Analysis of Cementing Turbulators

Summary This paper presents the results of a study to determine the ability of commercially available mechanical aids called "turbulators" to alter the flow profile and thus enhance the displacement efficiency of typical cementing operations. Results are presented for both the predictions and the measurements showing the effects of pump rate, viscosity, density, and turbulator blade geometry on the induced flow angle along the pipe axis (thus effective swirl length). The results indicate that mud-displacement efficiency can be improved dramatically with mechanical aids that alter the flow profile in the annulus between the casing and the hole. Simple guidelines are provided for spacing turbulators, and two case histories are presented that substantiate the laboratory findings.