Hydraulically driven hole cleaning apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11512541-B2
Application number	US-202017106655-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2020
Priority date	Nov 30, 2020
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

An apparatus includes a tool body having a bore that is aligned with a lengthwise axis and a rotating assembly coupled to the tool body. The rotating assembly includes a turbine wheel that is disposed adjacent to an inner surface of the wall and exposed to the bore. The rotating assembly includes an impeller that is disposed adjacent to an outer surface of the wall in a position corresponding to the turbine wheel. Each of the turbine wheel and impeller has a respective axis of rotation that is transverse to the lengthwise axis. The rotating assembly includes a link rod that couples the turbine wheel to the impeller and is used to transfer mechanical energy generated by the turbine wheel to the impeller. The apparatus is operable by fluid flow through a drill string to increase pressure in a wellbore annulus and enhance transportation of formation cuttings up the annulus.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a tool body having a wall and a lengthwise axis, the wall defining a bore that is aligned with the lengthwise axis;
one or more rotating assemblies coupled to the tool body, each of the rotating assemblies comprising:
a turbine wheel disposed adjacent to an inner surface of the wall and exposed to the bore, the turbine wheel having an axis of rotation transverse to the lengthwise axis;
an impeller disposed adjacent to an outer surface of the wall in a position corresponding to the turbine wheel, the impeller having an axis of rotation transverse to the lengthwise axis; and
a link rod operatively coupling the turbine wheel to the impeller, the link rod to transfer mechanical energy generated by the turbine wheel to the impeller.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the link rod passes through a portion of the wall of the tool body between the turbine wheel and the impeller and is rotatably supported by a bearing mounted in the portion of the wall of the tool body.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the turbine wheel has a higher hydrodynamic drag in comparison to the impeller when the turbine wheel and the impeller are immersed in a fluid.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the impeller is an open impeller or a semi-open impeller.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the impeller is a radial impeller.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an impeller casing mounted around the impeller to provide a chamber around the impeller that guides flow from the impeller, the impeller casing having an opening forming an outlet port that is fluidly connected to the chamber.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the chamber is a volute chamber.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising an external shield disposed around the tool body with a space between the external shield and the tool body to accommodate the impeller casing and the impeller, wherein the external shield includes an opening forming an inlet port that is fluidly connected to the chamber.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the rotating assemblies are coupled to the tool body, and wherein the plurality of the rotating assemblies are uniformly distributed along a circumference of the tool body.

10. A drill string comprising:
a drill bit;
one or more drill pipes forming a conduit that is fluidly connected to the drill bit; and
one or more hole cleaning apparatuses disposed along the conduit, each of the hole cleaning apparatuses comprising:
a tool body having a wall and a lengthwise axis, the wall defining a bore that is aligned with the lengthwise axis and fluidly connected to the conduit;
one or more rotating assemblies coupled to the tool body, each of the rotating assemblies comprising:
a turbine wheel disposed adjacent to an inner surface of the wall and exposed to the bore, the turbine wheel having an axis of rotation transverse to the lengthwise axis;
an impeller disposed adjacent to an outer surface of the wall in a position corresponding to the turbine wheel, the impeller having an axis of rotation transverse to the lengthwise axis; and
a link rod operatively coupling the turbine wheel to the impeller, the link rod to transfer mechanical energy generated by the turbine wheel to the impeller.

11. The drill string of claim 10 , wherein the turbine wheel of each of the one or more rotating assemblies has a higher hydrodynamic drag in comparison to the corresponding impeller when the turbine wheel and the corresponding impeller are immersed in a fluid.

12. The drill string of claim 11 , wherein the impeller is an open impeller or a semi-open impeller.

13. The drill string of claim 11 , wherein the impeller is a radial impeller.

14. The drill string of claim 10 , further comprising an impeller casing mounted around each impeller to provide a chamber around the impeller that guides flow from the impeller, each impeller casing having an opening forming an outlet port that is fluidly connected to the chamber.

15. The drill string of claim 14 , wherein the chamber is a volute chamber.

16. The drill string of claim 14 , further comprising an external shield disposed around the tool body with a space between the external shield and tool body to accommodate each impeller casing and corresponding impeller, wherein the external shield includes an opening forming an inlet port that is fluidly connected to the chamber.

17. The drill string of claim 16 , wherein each impeller casing is connected to the external shield.

18. The drill string of claim 10 , wherein a plurality of the rotating assemblies are coupled to the tool body of each hole cleaning apparatus, and wherein the plurality of the rotating assemblies are uniformly distributed along a circumference of the tool body.

19. A method comprising:
disposing a drill string including at least one hole cleaning apparatus in a wellbore;
pumping a fluid into the drill string while operating the drill string to cut into a subsurface formation around the wellbore;
returning the fluid pumped into the drill string and cuttings from the subsurface formation to a surface through an annulus between the drill string and the wellbore;
during pumping of the fluid into the drill string, rotating at least one turbine wheel disposed inside a tool body of the hole cleaning apparatus by the fluid passing through the drill string;
rotating at least one impeller disposed outside the tool body of the hole cleaning apparatus in response to rotation of the at least one turbine wheel; and
increasing a pressure of the fluid in the annulus at a location of the at least one impeller by the rotation of the at least one impeller;
wherein rotating the at least one impeller comprises rotating the at least one impeller about an axis of rotation that is transverse to a lengthwise axis of the tool body of the hole cleaning apparatus.

20. A method comprising:
disposing a drill string including at least one hole cleaning apparatus in a wellbore;
pumping a fluid into the drill string while operating the drill string to cut into a subsurface formation around the wellbore;
returning the fluid pumped into the drill string and cuttings from the subsurface formation to a surface through an annulus between the drill string and the wellbore;
during pumping of the fluid into the drill string, rotating at least one turbine wheel disposed inside a tool body of the hole cleaning apparatus by the fluid passing through the drill string;
rotating at least one impeller disposed outside the tool body of the hole cleaning apparatus in response to rotation of the at least one turbine wheel; and
increasing a pressure of the fluid in the annulus at a location of the at least one impeller by the rotation of the at least one impeller;
wherein rotating the at least turbine wheel comprises rotating the at least one turbine wheel about an axis of rotation that is transverse to a lengthwise axis of the tool body of the hole cleaning apparatus, and
wherein rotating the at least one impeller comprises rotating the at least one impeller about an axis of rotation that is transverse to the lengthwise axis of the tool body of the hole cleaning apparatus.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Al-Johar Abdulwahab S
• Al-Rubaii Mohammed Murif
• Al-Yami Abdullah S

Classifications

• E21B4/16

  Plural down-hole drives, e.g. for combined percussion and rotary drilling (E21B4/10 takes precedence); Drives for multi-bit drilling units · CPC title

• E21B37/00

  Methods or apparatus for cleaning boreholes or wells (E21B21/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B21/00 Primary

  Methods or apparatus for flushing boreholes, e.g. by use of exhaust air from motor (freeing objects stuck in boreholes by flushing E21B31/03) · CPC title