Steerable Connection Device for High Build-Up Rate Drilling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current drilling technologies lack a universal steerable connection that can achieve high Build-Up Rate (BUR) with narrow tilt angles, is economical to manufacture, and easy to maintain, while providing flexibility and compactness in trajectory control.
Innovation Solution
A steerable connection device with a main body and steerable housing connected by pivot, sliding pivot, or ball joint, featuring a flexible transmission shaft and radial displacement for steering, along with bearing pads and clamps for optimal deviation and rotation control, allowing for controlled bending and compatibility with existing systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the length of the bent housing is reduced, then the Build-Up Rate (BUR) increases, but the life of the thrust bearing deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into a main body and a steerable housing connected by multiple bearings (first, second, and third bearings). This segmentation allows the steerable housing to be positioned closer to the drilling tool while maintaining bearing support, enabling high BUR without compromising thrust bearing life.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a spatial arrangement where the steerable housing is positioned downstream from the main body with multiple bearings distributed along the transmission shaft. This dimensional redistribution allows the system to achieve high BUR with narrow tilt angles while maintaining adequate bearing support distances.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a universal steerable connection is designed for high BUR with narrow tilt angles, then trajectory flexibility improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The steerable connection device is designed as a universal solution that can achieve high BUR with narrow tilt angles, suitable for various drilling applications. The standardized configuration with main body, steerable housing, and multiple bearings makes it adaptable to different drilling tools and trajectories while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates a flexible transmission shaft that can bend and adapt to different trajectories. The steerable housing can be radially displaced relative to the main body, providing dynamic trajectory control flexibility without requiring an overly complex mechanical structure.
3Length of moving object
If the steerable housing is positioned closer to the drilling tool, then longitudinal compactness improves, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The first bearing connects the main body and steerable housing before the transmission shaft undergoes significant bending. This preliminary connection establishes the initial spatial relationship and alignment, reducing the precision requirements for subsequent assembly steps and making manufacturing more feasible.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple bearings (first, second, and third bearings) act as intermediaries between the main body, steerable housing, and transmission shaft. These bearing elements provide tolerance compensation and alignment facilitation, reducing the direct precision requirements between major components while enabling compact positioning.
Data Source
AI summary
A drilling tool steering device includes, consecutively from upstream to downstream, a main body (1) and a steerable housing (2); a deflection system (7); and a flexible transmission shaft (3). The transmission shaft crosses the main body, the steerable housing, and the deflection system longitudinally, is bendable or flexible, and is connected to the main body (1) and to the steerable housing (2) by at least three connections forming bearings (4, 5, 6). Steering is carried out by the deflection system (7) acting by an essentially radial relative displacement of the main body (1) in relation to the steerable housing (2) in proximity of their interface.