Macroscopic drill bit reinforcement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10577868-B2
Application number	US-201515541637-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2015
Priority date	Mar 5, 2015
Publication date	Mar 3, 2020
Grant date	Mar 3, 2020

Abstract

Systems and methods for manufacturing a macroscopically reinforced metal-matrix composite (MMC) fixed-cutter bit are provided. The reinforced drill bit may include a bit body constructed from an infiltrated MMC material and featuring several blade portions extending radially outward and downward from a shank of the drill bit. These blade portions are designed for contacting a subterranean formation. The drill bit also includes the shank, which is coupled to an end of the bit body opposite the blade portions, to connect the bit body to an upstream component of a drill string. The drill bit further includes a number of macroscopic bit reinforcements that are at least partially enclosed within the bit body. These bit reinforcements are each disposed in and aligned substantially with a corresponding blade portion of the bit body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drill bit system, comprising:
a bit body comprising a metal-matrix composite (MMC) material, wherein the bit body comprises a plurality of blade portions extending radially outward and downward to contact a subterranean formation;
a plurality of bit reinforcements at least partially enclosed within the bit body, wherein the plurality of bit reinforcements are each disposed in and aligned substantially with a corresponding one of the plurality of blade portions, wherein the plurality of bit reinforcements each have a higher elastic modulus than the MMC material; and
a shank coupled to an upper end of the drill bit body opposite the plurality of blade portions;
wherein each of the plurality of bit reinforcements has a rounded shape that protrudes downward from the shank into the MMC material, wherein the MMC material surrounds the rounded shape at least along a radially outward facing edge of the rounded shape;
wherein each of the plurality of bit reinforcements comprises an upper portion shaped to interface with the shank, wherein the rounded shape of each bit reinforcement is defined by a radially outward facing edge with a convex surface extending both downward and radially outward with respect to the upper portion.

2. The drill bit system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of bit reinforcements are all connected together via a ring extending concentrically around an axis of the shank, truss rods or arcs, or at a center point.

3. The drill bit system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of bit reinforcements are each coupled directly to the shank and are separate components from each other.

4. The drill bit system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of bit reinforcements comprise at least one material selected from the group of materials containing: iridium, rhenium, ruthenium, tungsten, molybdenum, beryllium, chromium, rhodium, iron, cobalt, uranium, nickel, vanadium, tantalum, osmium, and alloys thereof.

5. The drill bit system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of bit reinforcements comprises a ceramic material.

6. The drill bit system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of bit reinforcements comprises a thickness that increases along a dimension of the bit reinforcement to conform with an increasing thickness of the corresponding one of the plurality of blade portions of the bit body.

7. The drill bit system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of bit reinforcements is a different size from at least one other of the plurality of bit reinforcements.

8. The drill bit system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of bit reinforcements includes an outer coating, a surface treatment, or other surface features produced on an outer portion of the bit reinforcements.

9. The drill bit system of claim 1 , wherein the MMC material further surrounds the rounded shape along a lower end of the rounded shape opposite the shank, and at a location where the rounded shape contacts the shank.

10. The drill bit system of claim 1 , wherein the rounded shape of each bit reinforcement is a rounded paddle shape defined by:
the radially outward facing edge with the convex surface extending both downward and radially outward with respect to the upper portion; and
a radially inward facing edge with a convex surface extending both downward and radially inward with respect to the upper portion.

11. The drill bit system of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the plurality of bit reinforcements has one or more hollow portions formed within the rounded paddle shape.

12. The drill bit system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more hollow portions are filled in with a material or material format different from the material of the bit reinforcement.

13. The drill bit system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more hollow portions are filled in with a material arranged in at least one material format selected from the group consisting of: beads, particulates, sintered particles, flakes, fibers, sheets, bricks, stones, blocks, cast shapes, molded shapes, and foams.

14. The drill bit system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more hollow portions are entirely enclosed within the rounded paddle shape.

15. The drill bit system of claim 1 , wherein the rounded shape of each of the plurality of bit reinforcements is a rounded hook shape defined by:
the radially outward facing edge with the convex surface extending both downward and radially outward with respect to the upper portion; and
a radially inward facing edge with a concave surface.

16. A method for manufacturing a drill bit system, comprising:
disposing a shank within a mold;
disposing a plurality of bit reinforcements within the mold such that the plurality of bit reinforcements are positioned adjacent to an end of the shank; and
filling the mold with a metal-matrix composite (MMC) material to form a bit body comprising a plurality of blade portions extending radially outward and downward away from the end of the shank, wherein the MMC material at least partially encloses the plurality of bit reinforcements within the bit body such that each of the plurality of bit reinforcements are disposed in and aligned substantially with a corresponding one of the plurality of blade portions, wherein the plurality of bit reinforcements each have a higher elastic modulus than the metal-matrix composite material;
wherein each of the plurality of bit reinforcements has a rounded shape that protrudes downward from the shank into the MMC material;
wherein upon filling the mold with the MMC material, the MMC material surrounds the rounded shape at least along a radially outward facing edge of the rounded shape;
wherein each of the plurality of bit reinforcements comprises an upper portion shaped to interface with the shank, wherein the rounded shape of each bit reinforcement is defined by a radially outward facing edge with a convex surface extending both downward and radially outward with respect to the upper portion.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising coupling each of the plurality of bit reinforcements directly to the shank prior to disposing the shank within the mold.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising coupling the plurality of bit reinforcements to each other via a ring, truss rods or arcs, or at a center point.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising coating at least one of the plurality of bit reinforcements.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising forming at least one of the plurality of bit reinforcements by additive manufacturing.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc
• Haliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Cook Grant O

Classifications

• E21B10/54 Primary

  the bit being of the rotary drag type, e.g. fork-type bits · CPC title

• B22D19/02

  for making reinforced articles (B22D19/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• E21B10/42 Primary

  Rotary drag type drill bits with teeth, blades or like cutting elements, e.g. fork-type bits, fish tail bits (characterised by wear resisting parts E21B10/46; by conduits or nozzles for drilling fluid E21B10/60; by detachable or adjustable parts E21B10/62) · CPC title