Rheological fluid lock of shaft to housing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10738540-B2
Application number	US-201615781437-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2016
Priority date	Jan 27, 2016
Publication date	Aug 11, 2020
Grant date	Aug 11, 2020

Abstract

A rheological lock apparatus includes a fluid chamber formed within a housing between a pair of seals. The fluid chamber contains a rheological fluid. An inner surface of the housing has a first plurality of splines projecting into the fluid chamber and extending longitudinally along a longitudinal dimension of the chamber. A driveshaft extends axially through the chamber such that the pair of seals are sealed against the driveshaft. The driveshaft includes a second plurality of splines. A field generator is coupled to one of the driveshaft or the housing to generate a field through the rheological fluid during times when the housing is substantially immobile in a borehole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rheological lock apparatus for use in a borehole, comprising:
a fluid chamber formed within a housing between a pair of seals, the fluid chamber comprising a rheological fluid, the housing having an inner surface with a first plurality of splines projecting into the fluid chamber and extending longitudinally along a longitudinal dimension of the chamber;
a driveshaft extending axially through the chamber such that the pair of seals are sealed against the driveshaft, the driveshaft comprising a second plurality of splines; and
a field generator coupled to one of the driveshaft or the housing and configured to generate a field through the rheological fluid, wherein the field generator is dynamically controllable in response to a mobility of the housing relative to the borehole.

2. The rheological lock apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rheological fluid is an electrorheological fluid and the field generator is an electric field generator.

3. The rheological lock apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rheological fluid is a magnetorheological fluid.

4. The rheological lock apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rheological fluid is configured to couple torque from the driveshaft to the housing in a first mode and permit rotation of the driveshaft within the housing in a second mode.

5. The rheological lock apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the field generator is configured to be enabled to activate the first mode and disabled to activate the second mode.

6. The rheological lock apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of splines are integral with the housing.

7. The rheological lock apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second plurality of splines are integral with the driveshaft.

8. The rheological lock apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid chamber is less than an entire length of the housing.

9. The rheological lock apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising bearings coupled to the inner surface.

10. The rheological lock apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the bearings comprise spherical bearings configured to locate the driveshaft axially within the housing along the longitudinal dimension and permit relative rotation between the housing and the driveshaft.

11. A method for drilling a borehole, the method comprising:
applying a torque to a driveshaft to rotate the driveshaft within a housing during a first mode of operation;
generating a field to a rheological fluid sealed in a chamber of the housing with a field generator dynamically controllable in response to a mobility of the housing relative to the borehole; and
applying the field to the rheological fluid sealed in the chamber of the housing, during a second mode of operation, such that a solid-like state of the rheological fluid, in response to the field, transfers at least a portion of the torque to the housing.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein applying the field to the rheological fluid comprises applying the field when the housing is substantially immobile within the borehole.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising removing the field when the housing is not substantially immobile within the borehole.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein, during the second mode of operation, a first plurality of splines coupled to an outer surface of the driveshaft transfers at least the portion of the torque to the rheological fluid in the solid-like state and the rheological fluid transfers at least the portion of the torque to a second plurality of splines coupled to an inner surface of the housing.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising applying the torque to the driveshaft to rotate a drill bit coupled to the driveshaft.

16. A drilling system for use in a borehole, comprising:
a bottom hole assembly locatable in the borehole and comprising:
a drillstring coupled to a motor or a rotation table that are configured to provide a torque to the drillstring;
a driveshaft coupled between the drillstring and a drill bit to transfer the torque to the drill bit, the driveshaft configured to rotate axially within a housing, the driveshaft comprising a first plurality of splines projecting into the housing and the housing comprising a second plurality of splines projecting towards the driveshaft; and

a rheological lock apparatus comprising:
a chamber formed between a pair of seals within the housing and comprising a rheological fluid, the driveshaft extending longitudinally through the housing and through the pair of seals such that the seals are sealed against the driveshaft; and
a field generator coupled to one of the housing or the driveshaft and configured to generate a field into the rheological fluid, wherein the field generator is dynamically controllable in response to a mobility of the housing relative to the borehole in which the bottom hole assembly is located.

17. The drilling system of claim 16 , wherein the field generator is located in the housing.

18. The drilling system of claim 16 , wherein the field generator is located in the driveshaft.

19. The drilling system of claim 16 , wherein the field generator is located such that the field is generated axially between the housing and the driveshaft.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Samuel Geoffrey A
• Roy Choudhury Neil

Classifications

• E21B41/0085 Primary

  Adaptations of electric power generating means for use in boreholes · CPC title

• E21B7/062

  the tool shaft rotating inside a non-rotating guide travelling with the shaft (E21B7/067 and E21B7/068 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16D2037/005

  characterised by a single substantially radial gap in which the fluid or medium consisting of small particles is arranged · CPC title

• F16D37/008

  the particles being carried by a fluid, to vary viscosity when subjected to electric change, i.e. electro-rheological or smart fluids (composition of such fluids C10M171/001) · CPC title

• E21B31/035 Primary

  controlling differential pipe sticking · CPC title