Hydraulic tools including inserts and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9784269-B2
Application number	US-201414148489-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2014
Priority date	Jan 6, 2014
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

A hydraulic tool includes a stator and a rotor rotatably disposed within the stator. At least one of at least an inner portion of the stator and at least an outer portion of the rotor includes an insert comprising a hard material. A method of forming a hydraulic tool includes attaching at least one insert comprising a hard material to a surface of a stator or a surface of a rotor. A downhole motor or pump includes a stator and a rotor. The stator includes at least one insert comprising a hard material disposed over at least a portion of an interior surface thereof and a matrix material at least partially surrounding the at least one insert. The rotor includes at least one insert disposed over at least a portion of an exterior surface thereof and a matrix material at least partially surrounding the at least one insert.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hydraulic tool, comprising: a stator having a plurality of lobes; and a rotor rotatably disposed within the stator, the rotor having one fewer lobe than the stator, wherein the lobes of the rotor are configured to engage with the lobes of the stator when the rotor moves; and at least one insert, the at least one insert comprising a volume of a hard material attached to a substrate, the volume of said hard material having a Knoop hardness value of about 800 Kgf/mm 2 (7,845 MPa) or more and having a thickness of at least 1 mm, wherein a major surface of the at least one insert forms at least one of at least an inner portion of the stator and at least an outer portion of the rotor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein molding a matrix material comprises deforming the matrix material to define at least one of at least an inner portion of the stator and at least an outer portion of the rotor.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising bonding a portion of the matrix material to another portion of the matrix material.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing a portion of at least one of the at least one insert and the matrix material from the hydraulic tool.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein removing a portion of at least one of the at least one insert and the matrix material from the hydraulic tool comprises at least one of machining or grinding a surface of the hydraulic tool.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a sheet of the matrix material and disposing the at least one insert within the sheet.

7. A hydraulic tool, comprising:
a stator having a plurality of lobes; and
a rotor rotatably disposed within the stator, the rotor having one fewer lobe than the stator, wherein the lobes of the rotor are configured to engage with the lobes of the stator when the rotor moves; and at least one insert, the
at least one insert comprising a volume of a hard material and a substrate, a volume of the hard material being bonded to the substrate, the hard material having a Knoop hardness value of about 800 Kg f /mm 2 (7,845 MPa) or more and having a thickness of at least 1 mm, wherein a major surface of the at least one insert forms at least one of at least an inner portion of the stator and at least an outer portion of the rotor.

8. The hydraulic tool of claim 7 , wherein the hard material comprises a polycrystalline material.

9. The hydraulic tool of claim 7 , wherein the hard material comprises a material having a hardness equal to or exceeding a hardness of tungsten carbide.

10. The hydraulic tool of claim 7 , wherein the at least one of at least an inner portion of the stator and at least an outer portion of the rotor comprises a matrix material at least partially surrounding the at least one insert.

11. The hydraulic tool of claim 10 , wherein the matrix material comprises a material having a higher flexibility than the material of the at least one insert.

12. The hydraulic tool of claim 10 , wherein the matrix material comprises particles of hard material.

13. The hydraulic tool of claim 12 , wherein the particles of hard material have an average particle size from about 50 μm to about 100 μm.

14. The hydraulic tool of claim 7 , wherein the at least one insert comprises a plurality of inserts laterally adjacent one another.

15. The hydraulic tool of claim 7 , wherein the rotor is configured to form a metal-to-metal seal against the stator as the rotor rotates within the stator.

16. The hydraulic tool of claim 7 , wherein the rotor defines at least one internal passageway.

17. The hydraulic tool of claim 7 , wherein the hydraulic tool is configured to be attached to at least one of an earth-boring bit and a drill string.

18. A downhole motor or pump, comprising:
a stator comprising at least a first insert comprising a first volume of hard material attached to a first substrate and having a major surface that forms a portion of an interior surface of the stator, and a matrix material partially surrounding the at least a first insert; and
a rotor rotatably disposed within the stator, the rotor comprising at least a second insert, the at least a second insert comprising a second volume of hard material attached to a second substrate and having a major surface that forms a portion of an exterior surface of the rotor, and a matrix material partially surrounding the at least a second insert;
wherein the first and second volume of hard material each has a Knoop hardness value of about 800 Kg f /mm 2 (7,845 MPa) or more and a thickness of at least 1 mm.

19. The downhole motor or pump of claim 18 , wherein the first and second volumes of hard material comprise polycrystalline diamond, and wherein the first and second substrates comprise tungsten carbide.

20. The downhole motor or pump of claim 19 , wherein the rotor is configured such that the at least a second insert of the rotor contacts the at least a first insert of the stator intermittently when the rotor rotates within the stator.

Assignees

• Baker Hughes Inc

Inventors

• Lehr Joerg
• Froehlich Dirk
• Hohl Carsten

Classifications

• F04C2/1075

  Construction of the stationary member · CPC title

• F04C13/008 Primary

  Pumps for submersible use, i.e. down-hole pumping · CPC title

• F05C2251/10

  Hardness · CPC title

• F01C1/107

  with helical teeth · CPC title

• F04C2/1071

  the inner and outer member having a different number of threads and one of the two being made of elastic materials, e.g. Moineau type · CPC title