Working relationship between shale shaker and mud pump

In oilfield drilling solids control systems, mud pumps (power output) and shale shakers (primary purification) are inseparable supporting equipment. Through the closed-loop collaboration of "mud transportation - solid-liquid separation - recycling and reuse", the two directly determine drilling efficiency, mud performance stability and drilling cost control.

TR's shale shaker and mud pump work together in the drilling fluid circulation system. The shale shaker is responsible for the initial purification of the drilling fluid, while the mud pump provides power to circulate the drilling fluid. Together, they ensure that drilling operations are carried out efficiently and safely.

The mud pump delivers drilling fluid containing drill cuttings under high pressure to the shale shaker. After the shale shaker efficiently separates the solid phase, the clean drilling fluid flows back to the circulation tank for the mud pump to extract again, thus ensuring the stability of the drilling fluid performance and the continuity of drilling operations.

I. Relationship and Functional Positioning of the Two

In the drilling fluid circulation system, the shale shaker and mud pump work together to ensure the efficient and safe conduct of drilling operations.

complementary logic

The "transport capacity" of the mud pump determines the "processing load" of the shale shaker, and the "purification efficiency" of the shale shaker determines the "operating pressure" of the mud pump. Without the high-pressure transport of the mud pump, the shale shaker has no object to purify; without the primary filtration of the shale shaker, the mud pump will be clogged by impurities, leading to pump wear, shortened life, and deterioration of mud performance, which will affect drilling safety.

For example, the TR TRZS2000 shale shaker (screen area 3.6㎡, effective processing capacity 360m³/h) should be matched with a mud pump with a displacement of 300-320m³/h (such as the TR TRB series three-cylinder mud pump, rated displacement 350m³/h, which can be reduced to 85%-90% by adjusting the pump stroke rate).

II. Workflow: Collaborative Linkage in a Closed-Loop Cycle

During drilling, the coordinated operation of the mud pump and shale shaker follows a closed-loop process of "transportation - purification - return - retransportation," with the specific steps as follows:

1. Mud pump start-up and delivery: Before drilling, the mud pump draws qualified mud from the purified mud pit and pumps the mud into the drill pipe at a specific discharge rate and pressure through a high-pressure pipeline, directly to the bottom of the well.

2. Mud carrying rock cuttings back: After the drill bit is cooled at the bottom of the well, the mud carries rock cuttings, sand and other impurities generated during drilling back to the surface along the annular space between the drill pipe and the well wall;

3. The shale shaker receives and purifies the impurity-containing mud returned to the ground. It is directly introduced into the feed inlet of the shale shaker through the guide channel. The shale shaker starts high-frequency vibration (usually 1800-2800 times/minute) and uses the grading and filtering effect of the screen to separate solid impurities such as rock chips.

4. Purified mud recirculation and reuse: The cleaned mud after being filtered by the shale shaker flows into the mud pool below, where it is pumped out again, pressurized, and transported to the bottom of the well to complete one cycle.

5. Key linkage point: After the mud returns to the surface from the bottom of the well, it needs to enter the shale shaker for purification as soon as possible to avoid impurities from settling and clumping in the mud. This requires the inlet of the shale shaker to be precisely connected to the mud return pipeline, and the start/stop of the shale shaker must be synchronized with the mud pump (the shale shaker is turned on in advance before the mud pump is started, and the screen is turned off after the mud pump is stopped to ensure that the residual mud is completely purified).

III. Synergistic Advantages of TR Solid State Control Equipment

The synergistic effect of the mud pump and the shale shaker depends on the precise matching of "flow rate, pressure, and screen size", which is also the core consideration in the design of TR Solid Control Equipment.

1. Flow rate matching on demand: The processing capacity of the shale shaker is customized according to the displacement of the mud pump to ensure that the mud does not overflow and that the purification is free from pressure buildup;

2. Pressure Adaptation: The output pressure of the mud pump determines the mud return speed. TR Solid Control shale shaker adopts an "elastic damping feeding device" which can adapt to the return pressure of different mud pumps and avoid damage caused by high-pressure return mud impacting the screen.

3. Wear-resistant and anti-clogging design: The mud pump uses wear-resistant alloy cylinder liners and pistons, and the shale shaker is equipped with a polyurethane screen and a high-frequency vibration motor to reduce the wear of impurities on the equipment and extend the service life of the equipment.

4. Matching screen specifications with mud performance: The type of mud pumped (water-based, oil-based, synthetic-based) and the particle size of drilling cuttings determine the selection of screen mesh size for the shale shaker (TR Solids Control provides customized screens from 10 to 400 mesh).

5. Intelligent linkage control: Supports synchronous start and stop of mud pump and shale shaker, real-time pressure/flow monitoring. When the shale shaker is blocked or the mud pump pressure is abnormal, the system will automatically alarm and adjust to avoid equipment damage.

6. Adaptable to multiple drilling scenarios: From onshore drilling to offshore drilling, from shallow wells to deep wells, the parameters of both can be adjusted according to the drilling conditions to ensure stable collaboration in complex environments such as high temperature, high pressure, and high sand content.

shale shakers and mud pumps are the core combination of "power output" and "purification and filtration" in oilfield solids control systems. TR Solids Control achieves seamless collaboration between the two through "customized parameter matching + high-performance equipment design," providing a "continuous, stable, and efficient" mud circulation solution for drilling operations. It is an indispensable core supporting equipment combination for oilfield drilling.