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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9523242-B2
Application number	US-201113884538-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2011
Priority date	Nov 10, 2010
Publication date	Dec 20, 2016
Grant date	Dec 20, 2016

Abstract

A method of configuring a blade 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. Each of the cutting elements includes at least a portion located within the first radial swath. The method additionally includes configuring a first blade surface of a blade. The first blade surface is located within the first radial swath and configured based on the first desired depth of cut for the first radial swath. The blade surface is also configured based on 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 blade of a drill bit comprising:
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 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 blade point located within the first radial swath;
calculating a first axial coordinate for the first blade 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 blade point, and the first desired depth of cut for the first radial swath; and
configuring a first blade surface of a blade associated with the bit face, the first blade surface located within the first radial swath, the first blade surface configured at the first blade point based on the first axial coordinate for the first blade point such that the first blade surface controls a first depth of cut of the drill bit at the first radial coordinate for the first blade 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;
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; and
determining an second angular coordinate and a second radial coordinate for a second blade point located within the second radial swath;
calculating a second axial coordinate for the second blade 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 blade point, and the second desired depth of cut for the second radial swath; and
configuring a second blade surface of the blade, the second blade surface located within the second radial swath, the second blade surface configured at the second blade point based on the second axial coordinate for the second blade point such that the second blade surface controls a second depth of cut of the drill bit at the second radial coordinate for the second blade point according to the second desired depth of cut.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
configuring a plurality of blade surfaces of a plurality of blades associated with the bit face, the plurality of blade surfaces located within the first radial swath and configured 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 blade surfaces to balance lateral forces of the drill bit created by the plurality of blade surfaces.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
calculating a desired axial underexposure between the first blade surface 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 for the first blade point of the first blade surface 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 blade point;
determining an angular coordinate and an axial coordinate associated with each of the intersection points; and
calculating the axial coordinate for the first blade point based on the axial coordinate, the radial coordinate and the angular coordinate of the intersection points, the angular coordinate of the first blade 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 blade surface, each of the plurality of radial coordinates associated with one of a plurality of blade 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 blade 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 blade 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 blade point; and
configuring the first blade surface based on the plurality of axial coordinates of the plurality of blade points such that the first blade surface controls the 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 blade points; and
configuring the first blade surface based on the axial curvature associated with the plurality of blade 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 blade points to obtain smoothed axial coordinates associated with the plurality of blade points; and
configuring the first blade surface based on the smoothed axial coordinates associated with the plurality of blade 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 blade surface 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 blade of a drill bit comprising:
determining a desired depth of cut for a radial swath associated with a bit face of a 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 blade point located within the radial swath;
calculating an axial coordinate for the blade point based on the cutting edges of the cutting elements located within the radial swath, the angular coordinate of the blade point, and the desired depth of cut for the radial swath; and
configuring a blade surface of a bla

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