Effects of Thermal and Mechanical Loading on PDC Bit Life

摘要

The results of numerical analyses conducted to determine the effects of thermal and mechanical loading on the integrity of polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutters during deep hole drilling are presented. Cutter temperature distributions for several drilling environments are combined with appropriate mechanical cutting loads to predict stress distributions for the study of cutter wear mechanisms. A discussion of wear mechanisms acting on the cutting structure is presented. Suggestions are presented, based on these analyses, for the operation of PDC bits to increase bit life in hard, abrasive rock drilling. Microstructural design considerations for the cemented carbide that supports the diamond layer are also discussed. (ERA citation 09:038117)