Within the framework of a joint project of the TU Clausthal and the TU Braunschweig at the DSC, funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy, a deep bore hole in rock (Oberkirchen sandstone) was experimentally simulated for the first time under realistic conditions at the hardware test facility.
The project is supported by the industry representative Baker Hughes INTEQ GmbH. The aim of the investigations is to gain new insights into the processes taking place in deep drilling, especially the generation of vibrations, with the help of appropriate sensor technology. Based on this, future deep boreholes for geothermal applications can be optimised both technically and economically. The measured data collected during the test drilling also serve to create and evaluate mathematical models of the drilling process. These models are then implemented in the software simulator of the DSC, for example, in order to be able to drill deep drilling projects virtually in advance.
A special rock chamber was developed at the DSC for the test facility, which represents the lower 20 meters of a drill string in a horizontal setup. "With today's experiment, the hardware simulator at the DSC reports its full operational readiness in this research area as well, after almost three years of conception and construction phase and an outstanding team performance," said Professor Joachim Oppelt, Director of the Drilling Simulator, delightedly. "In addition to further upcoming tests within the research project, we will also be able to provide customers from the oil, gas and geothermal industry with the full performance of our test rig on a professional scale in the future," added Professor Oppelt.