Methods of coupling components of downhole tools, downhole tools and components of downhole tools

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9273518-B2
Application number	US-201113283049-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2011
Priority date	Oct 29, 2010
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

Methods of coupling a bearing assembly to a downhole tool include forming at least a portion of a downhole component from a diamond-enhanced material, applying a metal material to a surface of the downhole component using an ultrasonic molten metal process, and coupling at least a portion of the surface of the downhole component to at least another component of the downhole tool. Downhole tools include at least one component of a bearing assembly that is configured to move relative to a portion of the downhole tool. The at least one bearing component comprises a diamond-enhanced material and is coupled to a portion of the downhole tool by an ultrasonic molten metal process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of coupling a bearing assembly to a downhole tool, comprising:
forming an entirety of a downhole component from a diamond-enhanced material comprising a continuous phase matrix material and discrete particles of diamond material embedded in and dispersed throughout an entire thickness of the continuous phase matrix material;
applying a metal material to a bare, diamond-enhanced surface of the downhole component using an ultrasonic molten metal brazing process, the bare, diamond-enhanced surface of the downhole component discrete from the metal material prior to the ultrasonic molten metal brazing process; and
coupling the downhole component to at least another downhole component using the metal material.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying a metal material to a bare, diamond-enhanced surface of the downhole component using an ultrasonic molten metal process brazing comprises:
masking a portion of the bare, diamond-enhanced surface of the downhole component; and
applying the metal material to remaining portion of the bare, diamond-enhanced surface of the downhole component.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying a metal material to the bare, diamond-enhanced surface of the downhole component using an ultrasonic molten metal brazing process comprises applying ultrasonic energy to at least one of the downhole component and the downhole tool.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming an entirety of a downhole component from a diamond-enhanced material comprises forming the entirety of the downhole component from silicon-bonded polycrystalline diamond.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein coupling the downhole component to at least another downhole component comprises coupling the downhole component to the at least another downhole component formed from a metal or a metal alloy.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying a metal material to the bare, diamond-enhanced surface of the downhole component using an ultrasonic molten metal brazing process comprises at least partially immersing the downhole component in an ultrasonic molten metal pot having a pool of the metal material therein.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying a metal material to the bare, diamond-enhanced surface of the downhole component using an ultrasonic molten metal brazing process comprises applying the metal material to the bare, diamond-enhanced surface of the downhole component with a heating source while simultaneously applying ultrasonic energy to at least one of the heating source, the downhole component, and the downhole tool.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming an entirety of a downhole component from a diamond-enhanced material comprises forming the at least a portion of the downhole component from a material comprising one of:
diamond grains in a matrix of tungsten carbide;
a high temperature, high pressure sintered silicon-bonded polycrystalline material;
a high temperature, low pressure sintered diamond;
a high temperature, low pressure sintered silicon-bonded polycrystalline material;
a silicon-bonded carbide material; and
an aluminum nitride intermetallic bonded diamond and carbide composite.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
forming an entirety of a downhole component from a diamond-enhanced material comprises forming at least two bearing components configured to contact and move relative to one another on the downhole tool from a diamond-enhanced material;
applying a metal material to a bare, diamond-enhanced surface of the downhole component using an ultrasonic molten metal brazing process comprises applying the metal material to a bare, diamond-enhanced surface of each of the at least two opposing bearing components using the ultrasonic molten metal brazing process; and
coupling the downhole component to at least another component using the metal material comprises coupling the at least a portion of the diamond-enhanced material of each of the at least two opposing bearing components to different components of the downhole tool using the metal material, the different components configured and positioned, when the downhole tool is operable, to place the two bearing components in movable contact.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein forming at least a portion of a downhole component from a diamond-enhanced material further comprises forming the at least two opposing bearing components to each exhibit a bearing surface having a substantially cylindrical geometry.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein forming an entirety of a downhole component from a diamond-enhanced material further comprises forming the at least two opposing bearing components to each exhibit a bearing surface having a substantially planar geometry.

12. A method of coupling a diamond-enhanced material to a downhole tool, comprising:
forming a diamond-enhanced material comprising a continuous phase matrix material and discrete particles of diamond material embedded in and dispersed throughout an entire thickness of the continuous phase matrix material;
applying a metal material to a bare, diamond-enhanced surface of the diamond-enhanced material discrete from the metal material using only an ultrasonic molten metal brazing process; and
bonding the diamond-enhanced material to the downhole tool with the metal material in a solid state.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein forming a diamond-enhanced material comprises forming a silicon-bonded diamond material.

14. A downhole tool including a bearing assembly comprising at least one bearing component being movable relative to a portion of the downhole tool, the at least one bearing component consisting of a continuous phase matrix material and discrete particles of diamond material embedded in and dispersed throughout an entire thickness of the continuous phase matrix material, the at least one bearing component coupled to another portion of the downhole tool by a metal material formed on a bare, diamond-enhanced surface of the bearing component through an ultrasonic molten metal brazing process.

15. The downhole tool of claim 14 , wherein the at least one bearing component consists of one of:
diamond grains in a matrix of tungsten carbide;
a high temperature, high pressure sintered silicon-bonded polycrystalline material;
a high temperature, low pressure sintered diamond;
a high temperature, low pressure sintered silicon-bonded polycrystalline material;
a silicon-bonded carbide material; and
an aluminum nitride intermetallic bonded diamond and carbide composite.

16. The downhole tool of claim 14 , wherein the at least one bearing component consists of a silicon-bonded diamond material and wherein the at least one bearing component is coupled to at least one adjacent component of the downhole tool comprising at least one of a metal and a metal alloy.

17. The downhole tool of claim 14 , wherein the at least one bearing component comprises at least two opposing bearing components configured to rotate relative to one another on the downhole tool, the at least two opposing, mutually relatively rotatable bearing components comprising diamond-enhanced materials coupled to different portions of the downhole tool by ultrasonic molten metal brazing processes.

18. The downhole tool of claim 14 , wherein the at least one bearing component comprises at least two opposing bearing components configured to translate relative to one another on the downhole tool, the at least two opposing, mutually relatively translatable components comprising diamond-enhanced materials coupled to different portions o

Assignees

• Smith Redd H
• Oxford James Andy
• Massey Alan J
• Baker Hughes Inc

Inventors

• Smith Redd H
• Oxford James Andy
• Massey Alan J

Classifications

• E21B4/003

  Bearing, sealing, lubricating details (for roller bits E21B10/22) · CPC title

• E21B17/1085

  Wear protectors; Blast joints; Hard facing · CPC title

• E21B10/22 Primary

  characterised by bearing, lubrication or sealing details · CPC title