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A FEM-DEM technique for studying the motion of particles in non-Newtonian fluids. Application to the transport of drill cuttings in wellbores

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Abstract

We present a procedure for coupling the finite element method (FEM) and the discrete element method (DEM) for analysis of the motion of particles in non-Newtonian fluids. Particles are assumed to be spherical and immersed in the fluid mesh. A new method for computing the drag force on the particles in a non-Newtonian fluid is presented. A drag force correction for non-spherical particles is proposed. The FEM-DEM coupling procedure is explained for Eulerian and Lagrangian flows, and the basic expressions of the discretized solution algorithm are given. The usefulness of the FEM-DEM technique is demonstrated in its application to the transport of drill cuttings in wellbores.

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Acknowledgments

This work was carried out with financial support by Weatherford. This research was also partially supported by project SAFECON of the European Research Council.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre Internacional de Mètodes Numèrics en Enginyeria (CIMNE), Campus Norte UPC, 08034, Barcelona, Spain

    Miguel Angel Celigueta, Salvador Latorre & Eugenio Oñate

  2. Weatherford International Ltd., Houston, USA

    Kedar M. Deshpande

Authors
  1. Miguel Angel Celigueta
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  2. Kedar M. Deshpande
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  3. Salvador Latorre
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  4. Eugenio Oñate
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Correspondence to Eugenio Oñate.

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Celigueta, M.A., Deshpande, K.M., Latorre, S. et al. A FEM-DEM technique for studying the motion of particles in non-Newtonian fluids. Application to the transport of drill cuttings in wellbores. Comp. Part. Mech. 3, 263–276 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40571-015-0090-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40571-015-0090-3

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