Spherical gyro shock absorber

By utilizing the high-speed rotation of a spherical gyroscope to generate fixed-axis stability, the existing shock absorber solves the problem of spring and seal aging in complex downhole environments, achieving stable shock absorption and improving the service life and safety of the equipment.

CN121875624APending Publication Date: 2026-04-17CNPC BOHAI DRILLING ENG +1
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
CNPC BOHAI DRILLING ENG
Filing Date
2024-10-17
Publication Date
2026-04-17

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing shock absorbers are difficult to adapt to complex downhole environments, leading to aging of springs and seals, reduced shock absorption, and consequently affecting equipment performance.

Method used

A spherical gyroscope shock absorber is used, which utilizes the high-speed rotation of the spherical gyroscope to generate fixed-axis stability. The spherical gyroscope is driven to rotate by drilling fluid, avoiding the use of easily damaged mechanical springs or hydraulic seals, and thus achieving stability to offset vibration.

Benefits of technology

It effectively counteracts downhole vibrations, avoids the decline in shock absorption performance caused by component aging, and improves the stability and safety of the equipment.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of oil exploitation downhole tools, in particular to a spherical gyro shock absorber, and aims to solve the technical problems that the shock absorption effect is reduced and the equipment performance is damaged due to the fact that a spring and a sealing piece are aged because the spherical gyro shock absorber is difficult to adapt to a complex downhole environment in the prior art. The spherical gyroscope shock absorber comprises a shell and a shock absorption component, wherein the shock absorption component comprises a spherical gyroscope and a gravity adjusting assembly. The spherical gyroscope is rotationally connected to the gravity adjusting assembly. The pumped drilling fluid can drive the spherical gyroscope to rotate along a fixed axis. According to the spherical gyroscope shock absorber, the vibration effect is counteracted through the fixed shaft stability generated when the spherical gyroscope rotates at a high speed, quick-wear parts such as mechanical springs or hydraulic sealing parts are not used, and the risk that the shock absorption performance is damaged due to the fact that the parts are aged and fail when used in the underground environment is avoided. The technical problems that due to the fact that an existing shock absorber is difficult to adapt to the complex underground environment, a spring and a sealing piece are aged, the shock absorption effect is reduced, and then the equipment performance is damaged are solved.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of downhole tools for oil extraction, and in particular to a spherical gyroscope shock absorber. Background Technology

[0002] In drilling operations, shock absorbers are used to absorb and reduce vibrations generated when the drill bit interacts with the rock, protecting drilling equipment and the wellbore, and improving operational stability and safety. Traditional shock absorbers are mainly divided into two types: mechanical spring shock absorbers and hydraulic shock absorbers. Mechanical spring shock absorbers absorb vibrations through spring deformation, offering advantages such as simple structure and low cost. However, they are susceptible to corrosion from the downhole environment, leading to reduced elasticity and decreased damping effectiveness. Hydraulic shock absorbers, on the other hand, utilize fluid flow and throttling to dissipate energy, possessing adjustable damping force and rapid response capabilities. However, their seals are prone to aging and oil leakage, reducing their damping effect.

[0003] Existing shock absorbers suffer from technical problems such as reduced shock absorption effect due to the aging of springs and seals caused by their inability to adapt to complex downhole environments, which in turn leads to damage to equipment performance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a spherical gyroscope shock absorber to solve the technical problem in related technologies where the aging of springs and seals due to difficulty in adapting to complex downhole environments leads to reduced shock absorption and consequently, damage to equipment performance.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution provided by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] The spherical gyroscope shock absorber provided by this invention includes:

[0007] The enclosure and shock-absorbing components. The shock-absorbing components include a spherical gyroscope and a gravity adjustment assembly. The gravity adjustment assembly is mounted on the enclosure, and the spherical gyroscope is rotatably connected to the gravity adjustment assembly. The rotation axis of the spherical gyroscope is perpendicular to the axis of the enclosure. Drilling fluid flowing inside the enclosure can drive the spherical gyroscope to rotate along its fixed axis.

[0008] Specifically, the shock-absorbing component further includes a first bearing. The gravity adjustment assembly includes a retainer, which is coaxially arranged with the outer casing. The first bearing is sleeved on the spherical gyroscope and inserted into the retainer.

[0009] Specifically, the gravity adjustment assembly further includes a second bearing. The second bearing is inserted into the housing, and the cage is sleeved on the second bearing.

[0010] Specifically, the spherical gyroscope is divided into a light end and a heavy end along a plane of symmetry perpendicular to its own axis of rotation. There is a mass difference between the light end and the heavy end, with the heavy end being heavier than the light end.

[0011] Specifically, the cage is provided with flow guide channels. The cage is divided into two semi-annular regions, a flow guide region and a cutoff region, by the plane containing the rotation axis of the spherical gyroscope and the axis of the cage. Multiple flow guide channels are spirally distributed around the axis of the cage on the inner wall of the flow guide region. The flow guide channels are used to guide the drilling fluid to rotate the spherical gyroscope along a first rotation direction.

[0012] Specifically, the spherical gyroscope has multiple flow-receiving grooves evenly distributed around its own axis of rotation. The drilling fluid flowing along the flow-receiving grooves can impact the flow-receiving grooves, thereby driving the spherical gyroscope to rotate in the first rotation direction.

[0013] Specifically, the flow channel has a first impact surface and a second impact surface. When the drilling fluid passing through the shell impacts the spherical gyroscope, the impact area of ​​the first impact surface is greater than that of the second impact surface.

[0014] Specifically, multiple spherical gyroscopes and the same number of gravity adjustment components are arranged in a linear array along the axial direction of the outer shell.

[0015] Specifically, the outer casing includes a housing, a lower connector, and an upper connector. The inner wall of the housing has a stepped surface. The shock-absorbing member is inserted into the housing and abuts against the stepped surface. The lower connector is inserted into the housing and abuts against the end of the shock-absorbing member away from the stepped surface. The upper connector is installed on the end of the housing away from the lower connector.

[0016] Specifically, the housing further includes a first sealing ring and a second sealing ring. The first sealing ring is disposed between the housing and the upper connector, and the second sealing ring is disposed between the housing and the lower connector.

[0017] Based on the above technical solutions, the beneficial effects of the present invention are analyzed as follows:

[0018] This invention provides a spherical gyroscope damper, comprising:

[0019] The enclosure and shock-absorbing components. The shock-absorbing components include a spherical gyroscope and a gravity adjustment assembly. The gravity adjustment assembly is mounted on the enclosure, and the spherical gyroscope is rotatably connected to the gravity adjustment assembly. The rotation axis of the spherical gyroscope is perpendicular to the axis of the enclosure. Drilling fluid flowing inside the enclosure can drive the spherical gyroscope to rotate along its fixed axis.

[0020] In practical applications, the shock-absorbing component is installed on the outer casing and lowered into the well along with the drill string. During drilling operations, the drilling fluid pumped into the well from the surface end causes the spherical gyroscope inside the gravity adjustment assembly to rotate. The fixed-axis stability generated by the rotating spherical gyroscope is used to counteract radial vibrations.

[0021] As can be seen, compared with existing technologies, this spherical gyroscope shock absorber counteracts vibration through the fixed-axis stability generated by the high-speed rotation of the spherical gyroscope. It does not use easily damaged components such as mechanical springs or hydraulic seals, thus avoiding the risk of impaired shock absorption performance due to aging and failure of components in the downhole environment. It overcomes the technical problem of existing shock absorbers where springs and seals age due to difficulty adapting to complex downhole environments, leading to reduced shock absorption and consequently, impaired equipment performance. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the spherical gyroscope shock absorber provided by the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of a vibration damping component;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cage structure;

[0026] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of a spherical gyroscope Figure 1 ;

[0027] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of a spherical gyroscope Figure 2 .

[0028] icon:

[0029] 100. Outer shell; 110. Housing; 101. Stepped surface; 120. Lower connector; 130. Upper connector; 140. First sealing ring; 150. Second sealing ring;

[0030] 200, shock-absorbing component; 210, spherical gyroscope; 211, lightweight end; 212, heavyweight end; 202, flow-carrying groove; 203, first impact surface; 204, second impact surface; 220, gravity adjustment assembly; 221, cage; 201, flow guide groove; 222, second bearing; 230, first bearing. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0032] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the invention.

[0033] The following detailed description of some embodiments of the present invention is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0034] Existing shock absorbers suffer from technical problems such as reduced shock absorption effect due to the aging of springs and seals caused by their inability to adapt to complex downhole environments, which in turn leads to damage to equipment performance.

[0035] In view of this, the present invention provides a spherical gyroscope damper, comprising:

[0036] The enclosure 100 and the shock-absorbing component 200 are included. The shock-absorbing component 200 includes a spherical gyroscope 210 and a gravity adjustment assembly 220. The gravity adjustment assembly 220 is mounted on the enclosure 100, and the spherical gyroscope 210 is rotatably connected to the gravity adjustment assembly 220. The rotation axis of the spherical gyroscope 210 is perpendicular to the axis of the enclosure 100. Drilling fluid flowing inside the enclosure 100 can drive the spherical gyroscope 210 to rotate along its fixed axis.

[0037] In summary, the spherical gyroscope shock absorber provided by this invention can achieve the following technical effects:

[0038] This spherical gyroscope vibration damper counteracts vibration through the fixed-axis stability generated by the high-speed rotation of the spherical gyroscope 210. It eliminates the need for easily damaged components such as mechanical springs or hydraulic seals, thus avoiding the risk of reduced damping performance due to component aging and failure in downhole environments. This overcomes the technical problem of existing vibration dampers where springs and seals age due to difficulty adapting to complex downhole environments, leading to reduced damping effectiveness and consequently, equipment performance degradation.

[0039] The following combination Figures 1 to 5 The structure and shape of the spherical gyroscope shock absorber provided in this embodiment are described in detail below:

[0040] Specifically, regarding the principle of gyroscope shock resistance:

[0041] The rotor shaft of a high-speed rotating gyroscope possesses shock resistance; this characteristic is called axial stability. When subjected to an impact, the rotor shaft will vibrate slightly and frequently in the direction of the new angular momentum. The amplitude of this vibration is inversely proportional to the rotational angular velocity, while the frequency is directly proportional to the rotational angular velocity. Because the rotational angular velocity is very high, this vibration is practically imperceptible, so the impact can be considered not to have significantly changed the direction of the rotor shaft.

[0042] Regarding the structural composition of the outer casing 100, specifically:

[0043] The outer casing 100 includes a housing 110, a lower connector 120, and an upper connector 130. A stepped surface 101 is provided on the inner wall of the housing 110. A damping member 200 is inserted into the housing 110 and abuts against the stepped surface 101. The lower connector 120 is inserted into the housing 110 and abuts against the end of the damping member 200 away from the stepped surface 101. The upper connector 130 is installed at the end of the housing 110 away from the lower connector 120. The connection between the housing 110, the lower connector 120, and the upper connector 130 can be a threaded connection.

[0044] To prevent drilling fluid leakage downhole, in this embodiment, the outer casing 100 further includes a first sealing ring 140 and a second sealing ring 150; the first sealing ring 140 is disposed between the casing 110 and the upper connector 130, and the second sealing ring 150 is disposed between the casing 110 and the lower connector 120.

[0045] To improve the rotational stability of the spherical gyroscope 210, in this embodiment, the solution is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, the damping component 200 also includes a first bearing 230. The gravity adjustment assembly 220 includes a cage 221, which is coaxially arranged with the housing 100. The first bearing 230 is sleeved on the spherical gyroscope 210 and inserted into the cage 221. The first bearing 230 can be a ball roller bearing, a cylindrical roller bearing, or a tapered roller bearing, etc.

[0046] To further improve the rotational performance of the spherical gyroscope 210 and enhance its stability and dynamic response, in this embodiment, the gravity adjustment component 220 further includes a second bearing 222; the second bearing 222 is coaxially inserted into the housing 100, such as... Figure 2As shown, a cage 221 is fitted onto a second bearing 222. The rotation direction of the second bearing 222 is perpendicular to the first bearing 230, and the cage 221 can drive the spherical gyroscope 210 to rotate freely around the axis of the outer casing 100. When faced with sudden vibration disturbances, the spherical gyroscope 210 can react quickly and adjust its rotation state in a timely manner to adapt to the constantly changing vibration environment, thereby maintaining the balance and stability of the system. The second bearing 222 can be a needle roller bearing, cylindrical roller bearing, or tapered roller bearing, etc.

[0047] Regarding how the spherical gyroscope 210 achieves automatic adaptation to horizontal, deviated, and vertical wells, specifically:

[0048] like Figure 4 As shown, the spherical gyroscope 210 is divided into a light end 211 and a heavy end 212 along a plane of symmetry perpendicular to its own axis of rotation. There is a mass difference between the light end 211 and the heavy end 212, with the heavy end 212 being heavier than the light end 211. The spherical gyroscope 210 utilizes the mass difference between the light end 211 and the heavy end 212, as well as a retainer 221 that rotates with the second bearing 222. Under wellbore conditions of varying inclinations, the gravity of the spherical gyroscope 210 allows its rotation axis to be constantly adjusted according to different well conditions, placing the rotation axis in the most effective vibration-damping position. This design is applicable to horizontal, inclined, and vertical wells. The heavy end 212 can be made of copper, while the corresponding light end 211 can be made of cast iron.

[0049] Specifically, regarding how the damping component 200 controls the rotation direction of the spherical gyroscope 210:

[0050] like Figure 3 As shown, the cage 221 is provided with guide channels 201. The cage 221 is divided into two semi-annular regions, a guide zone and a cutoff zone, by the plane containing the rotation axis of the spherical gyroscope 210 and the axis of the cage 221. Multiple guide channels 201 are spirally distributed around the axis of the cage 221 on the inner wall of the guide zone. The guide channels 201 are used to guide the drilling fluid to drive the spherical gyroscope 210 to rotate in a fixed direction. The guide channels 201 are not parallel to the axis of the cage 221.

[0051] To improve the efficiency of the drilling fluid in the guide channel 201 in driving the spherical gyroscope 210 to rotate, in this embodiment, as follows: Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the spherical gyroscope 210 has multiple flow-receiving grooves 202 evenly distributed around its own rotation axis; the drilling fluid flowing along the guide groove 201 can impact the flow-receiving grooves 202 to drive the spherical gyroscope 210 to rotate in a first rotation direction. The first rotation direction is the set working direction of the spherical gyroscope 210.

[0052] To avoid interference with the normal operation of the spherical gyroscope 210 caused by the rotational torque in the opposite direction to the first rotation direction generated by the drilling fluid impact, and to further improve the efficiency of the drilling fluid in the guide channel 201 in driving the spherical gyroscope 210 to rotate in the first rotation direction, in this embodiment, as follows... Figure 5 As shown, the flow channel 202 has a first impact surface 203 and a second impact surface 204. When the drilling fluid passing through the shell 100 impacts the spherical gyroscope 210, the impact area of ​​the first impact surface 203 is greater than that of the second impact surface 204. The drilling fluid can only drive the spherical gyroscope 210 to rotate in the first rotation direction.

[0053] Specifically, when drilling fluid pumped from the surface into the well impacts the spherical gyroscope 210 downwards along the inner hole of the retainer 221, the drilling fluid on the guide zone side impacts the inner side of the receiving groove 202 downwards along the guide channel 201, i.e., impacting the first impact surface 203, generating a rotational torque that drives the spherical gyroscope 210 to rotate in the first rotation direction. The drilling fluid on the cutoff zone side, blocked by the outer wall of the spherical gyroscope 210, can only impact a small portion of the second impact surface 204. Because the effective impact area of ​​the second impact surface 204 is smaller than that of the first impact surface 203, the rotational torque that drives the spherical gyroscope 210 to rotate in the opposite direction of the first rotation direction is smaller than the rotational torque that drives the spherical gyroscope 210 to rotate in the first rotation direction. Therefore, under the impact of the drilling fluid pumped from the surface, the spherical gyroscope 210 exhibits stable and continuous rotation in the first rotation direction.

[0054] To further enhance the vibration damping effect of the spherical gyroscope damper, in this embodiment, as follows: Figure 1 As shown, multiple spherical gyroscopes 210 and an equal number of gravity adjustment components 220 are arranged in a linear array along the axial direction of the housing 100. The fixed-axis stability of the multiple spherical gyroscopes 210 collectively provides the device with vibration damping performance.

[0055] In summary, the specific working process of the spherical gyroscope shock absorber provided in this embodiment is as follows:

[0056] by Figure 5 The counterclockwise direction is the first rotation direction. Taking the material of the heavy end 212 as copper and the material of the light end 211 as cast iron as an example.

[0057] The shock-absorbing component 200 is installed on the outer casing 100 and lowered into the well with the drill string. Under different wellbore conditions, the spherical gyroscope 210, by means of the mass difference between the lightweight end 211 made of cast iron and the heavy end 212 made of copper, and the cage 221 which can rotate with the second bearing 222, can adjust the rotation axis of the spherical gyroscope 210 at all times according to different well conditions under the action of gravity, so that the rotation axis of the spherical gyroscope 210 is in the most effective shock-absorbing position. It can be used in horizontal wells, inclined wells and vertical wells.

[0058] During drilling operations, drilling fluid pumped from the surface into the well flows along the upper connector 130 to the retainer 221. As the drilling fluid passes through the guide channel 201, the design of the flow-receiving channel 202 of the spherical gyroscope 210 causes it to begin rotating. The fixed-axis stability generated by the high-speed rotating spherical gyroscope 210 is used to counteract radial vibrations.

[0059] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A spherical gyroscope shock absorber, characterized in that, include: The casing (100) and the shock-absorbing component (200) include a spherical gyroscope (210) and a gravity adjustment component (220); the gravity adjustment component (220) is mounted on the casing (100), and the spherical gyroscope (210) is rotatably connected to the gravity adjustment component (220); the rotation axis of the spherical gyroscope (210) is perpendicular to the axis of the casing (100); the drilling fluid passing through the inside of the casing (100) can drive the spherical gyroscope (210) to rotate on a fixed axis.

2. The spherical gyroscope damper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shock-absorbing component (200) further includes a first bearing (230); the gravity adjustment component (220) includes a retainer (221), which is coaxially arranged with the outer shell (100); the first bearing (230) is sleeved on the spherical gyroscope (210) and inserted into the retainer (221).

3. The spherical gyroscope shock absorber according to claim 2, characterized in that: The gravity adjustment assembly (220) further includes a second bearing (222); the second bearing (222) is coaxially inserted into the housing (100), and the cage (221) is sleeved on the second bearing (222).

4. The spherical gyroscope damper according to claim 3, characterized in that: The spherical gyroscope (210) is divided into a light end (211) and a heavy end (212) along a plane of symmetry perpendicular to its own rotation axis. There is a mass difference between the light end (211) and the heavy end (212), and the heavy end (212) is heavier than the light end (211).

5. The spherical gyroscope damper according to claim 4, characterized in that: The retainer (221) is provided with a flow guide groove (201); the retainer (221) is divided into two semi-annular regions, a flow guide region and a cutoff region, with the plane containing the rotation axis of the spherical gyroscope (210) and the axis of the retainer (221) as the boundary; a plurality of the flow guide grooves (201) are spirally distributed around the axis of the retainer (221) on the inner wall of the flow guide region; the flow guide grooves (201) are used to guide the drilling fluid to drive the spherical gyroscope (210) to rotate along the first rotation direction.

6. The spherical gyroscope damper according to claim 5, characterized in that: The spherical gyroscope (210) has multiple flow-receiving grooves (202) evenly distributed around its own rotation axis; the drilling fluid flowing along the flow-receiving groove (201) can impact the flow-receiving groove (202) to drive the spherical gyroscope (210) to rotate along the first rotation direction.

7. The spherical gyroscope damper according to claim 6, characterized in that: The flow channel (202) has a first impact surface (203) and a second impact surface (204). When the drilling fluid passing through the shell (100) impacts the spherical gyroscope (210), the impact area of ​​the first impact surface (203) is greater than the impact area of ​​the second impact surface (204).

8. The spherical gyroscope damper according to claim 1, characterized in that: Multiple spherical gyroscopes (210) and the same number of gravity adjustment components (220) are arranged in a linear array along the axial direction of the outer shell (100).

9. The spherical gyroscope damper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer casing (100) includes a housing (110), a lower connector (120), and an upper connector (130); the inner wall of the housing (110) is provided with a stepped surface (101); the shock-absorbing member (200) is inserted into the housing (110) and abuts against the stepped surface (101); the lower connector (120) is inserted into the housing (110) and abuts against the end of the shock-absorbing member (200) away from the stepped surface (101); the upper connector (130) is installed on the end of the housing (110) away from the lower connector (120).

10. The spherical gyroscope damper according to claim 9, characterized in that: The outer casing (100) further includes a first sealing ring (140) and a second sealing ring (150); the first sealing ring (140) is disposed between the outer casing (110) and the upper connector (130), and the second sealing ring (150) is disposed between the outer casing (110) and the lower connector (120).