Rock cutting performance assessment using strain energy characteristics of rocks

Abstract

The intrinsic specific energy, that is the minimum energy consumed by pure cutting action to cut unit volume of rock, along with the rock strain energy, that is the absorbed energy by unit volume of rock in uniaxial compression, were used together to assess rock cutting performance. A series of rock cutting tests using a single polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutter under steady conditions, and uniaxial compressive tests with a single-cyclic loading, otherwise monotonic loading were carried out on rock samples. Different rock types having unconfined compressive strength values of 9–249 MPa were carefully tested to determine the intrinsic specific energy and strain energy values. The results suggest that stress and strain characteristics of the rock obtained from uniaxial compressive tests, in terms of absorbed energy, can be related to cutting performance. Therefore, it was concluded that the strain energy can be used to assess the intrinsic specific energy to evaluate drilling performance in PDC cutting.