SPACING OF ROLLING CUTTERS ON A FIXED CUTTER BIT

• US 20140360789A1
• Filed: 12/19/2012
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith International Incorporated (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Smith International Incorporated (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Siracki, Michael A., Azar, Michael G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,903,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 175/336
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/14 combined with non-rolling cutters other than of leading-portion type
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/43 characterised by the arrangement of teeth or other cutting elements
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/573 characterised by support details, e.g. the substrate construction or the interface between the substrate and the cutting element

Abstract

A downhole cutting tool may include a cutting element support, structure having a plurality of cutter pockets formed therein; and a plurality of rotatable cutters disposed in the plurality of cutter pockets, wherein at least one rotatable cutter is spaced from another rotatable cutter on the cutting element support structure by at least one-quarter of the diameter of the at least one rotatable cutter.

Claims

1. A downhole cutting tool, comprising:

a cutting element support structure having a plurality of cutter pockets formed therein; and

a plurality of rotatable cutters disposed in the plurality of cutter pockets, wherein at least one rotatable cutter is spaced from another rotatable cutter on the cutting element support structure by at least one-quarter of the diameter of the at least one rotatable cutter.

2. The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein the at least one rotatable cutter is spaced from the other rotatable cutter on the cutting element support structure by at least one-half of the diameter of the at least one rotatable cutter.

3. The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein the at least one rotatable cutter is spaced from the other rotatable cutter on the cutting element support structure by up to two times the diameter of the at least one rotatable cutter.

4. The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein at least one rotatable cutter is spaced from the other rotatable cutter on the cutting element support structure by up to one times the diameter of the at least one rotatable cutter.

5. The downhole cutting tool of claim 1, wherein at least one cutter pocket has a sleeve disposed therein between the at least one cutter pocket and the rotatable cutter.

6. The downhole cutting tool of claim 1, wherein the plurality of rotatable cutters are placed on the downhole cutting tool such that the cutting faces of adjacent cutters on a rotated cutting profile of the plurality of cutters are at least tangent to one another.

7. The downhole cutting tool of claim 6, wherein the plurality of rotatable cutters are placed on the downhole cutting tool such that there is at least some overlap between adjacent cutters on a rotated cutting profile of the plurality of rotatable cutters.

8. The downhole cutting tool of claim 1, wherein the at least one rotatable cutter is at the same radial position as another rotatable cutter on the downhole cutting tool.

9. The downhole cutting tool of claim 8, wherein the at least one rotatable cutter in a leading position is at a higher exposure than the other rotatable cutter at a trailing position.

10. The downhole cutting tool of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one cutter fixedly attached in at least one cutter pocket.

11. The downhole cutting tool of claim 1, wherein the downhole tool comprises a fixed cutter drill bit and wherein the cutting element support structure comprises a plurality of blades extending radially from a bit body.

12. A downhole cutting tool, comprising:

a tool body;

a plurality of cutting element support structures having a plurality of cutter pockets formed therein; and

a plurality of rotatable cutters disposed in the plurality of cutter pockets, wherein the plurality of rotatable cutters are placed on the downhole cutting tool such that the cutting faces of adjacent cutters on a rotated cutting profile of the plurality of rotatable cutters are at least tangent to one another.

13. The downhole cutting tool of claim 12, wherein the cutting faces of adjacent cutters on a rotated cutting profile of the plurality of the rotatable cutters overlap by no more than the diameter of the rotatable cutters divided by the number of cutting element support structures on the downhole cutting tool.

14. The downhole cutting tool of claim 12, wherein at least one cutter pocket has a sleeve disposed therein between the at least one cutter pocket and the rotatable cutter.

15. The downhole cutting tool of claim 12, wherein the at least one rotatable cutter is at the same radial position as another rotatable cutter on the downhole cutting tool.

16. The downhole cutting tool of claim 15, wherein the at least one rotatable cutter in a leading position is at a higher exposure than the other rotatable cutter at a trailing position.

17. The downhole cutting tool of claim 12, further comprising:

at least one cutter fixedly attached in at least one cutter pocket.

18. The downhole cutting tool of claim 12, wherein the downhole tool comprises a fixed cutter drill bit and wherein the cutting element support structure comprises a plurality of blades extending radially from a bit body.

19. A downhole cutting tool, comprising:

a tool body;

a plurality of cutting element support structures having a plurality of cutter pockets formed therein; and

a plurality of rotatable cutters disposed in the plurality of cutter pockets, wherein the plurality of rotatable cutters are placed on the downhole cutting tool such that the cutting faces of adjacent cutters on a rotated cutting profile of the plurality of rotatable cutters do not overlap.