Human resources

Hands-On Teaching for Petroleum Engineers in the Twenty-First Century

This paper presents the results of student competitions held at Clausthal University of Technology.

Several years ago, a new concept of teaching undergraduate and graduate students was introduced at the Clausthal University of Technology (CUT) based on the implementation of hands-on teaching systems that not only expose the students to physical models but also require them to build such models or to generate experiments using existing models. The results show an improved learning capability in combination with better knowledge transfer between teacher and students. This paper presents the results of student competitions held at CUT.

Introduction

Several governmental associations have reported that the teaching process in engineering schools is too theoretical. In the 3-year program implemented at CUT, hands-on teaching is focused on simple demonstrators that are designed and built by students under faculty and staff supervision. Petroleum engineering is one of the sciences that cannot always be experimentally shown in a straightforward fashion (for instance, imagine reservoir engineers trying to show a replica of the reservoir in full scale!). Drilling and production systems and processes are easier to model. Field trips are always welcome, but they take time and the students have to give up other important courses.

The mentoring process has been identified by SPE and the industry to be a key in preparing future engineers. But are the students ready for the mentoring process? During the CUT project, students are not only involved in their design project, but are also guided toward the acceptance of mentoring and preparation for a career.

When teaching freshmen, the focus is on providing them the basics for their future career in terms of applied mathematics or physics. They are expected to calculate and estimate complicated processes, but sometimes we forget to ask them such basic questions as, “Do you know what a drillstring looks like?”

Goals of the Hands-On Teaching Initiative

The objectives of the hands-on teaching initiative include the following:

  1. Development of hands-on and visual tools to enhance learning opportunities 
  2. Integration of theoretical and hands-on experiences into lectures
  3. Determination that the equipment developed has an impact on core courses in drilling engineering, advanced drilling engineering, completion, and workover
  4. Improvement of critical thinking and problem-solving skills of students by involving them in the learning process, allowing individual experimentation, and providing for tool interchangeability
  5. Development of visual aids for students and young people visiting the department

Projects and Winners

In a previous paper, the start of the hands-on method at CUT was shown. Simple models were built, and the method was focused on getting the students together, while the model building remained on the secondary level. This is why, during the implementation of the method, the department had the opportunity to compare the pure building projects with the on-paper theoretical ones. Although the winners come from both categories, the pure builders generally have proved to be better prepared for the final examination.

In a learning environment where computers and tablets are normal for students, the main challenge remains the ability to train them for a career where decisions have to be made within budget and in a short time. The projects offered to the students were simple and subject to several guidelines. Students were assigned a topic related to the ongoing course; they then had to form a team and make a presentation within 1 week, after which they would have a small budget (EUR 500) to build the model. Usually, a team has to present a concept within 2 weeks after the project has been assigned. If the concept is accepted, work can begin. Every project consists of three main parts: a theoretical introduction explaining the title and providing a description of the subject; discussions; and, finally, the lessons learned and conclusions.

The hands-on teaching method proved popular among the students. In what follows, three projects will be presented: a differential-pipe-sticking model, a bicenter-bit model, and a hoisting-system project. (For presentation of a fourth project, a casing-drilling demonstrator, please see Fig. 2 of the complete paper.)

Differential-Sticking Model. The students decided to build a model to illustrate the differential-sticking phenomenon. The model consists of the borehole indicated by an inner blue half-pipe and a green drillpipe (Fig. 1). The borehole is perforated. To simulate the lower pressure inside a high-permeability zone, a vacuum cleaner was adapted to the outer borehole wall. In order to represent the borehole, a transparent pipe, cut into halves, was used. A line of holes was drilled along the middle axis of the upper half-pipe to simulate the permeable zone. The halves of the transparent pipe were fitted into each other and sealed together. The drillpipe was simulated by an aluminum pipe coated with rubber. As the vacuum cleaner is switched on, the pipe is sucked onto the wall. In this situation, differential pipe sticking is demonstrated. Because of friction, the rotary movement will need more torque. The model is able to show the effect of differential pressure on a pipe close to the borehole wall. The model is not as large as a real-life scenario because the pressure difference is only approximately 1 bar, but the principle behind this phenomenon is nevertheless demonstrated in a representative way.

jpt-2013-10-handsonfig1.jpg
Fig. 1—The differential-sticking project: the schematic at left, and the finished model at right.

The Bicenter-Bit Model. Bicenter bits are usually classified as special bit systems, but existing manufacturer pictures or animations are not always easy to understand, especially for freshmen. This is why this project was nominated as the winner in the freshman category. The students built both a conventional and a bicenter bit using styropor. The bicenter bit was designed so that it would pass through a plastic pipe with a given diameter. The conventional pipe was built for the openhole size of the bicenter bit. Fig. 2 shows the result of this project.

jpt-2013-10-handsonfig2.jpg
Fig. 2—The bicenter-bit model: the unpainted bicenter bit at left, and the finished model at right.

The Hoisting-System Project. Probably the project with the longest duration during the hands-on teaching implementation is the design and execution of a hoisting system. A previous paper showed the first hoisting model built at Texas A&M University. One year later, a new hoisting system was built at CUT using similar parts but paying more attention to the aspect of design. The students chose to use a computer-assisted design program for a thorough configuration of the hoisting model, after which the execution was given to the institute workshop. Once the parts were manufactured, the students began the assembly process.

Discussion of the Accomplished Work

It is clear after 3 years of using the hands-on teaching system at CUT that its implementation has led to a better understanding of engineering processes and machinery components among the students. The design project helped the students to improve their teamwork skills and encouraged them to take on responsibility. Design projects have drawn the students’ attention back to engineering basics: designing, planning, implementing, testing, and learning. Furthermore, the simplicity of the developed small-scale simulators allowed them to comprehend the goals and objectives of the experiments. The students are now asking for projects, especially for models to build. The models have in a short time become a favorite; in their classroom evaluations, many students have emphasized that the models help them understand complicated concepts.

Obviously, the hands-on teaching method requires some effort from the faculty as well, but this effort can be described as a mentoring process at a very basic engineering level. It should not be forgotten that mentoring is the most difficult aspect to achieve in training programs, as well as the most underrated. Researchers have noted that there are three primary reasons why mentoring is difficult to implement: first, finding enough experienced professionals to do the job; second, finding a good match between mentor and mentee; and third, understanding that mentoring means different things to different people. During the hands-on teaching process, finding enough experienced professionals was not difficult; faculty as well as experienced technicians assisted the students. The second factor was, admittedly, not always easy to deal with: Sometimes the teams did not understand their roles in the design aspect of the project, or the mentor was not able to explain the objectives clearly enough. As a result some teams failed to complete the work, or simply did a poor job. Finally, the third factor was addressed by offering the students their choice of projects; some decided to build, while others performed high-quality analytical work.

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 160017, “Hands-On Teaching for Petroleum Engineers in the Twenty-First Century: A Balance Between High-Tech and Simple Demonstrators” by Catalin Teodoriu, SPE, ITE/TU Clausthal, prepared for the 2012 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, San Antonio, Texas, USA, 8–10 October. The paper has not been peer reviewed.