System and method for detecting roller bit bearing wear through cessation of roller element rotation

• US 6,634,441 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2001
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Palaschenko, Yuri A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bagnell, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stephenson, Daniel P
• Application Number:
  US09/933,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20020088647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 175/39, 175/339, 175/371, 175/331, 175/327
• US Class Current: 175/39
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 12/02 Wear indicators
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 17/246 related to wear, e.g. sensors for measuring wear

Abstract

A system and method for detecting the wear of a roller bit bearing on a roller drill bit body where the roller element has a plurality of cutting elements and is rotatably attached to the roller drill bit body at the bearing. In the invention, a rotation impeder is in between the roller element and roller drill bit body and upon uneven rotation of the roller element which indicates that the roller element bearing may fail, the rotation impeder impedes the rotation of the roller element. The drill rig operator at the surface can cease drilling operations upon detection of the cessation of rotation of the roller element. The rotation impeder can also be seated in a drilling fluid outlet and cause a detectable loss in drilling fluid pressure when dislodged to otherwise cease rotation of the roller drill bit.

Claims

1. A system for detecting the wear of a roller bit bearing, comprising:

a roller drill bit body having at least one roller bit bearing;

a roller element including a plurality of cutting elements, the roller element rotatably attached to the roller drill bit body at the bearing; and

a rotation impeder, separate from the hearing, in between the roller element and roller drill bit body, the rotation impeder selectively impeding the rotation of the roller element when uneven rotation of the roller element indicates that the roller bit bearing may fail.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the rotation impeder is housed in the roller drill bit body.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the rotation impeder is housed in the roller element.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the roller drill bit body includes a drilling fluid passage and outlet therein; and

the rotation impeder is positioned in the fluid outlet to prevent drilling fluid from flowing through the passage and out of the outlet, and wherein uneven rotation of the roller element causes the rotation impeder to impede the rotation of the roller element and to be removed from the fluid outlet whereby drilling fluid flows through the drilling fluid passage and out of the fluid outlet.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the roller element includes a recess that is placed in between the roller element and roller drill bit body; and

the rotation impeder is selectively extended from the roller drill bit body and into the recess to thereby cease rotation of the roller element.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the rotation impeder is a selectively extendable detent.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the rotation impeder is a plug.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the roller drill bit body includes a roller drill bit body recess therein, the roller drill bit body recess facing the roller element when rotatably attached to the roller bit bearing;

the roller element includes a roller element recess therein which interfaces the roller drill bit body recess; and

the rotation impeder is comprised of a ball bearing and a spring in the roller drill bit body, wherein upon uneven rotation of the roller element, the ball bearing is ejected into the roller element recess and the ball bearing becomes lodged between the roller element recess and the roller drill bit body recess to thereby cease rotation of the roller element.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the roller drill bit body includes a roller drill bit body recess therein, the roller drill bit body recess facing the roller element when rotatably attached to the roller element bearing;

the roller element includes a roller element recess therein which interfaces the roller drill bit body recess; and

the rotation impeder is comprised of a wedge selectively fitted in the roller drill bit body, wherein upon uneven rotation of the roller element, the wedge is ejected into the roller element recess and the wedge becomes lodged between the roller element recess and the roller drill bit body to thereby cease rotation of the roller element.

10. A method for detecting the wear of a roller bit bearing of a roller drill bit body having at least one roller bit bearing, a roller element including a plurality of cutting elements and rotatably attached to the roller drill bit body at the bearing, and a rotation impeder, separate from the bearing, that selectively impedes rotation of the roller element and is in between the roller bit and roller drill bit body, the method comprising the steps of:

rotating the at least one roller element;

upon uneven rotation of the at least one roller element, impeding the rotation of the at least one roller bit with the rotation impeder; and

detecting the cessation of the rotation of the at least one roller element.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the roller drill bit body includes a drilling fluid passage and outlet therein;

the rotation impeder is positioned in the fluid outlet to prevent drilling fluid from flowing through the fluid passage and out of the outlet; and

further comprising the steps of;

upon uneven rotation of the roller element causing the rotation impeder to impede the rotation of the roller element, removing the rotation impeder from the fluid outlet whereby drilling fluid flows through the drilling fluid passage and out of the fluid outlet; and

detecting a drop in drilling fluid pressure due the flowing of drilling fluid occurring from the removal of the rotation impeder from the fluid outlet.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the roller element includes a recess that is placed in between the roller element and roller drill bit body; and

the step of impeding the rotation of the at least one roller element with the rotation impeder is selectively extending the rotation impeder from the roller drill bit body into the recess to thereby cease rotation of the roller element.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the roller drill bit body includes a roller drill bit body recess therein, the roller drill bit body recess facing the roller element when rotatably attached to the roller bit bearing;

the roller element includes a roller element recess therein which interfaces the roller drill bit body recess;

the rotation impeder is comprised of a ball bearing and a spring in the roller drill bit body; and

the step of impeding the rotation of the at least one roller element with the rotation impeder is impeding the rotation of the at least one roller element through ejecting the ball bearing into the roller element recess and the ball bearing becoming lodged between the roller element recess and the roller drill bit body recess to thereby cease rotation of the roller element.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the roller drill bit body includes a roller drill bit body recess therein, the roller drill bit body recess facing the roller element when rotatably attached to the roller bit bearing;

the roller element includes a roller element recess therein which interfaces the roller drill bit body recess;

the rotation impeder is comprised of a wedge selectively fitted in the roller drill bit body;

and the step of impeding the rotation of the at least one roller element with the rotation impeder is impeding the rotation of the at least one roller element through ejecting the wedge into the roller element recess and the wedge becoming lodged between the roller element recess and the roller drill bit body to thereby cease rotation of the roller element.

15. A system for detecting the wear of a roller bit bearing, comprising:

a roller drill bit body having at least one roller bit bearing;

a roller element including a plurality of cuffing elements, the roller bit rotatably attached to the roller drill bit body at the bearing; and

a rotation impeding means, in between the roller element and roller drill bit body and separate from the bearing for selectively impeding the rotation of the roller element when uneven rotation of the roller element indicates that the roller bit bearing may fail.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the roller drill bit body includes a drilling fluid passage therein; and

the rotation impeding means is positioned in the fluid passage to prevent drilling fluid from flowing through the passage, and wherein uneven rotation of the roller element causes the rotation impeding means to impede the rotation of the roller element and causes drilling fluid to flow from the drilling fluid passage.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the roller element includes a recess that is placed in between the roller element and roller drill bit body; and

the rotation impeding means is selectively extended from the roller drill bit body and into the recess to thereby cease rotation of the roller element.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the roller drill bit body includes a roller drill bit body recess therein, the roller drill bit body recess facing the roller element when rotatably attached to the roller bit bearing;

the roller element includes a roller element recess therein which interfaces the roller drill bit body recess; and

the rotation impeding means is comprised of a wedging means in the roller drill bit body, wherein upon uneven rotation of the roller element, the wedging means is ejected into the roller element recess and becomes lodged between the roller element recess and the roller drill bit body recess to thereby cease rotation of the roller element.