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Mechanical Behavior Analysis of Wire Rope in Swabbing and Drainage Systems

Author(s)

Dan Li1,2, Jie Fan1,2, Guangchun Liu2,3, Ping Chen1,2, Qiguo Fan2,3, Wenxue Jiang1,2, Shaohu Liu4,5, Lei Zhang4,5,*

Affiliation(s)

1Drilling and Production Engineering Technology Research Institute, CNPC Chuanqing Drilling Engineering Co., Ltd., Xi’an, Shaanxi, China 2National Engineering Laboratory for Exploration and Development of Low-Permeability Oil and Gas Fields, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China 3Changqing Downhole Technology Operation Company, CNPC Chuanqing Drilling Engineering Co., Ltd., Xi’an, Shaanxi, China 4School of Mechanical Engineering, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, China 5National Key Laboratory of Low-Carbon Catalysis and Carbon Dioxide Utilization, Wuhan, Hubei, China *Corresponding Author

Abstract

To assess the operational safety of wire ropes under the complex operating conditions of a swabbing and drainage system, this study investigates the stress distribution, deformation, and contact behavior of a 6×19FS+IPS wire rope under axial tension and bending over a sheave. A three-dimensional finite element model incorporating the fiber core, strands, and their contact interactions is developed. Axial tension and bending-contact analyses are performed at loads of 10-80kN to obtain the von Mises stress, strain, total deformation, and normal contact pressure. At an axial load of 80kN, the maximum von Mises stress is 1171.8MPa and the maximum total deformation is 3.98mm. Localized high stresses occur in the inner wires and interstrand contact regions. When the axial load increases from 30kN to 40kN, the maximum von Mises stress and contact stress increase significantly. The maximum von Mises stress rises from 104.12MPa to 376.19MPa. The contact stress increases from 175.17 to 474.36MPa. Under the 80kN bending condition, the maximum von Mises stress, principal strain and normal contact pressure reach maximum values at the mid-bending section. The values are 1042MPa, 0.0131 and 878.15MPa, respectively. The wire rope meets the strength requirements at the maximum working load. However, non-uniform force and local stress concentration occur in the inner wires, interstrand contact regions and bending segment around the sheave. The contact response under high loads should be given attention in engineering application to reduce the risk of accidents.

Keywords

Swabbing and Drainage System; Wire Rope; Mechanical Behavior; Finite Element Analysis; Axial Tension

References

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