System and method of constant depth of cut control of drilling tools

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9506294-B2
Application number	US-201113884505-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2011
Priority date	Nov 10, 2010
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

A method of configuring a depth of cut controller (DOCC) of a drill bit includes determining a first desired depth of cut for a first radial swath associated with a bit face of a drill bit. The first radial swath is associated with a first area of the bit face. The method further includes identifying a first plurality of cutting elements located on the bit face that each include at least a portion located within the first radial swath. The method additionally includes configuring a first depth of cut controller (DOCC) for placement on the bit face within the first radial swath. The first depth of cut controller is configured based on the first desired depth of cut for the first radial swath and each portion of the first plurality of cutting elements located within the first radial swath.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of configuring a depth of cut controller (DOCC) of a drill bit comprising:
determining a first desired depth of cut for a first radial swath associated with a bit face of the drill bit, the first radial swath having a first area on the bit face located between a first radial coordinate and a second radial coordinate;
identifying a first plurality of cutting elements located on the bit face that each include at least a portion located within the first radial swath, each of the first plurality of cutting elements including a cutting edge located within a cutting zone of an associated cutting element;
determining a first angular coordinate and a first radial coordinate for a first control point associated with a first depth of cut controller (DOCC) and located within the first radial swath;
calculating a first axial coordinate for the first control point based on the cutting edges of the first plurality of cutting elements located within the first radial swath, the first angular coordinate of the control point, and the first desired depth of cut for the first radial swath; and
configuring the first DOCC at the first control point based on the first axial coordinate for the first control point such that the first DOCC controls a first depth of cut of the drill bit at the first radial coordinate for the first control point according to the first desired depth of cut.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a second desired depth of cut for a second radial swath associated with the bit face of the drill bit, the second radial swath having a second area on the bit face located between a third radial coordinate and a fourth radial coordinate such that the second radial swath does not overlap the first radial swath;
identifying a second plurality of cutting elements located on the bit face that each include at least a portion located within the second radial swath, each of the second plurality of cutting elements including a cutting edge located within a cutting zone of an associated cutting element;
determining a second angular coordinate and a second radial coordinate for a second control point associated with a second depth of cut controller (DOCC) and located within the second radial swath;
calculating a second axial coordinate for the second control point based on the cutting edges of the second plurality of cutting elements located within the second radial swath, the second angular coordinate of the control point, and the second desired depth of cut for the second radial swath; and
configuring the second DOCC at the second control point based on the second axial coordinate for the second control point such that the second DOCC controls a second depth of cut of the drill bit at the second radial coordinate for the second control point according to the second desired depth of cut.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
configuring a plurality of DOCCs for placement on the bit face of the drill bit within the first radial swath based on the first desired depth of cut for the first radial swath and the cutting edges of the first plurality of cutting elements located within the first radial swath; and
configuring the plurality of DOCCs to balance lateral forces of the drill bit created by the plurality of DOCCs.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
calculating a desired axial underexposure between the first DOCC and the portions of the first plurality of cutting elements located within the first radial swath based on the first desired depth of cut; and
calculating the first axial coordinate for the first DOCC based on the desired axial underexposure, the axial coordinate associated with a location along a rotational axis of the drill bit.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining an intersection point for each of the first plurality of cutting elements, each of the intersection points having approximately the same radial coordinate as the first control point;
determining an angular coordinate and an axial coordinate associated with each of the intersection points; and
calculating an axial coordinate for the first control point based on the axial coordinate, the radial coordinate and the angular coordinate of the intersection points, the angular coordinate of the first control point and the first desired depth of cut.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining a plurality of radial coordinates associated with the first DOCC, each of the plurality of radial coordinates associated with one of a plurality of control points located within the first radial swath;
determining a plurality of intersection points associated with the first plurality of cutting elements, each of the plurality of intersection points having approximately the same radial coordinate as one of the plurality of control points;
determining an angular coordinate and an axial coordinate associated with each of the plurality of intersection points;
calculating a plurality of axial coordinates for each of the plurality of control points based on the first desired depth of cut and the plurality of axial and angular coordinates of the intersection points having approximately the same radial coordinate as the respective control point; and
configuring the surface of the first DOCC based on the plurality of axial coordinates of the plurality of control points such that the first DOCC controls the first depth of cut of the drill bit at the plurality of radial coordinates according to the first desired depth of cut.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
determining an axial curvature associated with the plurality of control points; and
configuring the surface of the first DOCC based on the axial curvature associated with the plurality of control points.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
performing a two dimensional interpolation of the plurality of axial coordinates associated with the plurality of control points to obtain smoothed axial coordinates associated with the plurality of control points; and
configuring the surface of the first DOCC based on the smoothed axial coordinates associated with the plurality of control points.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
calculating a critical depth of cut control curve associated with the first radial swath;
comparing the critical depth of cut control curve with the first desired depth of cut associated with the first radial swath; and
determining whether the first DOCC adequately controls a depth of cut of the drill bit within the first radial swath based on the critical depth of cut control curve.

10. A method of configuring a depth of cut controller (DOCC) of a drill bit comprising:
determining a desired depth of cut for a radial swath associated with a bit face of the drill bit, the radial swath having an area on the bit face located between a first radial coordinate and a second radial coordinate;
identifying all cutting elements located on the bit face that each include at least a portion located within the radial swath, each of the cutting elements including a cutting edge located within a cutting zone of an associated cutting element;
determining an angular coordinate and a radial coordinate for a control point associated with a depth of cut controller (DOCC) and located within the radial swath;
calculating an axial coordinate for the control point based on the cutting edges of the cutting elements located within the radial swath, the angular coordinate of the control point, and the desired depth of cut for the first radial swath; and
configuring the DOCC at the control point based on the axial coordinate for the control point such that the DOC

Assignees

• Chen Shilin
• Ashby James R
• Arfele Robert W
• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Chen Shilin
• Ashby James R
• Arfele Robert W

Classifications

• E21B10/43 Primary

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

• E21B10/55

  with preformed cutting elements · CPC title

• E21B47/04

  Measuring depth or liquid level · CPC title