(668c) Model of Shale Shaker Performance

Shale shakers separate coarse solid particles from drilling muds in well bore-hole drilling operations. Drilling muds are engineered with rheological properties needed for efficient transport to the ground surface the coarse solid particles generated by the drill cutting into the soil and rock.  Effective models are needed to improve the design and operation of shale shakers to optimize the separation of particles and to maximize the recycling of the mud.

The model designed in this work is based on a continuum model of cake filtration in which the coarse solids form a filter cake on the surface of the screen. Incorporated into the model are the mechanisms of the screen motion and the motion of the cake along the screen surface.  The mud is modeled as a yield-stress fluid.  The model calculations are compared with experimental measurements on a full scale shaker.  This model is used to identify parameter sensitivity.