Self-adjusting earth-boring tools and related systems

• US 10,633,929 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2017
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Holdings LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes, a GE Company, LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Evans, Kenneth R., Ricks, Gregory L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wight, Giovanna C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duck, Brandon M
• Application Number:
  US15/662,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20190032416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/25 Direct deposition of metal particles, e.g. direct metal deposition [DMD] or laser engineered net shaping [LENS]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/28 Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/55 Two or more means for feeding material
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/90 Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2005/001 Cutting tools, earth boring or grinding tool other than table ware
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 5/10 of articles with cavities or holes, not otherwise provided for in the preceding subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/322 cutter shifted by fluid pressure E21B10/345 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/54 the bit being of the rotary drag type, e.g. fork-type bits
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/60 characterised by conduits or nozzles for drilling fluids for roller bits E21B10/18; for percussion drill bits E21B10/38
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/62 characterised by parts, e.g. cutting elements, which are detachable or adjustable E21B10/64 takes precedence; for roller bits E21B10/20; for augers E21B10/44
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 44/00 Automatic control systems specially adapted for drilling operations, i.e. self-operating systems which function to carry out or modify a drilling operation without intervention of a human operator, e.g. computer-controlled drilling systems; Systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

An earth-boring tool includes a movable component and an additive manufacturing formed flow control device in fluid communication with the movable component and configured to control a flowrate of the hydraulic fluid through the additive manufacturing formed flow control device, wherein the additive manufacturing formed flow control device is configured to control a movement of the movable component via the flowrate of hydraulic fluid through the additive manufacturing formed flow control device. An earth-boring tool includes an additive manufacturing formed flow control device in fluid communication with one or more components of the earth-boring tool and configured to provide a cooling fluid to the one or more components of the earth-boring tool.

Claims

1. An earth-boring tool, comprising:

a movable component; and

an additive manufacturing formed flow control device in fluid communication with the movable component and configured to control a flowrate of the fluid through the additive manufacturing formed flow control device, wherein the additive manufacturing formed flow control device is configured to control a movement of the movable component via the flowrate of the fluid through the additive manufacturing formed flow control device, wherein the additive manufacturing formed flow control device comprises a body including at least one nonlinear fluid passage defined by at least partially superimposed gaps in adjacent layers of material of the body.

2. The earth-boring tool of claim 1, wherein the movable component comprises a sensor.

3. The earth-boring tool of claim 1, wherein the movable component comprises one of a cutting element, a pad element, and a reamer blade.

4. The earth-boring tool of claim 1, wherein the movable component comprises a piston of a shock absorber.

5. An earth-boring tool, comprising an additive manufacturing formed flow control device in fluid communication with one or more components of the earth-boring tool and configured to provide a cooling fluid to the one or more components of the earth-boring tool, wherein the additive manufacturing formed flow control device comprises a body including at least one nonlinear fluid passage defined by at least partially superimposed gaps in adjacent layers of material of the body.

6. The earth-boring tool of claim 5, wherein the one or more components of the earth-boring tool comprises one of a bearing of a roller cone, a bearing of a mud motor, a cutting element, and an electronic bay.

7. An earth-boring tool, comprising:

a body;

an actuation device disposed at least partially within the body, the actuation device comprising;

a first fluid chamber;

a second fluid chamber;

at least one reciprocating member configured to reciprocate back and forth within the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber;

a hydraulic fluid disposed within and at least substantially filling the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber;

a first fluid flow path extending from the second fluid chamber to the first fluid chamber; and

a first additive manufacturing formed flow control device disposed within the first fluid flow path and configured to control a flowrate of the hydraulic fluid through the first fluid flow path, wherein the first additive manufacturing formed flow control device comprises a body portion including at least one nonlinear fluid passage defined by at least partially superimposed gaps in adjacent layers of material of the body portion; and

a drilling element removably coupled to the at least one reciprocating member of the actuation device.

8. The earth-boring tool of claim 7, wherein the actuation device further comprises:

a second fluid flow path extending from the first fluid chamber to the second fluid chamber;

a second additive manufacturing formed flow control device disposed within the second fluid flow path and configured to control a flowrate of the hydraulic fluid through the second fluid flow path and the second additive manufacturing formed flow control device.

9. The earth-boring tool of claim 8, wherein the second fluid flow path extends from the first fluid chamber to the second fluid chamber through the at least one reciprocating member.

10. The earth-boring tool of claim 7, the first additive manufacturing formed flow control device being formed via a direct metal deposition process.

11. The earth-boring tool of claim 7, the first additive manufacturing formed flow control device being formed via a laser sintering process.

12. The earth-boring tool of claim 7, wherein the at least one nonlinear fluid passage extends through the body portion and defines at least one opening at one longitudinal end of the body portion and at least one another opening at an opposite longitudinal end of the body portion.

13. The earth-boring tool of claim 12, wherein the at least one nonlinear fluid passage comprises a generally helical shape.

14. The earth-boring tool of claim 13, wherein the at least one nonlinear fluid passage comprises:

a first cross-section shape through a first length of the at least one flow passage; and

a second cross-section shape through a second length of the at least one flow passage.

15. The earth-boring tool of claim 12, wherein the at least one nonlinear fluid passage comprises a generally helical shape, wherein a diameter of the helical shape comprises a varying diameter along a longitudinal length of the body portion of the first additive manufacturing formed flow control device.

16. The earth-boring tool of claim 12, wherein the at least one nonlinear fluid passage comprises a general lattice shape.

17. The earth-boring tool of claim 16, wherein the at least one nonlinear fluid passage comprises a plurality of crossing linear voids defining a plurality of rods extending laterally across the first additive manufacturing formed flow control device.

18. The earth-boring tool of claim 12, wherein the at least one nonlinear fluid passage comprises:

a plurality of linear sections; and

a plurality of bends connecting the plurality of linear sections.

19. The earth-boring tool of claim 12, wherein the at least one nonlinear fluid passage comprises one or more of a plurality of connected helices, a plurality of concentric unconnected helices, and at least one converging helix.

20. The earth-boring tool of claim 19, wherein each helical flow passage of the plurality of connected helices comprises a different cross-section shape.

21. An actuation device for a self-adjusting earth-boring tool, the actuation device comprising:

a first fluid chamber;

a second fluid chamber;

an additive manufacturing formed reciprocating member configured to reciprocate back and forth within the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber and having a first additive manufacturing formed flow control device disposed therein, wherein the first additive manufacturing formed flow control device extends between the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber, the first additive manufacturing formed flow control device being configured to control a flowrate of a hydraulic fluid between the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber, wherein the additive manufacturing formed flow control device comprises a body including at least one nonlinear fluid passage defined by at least partially superimposed gaps in adjacent layers of material of the body; and

a drilling element coupled to the additive manufacturing formed reciprocating member.

22. The actuation device of claim 21, wherein the first additive manufacturing formed flow control device comprises a maraging steel.

23. The actuation device of claim 21, wherein the first additive manufacturing formed flow control device comprises stainless steel.