Study on the wellbore cleaning performance of the helical blade vortex cuttings cleaner

ABSTRACT: Horizontal well technology is increasingly favored for its high efficiency in oil and gas exploration. However, the issue of sand production in wellbores, which increases drill string friction and poses a risk of stuck pipe incidents, has become a significant barrier to improving drilling efficiency. In this study, a novel vortex cuttings cleaner (VCC) of helical blade type is developed. This device is purely powered by hydraulic force and can effectively remove cuttings from the wellbore without the need of drill string rotation. An in-depth analysis has been conducted on the cleaning efficiency of the VCC using the computational fluid dynamics method. The results reveal that the vortex cleaner achieves peak cuttings removal efficiency within low-to-medium flow rates (18-30 L/s), whereas high flow rates (>30 L/s) trigger turbulent particle-wall interactions and redeposition. Notably, 1 mm particles exhibit optimal transport performance, while 2 mm particles experience severe clearance reduction due to geometric bridging in annular constrictions. This work provides critical theoretical guidance for developing self-driven wellbore cleaning tools and establishes a foundation for enhancing drilling performance in extended-reach and horizontal wells.