Rheology

The study of how matter deforms and flows.

Measurement - Rotational Viscometer
Torsion Spring
Inner Cylinder

Bearing Shaft
Rotor
Bob
Cup
Interpretation of VG Readings
Plastic Viscosity, centipoise
- PV, cp = Rdg
600
- Rdg
300
Yield Point, lbs/100 ft
2
- YP, lbs/100 ft
2


= (Rdg
300
- PV)
- YP, lbs/100 ft
2
= 2(Rdg
300
) - Rdg
600
Initial Gel, lbs/100 ft
2
- Static Rdg
3
10 sec after stirring
10 minute Gel, lbs/100 ft
2
- Static Rdg
3
10 minutes after stirring
Viscosity
V
2
, ft/sec
V
1
, ft/sec
V
2
- V
1

d, ft
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
t

= =
=

or
Rate Shear
Stress Shear
ity Vis
Rate Shear ain Ma to Force Stress Shear
ft d
V V
Rate Shear
ft
lbs
ft
lbs
ft ft
1
100
100
sec
1
sec
2
1
sec ,
,
cos
int ,
,
,
sec ,
2
2
Fluid Layer #2
Fluid Layer #1
Viscosity, cp
Shear Rate = 1.703 X VG rpm
Shear Stress = 1.0678 X VG rdg
Metric conversion factor = 478.9
Therefore:

, .
.
.
:
cp
VG
VG
or
VG
rdg
rpm
rpm
=

4789
10678
1703
, cp = 300.28
VG
rdg
Viscosity from VG Rdgs
(Illustration of Shear Thinning)
Rdg
600
= 50
- Viscosity = 300(50/600) = 25 cp
Rdg
300
= 30
- Viscosity = 300(30/300) = 30 cp
Rdg
100
= 13
- Viscosity = 300(13/100) = 39 cp
Rdg
3
= 5
- Viscosity = 300(5/3) = 500 cp
Plastic Viscosity, cp
Determined by the fluid phase viscosity and the size, shape,
and distribution of solids
The lower limit of shear thinning
Should kept at the lowest value which is economical
Control with:
- Dilution
- Solids control equipment
Yield Point, lbs / ft
2
Determined by interparticle forces
Controlled by:
- Chemical (thinner) additions
Gel Strengths, lbs / 100 ft
2
Determined by interparticle forces
Initial Gel is used as an indicator of the shear stress at
ZERO shear rate
Initial Gel of 5 sec
-1
is required for barite suspension
Control by:
- Chemical (thinner) additions:
Fragile Gel Strengths
Gel strength increases slightly after 10 min even if the
Initial Gel is high
Desirable, easily broken
Low Swab & Surge Pressures
Progressive Gel Strengths
Gel strength increases significantly after 10 minutes,
even if Initial Gel is low
Indicates:
- Solids crowding
- High reactive solids concentration
- Flocculation
- Carbonate contamination
Rheological Models
Equations which attempt to define the Shear Stress-Shear Rate
relationship of fluids
Models
- Newtonian t =
A

- Bingham Plastic t = t
o
+

- Power Law t = K
n

- Casson t = (t
o
0.5
+

0.5
)
2

- Robertson-Stiff t = K
o
+
n

- Herschel-Bulkley t = t
o
+ K
n
Bingham Plastic Model
Straight line when plotted on rectangular coordinates:
- Plastic Viscosity is the slope of the line
- Yield Point is the intercept on the Y axis
Yield Point > 3
rdg

Yield Point > Yield Strength
Does not identify pseudoplastic fluids
If YP > 0, the data below 511 sec
-1
is best described by a
curve
Power Law
Describes a curve on rectangular coordinates through the two Shear
Stress-Shear Rate data points and orgin
Does not approximate a Yield Strength
Not reliable the SS-SR range used for calculation
Not reliable for fluids which approach Bingham at low Shear Rates
API recommends at least two equations: One for calculations in pipe
and another for the annulus
Power Law
Power Law Equation t = K
n
t, Shear Stress, lbs / ft
2

K, Consistency Index , lbs / ft
2

Shear stress at 1.0 sec
-1

, Shear Rate, sec
-1

n, Power Law Index
Indicates fluids degree of non-Newtonian behavior
n = 1, Fluid is Newtonian
n < 1, Fluid is non-Newtonian (shear thinning)
n > 1, Fluid is Dilatant, (shear thickening)
API Power Law Equations
General Equations:
n = log(t
2
/t
1
) log(
2
/
1
)
K = t
2

2
n
Pipe:
n
p
= 3.32log(R
600
/R
300
)
K
p
= 5.11*R
600
1022
np
Annular:
n
a
= 0.657log(R
100
/R
3
)
K
a
= 5.11*R
3
170
np

Low Shear Rate Viscosity
Viscosity of fluid at 0 to 5.1 sec
-1
(3 rpm)
Viscosity at shear rates of barite and cuttings falling in
static fluids
Related to:
- Settling
- Barite sag
- Cuttings beds
Low Shear Rate Viscosity
Yield Point
Yield Strength
3
rdg
- 6
rdg
Yield Point = 6
rdg
- 2(3
rdg
)
3
rdg
Brookfield Viscometer
Effect of Flow Rate on Pressure Losses, Impact Force & Hydraulic Horsepower
0
250
500
750
1000
1250
1500
1750
2000
2250
2500
2750
3000
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450
Flow rate, gpm
P
r
e
s
s
u
r
e

L
o
s
s
,

I
m
p
a
c
t

F
o
r
c
e
,

&

H
y
d
r
a
u
l
i
c

H
o
r
s
e
p
o
w
e
r
Drill String & Annular Losses
Bit Pressure Loss
Hydraulic Impact Force
Hydraulic Horsepower
Maximum Allowable Surface Pressure
Optimized for Hyd. Horsepower
Optimized for Impact Force
Pressure Losses v. Flow Rate
0
250
500
750
1000
1250
1500
1750
2000
2250
2500
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450
Flow Rate, gpm
P
r
e
s
s
u
r
e

L
o
s
s
,

p
s
i
Drill String Pressure Losses
Annular Pressure Losses
Changing PV's in Bingham Plastic Model
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Shear Rate, sec-1
S
h
e
a
r

S
t
r
e
s
s
PV = 10, YP = 10
PV = 30, YP = 10
PV = 50, YP = 10

Effects of PV on Bingham Plastic Viscosity, cp
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
130
140
150
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Shear Rate, sec-1
V
i
s
c
o
s
i
t
y
,

c
p
PV = 10 cp, YP = 10 lbs/100 ft
2
PV = 30 cp, YP = 10 lbs/100 ft
2
PV = 50 cp, YP = 10 lbs/100 ft
2
Shear Thinning Limit, 50 cp
Shear Thinning Limit, 30 cp
Shear Thinning Limit, 10 cp
Changing YP's in Bingham Plastic
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Shear Rate, sec-1
S
h
e
a
r

S
t
r
e
s
s
,

l
b
s
/
1
0
0

f
t
2
PV = 20,YP = 0
PV = 20, YP = 10
PV = 20, YP = 20
PV = 20, YP = 30
Effects of on YP on Bingham Plastic Viscosity, cp
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
175
200
225
250
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200
Shear Stress, sec-1
V
i
s
c
o
s
i
t
y
,

c
p
PV = 20 cp, YP = 10 lbs/100 ft
2
PV = 20 cp, YP = 20 lbs/100 ft
2
PV = 20 cp, YP = 30 lbs/100 ft
2
PV = 20 cp, Yp = 0 lbs/100 ft
2
Shear Thinning Limit of all 4 Fluids