Iranian Chemical Engineering Journal

Iranian Chemical Engineering Journal

Investigating the effect of temperature and pressure changes on drilling fluid filtration using computational fluid dynamics

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Assistant Professor, Petroleum and Geoenergy Department, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic)
2 Msc. Petroleum and Geoenergy Department, Amirkabir University of Technology
3 Professor, Petroleum and Geoenergy Department, Amirkabir University of Technology
4 Mechanical Engineering Department, Amirkabir University of Technology
10.22034/ijche.2026.568871.1578
Abstract
A primary challenge in the oil and gas industry involves managing filtrate invasion into the formation. This study identifies temperature, pressure, and particle size distribution as the critical parameters governing the filtration process. By integrating standard laboratory experiments with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations via ANSYS Fluent, the proposed model was rigorously validated against empirical data. Findings indicate that while both temperature and pressure correlate positively with filtrate volume, temperature exerts a more substantial influence. Specifically, a 50°F temperature increment led to a 30% increase in filtrate volume and a 5% increase in filter cake thickness. Conversely, increasing pressure to 250 and 500 psi resulted in a 5% and 10% reduction in cake thickness, respectively. Furthermore, while higher solid concentrations effectively curtailed filtrate loss, they led to disproportionately thicker cakes. The study also observed that coarser particles settle initially, followed by a transition to finer particle dominance as the cake matures. The simulation revealed that cake formation initiates at the model boundaries, with the bulk of development occurring within the first 150 seconds. Additionally, higher concentrations of bridging agents were found to accelerate the bridging mechanism, thereby reducing spurt loss. Ultimately, the high degree of alignment between the simulation and experimental results suggests that this validated CFD model provides a cost-effective, reliable alternative to expensive HTHP testing, offering critical insights for optimizing drilling fluid rheology.
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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 15 June 2026