SPE 35214 Society of Petru Engineers Euler Loads and Measured Sucker Rod / Sinkerbar Buckling Scott W. Long, P.E., SPE and Donald W. Bennett, SPE, Fexbar, Inc Copyright 1996, Society of Petroleum Engineers. ‘This paper was prepared for presentation atthe eemian Basin OM & Gas Recovery Conference held in Midland, TX 27:29 March 1996 “This paper was selected for presentation by the SPE Program Commitee {eiloming review of information contained nan abstract submited by the suthor(). Contents of the paper as presented, have not been reviewed bythe Society of Pettoleum engineer and are subject o correction by the suthor(}. The material, as presented, does not necessary reflect any ‘positon of the Society of Petroleum Engineers or is members. Papers Presented at SPE mectings are subject o publication sevew by Edtoral Commitee ofthe Society of Petroleum enginces. Permission 0 copy ie restneted to an abstract of not more than 300 words. ustrations may not be copied, the abstrict shosld contain conepeuout acknowledgment of ttheve and by whor the paper was presente, Wnte Librarian, SPE, P.O. ox 8353836, Rehardson, TX 75083-3886 USA. faxobarees2ou. ‘The Petroleum Industry is experiencing an increased awareness and understanding of sucker rod compression. This awareness has evolved during the past twelve years, from initial recognition of rod buckling, to a current desire to quantify (measure) the amount of compression required 10 initiate rod buckling. Recent attention has focused on true or effective compressive loads in sucker rod strings. Measurement of these loads is, being documented (1) and data collection is ongoing with improved technology. ‘This paper will provide a more accurate understanding of the amount of compression required to buckle sucker rods and sinkerbars of various diameters, This will be accomplished by presenting the following; 1. Predictive compressive loads that buckle various diameters ‘and lengths of sucker rods and sinkerbars utilizing Euler loads. 2, Measured compressive loads that are required to buckle various diameter sucker rods and sinkerbars. 3. comparison of predictive compressive loads to measured ‘compressive loads Knowledge regarding the amount of rod string compression required to buckle various diameter sucker rods will provide the industry better rod string design Use of these guidelines will help identify dangerous compressive rod string loads which initiate rod-tubing contact, provide associated wear, and result in rod and/or tubing failure. Buler Load (Critical Load, Per) ‘The famous mathematician Leonhard Euler (1707-1783), although hindered by loss of sight in one of his eyes in 1735, and the other in 1766, was the first to investigate buckling of slender columns. His investigations led to the determination, of the critical load (Per) required to buckle an ideal, elastic column, ‘An ideal column is assumed to be perfectly str compressed by a centrally applied load (a load acting through the centroid of the cross. section). An clastic column is assumed to reach stresses below the proportional limit before the critical load is reached. ‘The phenomenon of axial compression can be described by fone of three (3) forms of equilibrium: stable, neutral or unstable buckling. 1. AF the axial load (P) is les than the critical load (Per), the column remains straight and undergoes only axial compression. This straight form of equilibrium is called stable, which means that, if a lateral force is applied and a small deflection is produced, the deflection will disappear, and the column will return to its straight form when the lateral force is removed 2. As the axial load (P) is gradually increased, a condition of neutral equilibrium is reached as the axial load (P) equals the critical load (Per). Under these conditions a small lateral force will produce a deflection which does not disappear when the lateral force is removed.2 EULER LOADS AND MEASURED SUCKER ROD / SINKERBAR BUCKLING 3. At higher load values, equal to or greater than the critical load, (Per), the columa is unstable and will collapse. This phenomenon of instability is called buckling and we may consider that the column buckles, ot becomes unstable, at the tical load (Per). ‘The critical load (Per), for an ideal, clastic column is often called the Euler Load. This load is defined as follows; 2 Per = (31416) x(E) x(1) 2 a) 6 E = Modulus of Elasticity, for steel use 30.5 X 10 psi 4 I = Moment of Inertia, (inches) 4 for a circle; | = (31416) x(D) oa L = Length of column, (inches) The critical load (Pex), of a slender column is directly proportional to the Modulus of Elasticity (E) and the Moment of Inertia (1), inversely proportional to the square of length of the column (L) and independent of the compressive strength of the material ‘The critical load (Per), can be increased by increasing the Moment of Inertia (1) of the cross section or by decreasing the length of the slender column. For sucker rods of sinkerbars, the Moment of Inertia (I) can be increased by increasing the diameter of the rod or sinkerbar. Other methods of calculation of the critical load (Per) or Euler Load can be developed based on the configuration of the ends of the slender column. Two (2) different ways of defining the end configuration are hinged ends or fixed ends. Critical loads for these two (2) configurations are as follows; Per (hinged) (Ly 2 1416) x(E) x(1 2 (a) Per (fixed) = 12 sre 3524 Critical loads for hinged and fixed configurations are presented in Figure 1.0 and 2.0, respectively. The eritical load (Pez) for a fixed end configuration is four (4) times greater than the critical Ioad of a hinged end configuration. Per (fixed) = 4 x ( Per (hinged) ) Assuming these two (2) end configurations (fixed and/or hinged) in a slender column represent the extremes of end configurations in a sucker rod string, Table 1.0 presents caleulated Euler Loads for various diameters of sucker rods and sinkerbars, to predict the fixed and hinged end critical Toads. ‘Measured Buckling Loads A test apparatus was constructed to measure the buckling load required to buckle various 25 foot long sections of sucker rods, and sinkerbars, Refer to Figure 3.0 A 30 foot long joint of 70° O.D., 6456" LD, J-55, 200. Ibs, /ft, casing was modified by eutting a 5.0 wide windows the length of the casing. This joint of casing was secured in a vertical position. The top of the 7.0° O.D. casing was welded shut with a cap containing a centralizing cup on the inside of the casing cap to accept the pin end of a sucker rod or @ sinkerbar, ‘The bottom of the 7.0" O.D. casing was modified to accept a 25° diameter, hydraulically actuated plunger. The top of the plunger, was fabricated with a centralizing cup to accept the pin end of a sucker rod or sinkerbar. Both centralizing cups were 177 LD., and 20" deep. Several buckling stresses (psi) were recorded from pressure ‘gauge readings for each tested size sucker rod and sinkerbar. Extrancous gauge readings were eliminated, while the remaining gauge readings were averaged to arrive at an average stress (psi) reading and then converted to average Pet (lbs) depending on the diameter of sucker rod or sinkerbar, Measured plunger friction (Ibs.) and weight of rod/sinkerbar in (ibs.) was then subtracted to arrive at measured buckling load (Ibs) ‘The total weight of the sucker rods or sinkerbars in ai, (Ibs) was removed to be consistent with the derivation of Euler Loads that does not consider the weight of the column. Refer to Table 2.0 for a comparison of calculated Euler Loads and Measured Buckling Loads vs. various sucker rod and sinkerbar diametersSPE 35214 ‘Measured Bucking Loads vs. Euler Loads (Critical Loads, Por) ‘The purpose of this paper is as follows; 1. To provide a more accurate understanding of the amount, cof compression required to buckle various diameter sucker rods and sinkerbars. 2.To investigate the possible use of the Euler Load Equation {o.estimate buckling loads and provide the Petroleum Industry ‘with better guidelines to rod string designs. Predicted Euler Loads and measured buckling loads for various diameter sucker rods and sinkerbars are presented in Figure 40. ‘his increase in Euler Load occurred in every case except that for the 1-3/8" sinkerbar. The measured data for the 1-3/8" sinkerbar more closely approximately that of the hinged end curve. It should be noted that pin on the 1-3/8" sinkerbar was ‘a modified 3/4" diameter sucker rod pin, the same as the 3/4” sucker rod. Figure 5.0 incorporates all of the data of Figure 4.0 with the addition of calculated Euler Load for 1/2', 5/8" diameter sucker rods and 1-1/2', 1-5/8, and 1-3/4" diameter sinkerbars. This graph provides a better perspective of the range of Euler Loads with various diameter sucker rods and sinkerbars, Figures 6.0 through 12.0 provide Euler Loads for various lengths of sucker rods and sinkerbars. As in Figure 4.0 and Figure 5.0, both hinged end and fixed end configurations are plotted to provide the reader a range of Euler Loads to consider in designing with sucker rods and sinkerbars. Conclusions 1. Measured buckling loads, (except for the 3/4" rod) fall, within the envelope of Euler Loads for fixed and hinged end configurations. 2. The size of the pins may have had an impact on the observed values of measured buckling loads, 3. Measured loads required to initiate buckling may be significantly less than those loads currently being documented by the Petroleum Industry (1) 18 SCOTT W. LONG, P, SPE AND DONALD W-BENNETT, SPE, FLEXBAR, INC 3 4. The Euler Load (Critical Load, Per) Equations for fixed and hinged end configurations should he utilized as boundary conditions for estimating the amount of rod string ‘compression required to buckle sucker rods or sinkerbars. To bbe conservative, use of only the hinged end configuration curve should be considered. 5. The relation between the pin diameter and the fixed or hinged end Euler Load (Per) calculation deserve further investigation, 6. The effects of greater than 25-foot long columas, off-center loading within the constraints of tubing and both full hole and slim hole rod couplings on Euler Loads should also be considered for future measured study. Refer to Table 30 and 400 for Euler Critical Loads in both hinged end and fixed end configurations for columas lengths of up to $00 feet. References. (1) “Making the most of rod design - a comparison of measured and modeled rod string stresses emphasizing fiberglass rods’ - R.E. Ott and G.L. Mendenkall “Mechanics of Materials’ - $.P. Timoshenko and James M. Gere, pp. 323-331 This paper was presented at the 42nd Annual Southwestern Petroleum Short Course, April 19-20, 1995 at Texas Tech University, in Lubbock, TexasTable 1.0 Table 2.0 Euler Loads to Buckle Various Diameters Fd and Sinwercar Diameters We sie ays 78 15/68" rojo Calculated Euler Loads (be.) Fed “ 300 208 305 es? 2300, 3905, 4579 e160 Hinged 10 2 2 96 168 57 ast nas 1500 ial data bated on 25-toot long eueker rods or sinkerbars withthe total weight of sucker sistent wih the ca\culaion of Euler Loags that does nol consider tne weight ofthe Euler Loads and Measured Buckling Loads to Buckle Various Diameters Rod and Sinkerbar Diameters ve 5/8 sya ze 1 aye" 12" 15/6 aya" Calculated Euler Loads (lbs) Measured Fixed 100 208 288 6s7 2386: 3825 «sro 6160 Bucking Hinged toads 20 Na 2 NA 2 2a 96 162 164 NA. 507 oy 631 NA. 145, Na 1840 Na (Al data based on 25-toot long sucker rods or sinkerbare with the fatal weight of aucker femaved from calculation of measured loads ta be 14 stent withthe calculation oF Euler Loads that does not consider tha weight oftheONT "HVEXSTa .U3NN3a_“M IYNOG GNY '3'd ‘NOT 'M LL09S: ‘ONFNONG GAUNSVAW GNY SavOT ¥3INS Pris cee 6985 0519 CeLsy Lvece Suvce WS aT ZT BET suaiawvia UVEUEDINIS sualawvia gow uaxOns NOLLWUNDIINOO GNA a3xIs ‘SUVEUBINIS GNY SOU YIIONS JO SHION3T SNORVA NI ‘ONMDIONG SLVLLINI OL G34INDSY (o-d) SavO1 ‘WoILluO wIINa OF sav. ‘ON! 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LENGTH OF 1-3/4" DIA. SINKERBARS EULER CRITICAL LOADS (LBS.COMPRESSION) 8500 8000 5500 5000, 4500 4000 ——— 300 3009 9 - 2500 ——:—— 2000 —— - 1601 1000 ae 800 ag 9 === SStszeacee 28 50 78 100 125 150 FOOTAGE OF 1-3/4" DIA, SINKERBARS. EULER HINGED + EULER FIXED J EULER LOADS AND MEASURED BUCKLING SCOTT W. LONG, P.E. & DONALD W. BENNETT FLEXBAR, INC. 22.