Wear analysis of drill bits

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021131268-A1
Application number	US-202017085381-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 30, 2020
Priority date	Oct 30, 2019
Publication date	May 6, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method includes receiving a drill bit design. The design specifies a design parameter for a plurality of cutter elements of a drill bit. The method also includes estimating a temperature value for the cutter elements based on the design parameter and a drilling parameter; estimating a wear value for the cutter elements based on the design parameter and the temperature value; updating a value of the design parameter for at least one of the cutter elements based on the wear value and a time period; and using the updated design parameter value, repeating the steps of estimating the temperature value, estimating the wear value, and updating the design parameter value until the design parameter value for the at least one of the cutter elements reaches a threshold value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
receiving a drill bit design, the design specifying a design parameter for a plurality of cutter elements of a drill bit; estimating a temperature value for the cutter elements based on the design parameter and a drilling parameter; estimating a wear value for the cutter elements based on the design parameter and the temperature value; updating a value of the design parameter for at least one of the cutter elements based on the wear value and a time period; and using the updated design parameter value, repeating the steps of estimating the temperature value, estimating the wear value, and updating the design parameter value until the design parameter value for the at least one of the cutter elements reaches a threshold value.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the estimated wear value for a cutter element having a highest temperature value comprises a first value; and the estimated wear values for another cutter element comprises a ratio of the temperature value for the other cutter element to the highest temperature value.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein updating further comprises:
associating a wear depth with the wear value for a cutter element; and changing the design parameter value by the wear depth for the cutter element.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the design parameter having an updated value comprises a tip geometry of the at least one of the cutter elements.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the first value is 1 .

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising estimating a rate of penetration, depth of cut, or cut shape over time based on the updates to the design parameter value.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising estimating a run length for the drill bit based on a change in the rate of penetration over time until the design parameter value for the at least one of the cutter elements reaches the threshold value.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising increasing the estimated run length for the drill bit by updating one or more selected from the list consisting of: location and orientation of cutter elements on the drill bit; number of cutter elements; type, size, shape, and length of cutter elements; drilling fluid flow rate; number of drilling fluid nozzles on the drill bit; size, shape, location, and orientation of nozzles; geometry of the drill bit; and
drilling fluid type and flow rate.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold value for the design parameter is selected such that the at least one of the cutter elements reaching the threshold value indicates that the at least one of the cutter elements is fully worn.

10 . A non-transitory, computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
receive a drill bit design, the design specifying a design parameter for a plurality of cutter elements of a drill bit; estimate a temperature value for the cutter elements based on the design parameter and a drilling parameter; estimate a wear value for the cutter elements based on the design parameter and the temperature value; update a value of the design parameter for at least one of the cutter elements based on the wear value and a time period; and using the updated design parameter value, repeat the steps of estimating the temperature value, estimating the wear value, and updating the design parameter value until the design parameter value for the at least one of the cutter elements reaches a threshold value.

11 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein:
the estimated wear value for a cutter element having a highest temperature value comprises a first value; and the estimated wear values for another cutter element comprises a ratio of the temperature value for the other cutter element to the highest temperature value.

12 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor to update the design parameter value, further cause the processor to:
associate a wear depth with the wear value for a cutter element; and change the design parameter value by the wear depth for the cutter element.

13 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the design parameter having an updated value comprises a tip geometry of the at least one of the cutter elements.

14 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the first value is 1.

15 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to estimate a rate of penetration, depth of cut, or cut shape over time based on the updates to the design parameter value.

16 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to estimate a run length for the drill bit based on a change in the rate of penetration over time until the design parameter value for the at least one of the cutter elements reaches the threshold value.

17 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to increase the estimated run length for the drill bit by updating one or more selected from the list consisting of: location and orientation of cutter elements on the drill bit; number of cutter elements; type, size, shape, and length of cutter elements; drilling fluid flow rate; number of drilling fluid nozzles on the drill bit; size, shape, location, and orientation of nozzles; geometry of the drill bit; and drilling fluid type and flow rate.

18 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the threshold value for the design parameter is selected such that the at least one of the cutter elements reaching the threshold value indicates that the at least one of the cutter elements is fully worn.

19 . A system, comprising:
a memory configured to store a drill bit design specifying a design parameter for a plurality of cutter elements of a drill bit; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to:
receive the drill bit design from the memory;
estimate a temperature value for the cutter elements based on the design parameter and a drilling parameter;
estimate a wear value for the cutter elements based on the design parameter and the temperature value;
update a value of the design parameter for at least one of the cutter elements based on the wear value and a time period; and
using the updated design parameter value, repeat the steps of estimating the temperature value, estimating the wear value, and updating the design parameter value until the design parameter value for the at least one of the cutter elements reaches a threshold value.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein:
the estimated wear value for a cutter element having a highest temperature value comprises a first value; and the estimated wear values for another cutter element comprises a ratio of the temperature value for the other cutter element to the highest temperature value.

Assignees

• Nat Oilwell Varco Lp

Inventors

• Rahmani Reza
• Aghdam Afshin Babaie

Classifications

• G06F30/20 Primary

  Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) · CPC title

• E21B47/013 Primary

  Devices specially adapted for supporting measuring instruments on drill bits · CPC title

• E21B2200/20

  Computer models or simulations, e.g. for reservoirs under production, drill bits · CPC title

• E21B45/00 Primary

  Measuring the drilling time or rate of penetration · CPC title

• E21B10/43

  characterised by the arrangement of teeth or other cutting elements · CPC title