Parametric analysis of a sliding-mode controller to suppress drill-string stick-slip vibration

Despite a significant research effort to understand and mitigate stick-slip in drill-strings, this problem yet to be solved. In this work, a comprehensive parametric robustness analysis of the sliding mode controller has hitherto been performed. First, a model verification and extensive parametric analysis of the open-loop model is presented. This is followed by a detailed parametric analysis of the sliding-mode controller based closed-loop system for two cases, (i) an ideal actuator with no delay or constraint and (ii) a realistic actuator with delay or/and constraint. It is shown that though the proposed controller works robustly across a wide range of parameters, in the absence of delay, it fails in the presence of a delay, thereby limiting its practical application. Experimental results are included to support these claims. This work underlines the importance of including the inherent system characteristics during the control design process. Furthermore, the parametric analysis presented here is aimed to act as a blue-print for testing the efficacy of relevant control schemes to be proposed in the future.