Vortexx®: PDC Drilling Performance Tests Using Vortexx® Nozzles

PDC Drilling Performance Tests Using Vortexx® Nozzles

A 6 7/8 Diamond Products International TD290H, PDC bit was run with a flow rate of about 296 gpm and a WOB ranging from 3 to 13, kips. A standard 12/32, diameter circular nozzle was tested against a Vortexx^® model V12VLAE. The actual test data along with cubic polynomial fits to those data are given in the figure below. The open circles and asterisks denote the experimental values for the Vortexx^® jets and standard jets, respectively. There it is noted that, over a wide range of WOB values, the Vortexx^® nozzles yield more than 100% increase in ROP. On the low end of the WOB range, the increase is about 30%. It is easily seen that the Vortexx^® nozzles gave an excellent increase in ROP performance for this PDC application.

ROP vs. WOB plot
showing superiority ov Vortexx equipped bit

This particular bit performance could probably be further improved by the use of different Vortexx^® nozzle models (exit geometry shapes) which were not available at the time. The shape used here was the "heart" shaped two-lobed fluted Vortexx^® jet.