Rotary steerable system steering pad actuator for wellbore drilling

Abstract

A rotary steerable system (RSS), the RSS including steering collar pockets, actuation cylinders positioned in the steering collar pockets, barrel-shaped pistons positioned in the actuation cylinders and pad actuators attached to the pistons. Each barrel-shaped piston includes a piston hanger; each pad actuator includes a pad housing mounted on the steering collar and a steering pad. Each steering pad is pivotably coupled to one of the pad housings via a first hinge pin and is coupled via a second hinge pin to the piston hanger of at least one of the pistons. Each barrel-shaped piston is movable within its respective actuation cylinder such that, when extended out of the actuation cylinder, its respective steering pad pivots laterally from the steering collar on the first hinge pin to contact a side of a wellbore, urging the steering collar in a direction opposite the lateral direction.

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