Rotation of a slender rod injected into a cylindrical constraint

We investigate the buckling of a slender elastic rod injected into a cylindrical constraint while undergoing axial rotation. Particular focus is given to extension of the helical buckling length. This problem is of particular application to coiled tubing operations in the oil and gas industry where helical buckling and eventual lockup occur, thereby preventing complete access to horizontal oil wells. Our approach focuses on using desktop experiments to perform a precise exploration of the parameters affecting buckling. We examine two separate modes of axial rotation: continuous rotation and oscillatory rotation. In each case, we demonstrate potential for significant increases in helical buckling length by a factor of as much as 5 within the parameter space studied and develop an understanding of the underlying mechanisms at play. In the case of continuous rotation, we compare our experimental results to theoretical predictions motivated by this work. The extensions in helical buckling length observed here suggest significant application to the problem of helical buckling in coiled tubing operations.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2016

Author dc:creator

• Mulcahy, Connor Gordon

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Pedro M. Reis.

• Mechanical Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/103460

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/103460