Methods for mitigating whirl

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11512540-B2
Application number	US-202017075740-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2020
Priority date	Oct 31, 2019
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

A method of mitigating whirl on a rotating device includes detecting force on a outer surface of the rotating device and switching the rotating device between a rotating mode and a non-rotating mode. In the rotating mode, the outer surface may rotate with an inner sleeve. In the non-rotating mode, the outer surface may be rotationally isolated from the inner sleeve. The rotating device may include a stabilizer with an active or passive system for switching modes. The stabilizer can include an outer collar, an inner sleeve, and a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism is changeable between a first mode in which the outer collar is rotationally fixed to the inner sleeve and a second mode in which the outer collar is rotationally isolated relative to the inner sleeve. An example passive device may include a magnetic clutch where the detected force overcomes magnetic forces to change mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of mitigating whirl, comprising:
detecting friction or torque on an outer surface of a rotating device; and
in response to detecting the friction or torque, switching the rotating device between a rotating mode and non-rotating mode, wherein switching the rotating device between a rotating mode and a non-rotating mode includes changing between first and second configurations of a locking mechanism of a stabilizer, the stabilizer including:
an outer collar; and
an inner sleeve at least partially within the outer collar,
wherein in the first configuration the outer collar is rotationally fixed to the inner sleeve and in the second configuration the outer collar is rotationally isolated relative to the inner sleeve.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting friction or torque includes detecting that friction or torque exceeds a threshold.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the threshold is at least 1.5 kNm.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting friction or torque includes passively detecting the friction or torque and using the passively detected friction or torque to switch the rotating device between the rotating and non-rotating modes.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rotating device includes a drill string and the outer surface is on the outer collar which is coupled to the drill string.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein switching the rotating device between the rotating mode and the non-rotating mode includes using one or more of:
a passively controlled clutch;
an actively controlled locking mechanism; or
a coating on at least one stabilizer rib.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein switching the rotating device between the rotating mode and the non-rotating mode includes using a magnetic clutch.

8. The method of claim 7 , the magnetic clutch including a plurality of magnets on the outer collar and the inner sleeve of the stabilizer, with the inner sleeve at least partially within the outer collar.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein switching the rotating device between a rotating mode and non-rotating mode includes aligning a first magnet of the plurality of magnets on the outer collar with a second magnet of the plurality of magnets on the inner sleeve when the locking mechanism of the stabilizer is in a first configuration, and misaligning the first magnet with the second magnet when the locking mechanism is in a second configuration.

10. The method of claim 8 , the plurality of magnets including at least two magnets on the outer collar, the at least two magnets being in a same radial plane.

11. The method of claim 8 , the plurality of magnets including at least two magnets on the outer collar, the at least two magnets being axially spaced along a length of the outer collar.

12. The method of claim 1 , the locking mechanism including an actuator coupled to a controller.

13. The method of claim 12 , the locking mechanism including a sensor coupled to the controller and the method including:
sensing with the sensor at least one of vibrational, torque, or frictional forces on the outer collar; and
using the controller and thereby causing the actuator to selectively move the locking mechanism between the first and second configurations based on data obtained by the sensor.

14. The method of claim 1 , the stabilizer being part of a bottomhole assembly including a downhole tool, the stabilizer being coupled at least indirectly to the downhole tool.

15. The method of claim 14 , the downhole tool including a drill bit.

16. The method of claim 14 , the downhole tool including a downhole motor.

17. The method of claim 16 , the stabilizer being positioned below the downhole motor.

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Panayirci Huseyin Murat
• Hird Jonathan Robert
• Sihler Joachim
• Johnson Ashley Bernard

Classifications

• E21B17/1078 Primary

  Stabilisers or centralisers for casing, tubing or drill pipes (E21B17/1007 - E21B17/1064 take precedence) · CPC title

• E21B17/028

  Electrical or electro-magnetic connections · CPC title

• E21B17/046

  with ribs, pins, or jaws, and complementary grooves or the like, e.g. bayonet catches · CPC title