Flow pulsing device for a drilling motor
First Claim
1. A downhole flow pulsing device in combination with a drill string comprising a tubing string, a drilling motor having a stator housing connected in series with the tubing string and a rotor supported in the stator housing so as to be arranged to rotate relative to the stator housing and tubing string responsive to a flow of pressurized drilling fluid into the tubing string, a drill bit coupled to a bottom end of the rotor of the drilling motor so as to be arranged to rotate with the rotor of the drilling motor, and a rotor keeper, the downhole flow pulsing device comprising:
- a tubular housing arranged to be connected in series with the tubing string, the housing having an axial bore extending along a longitudinal axis therethrough so as to be arranged to permit passage of the drilling fluid therethrough;
a valve supported in the bore of the tubular housing and defining a flow passage arranged to receive the drilling fluid therethrough, the valve comprising a fixed portion in fixed relation to the tubular housing and a rotating portion rotatably supported in the tubular housing so as to vary an area of the flow passage as the rotating portion rotates relative to the fixed portion;
a drive link member arranged to be connected between the rotating portion of the valve and the rotor of the drilling motor so as to rotate the rotating portion of the valve relative to the tubing string together with the rotor of the drilling motor;
wherein the rotor keeper comprises an annular retainer member mounted in series with the tubing string between the stator housing of the drilling motor and the tubular housing of the flow pulsing device and a keeper member extending through the retainer member so as to be connected in series between the rotor of the drilling motor and the drive link member, the keeper member including a portion of enlarged dimension above the retainer member which cannot pass through the annular retainer member.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A downhole flow pulsing device comprises a housing connected in series with a drill string and a valve with a rotating portion in the housing arranged to vary an area of a flow passage through the housing. A fluid actuated positive displacement motor drives rotation of the valve. A drive link permits the rotating portion of the valve to be optionally coupled directly to the motor of the drill string. The valve includes radially oriented rotating ports intermittently communicating with surrounding fixed ports and a bypass channel. Axial displacement of the rotating ports relative to the fixed ports and bypass channel permits amplitude of the downstream fluid pulses to be adjusted. The valve includes a number of circumferentially spaced ports which differs from a prescribed number of pressure fluctuations in the fluid for each full rotation of the rotor of the drill motor.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A downhole flow pulsing device in combination with a drill string comprising a tubing string, a drilling motor having a stator housing connected in series with the tubing string and a rotor supported in the stator housing so as to be arranged to rotate relative to the stator housing and tubing string responsive to a flow of pressurized drilling fluid into the tubing string, a drill bit coupled to a bottom end of the rotor of the drilling motor so as to be arranged to rotate with the rotor of the drilling motor, and a rotor keeper, the downhole flow pulsing device comprising:
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a tubular housing arranged to be connected in series with the tubing string, the housing having an axial bore extending along a longitudinal axis therethrough so as to be arranged to permit passage of the drilling fluid therethrough; a valve supported in the bore of the tubular housing and defining a flow passage arranged to receive the drilling fluid therethrough, the valve comprising a fixed portion in fixed relation to the tubular housing and a rotating portion rotatably supported in the tubular housing so as to vary an area of the flow passage as the rotating portion rotates relative to the fixed portion; a drive link member arranged to be connected between the rotating portion of the valve and the rotor of the drilling motor so as to rotate the rotating portion of the valve relative to the tubing string together with the rotor of the drilling motor; wherein the rotor keeper comprises an annular retainer member mounted in series with the tubing string between the stator housing of the drilling motor and the tubular housing of the flow pulsing device and a keeper member extending through the retainer member so as to be connected in series between the rotor of the drilling motor and the drive link member, the keeper member including a portion of enlarged dimension above the retainer member which cannot pass through the annular retainer member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A downhole flow pulsing device for use with a drill string comprising a tubing string, a drilling motor having a stator housing connected in series with the tubing string and a rotor supported in the stator housing so as to be arranged to rotate relative to the stator housing and tubing string responsive to a flow of pressurized drilling fluid into the tubing string, and a drill bit coupled to a bottom end of the rotor of the drilling motor so as to be arranged to rotate with the rotor of the drilling motor, the downhole flow pulsing device comprising:
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a tubular housing arranged to be connected in series with the tubing string, the housing having an axial bore extending along a longitudinal axis therethrough so as to be arranged to permit passage of the drilling fluid therethrough; a valve supported in the bore of the tubular housing and defining a flow passage arranged to receive the drilling fluid therethrough, the valve comprising a fixed portion in fixed relation to the tubular housing and a rotating portion rotatably supported in the tubular housing so as to vary an area of the flow passage as the rotating portion rotates relative to the fixed portion; and a drive link member arranged to be connected between the rotating portion of the valve and the rotor of the drilling motor so as to rotate the rotating portion of the valve relative to the tubing string together with the rotor of the drilling motor; wherein the rotating portion comprises a plurality of rotating ports and the fixed portion comprises a plurality of fixed ports arranged to intermittently communicate with the rotating ports as the rotating portion is rotated relative to the fixed portion and wherein the fixed portion is adjustable in position in a direction of the longitudinal axis relative to the rotating portion so as to vary a maximum communication area between the fixed and rotating ports. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. A downhole flow pulsing device for use with a drill string comprising a tubing string, a drilling motor having a stator housing connected in series with the tubing string and a rotor supported in the stator housing so as to be arranged to rotate relative to the stator housing and tubing string responsive to a flow of pressurized drilling fluid into the tubing string, and a drill bit coupled to a bottom end of the rotor of the drilling motor so as to be arranged to rotate with the rotor of the drilling motor, the downhole flow pulsing device comprising:
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a tubular housing arranged to be connected in series with the tubing string, the housing having an axial bore extending along a longitudinal axis therethrough so as to be arranged to permit passage of the drilling fluid therethrough; a valve supported in the bore of the tubular housing and defining a flow passage arranged to receive the drilling fluid therethrough, the valve comprising a fixed portion in fixed relation to the tubular housing and a rotating portion rotatably supported in the tubular housing so as to vary an area of the flow passage as the rotating portion rotates relative to the fixed portion; and a drive link member arranged to be connected between the rotating portion of the valve and the rotor of the drilling motor so as to rotate the rotating portion of the valve relative to the tubing string together with the rotor of the drilling motor; wherein the rotating portion is supported in an axially extending valve bore in the fixed portion so as to be rotatable about the longitudinal axis relative to the fixed portion; the fixed portion comprising a plurality of fixed ports at circumferentially spaced positions for communication between the valve bore and an annular space in the tubular housing about the drive link member therebelow; the rotating portion comprising a central bore having a top end arranged to receive drilling fluid from the tubing string and a plurality of rotating ports at circumferentially spaced positions extending radially outward from the central bore so as to be arranged to intermittently communicate with the fixed ports as the rotating portion of the valve is rotated; and the rotating portion being positioned relative to the fixed portion to define a bypass area which remains in communication between the central bore of the rotating portion and the annular space in the tubular housing below the valve as the rotating ports intermittently communicate with the fixed ports to define the variable flow passage. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A downhole flow pulsing device for use with a drill string comprising a tubing string, a drilling motor having a stator housing connected in series with the tubing string and a rotor supported in the stator housing so as to be arranged to rotate relative to the stator housing and tubing string responsive to a flow of pressurized drilling fluid into the tubing string, and a drill bit coupled to a bottom end of the rotor of the drilling motor so as to be arranged to rotate with the rotor of the drilling motor, the downhole flow pulsing device comprising:
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a tubular housing arranged to be connected in series with the tubing string, the housing having an axial bore extending along a longitudinal axis therethrough so as to be arranged to permit passage of the drilling fluid therethrough; a valve supported in the bore of the tubular housing and defining a flow passage arranged to receive the drilling fluid therethrough, the valve comprising a fixed portion in fixed relation to the tubular housing and a rotating portion rotatable supported in the tubular housing so as to vary an area of the flow passage as the rotating portion rotates relative to the fixed portion; and a drive link member arranged to be connected between the rotating portion of the valve and the rotor of the drilling motor so as to rotate the rotating portion of the valve relative to the tubing string together with the rotor of the drilling motor; wherein the rotating portion is supported in an axially extending valve bore in the fixed portion so as to be rotatable about the longitudinal axis relative to the fixed portion; the fixed portion comprising; a plurality of fixed ports at circumferentially spaced positions for communication between the valve bore and an annular space in the tubular housing about the drive link member therebelow; and a bypass channel extending about a full circumference of the valve bore below the fixed ports and in communication with said annular space; and the rotating portion comprising a central bore having a top end arranged to receive drilling fluid from the tubing string and a plurality of rotating ports at circumferentially spaced positions extending radially outward from the central bore so as to be arranged both to intermittently communicate with the fixed ports as the rotating portion of the valve is rotated and to communicate with the bypass channel therebelow. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A downhole flow pulsing device for use with a tubing string arranged to receive a flow of pressurized drilling fluid therethrough, the device comprising:
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a tubular housing arranged to be connected in series with the tubing string, the housing having an axial bore extending along a longitudinal axis therethrough so as to be arranged to permit passage of the drilling fluid therethrough; a valve supported in the bore of the tubular housing and defining a flow passage arranged to receive the drilling fluid therethrough, the valve comprising a fixed portion in fixed relation to the tubular housing and a rotating portion rotatably supported in the tubular housing so as to vary an area of the flow passage as the rotating portion rotates relative to the fixed portion; a fluid actuated positive displacement motor arranged to drive rotation of the rotating portion of the valve responsive to the flow of pressurized drilling fluid in the tubing string; the rotating portion of the valve being supported in an axially extending valve bore in the fixed portion so as to be rotatable about the longitudinal axis relative to the fixed portion; the fixed portion comprising a plurality of fixed ports at circumferentially spaced positions for communication between the valve bore and an annular space in the tubular housing about the drive link member therebelow; the rotating portion comprising a central bore having a top end arranged to receive drilling fluid from the tubing string and a plurality of rotating ports at circumferentially spaced positions extending radially outward from the central bore so as to be arranged to intermittently communicate with the fixed ports as the rotating portion of the valve is rotated; the rotating portion being positioned relative to the fixed portion to define a bypass area which remains in communication between the central bore of the rotating portion and the annular space in the tubular housing below the valve as the rotating ports intermittently communicate with the fixed ports; and the bypass area being adjustable by displacing the fixed portion relative to the rotating portion in a direction of the longitudinal axis. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification