Mechanistic model for cuttings removal from solid bed in inclined channels

This paper presents the results and analysis of a set of erosion rate exper iments, designed to investigate the removal rate of stationary sand bed par ticles in an inclined channel. The erosion rate tests of three beds with di fferent bed particle-size ranges show that beds with intermediate average p article size have the maximum erosion rate. The theoretical analysis using a mechanistic model supports this observation. The instantaneous accelerati on of bed particles at the beginning of transportation is correlated with p article removal rate. It is shown that the mechanistic model can predict op timum operating parameters to improve the efficiency of hole cleaning. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.