Mold assemblies used for fabricating downhole tools

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016297002-A1
Application number	US-201414896735-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 2, 2014
Priority date	Dec 2, 2014
Publication date	Oct 13, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An example mold assembly for fabricating an infiltrated downhole tool includes a mold forming a bottom of the mold assembly, and a funnel operatively coupled to the mold and having an inner wall, an outer wall, and a cavity defined between the inner and outer walls. An infiltration chamber is defined at least partially by the mold and the funnel. The inner wall faces the infiltration chamber and the outer wall forms at least a portion of an outer periphery of the mold assembly.

First claim

1 . A mold assembly for fabricating an infiltrated downhole tool, comprising:
a mold forming a bottom of the mold assembly; a funnel operatively coupled to the mold and having an inner wall, an outer wall, and a cavity defined between the inner and outer walls; and an infiltration chamber defined at least partially by the mold and the funnel, wherein the inner wall faces the infiltration chamber and the outer wall forms at least a portion of an outer periphery of the mold assembly.

2 . (canceled)

3 . (canceled)

4 . The mold assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cavity is filled at least partially with a thermal material selected from the group consisting of a ceramic, a ceramic-fiber blanket, a polymer, a metal, an insulating metal composite, a carbon, a nanocomposite, a glass, a foam, a gas, any composite thereof, and any combination thereof.

5 . The mold assembly of claim 4 , wherein the thermal material is in the form of at least one of beads, cubes, pellets, particulates, a powder, flakes, fibers, wools, a woven fabric, a bulked fabric, sheets, bricks, stones, blocks, cast shapes, molded shapes, sprayed insulation, a vacuum, any hybrid thereof, and any combination thereof.

6 . The mold assembly of claim 4 , wherein the cavity is sealed and the gas is selected from the group consisting of air, argon, neon, helium, krypton, xenon, oxygen, carbon dioxide, methane, nitric oxide, nitrogen, nitrous oxide, and any combination thereof.

7 . (canceled)

8 . The mold assembly of claim 1 , wherein the funnel has a top and a bottom and a height that extends between the top and the bottom, and wherein at least one of a thickness and a geometry of one or both of the inner and outer walls varies along the height to vary a thermal property of the funnel along the height.

9 . (canceled)

10 . (canceled)

11 . The mold assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a reflective coating disposed within the cavity and applied to or adjacent a surface of one or both of the inner and outer walls.

12 . The mold assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a thermal barrier disposed within the cavity and applied to or adjacent a surface of one or both of the inner and outer walls.

13 . (canceled)

14 . The mold assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inner and outer walls are made of different materials selected from the group consisting of graphite, alumina, a ceramic, a metal, an insulating metal composite, a nanocomposite, a foam, and a ceramic-fiber blanket.

15 . The mold assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cavity is filled at least partially with a thermal material selected from the group consisting of a metal, a salt, and a ceramic in the form of at least one of beads, cubes, pellets, particulates, a powder, and flakes, fibers, wools, a woven fabric, a bulked fabric, sheets, bricks, stones, blocks, cast shapes, molded shapes, sprayed insulation, any hybrid thereof, and any combination thereof.

16 . The mold assembly of claim 15 , wherein the thermal material is disposed within a vessel that is removably positionable within the cavity.

17 . The mold assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cavity has a bottom surface that defines alternating high points and low points about a circumference of the funnel within the cavity.

18 . The mold assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inner and outer walls are segmented axially into a plurality of rings.

19 . (canceled)

20 . The mold assembly of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:
a gauge ring interposing the mold and the funnel, wherein the funnel is operatively coupled to the mold via the gauge ring; a binder bowl positioned above the funnel; and a cap positionable on the binder bowl.

21 . The mold assembly of claim 20 , wherein one or more of the mold, the funnel, the gauge ring, the binder bowl, and the cap are made of a material that includes embedded refractory particles.

22 . The mold assembly of claim 20 , wherein one or more of the mold, the funnel, the gauge ring, the binder bowl, and the cap are made of a material that defines a plurality of small, air filled cavities.

23 . The mold assembly of claim 20 , wherein the cavity is a first cavity and at least one of the mold, the gauge ring, the binder bowl, and the cap defines a second cavity, and wherein the second cavity is filled at least partially with a thermal material selected from the group consisting of a ceramic, a polymer, a metal, an insulating metal composite, a carbon, a nanocomposite, a glass, a foam, a gas any composite thereof, and any combination thereof.

24 . A method, comprising:
placing a mold assembly within a furnace, the mold assembly including a mold forming a bottom of the mold assembly, a funnel operatively coupled to the mold, and an infiltration chamber defined at least partially by the mold and the funnel, wherein the funnel provides an inner wall, an outer wall, and a cavity defined between the inner and outer walls, and wherein the inner wall faces the infiltration chamber and the outer wall forms at least a portion of an outer periphery of the mold assembly; removing the mold assembly from the furnace to cool molten contents disposed within the infiltration chamber; and varying a thermal profile of the molten contents with the funnel and thereby facilitating directional solidification of the molten contents.

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the cavity is filled at least partially with a thermal material, the thermal material being selected from the group consisting of a ceramic, a ceramic-fiber blanket, a polymer, a metal, an insulating metal composite, a carbon, a nanocomposite, a glass, a foam, a gas, any composite thereof, and any combination thereof, and wherein varying the thermal profile of the molten contents with the funnel comprises varying a thermal property of the mold assembly along a height of the funnel with the thermal material.

26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the thermal material is a metal, a salt, or a ceramic in the form of at least one of beads, cubes, pellets, particulates, a powder, flakes, fibers, wools, a woven fabric, a bulked fabric, sheets, bricks, stones, blocks, cast shapes, molded shapes, sprayed insulation, any hybrid thereof, and any combination thereof, and wherein varying the thermal profile of the molten contents with the funnel comprises:
absorbing thermal energy with the thermal material while the mold assembly is in the furnace; and providing latent heat from the thermal material to the molten contents when the mold assembly is removed from the furnace.

27 . The method of claim 24 , wherein a reflective coating is disposed within the cavity and applied to or adjacent a surface of one or both of the inner and outer walls, the method further comprising reflecting thermal energy emitted from the molten contents back toward the molten contents with the reflective coating.

28 . The method of claim 24 , wherein a thermal barrier is disposed within the cavity and applied to or adjacent a surface of one or both of the inner and outer walls, the method further comprising increasing a thermal resistance of the funnel with the thermal barrier.

29 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the cavity is filled at least partially with a thermal material and wherein varying the thermal profile of the molten contents with the funnel comprises providing latent heat from the thermal materia

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Thomas Jeffrey G
• Ownby Clayton Arthur
• Cook Iii Grant O
• Olsen Garrett T
• Voglewede Daniel Brendan

Classifications

• B22F3/02

  Compacting only · CPC title

• B22C9/065

  Cooling or heating equipment for moulds · CPC title

• B22D27/045 Primary

  Directionally solidified castings · CPC title

• B22F2007/066

  using impregnation · CPC title

• B22F2999/00

  Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy · CPC title