodrills is now unknown, resulting occasionally in excessive operating speeds and rapid bit wear. In some applications, good tachometers could increase the footage drilled per bit run and greatly reduce drilling costs. This project resulted in the successful testing of a prototype turbodrill tachometer. The tachometer utilizes a set of partially blanked turbine blades in the motor section of the turbodrill which produce one pressure pulse each time the turbodrill rotates one revolution. The pressure pulses are transmitted through the drilling mud in the drill pipe to the surface where they are detected and processed. The frequency of the pulse signals is a direct measure of the turbodrill rotary speed. Numerous laboratory tests of the pulse tachometer were conducted at Maurer Engineering's turbodrill facility in Houston, Texas. Motor test stand comparisons of the mud pulse tachometer with direct magnetic and optical tachometers usually demonstrated excellent agreement. The tachometer performed well at depths in excess of 10,000 feet in Los Alamos Scientific Laboratories' EE-2 geothermal well. Water was used as the drilling fluid in these tests. The tachometer allowed continual monitoring and control of the LASL turbodrill speed. This attributed, in large part, to the success of the LASL turbodrills. Over 20 successful turbodrill boreholes were made using the tachometer. Although attenuatin is greater in viscous drilling mud than in water, theory indicates that the pulse tachometer should be effective with viscous muds even at depths of 10,000 to 20,000 feet.

• Research Organization: Maurer Engineering, Inc., Houston, TX (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC21-79MC11251
• OSTI ID: 5630695
• Report Number(s): DOE/MC/11251-1442; ON: DE83016342
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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420206 - Engineering- Mining & Drilling Equipment & Facilities- (1980-1989)