Research progress of intelligent fluid and its application to drilling fluids

Intelligent fluid, as a smart material with “controllable” physical properties, has extensive industrial applications in aerospace, bio-engineering, the medical industry, and micro-electronics. By response conditions, intelligent fluids were divided into the external-field controllable intelligent fluid (represented by magneto- and electro- rheological fluids) and stimuli-driven controllable intelligent fluid (represented by the smart hydrogel). The rheological mechanism and research progress of intelligent fluids were systematically reviewed and it was pointed out that the current hot spot of relevant research is to introduce nano-materials into intelligent fluids. Furthermore, the laboratory research progress of intelligent fluids applicable to drilling fluids was summarized to demonstrate the feasibility of intelligent fluids as drilling fluids. At last, given the development requirement of smart oilfields, it was proposed that inventing intelligent drilling fluids and developing smart drilling equipment, in particular, smart drilling fluid operation systems, are the development orientations of future smart drilling.