Patent ID: 7478020

Claim:
A computer system for simulating a wellbore used for cuttings re-injection, comprising: a processor; a memory; a storage device; and software instructions to obtain as input to the system at least one wellbore design parameter for the wellbore, at least one operating parameter for the cuttings re-injection, and a slurry design for a slurry to be injected into the wellbore; software instructions to segment the wellbore into a plurality of elements, wherein each element comprises a plurality of nodes; software instructions to perform a simulation at a current time interval, wherein functionality to perform the simulation comprises: software instructions to update a solid accumulation at a bottom of the wellbore at the current time interval; software instructions to perform for each of the plurality of nodes, until the wellbore reaches a steady-state condition for the current time interval, the following using the at least one wellbore design parameter, the at least one operating parameter, and the slurry design: calculating a sliding bed velocity; calculating a suspension cross-section area using the sliding bed velocity; calculating an average suspension velocity using the suspension cross-section area; calculating a solid particle velocity using the average suspension velocity; and calculating a solid volume concentration in suspension using the solid particle velocity, and software instructions for outputting simulation results.