Earth-Boring Tool Stabilizing Structure for Directional Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional earth-boring tools face challenges in achieving directional stability and protecting rotatable cutting structures from back reaming and hanging on ledges or casing during drilling operations, especially when using hybrid bits with both fixed and rotatable cutting structures.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a hybrid earth-boring tool with extended gage lengths on blades and a stabilizing structure secured to the crown, which is circumferentially aligned with the rotatable cutting structure assembly, providing additional stability and protection by intersecting with the leg of the rotatable cutting structure assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If extended gage lengths are used on blades, then directional stability is improved, but the risk of back reaming and hanging on ledges increases
Solution Approach 1:
A stabilizing structure is introduced as an intermediary element between the extended gage blades and the formation. This stabilizing structure prevents the blades from engaging in back reaming and hanging on ledges, allowing the extended gage lengths to provide directional stability without the associated harmful effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The earth-boring tool is segmented into distinct functional components: extended gage blades for directional stability, rotatable cutting structures for cutting, and a separate stabilizing structure for protection. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally without interfering with the others.
2Reliability
If stabilizing structure is added, then protection from back reaming is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing structure is merged with the existing crown structure of the earth-boring tool. By integrating the stabilizing function into the crown rather than adding a completely separate component, the design provides protection from back reaming while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity.
3Productivity
If rotatable cutting structures are used, then cutting performance is improved, but vulnerability to back reaming damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing structure serves as a protective intermediary that shields the rotatable cutting structures from back reaming damage. This allows the rotatable cutting structures to maintain their cutting performance while being protected from the harmful effects of back reaming by the stabilizing structure positioned on the crown.
Data Source
AI summary
An earth-boring tool includes a body having a shank and a crown, a plurality of blades protruding from the crown of the body and extending at least substantially along a longitudinal length of the crown of the body, each blade extending radially outward and defining a respective radially outermost gage surface. The earth-boring tool further includes at least one rotatable cutting structure assembly including a leg and a rotatable cutting structure rotatably coupled to the leg. The earth-boring tool also includes at least one stabilizing structure secured to the crown of the body between an end of the leg opposite the rotatable cutting structure and the shank of the body, the at least one stabilizing structure being at least substantially circumferentially aligned with the leg of the at least one rotatable cutting structure assembly along a circumference of the crown of the body.