Finite element analysis and experimental study on the deformation characteristics of an aluminum alloy fracturing ball

Ball and seat multistage fracturing technology has significantly contributed to the development of oil and gas reservoirs. In this study, a combined finite element analysis (FEA) and experimental method was employed to investigate the deformation characteristics of an aluminum alloy fracturing ball. The distributions of stress, strain, and deformation under different fracturing pressures were investigated. The FEA results showed that the maximum stress, strain, and plastic deformation were generated in the contact region between the fracturing ball and ball seat. Furthermore, experiments were performed to study the pressure-bearing capacity of fracturing ball. The sealing region between the ball and ball seat underwent severe plastic deformation, which indicated that failure is likely to occur. The numerical simulation and experiment results were in agreement. In summary, the fracturing ball demonstrated high-quality sealing performance at pressures exceeding 60 MPa. The risk of failure that might be caused by large deformation was eliminated, and production cost and operation time were reduced. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.