Hammer for producing water flow jets using catalyst-free PDC cutters

Abstract

A cutter for a downhole drill bit may be formed by providing a catalyst-free synthetic polycrystalline diamond (PCD) having a cross-sectional dimension of at least 8 mm; providing a substrate comprising tungsten carbide; and attaching the synthetic PCD to a substrate comprising tungsten carbide to form a PDC cutter.

Description

Priority Declaration

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. patent application No. 18 / 169,688, filed on February 15, 2023, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application No. 17 / 336,637, filed on June 2, 2021, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 033,669, filed on June 2, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the production of polycrystalline diamond (PCD) compact (PDC) cutters, and in particular to PDC drill bits for the oil and gas industry. Background Art

[0003] Drilling in hard, abrasive, and interbedded formations presents significant challenges for conventional PDC drill bits, which use conventional high-pressure and high-temperature (HPHT) techniques to form PDC cutters. Historically, conventional PCD material, which typically forms the cutting layer (also known as the diamond table), quickly dulls due to abrasive wear, impact damage, and thermal fatigue. Consequently, the hardness, fracture toughness, and thermal stability of PCD material represent the three limiting factors for effective PDC drill bits. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Some methods of forming drill cutters include: pressurizing diamond powder to a pressure of at least 5 gigapascals (GPa) to synthesize polycrystalline diamond (PCD) having a cross-sectional dimension of at least 8 millimeters (mm); heating the diamond powder to at least 1000° C.; pressurizing the diamond powder to a pressure of at least 14 GPa; and heating the diamond powder to a synthesis temperature between 1000° C. and 3000° C. at a heating rate of 10° C. to 1000° C. per minute; and cooling the PCD to a temperature between room temperature and 2000° C. at a cooling rate of 10° C. to 1000° C. per minute.

[0005] Some computer-implemented methods for forming drill cutters, performed by one or more processors, include the following operations: pressurizing diamond powder to a pressure of at least 5 GPa to synthesize polycrystalline diamond (PCD) having a cross-sectional size of at least 8 millimeters (mm); heating the diamond powder to at least 1000° C.; pressurizing the diamond powder to a pressure of at least 14 GPa for 1 minute to 60 minutes; and heating the diamond powder to a temperature of 1000° C. to 2000° C. at a heating rate of 200° C. per minute; and cooling the PCD at a cooling rate of 50° C. per minute.

[0006] Some apparatus for forming drill bit cutters include: one or more processors; and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled to the one or more processors and storing programming instructions for execution by the one or more processors, the programming instructions instructing the one or more processors to: pressurize diamond powder to a pressure of at least 5 gigapascals (GPa) to synthesize polycrystalline diamond (PCD) having a cross-sectional dimension of at least 8 millimeters (mm); heat the diamond powder to at least 1000° C.; pressurize the diamond powder to a pressure of at least 14 GPa; heat the diamond powder to a temperature of 1000° C. to 2000° C. at a heating rate of 200° C. per minute; cool the PCD at a cooling rate of 50° C. per minute; and couple the cooled PCD to a substrate comprising tungsten carbide to form a PDC cutter.

[0007] Implementations of these methods and apparatus may include one or more of the following features.

[0008] In some embodiments, performing ultrahigh pressure and high temperature operations on diamond powder to synthesize polycrystalline diamond (PCD) having a minimum dimension of at least 8 mm further includes coupling the cooled PCD to a substrate comprising tungsten carbide to form a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutter.

[0009] In some embodiments, the diamond powder comprises particles having a size ranging from 8 micrometers (μm) to 50 μm. In some embodiments, the diamond powder comprises particles having a size ranging from 8 μm to 12 μm. In some embodiments, the diamond powder comprises particles having a size ranging from 0.1 μm to 100 μm.

[0010] In some embodiments, the PCD has a size in the range of 5 mm to 50 mm.

[0011] In some embodiments, the PCD has a circular cross-sectional shape, and wherein the PCD has a diameter of the cross-sectional shape in the range of 5 mm to 50 mm.

[0012] In some embodiments, coupling the cooled PCD to a substrate comprising tungsten carbide to form a PDC cutter includes coupling the cooled PCD to the substrate by vacuum diffusion bonding, hot pressing, spark plasma sintering, microwave bonding, or high pressure high temperature (HPHT) bonding.

[0013] In some embodiments, cooling the PCD at a cooling rate of 50° C. per minute includes cooling the PCD to between 1500° C. and 2000° C. Some embodiments further include holding the PCD between 1500° C. and 2000° C. for 5 minutes to 60 minutes.

[0014] In some embodiments, performing ultrahigh pressure and high temperature operations on diamond powder to synthesize polycrystalline diamond (PCD) having a minimum dimension of at least 8 mm further includes coupling the cooled PCD to a substrate comprising tungsten carbide to form a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutter.

[0015] In some embodiments, the step of pressurizing the diamond powder includes operating a cubic press to pressurize the diamond powder.

[0016] In some embodiments, the step of heating the diamond powder includes passing an electric current through a heater adjacent to the diamond powder.

[0017] In some embodiments, pressurizing the diamond powder to a pressure of at least 14 GPa includes maintaining the pressure for 10 minutes to 60 minutes. In some cases, cooling the PCD at a cooling rate of 50°C per minute includes cooling the PCD to between 1500°C and 2000°C.

[0018] In one aspect, a method of forming a bottom hole assembly includes forming a plurality of cutters, each cutter comprising catalyst-free synthetic polycrystalline diamond attached to a carbide substrate; attaching the plurality of cutters to a body of a drill bit; and incorporating the drill bit with the attached cutters into a waterjet hammer system.

[0019] In one aspect, a waterjet hammer system includes a waterjet hammer and a drill bit including a plurality of cutters attached to a body of the drill bit, each cutter comprising catalyst-free synthetic polycrystalline diamond attached to a carbide substrate.

[0020] In one aspect, a method of forming a drill bit includes forming a plurality of cutters, each cutter comprising catalyst-free synthetic polycrystalline diamond attached to a carbide substrate; and attaching the plurality of cutters to a body of the drill bit.

[0021] In one aspect, a drill bit includes a plurality of cutters attached to a body of the drill bit, each cutter comprising catalyst-free synthetic polycrystalline diamond attached to a carbide substrate.

[0022] In some embodiments, forming the catalyst-free synthetic polycrystalline diamond comprises applying a pressure of at least 14 GPa during processing of the catalyst-free synthetic polycrystalline diamond.

[0023] In some cases, during processing of the catalyst-free synthetic polycrystalline diamond, the catalyst-free synthetic polycrystalline diamond is processed to a temperature of at least 1900°C.

[0024] In some embodiments, the catalyst-free synthesized polycrystalline diamond has a diameter of at least 8 mm. In some cases, the catalyst-free synthesized polycrystalline diamond has a diamond table thickness of at least 3 mm.

[0025] In some embodiments, the catalyst-free synthesized polycrystalline diamond has a flat end surface.

[0026] In some embodiments, the catalyst-free synthesized polycrystalline diamond has an uneven end surface. In some cases, the catalyst-free synthesized polycrystalline diamond has a tapered end surface.

[0027] In some embodiments, forming a plurality of cutters includes providing a substrate comprising tungsten carbide; and attaching the catalyst-free synthesized PCD to the substrate comprising tungsten carbide to form PDC cutters.

[0028] In some embodiments, attaching the plurality of cutters to the body of the drill bit includes brazing the plurality of cutters to the body of the drill bit at a temperature exceeding 750°C.

[0029] The details of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description that follows. Other features, objects, and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent from the description, drawings, and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary drill bit used to form wellbores in the oil and gas industry.

[0031] Figure 2A is a perspective view of an exemplary PDC cutter.

[0032] Figure 2B yes Figure 2A Cross-sectional view of an exemplary PDC cutter.

[0033] Figure 3 is a detailed view of components of an exemplary two-stage, multi-anvil cube press for forming PCD material for use as a PCD layer in a PDC cutter.

[0034] Figure 4 is an end view of an exemplary anvil for use in a cube press.

[0035] Figure 5A and 5B is a schematic diagram of a capsule for forming PCD.

[0036] Figure 6 is a flow chart of an exemplary UHPHT method for growing PCD material to form a PCD layer for a PDC cutter.

[0037] Figure 7A and Figure 7B This is a photo of a commercial cutter. Figure 7C and Figure 7D Is to use reference Figure 6 Photograph of a PCD layer for a cutter produced by the described method.

[0038] Figure 8 Shown Figures 7A-7D X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement results of the samples shown in .

[0039] Figure 9A and Figure 9B is a schematic diagram showing wear resistance measured using a turning test.

[0040] Figures 10A-10D yes Figures 7A-7D Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the samples shown in .

[0041] Figures 11A-11D It is the XRD of the cutter at high temperature.

[0042] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary vacuum diffusion bonding arrangement.

[0043] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary heat pressing arrangement.

[0044] Figure 14 is a schematic side view of the interface between PCD material and a substrate formed by a UHPHT process.

[0045] Figure 15A is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of a laser to form a non-planar interface in a PCD layer for a cutter. Figure 15B is through Figure 15A Schematic diagram of a PCD layer formed by the process shown in FIG, which is attached to the substrate by mechanically locking the non-planar interface. Figure 15C is through Figure 15A Schematic diagram of a PCD layer formed by the process shown in , which is attached to a substrate by mechanical locking of a non-planar surface supplemented by an adhesive.

[0046] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram showing side views of various configurations of the interface between PCD material and a substrate formed by a UHPHT process.

[0047] Figure 17 The loads on the PDC cutter during rotary drilling and during rotary percussion drilling are shown.

[0048] Figure 18 A schematic diagram of a water jet hammer system is shown.

[0049] Figure 19 An example of a tapered PDC cutter is shown.

[0050] Figure 20A -B shows the simulation results of a catalyst-free PDC cutter interacting with a formation.

[0051] Figure 21 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary computer system for providing computing functionality associated with the algorithms, methods, functions, processes, procedures, and programs described in this disclosure.

[0052] Like reference numbers in the various drawings represent like elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] To facilitate an understanding of the principles of the present disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specific language will be used to describe these embodiments. However, this is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Any changes and further modifications to the described devices, systems, and methods, as well as any further applications of the principles of the present disclosure, are fully contemplated, as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the present disclosure relates. In particular, it is fully contemplated that features, components, steps, or combinations thereof described with respect to one embodiment may be combined with features, components, steps, or combinations thereof described with respect to other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0054] The present disclosure relates to the manufacture of catalyst-free PCD material for drill bits, and in particular to drill bits used for oil and gas wellbore formation. The PCD material is formed from micro-sized diamond particles and is formed using ultra-high pressure, high temperature (UHPHT) technology. The resulting PCD material provides excellent resistance to abrasive wear, impact damage, and thermal fatigue, thereby overcoming the shortcomings of existing PCD materials formed using high pressure, high temperature (HPHT) technology. In some cases, the PCD material has the hardness of single crystal diamond, which is more than twice the hardness of current PDC cutters. In addition, in some cases, PCD produced using UHPHT technology has a fracture toughness approaching that of metallic materials. As a result, the PCD material of the present disclosure provides improved drill bit performance, increased drill bit life, and higher cutting efficiency.

[0055] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary drill bit 100 used in the oil and gas industry to form a wellbore. The drill bit 100 includes a plurality of polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutters 102. The PDC cutters are operable to cut into rock to form a wellbore. Figure 2A is a perspective view of an exemplary PDC cutter 200 that is similar to PDC cutter 102 . Figure 2B2 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary PDC cutter 200 taken along a plane containing centerline 201. Similar to PCD cutter 102, PDC cutter 200 is disc-shaped and, similar to PDC cutter 102, includes a PCD layer 202 and a substrate 204. In some embodiments, PCD layer 202 has a thickness in the range of 2 millimeters (mm) to 4 mm. However, in other embodiments, PCD layer 202 may have a thickness greater than or less than the indicated range. In some embodiments, substrate 204 has a thickness in the range of 9 mm to 11 mm. However, in other embodiments, substrate 204 may have a thickness greater than or less than the indicated range.

[0056] exist Figure 2B In the example shown, the PDC cutter 102 has a circular cross-sectional shape. The diameter D of the PDC cutter 102 varies depending on the desired size of the PDC cutter 102. For example, in some embodiments, the PDC cutter 102 may have a diameter D within a range of 8 mm to 48 mm. However, in other embodiments, the diameter D of the PDC cutter 102 may be larger or smaller than the indicated range. Figure 2A As shown, the exemplary PDC cutter 102 has a cylindrical shape. In other embodiments, the cutter may have a conical shape. In some embodiments, the cross-sectional dimensions of the PCD layer 202 may differ from the cross-sectional dimensions of the substrate 204. Further, in other embodiments, the cross-sectional shape of the PDC cutter 102 may not be circular. In still other embodiments, the PCD layer 202 may have a non-circular cross-sectional shape. For example, the PCD layer 202 may be oval, square, rectangular, or have an irregular shape. The cross-sectional dimensions of the PCD layer 202 may range from 8 mm to 48 mm.

[0057] The PCD layer 202 is made of PCD material formed using UHPHT technology. In some embodiments, the substrate 204 is formed from a mixture of tungsten carbide (WC) and cobalt (Co). In some embodiments, cobalt may comprise 1% to 20% by weight of the WC-Co mixture. Furthermore, as discussed in greater detail later, the substrate 204 may be formed from powder during the manufacture of the PDC cutter 102.

[0058] The UHPHT technique involves forming PCD material using compressive pressures in the range of 10 Gigapascals (GPa) to 35 GPa and temperatures in the range of 2000 Kelvin (K) to 3000 K.

[0059] In some embodiments, the PCD material is formed using a two-stage multi-anvil cubic press. For example, the PCD layer 202 may be formed using a 6-8 model DS6 x 25 MN cubic press manufactured by Chengdu Dongwei Technology Co., Ltd., No. 2039, Tianfu Avenue South, Tianfu New District, Chengdu 610213, Sichuan, China. Figure 3 Detailed view of components of an exemplary two-stage, multi-anvil cubic press for forming PCD material for use as a PCD layer in a PDC cutter. These components include a first stage 300 and a second stage 302. The first stage 300 includes six anvils 304. The anvils 304 are arranged in aligned pairs along each axis of an orthogonal coordinate system. One pair of aligned anvils 304 is positioned along a first axis 306 (x-axis); another pair of aligned anvils 304 is positioned along a second axis 308 (y-axis) and a third axis 310 (z-axis). Axes 306, 308, and 310 are perpendicular to one another.

[0060] Figure 4 304. FIG3 is an end view of one of the anvils 304. Each anvil 304 has a chamfered edge 400 defining a central contact surface 402. The chamfered edges 400 of the anvils 304 provide relief for adjacent anvils 304, enabling the contact surface 402 of each anvil 304 to engage the second stage 302, as will be described in greater detail below.

[0061] Reference again Figure 3 The second stage 302 is an intensifier 312, which includes eight cubes 314 that collectively define a cavity 316. In the illustrated example, the cavity 316 is in the form of a square octahedron. Other cavity shapes may also be used. For example, in other embodiments, the intensifier 312 may define a cylindrical cavity, such as a cylinder having a circular cross-sectional shape. The cubes 314 are formed from WC-Co. These cubes 314 collectively form the intensifier 312 having a cubic shape, and each contact surface 402 of the anvil 304 contacts one of the end surfaces of the intensifier 312. The cavity 316 formed by the intensifier 312 is filled with the material to be compressed, and the cubes 314 are bonded together using, for example, a WC / Co adhesive to form a monolithic intensifier 312. Strips 318 (e.g., pyrophyllite strips) are positioned between the cubes 314 and serve to form a seal between adjacent cubes 314 during compression.

[0062] In some embodiments, a two-stage, multi-anvil press provides a 36 / 20 assembly, where "36" represents the length of one side of the cubic intensifier 312, and where "20" represents the length of one side of the square contact surface 402 of the anvil 304. However, other assembly sizes are also within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, assemblies of the following sizes are also within the scope of the present disclosure: 10 / 4, 14 / 6, 14 / 7, 16 / 7, 18 / 8, 18 / 9, 25 / 15, and 38 / 22. Other sizes may also be used.

[0063] Cavity 316 is filled with diamond powder. In some embodiments, the diamond powder may have a grain or particle size between 8 micrometers (μm) and 12 μm. In some embodiments, the powder may have a particle size of up to 50 μm. In some embodiments, the powder may have a particle size as low as 0.5 μm. The diamond powder is processed in a vacuum furnace at about 1200°C (e.g., between 1150°C and 1250°C) for about 90 minutes. For example, 2×10 -4 A vacuum pressure of 100 Torr is applied to the diamond powder in the vacuum furnace. In this step, the diamond particles are still in a loose particle state during this process. In some embodiments, the diamond powder is placed in a corundum container, which is introduced into the vacuum furnace. A vacuum is applied to the vacuum furnace until the pressure inside the vacuum furnace is approximately 2× The diamond particles were heated at a rate of about 15°C per minute until a temperature of about 1200°C was reached. The diamond powder was held under the support for 90 minutes, and then cooled to room temperature at a rate of about 5°C per minute.

[0064] After the vacuum furnace process is complete, the diamond particles are incorporated into the capsule 500, as shown in FIG. Figures 5A-5BAs shown. In some embodiments, the diamond powder is pressed into pellets having a relative density of approximately 78% before being introduced into the cylindrical capsule 500. In other embodiments, the cylindrical capsule 500 is pressed into pellets having a relative density of approximately 78% before being introduced into the cavity 316. In some embodiments, the cylindrical capsule 500 has a diameter of approximately 13 millimeters (mm) and a thickness of approximately 6.3 mm. However, the dimensions of the cylindrical capsule 500 may depend on other factors, such as the desired size of the PCD material, the size of the cubic press, or other factors. Diamond particles 402 are filled into the capsule 500. In some embodiments, the capsule 500 is a cylindrical capsule. The capsule 500 includes a metal foil 404 made of 99.95% pure tantalum (Ta). The capsule 500 also includes a magnesium oxide (MgO) sleeve 406 placed on the metal foil 404. The metal foil 404 made of tantalum functions as a heater when current is applied through the booster 312 , and ZrO 2 functions as an insulator.

[0065] The capsule 500 is placed in the cavity 316 of the intensifier 312. A mixture of 99.99% pure magnesium oxide doped with 5% chromium oxide (Cr2O3) by weight is also introduced into the cavity 316 and used as a pressure transmission medium. With the cylindrical capsule and pressure transmission medium added to the cavity 316, the intensifier 312 is sealed and bonded with a strip 318 positioned between adjacent cubes 314. The intensifier 312, loaded with diamond powder, is placed between the anvils 304 of the first stage 300 of the cube press.

[0066] With the intensifier 312 in place, the anvils 304 advance and engage the intensifier 312. The central contact surface 402 of each anvil 304 contacts the adjacent outer surface of the intensifier 312. Therefore, when a load is applied to the intensifier 312 via the anvils 304, the anvils 304 apply load in six directions on the six outer surfaces of the intensifier 312. The load applied by the anvils 304 pushes the cubes 314 toward each other, compressing the pressure-transmitting medium and thereby generating high pressure within the chamber 316. As the anvils 304 advance, the intensifier 312 deforms, causing the WC-Co material forming the cubes 314 to displace into the gap formed between adjacent anvils 304 at adjacent chamfered edges 402. This displaced WC-Co material thus forms a sealing edge between adjacent anvils 304. In some cases, the sealing material is pyrophyllite, which is extruded to fill the gap between the anvils to prevent direct contact between the anvils. The central contact surface 402 and the sealed edge combine to form a two-stage pressure chamber. When a load is applied to the intensifier 312 , the strips 318 placed between the cubes 314 and the pressure transmission medium are squeezed and flow to form a sealing edge between adjacent cubes 314 .

[0067] Figure 6The flowchart of an exemplary UHPHT method 600 for producing PCD material to form a PCD layer for a PDC cutter is shown. At 602, the pressure applied to a diamond powder sample is steadily increased to approximately 5 GPa over a two-hour period. This pressure can be applied to the diamond powder sample via a set of anvils (e.g., anvils 304 described previously) in a cubic press. The set of anvils applies pressure to the diamond powder via an intensifier (e.g., intensifier 312 described previously) to increase the pressure on the diamond powder. At 604, the diamond powder is heated to approximately 1000°C at a rate of 100°C per minute. As previously described, the diamond powder can be placed within a capsule containing tantalum foil. An electrical current can be passed through the intensifier and through the tantalum foil, which generates heat in response to the current, thereby heating the diamond powder. This temperature is typically applied 30-60 minutes before increasing the pressure for the purpose of preheating the diamond powder. The 5 GPa pre-pressure is intended to stabilize the diamond powder and prevent it from converting to graphite during heating. At 606, the temperature is held constant at 1000°C and the pressure is increased to 14 GPa over a period of one hour. After achieving this pressure, it is maintained for at least 2-4 minutes before the next step occurs. At 608, while the pressure is maintained at 14 GPa, the temperature is increased to 1000-2000°C at a rate of 200°C per minute. This temperature and pressure are determined based on the "peak PT condition" determined from the diamond-graphite phase diagram.

[0068] At 610, the temperature and pressure of 14 GPa are maintained for approximately ten minutes. At 612, the sample is annealed at a temperature of 1000°C and a pressure of 5 GPa for a period of four hours. The temperature in the previous step is reduced from the designed or desired synthesis temperature to 1000°C. The temperature is reduced and then the pressure is reduced. At 614, the temperature is reduced to room temperature at a rate of 50°C per minute, and the pressure is reduced to 2 GPa. At 616, the pressure of 2 GPa is reduced to ambient pressure over a period of 30 minutes. The temperature is reduced first before the pressure is gradually reduced to help avoid the occurrence of anvil "blowout" (cracks).

[0069] The UHPHT PCD production methods encompassed by the present disclosure may require eight to twelve hours to complete. Furthermore, while exemplary method 500 describes a maximum pressure of 14 GPa applied to the sample, the UHPHT methods encompass ultrahigh pressures ranging from 10 GPa to 35 GPa. More generally, the ultrahigh pressures of the UHPHT methods are greater than the pressures used in conventional HPHT methods. Conventional HPHT methods involve pressures ranging from 5.5 GPa to 7 GPa. Therefore, pressures exceeding those used in conventional HPHT methods are UHPHT pressures within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, while an upper range of 35 MPa is indicated, in other embodiments, UHPHT methods within the scope of the present disclosure may use pressures exceeding 35 MPa.

[0070] Upon completion of the UHPHT process, the sample is removed, for example, from the cube press. In some embodiments, the sample is treated with an acid to remove one or more components contained within the diamond powder sample. For example, when the diamond powder is incorporated into a capsule (such as capsule 500 described above), the capsule is treated with an acid to remove the tantalum foil. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the sample is rinsed in water and then cleaned in ethanol using an ultrasonic bath. The ultrasonic bath is used to rinse first with water and then with ethanol.

[0071] The UHPHT method forms diamond powder into a polycrystalline form. The UHPHT system and method described in this disclosure do not include the use of a catalyst to promote sintering and PCD formation. PCD material formed using traditional methods is formed at relatively low pressures and requires the use of a catalyst, such as cobalt, to promote sintering and PCD formation. However, during drilling, the catalyst heats and expands, damaging the bond between the PCD and the underlying substrate. This can lead to separation of individual PCD grains within the diamond table and separation from the interface with the substrate, and therefore the drill bit. As a result, drilling performance is significantly reduced.

[0072] The higher pressures associated with the UHPHT systems and methods of the present disclosure promote sintering of diamond particles to form PCD without the use of a catalyst. Therefore, the PCD material and associated PDC drill bits of the present disclosure do not suffer from the problems experienced by current drill bits containing PCD due to the use of catalysts.

[0073] The starting diamond powder and the resulting PCD material formed using the UHPHT method can be examined before and after the UHPHT manufacturing process. For example, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) can be performed on the diamond powder using an X-ray diffractometer (XRD). A Cu K-ray diffraction with a wavelength λ of 0.15406 nm is applied at 0.01° per second over a 2θ range of 10° to 100°. αSynthesized PCD material can also be subjected to similar X-ray diffraction techniques. X-ray diffraction is used to characterize both the initial diamond powder and the synthesized PCD material at room temperature. After synthesis, the PCD material can be end-polished, for example, using a diamond wheel. While polishing the cutting layer of conventional PDC cutters may take one or two days, polishing UHPHT cutting elements or materials typically requires one to two weeks due to their ultrahigh hardness. The morphology of the end-polished PCD sample can be examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The microstructure of the PCD sample can also be characterized using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) at an accelerating voltage of 200 kilovolts (kV). The Archimedean method can be used to measure the bulk density of UHPHT-produced PCD samples, and the relative density can be calculated using quantitative analysis of XRD intensities against a phase reference. Micro-Raman scattering spectra can be collected at room temperature using a confocal Raman measurement spectroscopy system in backscattering geometry, based on a triple-grating monochromator with an attached electron multiplying charge-coupled device (EMCCD). The PCD sample was excited at 532 nanometers (nm) using a solid-state laser, and backscattering was collected using a 100x, 0.90 numerical aperture (NA) objective.

[0074] In addition, Vickers hardness (Hv) testing can be performed on end-polished PCD samples using a Vickers single crystal diamond indenter system. The loading force for the Vickers hardness test can be 29.4 Newtons (N) with a holding time of 15 seconds. The length of the microcracks produced in the PCD sample by the Vickers indenter can be measured using an SEM. In some cases, the Vickers hardness of PCD samples synthesized using the UHPHT method reaches 120 GPa, which represents the upper limit of single crystal diamond. In some cases, PCD samples also include up to 18.7 The fracture toughness of the material is close to that of metals. These values ​​greatly exceed those associated with PCD materials formed using conventional methods. For example, in some cases, PCD materials conventionally formed using HPHT techniques have a Vickers hardness of approximately 50 GPa and a hardness of approximately 8 fracture toughness.

[0075] Figure 7A-7B Is to use reference Figure 6 The method described produces a commercial cutter ( Figure 7A and Figure 7B ) and PCD layer for cutter ( Figure 7C and Figure 7D ). Commercial cutters consist of a diamond cutting layer and a WC-Co substrate and are commercially available from suppliers such as Kennametal and Zhuzhou Cemented Carbide. Commercial cutters and PCD layers are typically cylindrical. Figure 7AThe commercial cutter 620 (Sample 1) shown has a diameter of approximately 13.4 millimeters (mm) and a height of approximately 13.2 mm. Figure 7B The commercial cutter 622 (Sample 2) shown has a diameter of approximately 10 mm and a height of approximately 8 mm. Figure 7C The PCD layer 622 shown (Sample 3) has a diameter of approximately 10 mm, and a height of approximately 4.5 mm. Figure 7D The PCD layer 626 shown (Sample 4) has a diameter of approximately 10 mm, and a height of approximately 4.4 mm. Various tests were conducted to compare the properties of commercially available cutters with PCD formed by the methods described in this specification.

[0076] 7A to 7D A box containing annotations of the location of the Raman test performed to measure the residual stress of the sample. The residual stress of the sample can be determined using the following formula: (Formula 1) in is the residual biaxial stress, is the Raman peak shift of stress-free diamond measured on a diamond plate, is the diamond Raman shift measured at the sample surface. The reference sample with no stress Raman peak is 1332.32 The results of this analysis are shown in Table 1 below. For the baseline PDC cutter, center locations A and C were laser marked. All stress units are negative, indicating compressive internal residual stresses from manufacturing. For the laser-marked locations, the stress is lower than that in the unmarked areas, indicating that the laser marking heats up to release some residual stress. For the UHPHT PCD disk, since no laser marking was used on the sample, the residual stresses in the center and edge regions are similar.

[0077] Figure 8 Shown Figures 7A-7D X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement results of the samples shown. The XRD measurement results presented on graph 630 were obtained using a DX-2500 / The x-ray radiation source was a Cu Kα x-ray source with a wavelength of 0.15406 nm and was operated at 40 kV and 25 mA. The scanning angle ( ) within the range of 20–100°, with a step size of 0.03° and a counting time of 1 second, the sample surface was scanned. Two peaks 632 associated with diamond and one peak 634 associated with cobalt are present. Samples 1 and 2 (i.e., commercial cutters) are composed of diamond and cobalt. In contrast, samples 3 and 4 contain only diamond.

[0078] Figure 9A and Figure 9B is a schematic diagram showing wear resistance measured using a turning test. By placing a sample (e.g., Figure 9A The turning test was conducted by grinding the sample 650 in the image above against the workpiece and optically and precisely measuring the amount of sample 650 worn away (e.g., sample portion 652). The wear resistance of a polycrystalline diamond (PCD) cutter diamond table and an UHPHT PCD disk were investigated when turning granite at a constant linear speed. Both the polycrystalline diamond (PCD) cutter diamond table and the UHPHT PCD disk were cylindrical in shape (they had the same diameter and height). Wear resistance was characterized as the ratio of the volume of diamond layer lost to the volume of machined granite material removed (when it is a dimensionless number). In the turning test, the wear ratio of the sample was calculated as the workpiece removal volume divided by the sample wear volume. Turning tests were conducted on sample 2 (a diamond table or layer from a baseline PDC cutter - the best PDC cutter currently used in the industry) and sample 4 (a 14 GPa UHPHT PCD diamond) using a granite workpiece. The wear ratio of sample 2 was 1.5 × The wear ratio of sample 4 is 3.5 × These results are remarkable, as the wear resistance of the UHPHT PCD layer is 2.3 times higher than that of the commercial cutter.

[0079] 10A to 10D yes 7A to 7D Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of multiple samples are shown. In each figure, an SEM image of the side surface of the sample is shown above an SEM image of the top surface of the sample. Figure 10A presents an SEM image of the received sample 620, and Figure 10B SEM images of sample 622 after grinding are presented. Sample 2 (the side surface of the diamond layer after OD grinding) exhibits sharper grain boundaries than sample 1 (the top surface of the as-received baseline sample). The grain size is approximately 10 μm, and pores are present due to the acid treatment performed on the top surface of the as-received baseline sample to remove cobalt. Compared to the commercial sample, the grains of samples 3 and 4 have a compact microstructure, and the individual grains are relatively sharp and angular. The grain sizes of samples 3 and 4 are approximately 10 μm and 5 μm, respectively.

[0080] 11A to 11D XRD of the cutter was performed at high temperature in order to evaluate the thermal stability of the cutter. Figure 11A and Figure 11B Is a commercial PDC cutter purchased ( Figure 11A ) and sample D ( Figure 11B ) at various high temperatures. Figure 11Cis the XRD of UHPHT 14-G Pa cut materials, which shows that these materials have good thermal stability up to 1000 °C. Figure 11D In situ XRD of UHPHT16-GPa cutting materials shows that these materials have excellent thermal stability at temperatures up to 1400°C. The results show that UHPHT16-GPa cutting materials remain stable above 1200°C in air, while commercial PDC cutters typically begin to oxidize at around 800°C.

[0081] Current PDC cutter sizes range between 8 mm and 22 mm. For drilling applications, the minimum diameter of ultra-strong PDC cutting material should be 8 mm. To form the cutter, the synthetic UHPHT PCD material is bonded to a substrate, such as a substrate formed from WC-Co. Various forming methods can be used to bond the UHPHT PCD material to the substrate, including vacuum diffusion bonding, hot pressing, spark plasma sintering, microwave bonding, or HPHT bonding techniques.

[0082] Conventionally, before forming a PDC cutter by conventional high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) techniques, the substrate is pre-compacted and the diamond is in powder form. In some of the methods described below, the substrate is in powder form when placed in contact with the PCD material. The pressure and temperature experienced during the joining process can sinter the substrate material into a rigid material while also bonding the substrate to the UHPHT PCD material to form a similar Figure 1 as well as Figure 2A and 2B In some embodiments, the starting material for the substrate may be a WC-Co powder having a Co content ranging from 1% to 20% by weight. The particle size of the WC-Co powder may be in the range of 0.5 μm to 50 μm.

[0083] As mentioned above, WC / Co powder can be used to form cutters using HPHT (typical pressure range is 5 to 7 GPa) bonding / joining techniques, while also being bonded to PCD cutting materials or disks without UHPHT catalyst. Current UHPHT technology can also be applied to bond PCD in powder form to substrates. For other proposed methods, such as SPS and HP, a solid or pre-pressed WC substrate can be used instead of WC / Co powder to bond or join to PCD material. In addition to HPHT and UHPHT bonding methods, the SPS method can also be used with a substrate in powder form due to the use of a mold and the application of pressures exceeding 1 GPa.

[0084] For vacuum bonding, place the PCD material and substrate material in Entrusted to Vacuum bonding or brazing utilizes a vacuum within the range of 1000 to 2000°C and is exposed to bonding temperatures ranging from 600°C to 1200°C. Vacuum bonding, or brazing, takes advantage of the "airless" nature of the hot zone environment, allowing the brazing filler metal to melt in a contaminant-free environment. Compared to typical vacuum bonding techniques, this method involves applying pressure to the PCD and substrate materials. The applied pressure ranges from 10 MPa to 1 GPa. These pressures overcome the bond strength issues associated with conventional low-vacuum bonding. Filler metals such as niobium (Nb), molybdenum (Mo), titanium (Ti), or tungsten (W) can be added to the interface between the PCD and substrate materials to promote bonding and reduce the bonding temperature.

[0085] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary vacuum diffusion bonding system 700 that may be used to form a cutter. The vacuum diffusion bonding system 700 includes a chamber 702 in which PCD material 704 and a substrate material 706 are placed. The PCD material 704 and the substrate material 706 are stacked. An interface 708 between the PCD material 704 and the substrate material 706 may be planar or non-planar and may include an adhesive or omit an adhesive. Figures 14 to 16 Discusses interface configuration in more detail.

[0086] A binder in the form of a filler metal, such as niobium (Nb), molybdenum (Mo), titanium (Ti), or tungsten (W), may be placed between the PCD material 704 and the substrate material 706. Within the chamber 702, the PCD material 704 and the substrate material 706 are positioned between a plate or piston 710. The piston 710 applies a load to the PCD material 704 and the substrate material 706 to bond the two components together, thereby forming the PDC cutter. As previously described, the substrate material 706 may be in powder form prior to being loaded from the piston 710. In some cases, the substrate material 706 may be in a compressed form when introduced into the chamber 702. The system 700 also includes a heater 712 for controlling the temperature within the chamber 702. The heater 712 may be an induction heater.

[0087] Vacuum bonding takes advantage of the absence of air in the heated environment, allowing the filler metal to melt in a contaminant-free environment. As previously described, the metal filler can be positioned at the interface 708. The low pressure or vacuum atmosphere protects the PCD material 704, substrate material 706, and any filler metal from atmospheric contaminants (especially and ), thereby preventing oxidation and nitridation. Avoiding this contamination improves material flow, wettability, and adhesion of the metal filler to the PCD material 704 and substrate material 706, creating a strong bond between the PCD material 704 and substrate material 706. Because the new PCD material lacks catalysts and pinholes within its structure, the vacuum prevents the diamond from converting to graphite at high temperatures. Furthermore, Co or other binders have good wettability with the PCD material, which facilitates metallurgical bonding.

[0088] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary hot pressing system 800. The hot pressing system 800 includes a chamber 802 in which a PCD material 804 and a substrate material 806 are positioned between a piston 810. The PCD material 804 and substrate material 806 are stacked and define an interface 808. In certain embodiments, the piston 810 is made of graphite. In certain embodiments, the substrate material 806 may be in powder form when introduced into the chamber 802. In other embodiments, the substrate material 806 may be in a compressed form (i.e., already formed into a single solid body) when introduced into the chamber 802. The piston 810 applies a load to the PCD material 804 and substrate material 806 to bond the two components together and form a PDC cutter. A filler metal, such as niobium (Nb), molybdenum (Mo), titanium (Ti), or tungsten (W), may be included at the interface 808 between the PCD material and the substrate material to facilitate bonding and reduce the joining temperature.

[0089] During operation, place chamber 802 in Entrusted to The chamber 802 is heated to a temperature in the range of 600°C to 1200°C. In addition, an inert gas such as argon (Ar) is introduced into the chamber 702 to prevent atmospheric contamination such as from O2 or N2, as previously described. In some embodiments, the load applied by the piston 810 can produce a compressive pressure in the range of 10 MPa to 2 GPa.

[0090] Conventional hot pressing techniques can produce maximum compression pressures of approximately 100 MPa. However, the present disclosure utilizes piston 810 formed from diamond or boron nitride (BN) to provide pressures exceeding 100 MPa, including pressures up to 2 GPa. Hot pressing is performed under vacuum or an inert atmosphere to prevent diamond oxidation and graphitization. This also applies pressure to the NPI interface, creating a stronger bond.

[0091] Spark plasma sintering (SPS) can also be used to join PCD material formed via the UHPHT process to a substrate. Spark plasma sintering (also known as field-assisted sintering or pulsed current sintering) involves passing a pulsed or non-pulsed DC or AC current directly through a graphite die or piston, which is used to compress the PCD material and substrate together. In some cases, where the substrate is initially in powder form, the piston is also used to compact the powder. In other embodiments, the substrate may be compacted prior to spark plasma sintering. Joule heating (also known as resistance heating) is used to heat the PCD material and substrate. Compared to conventional sintering techniques, the pressure and elevated temperature applied by the piston achieve near-theoretical substrate density at lower sintering temperatures. Compared to conventional hot pressing, where heat is provided by external heaters, the heat generated is internal to the PCD and substrate. Internal heating can provide higher heating and cooling rates than other sintering methods. As a result, sintering occurs more rapidly than with other sintering methods.

[0092] In the experimental operation, PCD material and substrate material were heated at atmospheric pressure at 10 -2 Support up to 10 -6 The PCD material and substrate material are heated to a temperature in the range of 600°C to 1200°C within a range of 1000 torr. The temperature is increased by passing a pulsed or direct current of 1000 amperes (A) to 2000 A through the PCD material and substrate material. The current may be applied using a voltage of approximately 10 volts (V). In certain embodiments, the PCD material and substrate material are heated in a stepwise manner from ambient room temperature to the desired bonding temperature. The low-pressure atmosphere may be created by applying a vacuum to a compartment containing the PCD material and substrate material.

[0093] The PCD material and substrate material can be heated at a rate of approximately 1000 K per minute. Heating at this rate reduces stress concentrations. It is expected that heating rates of 10 K per minute to 1000 K per minute in the aforementioned low-pressure atmosphere will provide reduced stress concentrations. The PCD material and substrate material can also be cooled at a rate of approximately 1000 K per minute. These heating and cooling rates reduce stress concentrations and increase bond strength. In addition to inert or vacuum atmospheres, SPS has faster heating rates than other methods, effectively avoiding diamond degradation at high bonding temperatures.

[0094] Microwave bonding can be used to bond PCD material formed via a UHPHT process to a substrate, whether initially in powder or compacted form. Microwave energy is applied to the stacked PCD and substrate materials to heat them, thereby bonding them and forming a PDC cutter for oil and gas drilling. In some embodiments, microwave energy is applied to the PCD and substrate materials for 10 minutes, causing the PCD and substrate materials to reach 1200°C. Heating rates in the range of about 400°C per minute to about 1000°C per minute can be used to reduce stress concentrations at the interface between the PCD and substrate materials and enhance the bond strength between the materials. Microwaves can internally heat the materials, significantly reducing the bonding process time at high temperatures to prevent diamond degradation, such as oxidation and graphitization.

[0095] HPHT sintering techniques can also be used to bond PCD formed using an UHPHT process to a substrate material. In some embodiments, a binder is included at the interface between the PCD material and the substrate material. In some embodiments, the substrate can be in powder form or compacted form. The pressure applied to the PCD material and the substrate material can include pressures up to 8 GPa, and the applied temperature can range from about 1200°C to about 1500°C. In cases where the substrate material is WC-Co in powder form, the sintering temperature can be lowered to about 1450°C.

[0096] Figure 14 is a schematic side view of a cutter having an interface between PCD material and a substrate formed by a UHPHT process. The cutter has a planar interface 904 with a binder 906 disposed in the interface 904 to facilitate bonding of the PCD material 900 and the substrate 902. Some cutters are formed without a binder.

[0097] Figure 15A is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of a laser 920 to form a non-planar interface 906 between a PCD layer and a substrate for a cutter. The interface 906 is a wavy or sinusoidal interface. Figure 15B is through Figure 15A Schematic diagram of a PCD layer 900 formed by the process shown in FIG, attached to a substrate 902 via a mechanically locked non-planar interface. Figure 15C is through Figure 15A Schematic diagram of a process forming a PCD layer 900 attached to a substrate 902 by mechanical locking of a non-planar surface supplemented by an adhesive.

[0098] Figure 16is a schematic diagram illustrating side views of various configurations of interfaces between PCD material and a substrate formed via a UHPHT process. As previously described, an adhesive 906 may be provided at interface 904 to facilitate bonding between PCD material 900 and substrate 902. Interface 908 is an interface resembling a square wave; interface 910 forms a sawtooth shape or otherwise resembles a triangular wave; and interface 912 includes a single interlocking tooth 914. Column I illustrates these various interfaces without an adhesive provided between the PCD material and substrate, while column II illustrates these various interfaces with an adhesive (e.g., filler metal) provided between the PCD material and substrate.

[0099] Traditionally, low-temperature brazing materials, such as silver-based alloys, have been used to install PDC cutters into drill bits. The brazing process for conventionally machined PDC cutters requires careful temperature control because damage to the PDC cutters can occur at temperatures exceeding 700°C. For example, diamond can be converted back into graphite at 700°C using a cobalt catalyst. Silver-based brazing materials typically have a melting temperature between 650°C and 710°C. Even with careful control, temperatures during the brazing of conventionally machined PDC cutters into drill bits can often exceed 750°C.

[0100] The catalyst-free PDC cutters of the present disclosure can withstand temperatures up to 1400°C without damage, allowing for a larger brazing temperature window. Using conventional silver-based alloys for brazing, the higher temperature damage threshold allows the cutters to be heated for longer periods of time, allowing for better coverage of the braze material, resulting in a better bond. Furthermore, the higher heat resistance enables the use of a wider variety of high-temperature brazing materials, such as copper-based alloys, nickel-based alloys, or titanium-based alloys. These high-temperature brazing materials provide better bond strength than silver-based alloys.

[0101] High-temperature brazing materials, such as titanium-based alloys, can also have high wettability with catalyst-free PCD diamond tables. This higher wettability allows the brazing material to cover and bond to a portion of the PCD diamond table, thereby improving the bond strength between the PDC cutters and the drill bit body.

[0102] After brazing a catalyst-free PDC cutter into a drill bit, the body of the drill bit may require additional high temperature treatment, especially for steel body drill tools. The use of high temperature brazing materials increases the likelihood that neither the PDC cutter nor the braze will be damaged by the heat treatment.

[0103] The improved mechanical properties of catalyst-free PDC cutters, such as higher wear resistance, higher toughness, and higher impact resistance, can allow these cutters to be used in drilling systems and situations where implementing conventional PDC cutters might be cost-prohibitive due to cutter failure and more frequent bit trips. For example, bottom hole assemblies using water jet hammer systems are subject to shear loads and dynamic impact loads, the combination of which can cause early failure of conventional PDC cutters; however, the increased mechanical properties of catalyst-free PDC cutters can withstand the higher loads.

[0104] Figure 17 Schematic diagrams illustrating exemplary loads experienced by a PDC cutter during rotary drilling 1100 and rotary percussion drilling 1102 are shown. In rotary drilling 1100, the PDC cutter experiences a normal force due to the weight on bit (WOB) 1104 and the shear force 1106 caused by the torque applied to the drill bit. The resultant force 1108 affects the drill bit's rate of penetration (ROP). In rotary percussion drilling, the PDC cutter can experience the same static normal force from the WOB 1104 and the shear force 1106 from the torque applied to the drill bit, but can also be subject to an additional dynamic load 1110 from the impact of the cutter. The dynamic force can be cyclic at a predetermined frequency, such as 10 Hz or 20 Hz. The resultant force 1112 on the PDC cutter in rotary percussion drilling has a larger component directed into the cut formation, which can increase the ROP compared to rotary drilling alone. Increasing the ROP can increase drilling efficiency. Rotary percussion drilling can be beneficial in hard and / or abrasive formations.

[0105] Figure 18A schematic diagram of a water jet hammer system 1120 is shown. The water jet hammer system 1120 can be included in a bottom hole assembly to generate axial impact energy in addition to the existing shear energy when the PDC cutter is engaged in the formation. It is installed in the drill bit assembly, between the lower portion of the neutral point and the drill bit. The water jet hammer system 1120 includes three main subsystems: a control unit 1122, a power unit 1124, and an energy transmission unit 1126. An upper connector 1128 connects the water jet hammer system 1120 to the lower portion of the neutral point of the drill tool assembly. When in use, drilling mud flows through the water jet hammer system 1120. A diverter 1130 divides the drilling mud into two parts. One portion of the drilling mud bypasses the jet element 1132, while the other portion enters the jet element 1132. The jet element 1132 serves as the hydraulic control unit 1122. Jet element 1132 is designed based on the Coanda effect, a hydraulic effect that describes the tendency of a fluid jet to remain attached to a convex surface. As a result, drilling mud undergoes a regulated reversal, flowing alternately to upper chamber 1134 and lower chamber 1136 of cylinder 1138. Power unit 1124 includes cylinder 1136. Cylinder 1136 drives piston 1140 through reciprocating motion. The frequency of this reciprocating motion can be between 10 Hz and 20 Hz, depending on the properties and flow rate of the drilling mud. Piston 1140 is connected to hammer 1142. Energy transmission unit 1126 includes hammer 1142 and anvil 1144. Hammer 1142 reciprocates with the piston and transmits impact energy to anvil 1144. The impact energy generated by hammer 1142 striking anvil 1144 is transmitted to the drill bit and applied to the formation through the catalyst-free PDC cutter, thereby improving drilling efficiency.

[0106] Figure 19 An example of a PDC cutter 1160 having a tapered end geometry 1162 is shown. Drilling efficiency can be improved by using shaped PDC cutters. The shaped end of the PDC cutter can be formed directly during the formation of the diamond table of the catalyst-free PDC cutter. To directly manufacture this geometry, the cavity 316 in the hydraulic cube press can be pre-machined to match the desired shape of the catalyst-free PDC cutter and hold raw material, such as diamond powder or graphite powder. During this process, the shaped end of the PDC cutter 1164 is subjected to higher localized pressure, resulting in better mechanical properties than other areas.

[0107] A PDC cutter can be formed by attaching catalyst-free synthesized PCD to a substrate such as tungsten carbide, wherein the PCD is formed using the UHPHT system and method of the present disclosure. The PCD can be formed by applying a pressure of at least 14 GPa. In addition, the catalyst-free synthesized PCD can be processed to a temperature of at least 1900°C. The PCD can have a diameter of at least 8 mm. The PCD can also have a diamond table thickness of at least 3 mm. The cutting end of the PDC cutter, including the catalyst-free synthesized PCD, can have a planar, non-planar, or shaped end. The shaped end can include symmetrical and asymmetrical geometries, including conical geometries.

[0108] Figure 20A A simulation of a cylindrical PDC cutter 1170 interacting with a formation 1172 is shown. In this example, shear forces are transferred from the PDC cutter 1170 to the formation 1172. The stresses generated by this interaction are located near the surface of the formation.

[0109] Figure 20B A simulation of a conical PDC cutter 1174 interacting with a formation 1172 is shown. In this simulation, the stresses generated by the interaction between the PDC cutter 1174 and the formation 1172 penetrate deeper into the formation 1172. As the stresses penetrate deeper into the formation, the formation can be cut or fractured more easily. Shaped PDC cutters, such as conical PDC cutter 1160, can outperform conventional flat or planar PDC cutters. Shaped PDC cutters can also be used in drill bits included in a bottom hole assembly that also includes a percussion system, such as a water jet hammer system.

[0110] Figure 21 1 is a block diagram of an example computer system 1000 for providing computing functions associated with the algorithms, methods, functions, processes, flows, and programs described in the present disclosure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The computer 1002 shown is intended to encompass any computing device, such as a server, desktop computer, laptop / notebook computer, wireless data port, smart phone, personal data assistant (PDA), tablet computing device, or one or more processors within these devices, including physical instances, virtual instances, or both. The computer 1002 may include input devices that can accept user information, such as a keypad, keyboard, and touch screen. In addition, the computer 1002 may include output devices that can convey information associated with the operation of the computer 1002. The information may include digital data, visual data, audio information, or a combination of information. The information may be presented in a graphical user interface (UI) (or GUI).

[0111] Computer 1002 can act as a client, a network component, a server, a database, a persistent storage, or a component of a computer system for performing the subject matter described in this disclosure. Computer 1002 is shown communicatively coupled to network 1030. In some embodiments, one or more components of computer 1002 can be configured to operate within different environments, including cloud-based environments, local environments, global environments, and combinations of multiple environments.

[0112] At a high level, the computer 1002 is an electronic computing device operable to receive, send, process, store, and manage data and information associated with the described subject matter. According to some embodiments, the computer 1002 may also include, or be communicatively coupled to, an application server, an email server, a web server, a cache server, a streaming data server, or a combination of servers.

[0113] Computer 1002 may receive requests from client applications (e.g., executed on another computer 1002) over network 1030. Computer 1002 may respond to received requests by processing the received requests using a software application. Requests may also be sent to computer 1002 from internal users (e.g., from a command console), external (or third) parties, automated applications, entities, individuals, systems, and computers.

[0114] Each component of computer 1002 can communicate using system bus 1003. In some embodiments, any or all components of computer 1002 (including hardware or software components) can interface with each other or with interface 1004 (or a combination of the two) via system bus 1003. The interface can use an application programming interface (API) 1012, a service layer 1013, or a combination of API 1012 and service layer 1013. API 1012 can include specifications for routines, data structures, and object classes. API 1012 can be independent of or dependent on the computer language. API 1012 can refer to a complete interface, a single function, or a set of APIs.

[0115] The service layer 1013 can provide software services to the computer 1002 and other components communicatively coupled to the computer 1002 (whether shown or not). All service consumers using the service layer can access the functionality of the computer 1002. Software services, such as those provided by the service layer 1013, can provide reusable, defined functionality through a defined interface. For example, the interface can be software written in JAVA, C++, or a language that provides data in an extensible markup language (XML) format. Although shown as an integrated component of the computer 1002, in alternative embodiments, the API 1012 or service layer 1013 can be a separate component relative to the other components of the computer 1002 and the other components communicatively coupled to the computer 1002. In addition, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, any or all portions of the API 1012 or service layer 1013 can be implemented as submodules of another software module, enterprise application, or hardware module.

[0116] Computer 1002 includes interface 1004. Although Figure 21 1002. In the embodiment of the present invention, a single interface 1004 is shown, but two or more interfaces 1004 may be used depending on the specific needs, expectations, or specific implementation of the computer 1002 and the functionality described. The interface 1004 can be used by the computer 1002 to communicate with other systems connected to the network 1030 (whether or not shown) in a distributed environment. Generally, the interface 1004 may include or be implemented using logic encoded in software or hardware (or a combination of software and hardware) that is operable to communicate with the network 1030. More specifically, the interface 1004 may include software that supports one or more communication protocols associated with the communication. In this way, the network 1030 or the hardware of the interface may be operable to transmit physical signals within and outside the computer 1002 shown.

[0117] Computer 1002 includes processor 1005. Although Figure 21 1002, two or more processors 1005 may be used depending on the particular needs, desires, or specific implementation and described functionality of the computer 1002. In general, the processor 1005 may execute instructions and manipulate data to perform operations of the computer 1002, including operations using the algorithms, methods, functions, procedures, processes, and routines described in this disclosure.

[0118] The computer 1002 also includes a database 1006 that can store data for the computer 1002 and other components connected to the network 1030 (whether or not shown). For example, the database 1006 can be an in-memory database, a conventional database, or a database that stores data consistent with the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the database 1006 can be a combination of two or more different database types (e.g., a hybrid in-memory database and a conventional database) depending on the specific needs, desires, or specific implementation of the computer 1002 and the described functionality. Although Figure 21 1002, two or more databases (of the same, different, or a combination of types) may be used depending on the particular needs, desires, or specific implementation and described functionality of the computer 1002. Although the database 1006 is shown as an internal component of the computer 1002, in alternative implementations, the database 1006 may be external to the computer 1002.

[0119] Computer 1002 also includes memory 1007, which can store data for the computer 1002 or a combination of components connected to network 1030 (whether shown or not). Memory 1007 can store any data consistent with the present disclosure. In some embodiments, memory 1007 can be a combination of two or more different types of memory (e.g., a combination of semiconductor memory and magnetic memory), depending on the particular needs, desires, or specific implementation of computer 1002 and the functionality described. Although Figure 21 1002, two or more memories 1007 (of the same, different, or a combination of types) may be used depending on the particular needs, desires, or specific implementation and described functionality of the computer 1002. Although the memory 1007 is shown as an internal component of the computer 1002, in alternative implementations, the memory 1007 may be external to the computer 1002.

[0120] The application 1008 may be an algorithmic software engine that provides functionality according to the specific needs, expectations, or specific implementation of the computer 1002 and the described functionality. For example, the application 1008 may be implemented as one or more components, modules, or applications. Furthermore, although illustrated as a single application 1008, the application 1008 may be implemented as multiple applications 1008 on the computer 1002. Furthermore, although illustrated as being internal to the computer 1002, in alternative implementations, the application 1008 may be external to the computer 1002.

[0121] The computer 1002 may also include a power supply 1014. The power supply 1014 may include a rechargeable or non-rechargeable battery, which may be configured to be user-replaceable or non-user-replaceable. In some embodiments, the power supply 1014 may include power conversion and management circuitry, including recharging, standby, and power management functions. In some embodiments, the power supply 1014 may include a power plug to allow the computer 1002 to be plugged into a wall outlet or power source, for example, to power the computer 1002 or charge a rechargeable battery.

[0122] There may be any number of computers 1002 associated with or external to the computer system containing computer 1002, with each computer 1002 communicating via network 1030. Furthermore, the terms "client," "user," and other appropriate terms may be used interchangeably as appropriate without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, this disclosure contemplates that many users may use one computer 1002, and that one user may use multiple computers 1002.

[0123] The embodiments of the subject matter and functional operations described in this specification may be implemented in digital electronic circuits, tangibly embodied computer software or firmware, computer hardware (including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents), or a combination of one or more thereof. The software implementation of the described subject matter may be implemented as one or more computer programs. Each computer program may include one or more modules of computer program instructions encoded on a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable computer storage medium for execution by a data processing device or for controlling the operation of a data processing device. Alternatively or additionally, the program instructions may be encoded in / on an artificially generated propagation signal. For example, the signal may be a machine-generated electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal that is generated to encode information for transmission to a suitable receiver device for execution by a data processing device. The computer storage medium may be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readable storage substrate, a random or serial access memory device, or a combination of computer storage media.

[0124] The terms "data processing apparatus", "computer" and "electronic computer equipment" (or equivalents as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art) refer to data processing hardware. For example, a data processing apparatus may encompass all types of apparatuses, devices and machines for processing data, including, for example, a programmable processor, a computer or multiple processors or computers. The apparatus may also include a dedicated logic circuit, which includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). In some embodiments, the data processing apparatus or dedicated logic circuit (or a combination of data processing apparatus or dedicated logic circuit) may be hardware-based or software-based (or based on a combination of hardware and software). The apparatus may optionally include code that creates an execution environment for a computer program, for example, code that constitutes a combination of processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system or an execution environment. The present disclosure contemplates the use of a data processing apparatus with or without a conventional operating system, such as LINUX, UNIX, WINDOWS, MAC OS, ANDROID or IOS.

[0125] A computer program, which may also be referred to or described as a program, software, software application, module, software module, script, or code, may be written in any form of programming language. Programming languages ​​may include, for example, compiled languages, interpreted languages, declarative languages, or procedural languages. The program may be deployed in any form, including as a standalone program, module, component, subroutine, or unit for use in a computing environment. A computer program may, but need not, correspond to a file in a file system. The program may be stored as part of a file that holds other programs or data, such as one or more scripts stored in a markup language document, in a single file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple coordinated files that store portions of one or more modules, subroutines, or code. A computer program may be deployed for execution on a single computer or on multiple computers located, for example, at a single site or distributed across multiple sites interconnected by a communication network. Although the various portions of the program shown in the various figures may be shown as separate modules that implement various features and functions through various objects, methods, or processes, the program may alternatively include multiple submodules, third-party services, components, and libraries. Conversely, the features and functions of the various components may be appropriately combined into a single component. The threshold used to make the computational determination may be determined statically, dynamically, or a combination of statically and dynamically.

[0126] The methods, processes, or logic flows described in this specification can be performed by one or more programmable computers executing one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output. The methods, processes, or logic flows can also be performed by, and apparatus can be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, such as a CPU, FPGA, or ASIC.

[0127] The computer that is suitable for executing computer programs can be based on one or more of general and special microprocessors and other types of CPUs. The elements of a computer are a CPU for executing or implementing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. Typically, the CPU can receive instructions and data (and write data to the memory) from the memory. The computer can also include or be operably coupled to one or more large-capacity storage devices for storing data. In some embodiments, the computer can receive data from a large-capacity storage device including, for example, a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, or an optical disk and transmit data thereto. In addition, the computer can be embedded in another device, such as a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile audio or video player, a game console, a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, or a portable storage device such as a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive.

[0128] Computer-readable media (transient or non-transient, as the case may be) suitable for storing computer program instructions and data can include all forms of permanent / non-permanent and volatile / non-volatile memory, media and memory devices. Computer-readable media can include, for example, semiconductor memory devices such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), phase change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) and flash memory devices. Computer-readable media can also include, for example, magnetic devices such as magnetic tapes, cassettes, cartridges and internal / removable disks. Computer-readable media can also include magneto-optical disks and optical memory devices and technologies, including, for example, digital video disks (DVDs), CDROMs, DVD+ / -Rs, DVD-RAMs, DVD-ROMs, HD-DVDs and BLURAYs. Memory can store a variety of objects or data, including caches, classes, frameworks, applications, modules, backup data, jobs, web pages, web page templates, data structures, database tables, repositories and dynamic information. The types of objects and data stored in memory can include parameters, variables, algorithms, instructions, rules, constraints, and references. Additionally, memory can include logs, policies, security or access data, and report files. The processor and memory can be supplemented by or incorporated into special-purpose logic circuitry.

[0129] The embodiments of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented on a computer having a display device for providing interaction with a user, including displaying information to the user (and receiving input from the user). The types of display devices can include, for example, cathode ray tubes (CRTs), liquid crystal displays (LCDs), light emitting diodes (LEDs), and plasma monitors. The display device can include a keyboard and a pointing device, including, for example, a mouse, a trackball, or a touchpad. User input can also be provided to the computer using a touch screen (such as a tablet computer surface with pressure sensitivity or a multi-touch screen using capacitance or electrical sensing). Other types of devices can be used to provide interaction with the user, including receiving user feedback, including, for example, sensory feedback, which includes visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback. Input from the user can be received in the form of acoustic, voice, or tactile input. In addition, the computer can interact with the user by sending documents to and receiving documents from the device used by the user. For example, the computer can send a web page to a web browser on the user's client device in response to a request received from the web browser.

[0130] The term "graphical user interface" or "GUI" may be used in the singular or plural to describe one or more graphical user interfaces and each display of a particular graphical user interface. Thus, a GUI may refer to any graphical user interface, including but not limited to a web browser, a touch screen, or a command line interface (CLI), that processes information and efficiently presents the results of that information to a user. Typically, a GUI may include a plurality of user interface (UI) elements, some or all of which are associated with a web browser, such as interactive fields, drop-down lists, and buttons. These and other UI elements may be related to or represent the functionality of a web browser.

[0131] The embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented in a computing system including a back-end component (e.g., as a data server) or including a middleware component (e.g., an application server). In addition, the computing system can include a front-end component, for example, a client computer with one or both of a graphical user interface or a web browser, through which a user can interact with the computer. The components of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of wired or wireless digital data communication (or a combination of data communication) in a communication network. Examples of communication networks include local area networks (LANs), radio access networks (RANs), metropolitan area networks (MANs), wide area networks (WANs), world interoperability for microwave access (WIMAX), wireless local area networks (WLANs) (e.g., using 802.11a / b / g / n or 802.20 protocols or a combination of protocols), all or part of the Internet, or any other one or more communication systems (or a combination of communication networks) at one or more locations. The network can communicate with a combination of communication types such as Internet Protocol (IP) packets, frame relay frames, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) cells, voice, video, data, or network addresses.

[0132] A computing system may include clients and servers. A client and server may generally be remote from each other and may typically interact through a communication network. The client-server relationship may arise by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship.

[0133] A cluster file system can be any file system type that is accessible from multiple servers for both reading and updating. Locking or consistency tracking may not be necessary, as locking for swap file systems can be done at the application layer. Additionally, Unicode data files can be handled differently from non-Unicode data files.

[0134] Although this specification contains many specific implementation details, these should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to a particular implementation. Certain features described in this specification in the context of separate implementations may also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single implementation may also be implemented in multiple implementations individually or in any suitable subcombination. Furthermore, although previously described features may be described as functioning in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, in some cases, one or more features from the claimed combination may be deleted from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of the subcombination.

[0135] Specific embodiments of the subject matter have been described. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other embodiments, variations, and permutations of the described embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. Although operations are depicted in a particular order in the drawings or claims, this should not be construed as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequence, or that all illustrated operations (some operations may be considered optional) be performed to achieve the desired results. In certain circumstances, multitasking or parallel processing (or a combination of multitasking and parallel processing) may be advantageous and may be performed as deemed appropriate.

[0136] Furthermore, the separation or integration of various system modules and components in the previously described embodiments should not be understood as requiring such separation or integration in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.

[0137] Therefore, the exemplary embodiments described above do not define or constrain the present disclosure. Other changes, substitutions, and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0138] Furthermore, any claimed embodiment is considered applicable to at least: a computer-implemented method; a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions for performing the computer-implemented method; and a computer system comprising a computer memory interoperably coupled with a hardware processor configured to perform the computer-implemented method or the instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0139] A number of embodiments of the present disclosure have been described. However, it should be understood that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A method for forming a bottom hole assembly, the method comprising: forming a plurality of cutters, each cutter comprising catalyst-free synthetic polycrystalline diamond attached to a carbide substrate; attaching the plurality of cutters to a body of a drill bit; The drill bit with the attached cutter is incorporated into a water jet hammer system.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein Forming the catalyst-free synthetic polycrystalline diamond includes applying a pressure of at least 14 GPa during processing of the catalyst-free synthetic polycrystalline diamond.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: During processing of the catalyst-free synthesized polycrystalline diamond, the catalyst-free synthesized polycrystalline diamond is processed to a temperature of at least 1900°C.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: The catalyst-free synthesized polycrystalline diamond has a diameter of at least 8 mm.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein The catalyst-free synthesized polycrystalline diamond has a diamond table thickness of at least 3 mm.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The catalyst-free synthesized polycrystalline diamond has a flat end surface.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The catalyst-free synthesized polycrystalline diamond has an uneven end surface.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The catalyst-free synthesized polycrystalline diamond has a tapered end surface.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein Forming the plurality of cutters includes: providing a substrate comprising tungsten carbide; and The catalyst-free synthesized PCD is attached to the substrate comprising tungsten carbide to form a PDC cutter.

10. A water jet hammer system comprising: A water jet hammer and a drill bit, the drill bit comprising: A plurality of cutters are attached to the body of the drill bit, each cutter comprising catalyst-free synthetic polycrystalline diamond attached to a carbide substrate.

11. The water jet hammer system according to claim 10, wherein: The catalyst-free synthesized polycrystalline diamond has a pressure of at least 14 GPa applied during processing of the catalyst-free synthesized polycrystalline diamond.

12. The water jet hammer system according to claim 11, wherein: The catalyst-free synthetic polycrystalline diamond has a temperature of at least 1900° C. applied during processing of the catalyst-free synthetic polycrystalline diamond.

13. The water jet hammer system according to claim 12, wherein: The catalyst-free synthesized polycrystalline diamond has a diameter of at least 8 mm.

14. The water jet hammer system according to claim 13, wherein: The catalyst-free synthesized polycrystalline diamond has a diamond table thickness of at least 3 mm.

15. The water jet hammer system according to claim 14, wherein: The catalyst-free synthesized polycrystalline diamond has a flat end surface.

16. The water jet hammer system according to claim 14, wherein: The catalyst-free synthesized polycrystalline diamond has an uneven end surface.

17. The water jet hammer system according to claim 16, wherein: The catalyst-free synthesized polycrystalline diamond has a tapered end surface.

18. The water jet hammer system according to claim 10, wherein: The carbide substrate includes tungsten carbide.

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