for personal reference use only. No further reproduction is permitted.

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APPLICATION, CARE, AND USE OF WIRE ROPE FOR OIL FIELD SERVICE 19

20

18

16

14
Bending Life Over Sheaves

12

10

2
12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28
DJ/d Ratios
where
DT is the tread diameter of sheave, in inches (mm) (see Figure 10);
D is the nominal rope diameter, in inches (mm).

NOTE Based on laboratory tests involving systems consisting of sheaves only.

Figure 9—Relative Service for Various DT/d Ratios for Sheaves

3.7.2 Sheaves for Well-measuring Wire

The diameter of sheaves for well-measuring wire should be as large as the design of the equipment will permit but not
less than 100 times the diameter of the wire.

3.8 Sheave Grooves

3.8.1 General

On all sheaves, the arc of the bottom of the groove should be smooth and concentric with the bore or shaft of the
sheave. The centerline of the groove should be in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the bore or shaft of the sheave.

3.8.2 Drilling and Casing Line Sheaves

Grooves for drilling and casing line sheaves shall be made for the rope size specified by the purchaser (see API 8A
and/or API 8C). The bottom of the groove shall have a radius R, Table 8, subtending an arc of 150 degrees. The sides
of the groove shall be tangent to the ends of the bottom arc. Total groove depth for new sheaves shall be a minimum
of 1.33d and a maximum of 1.75d, where d is the nominal rope diameter shown in Figure 10, Detail A.
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20 API RECOMMENDED PRACTICE 9B

Table 8—Grove Radii for Sheavesa

Nominal Wire Rope Groove Radius Minimum Groove Radius Minimum
Groove Radius Maximum
Diameter Worn New
in. mm in. mm in. mm in. mm
0.250 6.5 0.128 3.25 0.134 3.40 0.138 3.51
0.313 8.0 0.160 4.06 0.167 4.24 0.172 4.37
0.375 9.5 0.192 4.88 0.199 5.05 0.206 5.23
0.438 11.0 0.224 5.69 0.232 5.89 0.241 6.12
0.500 13.0 0.256 6.50 0.265 6.73 0.275 6.99
0.563 14.5 0.288 7.32 0.298 7.57 0.309 7.85
0.625 16.0 0.320 8.13 0.331 8.41 0.344 8.74
0.750 19.0 0.384 9.75 0.398 10.11 0.413 10.49
0.875 22.0 0.448 11.38 0.464 11.79 0.481 12.22
1.000 26.0 0.513 13.03 0.530 13.46 0.550 13.97
1.125 29.0 0.577 14.66 0.596 15.14 0.619 15.72
1.250 32.0 0.641 16.28 0.663 16.84 0.688 17.48
1.375 35.0 0.705 17.91 0.729 18.52 0.756 19.20
1.500 38.0 0.769 19.53 0.795 20.19 0.825 20.96
1.625 42.0 0.833 21.16 0.861 21.87 0.894 22.71
1.750 45.0 0.897 22.78 0.928 23.57 0.963 24.46
1.875 48.0 0.961 24.41 0.994 25.25 1.031 26.19
2.000 52.0 1.025 26.04 1.060 26.92 1.100 27.94
2.125 54.0 1.089 27.66 1.126 28.60 1.169 29.69
2.250 58.0 1.153 29.29 1.193 30.30 1.238 31.45
2.375 60.0 1.217 30.91 1.259 31.98 1.306 33.17
2.500 64.0 1.281 32.54 1.325 33.66 1.375 34.93
2.625 67.0 1.345 34.16 1.391 35.33 1.444 36.68
2.750 71.0 1.409 35.79 1.458 37.03 1.513 38.43
2.875 74.0 1.473 37.41 1.524 38.71 1.581 40.16
3.000 77.0 1.537 39.04 1.590 40.39 1.650 41.91
3.125 80.0 1.602 40.69 1.656 42.06 1.719 43.66
3.250 83.0 1.666 42.32 1.723 43.76 1.788 45.42
3.375 86.0 1.730 43.94 1.789 45.44 1.856 47.14
3.500 90.0 1.794 45.57 1.855 47.12 1.925 48.89
3.750 96.0 1.922 48.82 1.988 50.50 2.063 52.40
4.000 103.0 2.050 52.07 2.120 53.85 2.200 55.88
4.250 109.0 2.178 55.32 2.253 57.23 2.338 59.39
4.500 115.0 2.306 58.57 2.385 60.58 2.475 62.87
4.750 122.0 2.434 61.82 2.518 63.96 2.613 66.37
5.000 128.0 2.563 65.10 2.650 67.31 2.750 69.85
5.250 135.0 2.691 68.35 2.783 70.69 2.888 73.36
5.500 141.0 2.819 71.60 2.915 74.04 3.025 76.84
5.750 148.0 2.947 74.85 3.048 77.42 3.163 80.34
6.000 154.0 3.075 78.11 3.180 80.77 3.300 83.82
Minimum worn groove radius = nominal rope radius + 21/2 %
Minimum new groove radius = nominal rope radius + 6 %
Maximum groove radius = nominal rope radius + 10 %
NOTE For wire rope sizes 0.375 in. (9.5 mm) and larger not found on this table use the following equations:
a See Figure 10.
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APPLICATION, CARE, AND USE OF WIRE ROPE FOR OIL FIELD SERVICE 21

15° 15° 15° 15°

d d

1.75d Max
1.33d Max

1.75d Max
3.0d Max
R R

D D
150° 150°

Tread dia., DT

Tread dia., DT
Drilling line and Sand line sheaves
casing line sheaves

DETAIL A DETAIL B

Figure 10—New Sheave Grooves

3.8.3 Sand-Line Sheaves

Grooves for sand-line sheaves shall be made for the rope size specified by the purchaser (see API 8A and/or
API 8C). The bottom of the groove shall have a radius R, Table 8, subtending an arc of 150 degrees. The sides of the
groove shall be tangent to the ends of the bottom arc. Total groove depth for new sheaves shall be a minimum of
1.75d and a maximum of 3d, where d is nominal rope diameter shown in Figure 10, Detail B.

3.8.4 Oil-saver Rollers

Grooves on rollers of oil savers should be made to the same tolerances as the grooves on the sheaves.

3.8.5 Worn Sheaves

Sheaves should be replaced or reworked when the groove radius is below the minimum worn values or above the
maximum values shown in Table 8. Sheave manufacturers should provide guidance on limitations for removal of
material on re-grooved sheaves.

3.8.6 Sheave Gages

Use sheave gages as shown in Figure 11. Detail A shows a sheave with a minimum groove radius. Detail B shows a
sheave with a tight groove, which should be replaced or reworked.

4 Evaluation of Rotary Drilling Line

4.1 Total Service Performed

The total service performed by a rotary drilling line can be evaluated by taking into account the amount of work done
by the line in the various drilling operations (drilling, coring, fishing, setting casing, etc.), and by evaluating such
factors as the stresses imposed by acceleration and deceleration loadings, vibration stresses, stresses imposed by
friction forces of the line in contact with drum and sheave surfaces, and other even more indeterminate loads.
However, for comparative purposes, an approximate evaluation can be obtained by computing only the work done by
the line in raising and lowering the applied loads in making round trips, and in the operations of drilling, coring, setting
casing, and short trips.