Vol. 337 No. 3 (2026)
DOI https://doi.org/10.18799/24131830/2026/3/5047
Design capabilities of PDC cutters for reinforcing drill bits
Relevance. Modern conditions of drilling operations, associated with the need to open anisotropic rocks at great depths, require the development of drilling equipment and well construction technology. Recent advances in the development of drilling tool designs have shown the possibility of expanding the scope of its application and improving drilling process performance. One of the promising tools in this area is the PDC type tool, which is characterized by a high resource and strength, and also allows for the destruction of rocks of varying hardness and abrasiveness. At the same time, the design features of the PDC cutting elements have the potential for further development of the drilling tool. The wide application possibilities of PDC lie in the fact that cutters of this type can be made of various sizes with a variety of cutting edge shapes, and changing the angles of their orientation on the working surface of the bits easily brings the design of the drilling tool in line with the properties of the rock being destroyed. In addition, the cylindrical shape of such a cutter allows for affecting the hydrodynamic processes occurring in the bottomhole zone during well construction. Thus, the development of the PDC type drilling tool is not exhausted and requires a scientific approach for further development. Aim. To study the effect of design features of PDC cutters with a hole in the cutting edge on the nature of the drill bit operation. Objects. PDC type cutter design with a hole in the cutting edge. Methods. Analytical method, computer modeling method. Results. The authors developed the designs of PDC cutters with a hole in the cutting edge, determined the area of their application, and gave the recommendations for reinforcing bits with PDC cutters with a hole in the cutting edge.
For citation: Popova M.S., Neskoromnykh V.V., Laletina K.V., Ivanov I.S. Design capabilities of PDC cutters for reinforcing drill bits. Bulletin of the Tomsk Polytechnic University. Geo Assets Engineering, 2026, vol. 337, no. 3, pp. 7–14. https://doi.org/10.18799/24131830/2026/3/5047
Keywords:
bit, PDC, drilling, efficiency improvement, rock breaking, design
References:
1. Neskoromnih V.V., Popova M.S., Liu Baochang. Destruction of rocks when drilling wells with diamond drilling tools: monograph. Krasnoyarsk, Siberian Federal University Publ., 2020. 268 р. (In Russ.)
2. Wang P., Huang Q., Pozdniakov S.P., Shiqi Liu, Wang T., Zhang Y., Yu J., Xie J., Fu G., Frolova N.L., Liu C. Potential role of permafrost thaw on increasing Siberian river discharge. Environ. Res. Lett., 2021, vol. 16, 034046. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abe326,
3. Ran Y., Li X., Cheng G., Che J., Aalto J., Karjalainen O., Hjort J., Luoto M., Jin H., Obu J., Hori M., Yu Q., Chang X. New high-resolution estimates of the permafrost thermal state and hydrothermal conditions over the Northern Hemisphere. Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 2022, vol. 14, pp. 865–884. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-865-2022
4. Neskoromnih V.V., Popova M.S., Liu Baochang. Influence of the bottom borehole zone environment on the efficiency of rock breaking by the PDC cutter. Bulletin of the Tomsk Polytechnic University. Geo Аssets Engineering, 2021, vol. 332, no. 9, pp. 119–127. (In Russ.) DOI: 10.18799/24131830/2021/9/3362.
5. Popova M.S. Hydrodynamic processes in designing diamond drilling tools. Bulletin of the Tomsk Polytechnic University. Geo Аssets Engineering, 2024, vol. 335, no. 4, pp. 159–171. (In Russ.) DOI: 10.18799/24131830/2024/4/4320
6. Vtorushin E.V., Dorovsky V.N. Cutting forces estimation with non-Euclidean model of inelastic deformations applied to rock cutting. San Francisco, ARMA, American Rock Mechanics Association, 2017. Vol. 4, 137 p.
7. Detournay E., Richard T., Shepherd M. Drilling response of drag bits: theory and experiment. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 2008, vol. 45 (8), pp. 1347–1360.
8. Basarir H., Karpuz C. Preliminary estimation of rock mass strength using diamond bit drilling operational parameters. International Journal of Mining, Reclamation and Environment, 2016, vol. 30 (2), pp. 145–164.
9. Borisov K.I. Modern methods of evaluating the effectiveness of rock destruction by cutting with PDC bits. Bulletin of the Tomsk Polytechnic University. Geo Аssets Engineering, 2022, vol. 333. no. 6, pp. 103–121. (In Russ.) DOI 10.18799/24131830/2022/6/3756
10. Tretyak A.Ya., Popov V.V., Grossu A.N., Borisov K.A. Innovative approaches to the design of highly efficient rock cutting tools. Gorny informatsionno-analiticheskii byulleten, 2017, no. 8, pp. 225–230. (In Russ.)
11. Su O., Ali Akcin. Numerucal simulation of rock cutting using the discrete element method. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 2011, vol. 48 (3), pp. 434–442.
12. Hasan A.R., Kabir C.S. Wellbore heat-transfer modeling and applications. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2012, vol. 96–97, pp. 109–119.
13. Wang X., Wang Z., Wang D., Chai L. A novel method for measuring and analyzing the interaction between drill bit and rock. Measurement, 2018, vol. 121, pp. 344–354.
14. Che D., Zhu W.-L., Ehmann K.F. Chipping and crushing mechanisms in orthogonal rock cutting. International Journal of Mechanical Sciences, 2016, no. 119, pp. 224–236.
15. Tretyak A.Ya., Borisov K.A. Classification of PDC plate fractures caused by downhole vibrations during well drilling. Research results-2020. Materials of the V National Conference of the teaching staff and researchers of the YRSPU (NPI). Novocherkassk, 2020. pp. 252–254 (In Russ.)
16. Polushin N.I., Laptev A.I., Kushkhabiev A.S., Kotelnikova O.S., Sorokin E.N., Karzakov S.G. Almaznoe burovoe doloto. Patent RF, no. 2653212, 2018. (In Russ.)
17. Do D.-P., Tran N.-H., Dang H.-L., Hoxha D. Closed-form solution of stress state and stability analysis of wellbore in anisotropic permeable rocks. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 2019, vol. 113, pp. 11–23.
18. Ai Z., Han Y., Kuang Y., Wang Y., Zhang M. Optimization model for polycrystalline diamond compact bits based on reverse design. Advances in Mechanical Engineering, 2018, vol. 10 (6), pp. 476–479.
19. Gao M., Zhang K., Zhou Q., Zhou H., Liu B., Zheng G. Numerical investigations on the effect of ultra-high cutting speed on the cutting heat and rock-breaking performance of a single cutter. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, July 2020, vol. 190, no. 107120.
20. Pan Z., Ma R., Sun Z., Hu Y., Chang Q., Ge M., Wang S., Bu J., Long X., Pan Y., Zhao L. Integrated hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical dataset of an alpine catchment in the northern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 2022, vol. 14, pp. 2147–2165. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2147-2022
21. Katanov B.A. Development of designs of cutting drill bits. Mining equipment and electromechanics, 2006, no. 1, pp. 6–8. (In Russ.)
22. Bogomolov R.M., Kinyaev A.V., Krylov S.M. Diamond cutter with cutter mechanical fixing. Patent RF, no. 2536901, 2014. (In Russ.)
23. Bogomolov R.M. Diamond bit with innovative cutter attachment. Equipment and technologies for the oil and gas complex, 2018, no. 1, pp. 13–18. DOI: 10.30713/1999-6934-2018-1-13-18. (In Russ.)
