Earth-boring tools including cutting element profiles configured to reduce work rates

Abstract

Earth-boring tools may include a body including blades projecting therefrom, an axis of rotation, and cutting elements secured to the blades. A profile of the cutting elements intersecting outermost points of cutting faces of the cutting elements as viewed projected rotationally onto a plane may be parabolic from immediately proximate the axis of rotation to a nose point at which a slope of the profile is such that an angle between the profile and a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation is about 0°. In other embodiments, a first section of the profile may extend at a first slope, and a second section of the profile may extend at a second, different slope. In still other embodiments, a tangent line to the profile may be oriented at an angle of at least 15° at a location proximate to the axis of rotation.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62 / 538,320, filed Jul. 28, 2017, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]This disclosure relates generally to earth-boring tools and methods of making and using earth-boring tools. More specifically, disclosed embodiments relate generally to profile configurations for faces of earth-boring tools that may reduce work rate for cutting elements, reduce bit imbalance, reduce loads borne by cutting elements on at least some selected areas of the bit face, and improve or maintain cutting removal efficiency.BACKGROUND[0003]Wellbores are formed in subterranean formations for various purposes including, for example, extraction of oil and gas from the subterranean formation and extraction of geothermal heat from the subterranean formation. Wellbores may be formed in a subter...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent text describes different designs for earth-boring tools used in drilling wells. These tools have blades that extend from a body and can be used to drill the ground. The blades have cutting elements attached to them, which can be adjusted to different angles to improve the cutting performance of the tool. The profiles of the cutting elements can be linear, or can have a curved shape. The tools can also have a nose point, which is the point where the cutting elements meet the surface they are drilling. The angles of the profiles can be very precise, and can change at different locations along the tool. These designs can improve the efficiency and accuracy of drilling wells, and make it easier to drill complex well structures.

Problems solved by technology

Often whirl induces failures in the bottom hole assembly components and damages the drill bit.

This process requires considerable time, effort and expense.

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