Navigable downhole drilling system
First Claim
1. A downhole drilling system for drilling a borehole along a predetermined trajectory, said drilling system connected to a drill string, said drilling system comprising:
- a drilling motor for operating a drill bit independent of the drill string, said drilling motor including a stator and a rotor operatively displaceable within said stator, said drill bit drivably connected to said rotor;
means for measuring the operating parameters of said drilling system to ensure drilling along the predetermined trajectory; and
power generation means drivably connected to said rotor of said drilling motor for supplying power to said measuring means of said drilling system.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A navigable downhole drilling system incorporating a drilling motor having a system of sensors and information processors for determining the depth, inclination, direction and thrust of the drilling motor. Accordingly, the drilling operation can be continuously monitored and adjusted to ensure desired directional drilling. A programmed processor may be incorporated into the drilling system to guide the drilling motor along a predetermined course. A generator assembly provides power to the processors and sensors as a result of the precessional rotation of the rotor within the stator of the drilling motor. The overall length of the drilling system is minimized by piggybacking the thrust bearings with the power generation unit and siamesing the transmission assembly for the drilling motor with the power section of the motor. As a result, a downhole drilling system of navigable length is created which can be readily directed along the desired course.
44 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A downhole drilling system for drilling a borehole along a predetermined trajectory, said drilling system connected to a drill string, said drilling system comprising:
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a drilling motor for operating a drill bit independent of the drill string, said drilling motor including a stator and a rotor operatively displaceable within said stator, said drill bit drivably connected to said rotor; means for measuring the operating parameters of said drilling system to ensure drilling along the predetermined trajectory; and power generation means drivably connected to said rotor of said drilling motor for supplying power to said measuring means of said drilling system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A downhole drilling system for drilling a borehole along a predetermined trajectory, said drilling system connected to a drill string, said drilling system comprising:
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a positive displacement drilling motor for operating a drill bit independent of the drill string, said drilling motor including a stator, said drill bit drivably connected to said rotor by an output shaft; means for measuring the operating parameters of said drilling system to ensure drilling along the predetermined trajectory; power generation means drivably connected to said rotor of said drilling motor by a crankshaft whereby operation of said drilling motor drives said generation means, said generation means supplying power to said measuring means of said drilling system; and a thrust bearing assembly contained within a sealed- housing axially above said drilling motor, said thrust bearing assembly mounted to said crankshaft to absorb thrust loads associated with drilling. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A downhole drilling system for drilling a borehole along a predetermined trajectory, said drilling system connected to a drill string, said drilling system comprising:
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a positive displacement drilling motor for operating a drill bit independent of the drill string, said drilling motor including a stator and a rotor operatively displaceable within said stator; a transmission assembly axially below said drilling motor for transmitting the displacement motion of said rotor within said stator to said drill bit, said transmission assembly operatively connected to said drilling motor by an output shaft; sensor means disposed within said drilling system for measuring the operating parameters of said drilling system to ensure drilling along the predetermined trajectory; power generation means drivably connected to said rotor of said drilling motor by a crankshaft, whereby said drilling motor drives said generation means, said generation means supplying power to operate said sensor means of said drilling system; and a thrust bearing assembly contained within a sealed housing axially above said drilling motor, said sealed thrust bearing assembly mounted to said crankshaft to absorb the thrust loads associated with drilling. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A downhole drilling system for drilling a borehole along a predetermined trajectory, said drilling system connected to a drill string, said drilling system comprising:
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a positive displacement drilling motor for operating a drill bit independent of the drill string, said drilling motor including a stator and a rotor operatively displaceable with said stator, said rotor having a first shaft extending upwardly therefrom above said drilling motor; a transmission assembly axially below said drilling motor for transmitting the displacement motion of said rotor within said stator to said drill bit, said transmission assembly operatively connected to said rotor of said drilling motor by an output shaft; and a thrust bearing assembly contained within a sealed housing axially above said drilling motor, said thrust bearing assembly connected to said first shaft extending upwardly from said rotor of said drilling motor such that said thrust bearing assembly and said first shaft are connected to an upper end of said rotor whereby thrust loads associated with drilling are absorbed by said thrust bearing assembly.
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22. A downhole drilling system for drilling a borehole along a predetermined trajectory, said drilling system connected to a drill string, said drilling system comprising:
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a positive displacement drilling motor for operating a drill bit independent of the drill string, said drilling motor including a stator and a rotor operatively displaceable within said stator; a transmission assembly axially below said drilling motor for transmitting the displacement motion of said rotor within said stator to said drill bit, said transmission assembly operatively connected to said drilling motor by an output shaft and including a transmission shaft connected to said drill bit; first sensors proximate said transmission shaft for measuring and communicating forces acting upon said drill bit; second sensors mounted within said drilling system for measuring and communicating inclination of said drilling system along the trajectory; third sensors proximate said drilling motor for measuring and communicating operating parameters of said drilling motor; power generation means drivably connected to said rotor of said drilling motor by a crankshaft whereby precession motion of said rotor within said drilling motor is transmitted through said crankshaft to drive said generation means said generation means supplying power to operate said sensors.
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Specification