Ball-and-Socket Joint for Constant Velocity Drill String Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drill string connections face challenges in maintaining constant velocity and torque transmission between drilling motors and drill bits, especially when dealing with articulating or epicyclic motions and bent housings.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a constant velocity connection utilizing ball-and-socket joints, where each joint includes a ball connected to a shaft with an insert that rotates about a lateral axis, allowing for offset rotational alignment and accommodating planetary or epicyclic motion, ensuring consistent torque and rotation transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a positive displacement Moineau-type drilling motor is used with articulating or epicyclic motion, then rotation can be transformed from the motor rotor to the drill bit, but maintaining constant velocity and torque transmission becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs spherical ball-and-socket joints with curved surfaces to accommodate articulating and epicyclic motions while maintaining constant velocity transmission. The spherical geometry allows rotation about multiple axes while preserving the constant velocity relationship between input and output shafts, resolving the contradiction between motion transformation adaptability and transmission reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the connection joints, specifically using spherical surfaces with carefully selected radii and curvature characteristics. This parameter optimization enables the joints to accommodate various motion paths (articulating, planetary, epicyclic) while maintaining constant velocity transmission, thus resolving the contradiction between versatility and reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a bent housing is used to transform rotation about one centerline to another centerline, then alignment flexibility is improved, but maintaining constant velocity connection becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses spherical ball-and-socket joints that can accommodate the angular deviations introduced by bent housings. The curved spherical surfaces allow the connection to maintain constant velocity transmission even when the input and output centerlines are not aligned, simplifying the overall structure while achieving the desired flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs dynamic joints that can adapt their orientation and rotation axes in real-time to accommodate the bent housing configuration. The ball-and-socket joints provide dynamic adjustment capability, allowing the system to maintain constant velocity transmission despite the fixed angular offset introduced by the bent housing, thus reducing structural complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional drill string connections are used, then construction is simpler, but torque and rotation transmission efficiency decreases with non-aligned centerlines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs spherical ball-and-socket joints that maintain constant velocity transmission regardless of centerline alignment. This spherical geometry allows the connection to efficiently transmit torque and rotation even when bent housings or articulating motions are present, significantly improving transmission efficiency while maintaining relatively simple construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention optimizes the geometric parameters of the ball-and-socket joints, including sphere radius, socket geometry, and contact surface characteristics, to maximize torque transmission efficiency while maintaining ease of manufacture. These parameter optimizations enable high-efficiency power transmission without requiring complex alignment procedures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution provides a robust and economical means to transmit torque and rotation effectively, even in scenarios with non-aligned centerlines, enhancing the efficiency of drilling operations by maintaining constant velocity and torque across the drill string.
Implementation Method 1
a ball-and-socket joint and an insert rotationally received in an opening formed laterally through a ball of the joint
Data Source
AI summary
A constant velocity connection for use in a drill string can include at least one ball-and-socket joint, and an insert rotationally received in an opening formed laterally through a ball of the joint. A method of constructing a constant velocity connection can include installing an insert in an opening formed in a ball of at least one ball-and-socket joint of the constant velocity connection, and allowing the insert to rotate in the opening about a lateral axis. A drill string can include a drilling motor, a drill bit, and a constant velocity connection connected between the drilling motor and the drill bit, the constant velocity connection including at least one ball-and-socket joint, and an insert rotationally received in an opening formed laterally through a ball of the joint.