Method and apparatus for damping/absorbing rotational vibrations/oscillations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11142962-B2
Application number	US-202017128032-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2020
Priority date	Dec 21, 2019
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

A vibration damping device for use with a downhole tool having a tool axis may comprise a device housing mechanically coupled to the downhole tool, wherein the device housing defines a receptacle having a volume and an inner surface; an inertia element movably supported in the receptacle and having a volume, a mass, and a non-zero moment of inertia about the tool axis; wherein the inertia element volume is greater than the receptacle volume and an interstitial volume is defined between the inertia element and the receptacle, and wherein the interstitial volume is occupied by a fluid or an elastomer. The device may include a longitudinal bearing and/or a radial bearing between the inertia element and the receptacle. The device may also include a pressure compensation device in fluid communication with the receptacle and positioned within or an integral part of the device housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vibration damping device for use with a downhole tool, the downhole tool having a tool axis, the vibration damping device comprising:
a device housing mechanically coupled to the downhole tool, wherein the device housing includes a receptacle having a volume and an inner surface;
an inertia element movably supported in the receptacle and having a volume, a mass, and a non-zero moment of inertia about the tool axis; and
a pressure compensation device, wherein the pressure compensation device comprises a pressure compensation housing and a piston moveably mounted therein so as to define a variable compensation volume, and wherein the variable compensation volume is in fluid communication with the receptacle;
wherein the volume of the inertia element is less than the volume of the receptacle so that an interstitial volume is defined between the inertia element and the receptacle, and wherein the interstitial volume is occupied by a fluid or an elastomer; and
wherein the inertia element is supported within the receptacle in a manner that allows the inertia element to move relative to the device housing.

2. The device of claim 1 , and further including:
at least one longitudinal bearing and at least one radial bearing, each bearing positioned between the inertia element and the inner surface of the receptacle; and
a cartridge mechanically coupled to the downhole tool, wherein cartridge defines the receptacle.

3. The device of claim 2 , further including positioned between the inertia element and the inner surface of the receptacle, at least one of:
a longitudinal biasing means and longitudinal friction pad combination; and
a radial biasing means and radial friction pad combination.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein the pressure compensation housing is formed separately from the device housing and the pressure compensation housing and the cartridge are both received within the device housing.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the pressure compensation housing comprises the device housing.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the pressure compensation housing is formed separately from the device housing and is received within the device housing.

7. The device of claim 1 , further including at least one of a longitudinal bearing and a radial bearing positioned between the inertia element and the inner surface of the receptacle.

8. A vibration damping device for use with a downhole tool, the downhole tool having a tool axis, the vibration damping device comprising:
a device housing mechanically coupled to the downhole tool, wherein the device housing includes a receptacle having a volume and an inner surface; and
an inertia element movably supported in the receptacle and having a volume, a mass, and a non-zero moment of inertia about the tool axis;
wherein the volume of the inertia element is less than the volume of the receptacle so that an interstitial volume is defined between the inertia element and the receptacle, and wherein the interstitial volume is occupied by a fluid or an elastomer; and
wherein the inertia element is supported within the receptacle in a manner that allows the inertia element to move relative to the device housing,

further including positioned between the inertia element and the inner surface of the receptacle, at least one of a longitudinal biasing means and longitudinal friction pad combination or a radial biasing means and radial friction pad combination.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the device housing and receptacle are configured such that movement of the inertia element relative to the device housing can comprise rotation through 360 degrees about the tool axis.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the device housing comprises a collar configured to be part of a drill string.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the device housing is affixed to or integral with a drill bit.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises an annular wall having a central bore therethrough, wherein the inertia element has an outer radius less than the outer radius of the housing, wherein the inertia element has an inner radius substantially equal to the radius of the central bore, and wherein the receptacle is in fluid communication with the central bore.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises an annular wall having a central bore and an outer radius, wherein the inertia element has an outer radius substantially equal to the outer radius of the housing, wherein the inertia element has an inner radius greater than the radius of the central bore, and wherein the receptacle is in fluid communication with the environment surrounding the housing.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein the inertia element has a shape selected from the group consisting of square toroids, tori, and azimuthally-spaced segments.

15. A method for providing a damping tool for use with a bottomhole assembly (BHA), the damping tool including a torsional damping device and the torsional damping device including an inertia element and a damping fluid, comprising the steps of:
a) calculating a set of natural frequencies and mode shapes of the BHA based on the mechanical properties of the BHA;
b) selecting at least one desired frequency from the calculated natural frequencies;
c) calculating or measuring the frequency dependent damping response of a damping device and adjusting at least one property of the damping device so that the calculated or measured frequency dependent damping response corresponds to the at least one desired frequency;
d) using the calculated mode shapes to determine where to couple the damping device to the BHA.

16. The method of claim 15 , further including the steps of calculating, for at least a selected natural frequency of the BHA, the amplitude of vibration for each point along the BHA, identifying at least one location on the BHA at which amplitude of vibration at the selected natural frequency has a zero value and positioning the damping tool at the identified location.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein the BHA comprises a drill bit.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein step c) comprises adjusting one or more properties selected from the group consisting of the mass of the inertia element, material density of the inertia element, moment of inertia of the inertia element to the tool axis, shape of the inertia element, shape of the tool, density of the damping fluid, and viscosity of the damping fluid, and selecting a value that results in a damping tool frequency that most closely matches the desired frequency.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the torsional damping device comprises:
a housing mechanically coupled to the downhole tool, the housing comprising an annular wall having a central bore therethrough, wherein the wall includes a receptacle having a volume;
an inertia element movably supported in the receptacle and having a volume, a mass, and a non-zero moment of inertia about the tool axis;
wherein the volume of the receptacle is greater than the volume of the inertia element so as to define an interstitial volume therebetween and wherein the interstitial volume is occupied by a fluid or an elastomer.

Assignees

• Scient Drilling Int Inc

Inventors

• Simanowski Mario
• Freyer Carsten
• Volgmann Marco
• Wilson Josh

Classifications

• F16F15/1435

  Elastomeric springs, i.e. made of plastic or rubber · CPC title

• F16F7/108

  on plastics springs · CPC title

• E21B17/07 Primary

  Telescoping joints for varying drill string lengths; Shock absorbers · CPC title

• F16F15/173

  provided within a closed housing {(F16F15/36 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F16F2222/08

  Inertia · CPC title