PETROLEUM EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Volume 42, Issue 6, December 2015

Online English edition of the Chinese language journal
Cite this article as: PETROL. EXPLOR. DEVELOP., 2015, 42(6): 888892.

RESEARCH PAPER

Finite element modelling of rock mass cutting by cutters for

PDC drill bits
Pryhorovska T O*, Chaplinskiy S S, Kudriavtsev I O
Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas, Ukraine

Abstract: A finite element model of the process of polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) drill bit cutters cutting rocks was built, and
the rock linear and circular cutting processes for different shapes of PDC drill bit cutters were simulated. The following initial data was
stated before modelling: spatial form of cutter, cutting speed, cutting depth, rheological model of the processed material, and frictional
model. Simulation results show that: there is no essential difference between curricular cutting and linear cutting; all the obtained relations of cutting forces were oscillatory and unevenly for all types of cutters; cutting depth increasing causes oscillation amplitude increasing, although no clear relationship between the fluctuations amplitude and the cutting depth is observed for the same cutter; for cutting depth in 0.5 mm and 1.0 mm, the average cutting force decreases when the cutting parameters are stable, while for cutting depth in
2.0 mm, the stable cutting regime is not accompanied by average cutting force decreasing; the cutting forces are smaller for spherical
shape cutter and pick-shaped cutter, and bigger for tapered shape cutter and cutters with bevel and flat; the number of peaks per unit time
on fluctuation diagram: the minimum value for flat cutter, maximum value for spherical shape cutter.
Key words: PDC bit; cutter; cutting; cutting force; finite element method

Introduction
In recent years, a finite element method is used to simulate
the processes of cutting, including rock mass cutting due to its
simplicity and efficiency[1, 2]. This method can be successfully
used for cutting process to simulate heterogeneity, nonlinearity of material and set boundary conditions. For instance, it
can be used for mathematical modelling of plastic deformation, evaluation of stress-strain state on the cutting wedge
(blades) and optimization of structural elements and operating
conditions of a cutting tool, prediction of the residual stresses
in the operated surface, analysis of the dynamics of cutting
forces, etc.
Ansys Explicit allows for a drilling tool design optimization, including PDC drill bits. This approach is particularly
relevant, considering large prices of drill bits, drill bit elements, and experiments in general. However, Ansys Explicit
does not guarantee the appropriateness and accuracy of the
obtained numerical solutions, since in real practice it is impossible to build a mesh of finite elements, on which the local
error of the sampling evenly distributed over the elements,
and the global error satisfies a predefined criterion of accuracy.
PDC drill bits performance is characterized by instability of
cutting forces, which cause phenomenon of bit whirling.

Therefore, drill bit and its elements (cutters and blades) design
optimization for cutting forces stabilization are very critical.
The general research trend is the stabilization of every element: cutters, blades, as well as stabilization of whole bit in
general.
Speaking about the studies of different shapes of PDC drill
bit cutters, it worth saying, that cutter shape was analysed,
majority, in a context of cutter wear and rock destruction efficiency[37]. The common shape of PDC cutter is cylindrical,
despite of developed and used oval, conical, mosaic shapes of
cutters[45]. Cutter shape as a cause of cutting force fluctuation
are not presented at scientific literature. Thereby, problem of
experimental and modelling verification is very essential.
Previous studies have considered the dynamic interaction
amongst chips, newly formed surfaces and the cutter, a
framework of three-dimensional FEM modelling has been
developed so that the fragmentation process observed in laboratory rock scratching tests was properly simulated. Proposed
approach showed very essential convergence between experimental and simulated data, and can be used in case of
experimental data absence for obtaining qualitative characteristics of the process for the all period of cutter operation, and
also obtaining the distribution of rock mass stresses and rock
reaction forces fluctuation for computational experiment pe-

Received date: 16 Oct. 2014; Revised date: 12 Oct. 2015.

* Corresponding author. E-mail: pryhorovska@gmail.com
Copyright 2015, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, PetroChina. Published by Elsevier BV. All rights reserved.

Pryhorovska T O et al. / Petroleum Exploration and Development, 2015, 42(6): 888892

riod. Clear theory of cutting force fluctuation, either for one

cutter or for whole drill bit, is still absent. It is well-known
about rock heterogeneity influence on cutting force fluctuation, but is still unknown about the quantitative characteristics
of this influence[89].
The task of this article is, by using finite element method,
to simulate a rock linear and circular cutting process for different shapes of PDC drill bit cutters to study the effects of
cutter shapes on the fluctuation of cutting force, and determine such shape of the cutter which causes the minimal fluctuation of cutting force, so that to minimize the cutting force
fluctuation of designed blades and drill bit.

1.

Finite-element model

Initial data for cutting force simulation include spatial form

of cutter, cutting regimes (cutting speed, depth of cut), rheological model of the processed material and frictional model.
Developed model is based on the fundamental equation of
rigid body point motion, which can be written as[10]:
u f j ij
(i=1, 2, 3; j=1, 2, 3)
(1)
The boundary conditions include forces on the border of the
body, displacements at the boundary zone and body forces on
the boundary of contact zone, formulated as follows:

ij ni F t

u U

ij ij ni = 0

u u
The equation of mass conservation:

(3)

(4)

f fload f contact I

(5)

At the initial moment of time for all points of the simulated

object:
u U

u U
(6)

u U
f
load Fload
According to equations (1) and (5), vector of accelerations:

load

f contact I

(7)

Vectors of velocities and displacements are defined by the

Central differences integration method.

u i t t u i t t t ui t

2
2

t
u

u
i t t t u
i t
t
2
2

eij

t
t
2

pij

t
t
2

du j
1 du
i
2 dx j dxi

t
t

(9)

[4]

The value of any component of the deformation is :

ij

t t

ij tij
t

(10)

t
2

According to the large strain rate in the zone of rock fragmentation, for practically applied cutting speeds, the deformity was assumed to be adiabatic nature. So, the temperature at
the zone of deformation can be calculated as:
ijpij
T
(11)
Cv
Stresses at the nodes of FE-model can be calculated as:

ij

t t

F ij
ij
t

For inner nodes:

t t

ij

t t

I j I ij

(12)
(13)

Rheological model of elastic deformations presented at this

paper is the generalized law of Hooke. This rheological model
is used to calculate stresses in the tool and the rock slab. Rock
slab is also deformed plastically. Damage stress is calculated
by the equation of Johnson-Cook[9]:

S = A + B p n 1 + C ln p 1 T * m

(14)

The penalty function method was used for contact problem

solution and determination of the forces on the contact
boundary[4, 11]. Contact shear stresses were calculated by
model:

= min n , max

1
dV
where sij ij ( p q ) ij ; p ij ij q ; V
3
dt
The force equilibrium equation:

t
t
2

where p =p / p0 ; T * = T T0 / Tm T0

V 0

ij

(2)

where V det G
The energy equation
E Vsijij p q V

u j M ij 1

To determine the internal forces caused by the movement,

tensor of deformation is:

(8)

(15)

Next stage is checking possible failure in every finite element of the rock slab by compliance stresses with the failure
criterion. In this work, the Johnson-Cook criterion of accumulated plastic deformation is selected as the failure criterion
of a plastic material. After that, the current time t is incremented by the step of integration is t and the calculations are
repeated.
Maximal integration step is determined by:

tmax min L / c

(16)

The feature of this approach is the dynamic statement of the

problem. It is possible to obtain qualitative simulation data of
the process for all operation time of the cutter.
The problem of heating is very acute for PDC cutters.
Thermal stresses get the maximum value in the contact zone,
which can influence on general stresses distribution. But such
aspects of cutting process as heating and pressure at the cutting zone are negligible, because, first of all, problems of
heating are connected with the material of the cutter and its
wearing. Heating stresses distribution at the contact zone can
be differ for different material of the cutter. So, analysing of

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the cutting force and stresses fluctuations should be done in

the context of cutter material.
As far as cutting is a complicated process, its full analytical
description is currently almost impossible. Therefore, the numerical simulation is performed with the assumptions: process
of heating in the cutting zone is neglected; the coefficient of
friction is assumed to be constant along length of slab and
does not depend on the tangential stresses; the cutting edge is
assumed constant without wearing. The wear of the cutter is
not taken into account.

2.

Numerical simulation of rock slab cutting

The task of the simulation is to define cutter shape, which

cause minimal fluctuations of cutting force with consideration
of cutting depth and possible heating in the contact zone.
Practical implementation of the developed model is done
by linear quadrilateral finite elements.[4] To maximize solution
speed, uniform finite element mesh is generated both in cutter
and rock slab. The only exception is the decreasing of finite
element mesh size in the field of cutting edge. Scheme of the
research is presented in Fig. 1: the linear and circular cutting
are analysed.
The boundary conditions are presented by rock slab fixing
for three axes for both circular and linear cutting; cutter
moved with constant linear speed for linear cutting and cutter
had vertical linear speed and constant circular speed in horizontal plane for circular cutting. Initial conditions are set as
constant temperature and pressure throughout the volume of
the cutter and the rock slab, and zero velocities and no loading
of all nodes.
Following samples of cutters (Fig. 2) are selected for simulation. The cutters have the height of 18 mm and the diameter
of 13 mm. Such cutters forms selection is explained by PDC
cutters presented on cutters producers sites[12].
Embedded in Ansys Explicit materials: BoronCarbi and
Concrele L are selected for cutting tools and rock slab simulation respectively. The characteristics of the materials are presented in Table 1.

Fig. 2.

Cutting regimes are: (1) linear cutting: depth: 0.5 mm, 1 mm,
and 2 mm; cutter speed: 0.5 m/s; cutting time 0.15 s, cutting
angle =20 deg; (2) circular cutting: circular speed 0.5 m/s,
vertical speed 1 mm/s and 2 mm/s, cutting angle =20 deg;
cutting time 0.15 s; cutters setting radius 35 mm. Selected
cutting regimes correspond to the actual drilling data and experimental data. To define significance of cutting depth as one
of fluctuation causing factors, series of numerical simulations
with different cutting depths have been conducted.

3.

Results of numerical simulation

One of the simulation results of linear and circular cutting

is presented in the Figs. 3 and 4. Fig. 5 shows the typical
fluctuation diagram of type-1cutter (flat cutter) during linear
cutting.
For linear and curricular cutting, conclusions could be
made that:

Fig. 1.

The cutter types for simulation

890

Linear and circular cutting scheme

Pryhorovska T O et al. / Petroleum Exploration and Development, 2015, 42(6): 15

Table 1.

Material
Concrete-L
BoronCarbi

Used material characteristics.

Density/

Bulk modulus/

Shear

(kgm )

MPa

modulus/GPa

2 440

0.042

2 516

2.3310

7.88
5

199

(1) The results of simulation show existence of a shear region, localized in the narrow region near cutter. The propagation of plastic deformations under the cut surface and the gap
between the cut parts are observed. During cutting process,
separation of units consisting of finite elements and increasing
of the rock layers displacement are observed, which in accordance with the data from the practice and publications[2, 13].

Fig. 3.

Fig. 4.

Results of linear cutting simulation.

Results of curricular cutting simulation.

(2) The biggest values of stresses are in the cutting zone,

which corresponds to the expected picture of the stress distribution, typical for the process of rock cutting[2, 13]. Cutting
stresses are randomly distributed.
(3) All obtained relations of cutting forces are oscillatory
and unevenly for all types of cutters. The values of the cutting
force are random. There are no periodic fluctuations for cutting force for all forms of cutters, both for linear and circular
simulation. There is no semblance of cutting forces fluctuation
for the same cutters with different depths of cut.
(4) Cutting depth increasing caused oscillation amplitude
increasing, although clearly relationship between the fluctuations amplitude and the cutting depth is not observed. Dynamic effects are most strongly manifested during the cutter
implementation to rock slab, because contact of cutter and
rock is accompanied by impact.
(5) For linear cutting: For cutting depth in 0.5 and 1 mm,
increasing of cutting force during the cutter implementation to
the rock slab is observed, after that, the average cutting force
decrease to stable cutting zone with not essential rare single
jumping of cutting force. For cutting depth in 2 mm, increasing of cutting force during the cutter implementation to
rock slab is observed. But stable cutting regime is not accompanied by average cutting force essential decreasing. There is
no distinct section between zones of implementation and stable cutting. Stable cutting zone is characterized by a great
number of force peaks. In the 3 cutting regimes, smaller values of cutting forces are observed for spherical shape cutter
and pick-shaped cutter. Larger values of cutting forces are
observed for tapered shape, cutter with bevel and flat cutter.
The cutters contact area increasing caused decreasing of the
values of cutting forces. Real contact area for spherical and
peak cutters is smaller than contact area of a flat cylindrical
cutter because spherical and peak cutters contact with rock
only partially, only part of their cutting surface is used. So it is
really impossible to specify the relation of contact area and
cutting force. The number of peaks per unit time on fluctuation diagram: the flat cutter has the maximum value, while the
spherical cutter has the minimum value.
(6) For curricular cutting: General picture of rock destruction is similar to linear cutting. Essential difference with linear
cutting is not observed, because of not-essential influence of
the curvature of the trajectory.

4. Conclusion

Fig. 5.
ting).

Typical fluctuation diagram (cutter type-1, linear cut-

This paper has established the finite element model of rock

cutting with PDC drill bit cutters to simulate the linear and
circular cutting with different shapes of cutters. The results
show that, generally, essential difference between them in
simulated results for all cutting regimes is not observed. All
obtained relations of cutting forces are oscillatory and unevenly for all types of cutters. The values of the cutting force
are random. There is no semblance of cutting forces fluctuation for the same cutter at different depths of cut. For cutting

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Pryhorovska T O et al. / Petroleum Exploration and Development, 2015, 42(6): 15

depth in 0.5 and 1 mm, increasing of cutting force during the

cutter implementation to the rock slab is observed, after that,
the average cutting force decrease to stable cutting zone. For
cutting depth in 2 mm, there is no distinct section between
zones of implementation and stable cutting. Smaller values of
cutting forces are observed for spherical shape cutter and
pick-shaped cutter. Larger values of cutting forces are observed for tapered shape, cutter with bevel and flat cutter. For
the number of peaks per unit time on fluctuation diagram: the
flat cutter has the maximum value, while the spherical cutter
has the minimum value.

friction coefficient;

density of material at a given time, kg/m3;

0initial density of the material, kg/m3;
ij,jcomponents of the Cauchy stress tensor, Pa;
nnormal stress on the cutters contact area, Pa;
sdamaging stress, Pa;
+tensile stress tensor, Pa;
compressive stress tensor, Pa;
maxmaximal contact stress, Pa.

References

Nomenclature

[1]

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cspeed of plane acoustic waves distribution in the material, m/s;
Cvmass heat capacity, J/K;
Ddiameter of the cutter, mm;
E energy gradient, Pa/s;

[2]

fthe force on the nodes of FE mesh, Pa;

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fvvolume force vector per unit mass, m/s ;

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qbulk viscosity, Pa;

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ttime, s;
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