Fixed cutter drill bit with flow guide

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9976357-B2
Application number	US-201514824453-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2015
Priority date	Aug 13, 2014
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

A drill bit comprises a bit body having a body face. A plurality of fixed blades extends from the bit body. Each of the plurality of fixed blades has a leading face and a trailing face. A plurality of nozzles is disposed on the body face to flow drilling fluid out of the bit body. A plurality of flow guides direct a portion of the drilling fluid away from the bit body. Each of the plurality of flow guides extends longitudinally from the body face, and along the leading face of one of the plurality of fixed blades.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drill bit comprising:
a bit body, the bit body having a body face;
a plurality of fixed blades extending from the bit body, each of the plurality of fixed blades having a leading face and a trailing face;
a plurality of nozzles disposed on the body face to flow drilling fluid out of the bit body; and
a plurality of flow guides to direct a portion of the drilling fluid away from the bit body,
wherein each of the plurality of flow guides extends longitudinally from the body face, and
wherein each of the plurality of flow guides extends along the leading face of one of the plurality of fixed blades.

2. The drill bit of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of fixed blades has a tip profile over the nose portion of the drill bit, and wherein at least one of the plurality of flow guides comprises a guide edge that follows the tip profile.

3. The drill bit of claim 1 , wherein the body face has a waterway profile over the nose portion of the drill bit, and wherein at least one of the plurality of flow guides comprises a guide edge that follows the waterway profile.

4. The drill bit of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of fixed blades has a tip profile over the nose portion of the drill bit, wherein the body face has a waterway profile over the nose portion of the drill bit, and wherein at least one of the plurality of flow guides comprises a guide edge that is steeper than the tip profile and the waterway profile.

5. The drill bit of claim 1 further comprising cutting elements disposed on the leading face of one of the plurality of fixed blades,
wherein at least one of the plurality of flow guides comprises a guide edge,
wherein the guide edge and the cutting elements form contiguous sides of a continuous flow channel having a flow entrance area, and
wherein at least one of the plurality of nozzles is operable to direct the drilling fluid toward the flow entrance area of the continuous flow channel.

6. The drill bit of claim 5 wherein the drilling fluid is accelerated in the continuous flow channel.

7. The drill bit of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of flow guides comprises a hydrophobic material.

8. The drill bit of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of flow guides comprises a front edge offset from an inside edge of at least one of the plurality of fixed blades, wherein the inside edge is the radially innermost edge of the at least one of the plurality of fixed blades.

9. The drill bit of claim 8 wherein at least one of the plurality of nozzles produces a flow jet, and wherein the flow jet, upon exiting the at least one of the plurality of nozzles, is essentially parallel to the front edge.

10. The drill bit of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of flow guides increases hydraulic shear stress on a plurality of cutting elements disposed on each of the plurality of fixed blades.

11. The drill bit of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of nozzles produces a flow jet, wherein the flow jet is essentially parallel to the leading face of a first one of the plurality of fixed blades, and wherein the flow jet is closer to the leading face of the first one of the plurality of fixed blades than to the trailing face of a second one of the plurality of fixed blades.

12. A drill bit comprising:
a bit body;
a plurality of fixed blades extending from the bit body;
a plurality of cutting elements disposed on each of the plurality of fixed blades;
a junk slot located in between a leading face of a first one of the plurality of fixed blades and a trailing face of a second one of the plurality of fixed blades;
at least one nozzle disposed in the bit body and leading into the junk slot; and
a flow guide protruding from the leading face of the first one of the plurality of fixed blades and from the bit body, wherein the flow guide is operable to direct a fluid from the at least one nozzle in front of the plurality of cutting elements disposed on the first one of the plurality of blades,
wherein the flow guide protrudes from the leading face of the first one of the plurality of fixed blades by a thickness that varies between 3 and 15 mm.

13. The drill bit of claim 12 wherein the first one of the plurality of blades has a tip profile, and wherein the flow guide comprises a guide edge that follows the tip profile.

14. The drill bit of claim 12 wherein the junk slot has a waterway profile, and wherein the flow guide comprises a guide edge that follows the waterway profile.

15. The drill bit of claim 12 wherein the first one of the plurality of blades has a tip profile, wherein the junk slot has a waterway profile, and wherein the flow guide comprises a guide edge that is steeper than the tip profile and the waterway profile.

16. A drill bit comprising:
a bit body;
a plurality of fixed blades extending from the bit body;
a plurality of cutting elements disposed on each of the plurality of fixed blades;
a junk slot located in between a leading face of a first one of the plurality of fixed blades and a trailing face of a second one of the plurality of fixed blades;
at least one nozzle disposed on the bit body and leading into the junk slot;
a flow guide protruding from the leading face of the first one of the plurality of fixed blades and from the bit body, the flow guide having a guide edge; and
a continuous flow channel formed at least partially by the guide edge and the plurality of cutting elements disposed on the first one of the plurality of fixed blades, the continuous flow channel having a flow entrance area,
wherein the at least one nozzle directs a fluid toward the flow entrance area of the continuous flow channel.

17. The drill bit of claim 16 wherein the at least one nozzle produces a flow jet, wherein the flow jet is essentially parallel to the leading face of the first one of the plurality of fixed blades, and wherein the flow jet is closer to the leading face of the first one of the plurality of fixed blades than to the trailing face of the second one of the plurality of fixed blades.

18. The drill bit of claim 17 wherein the first one of the plurality of blades has a tip profile over the nose portion of the drill bit, and wherein the guide edge follows the tip profile.

19. The drill bit of claim 17 wherein the junk slot has a waterway profile over the nose portion of the drill bit, and wherein the guide edge follows the waterway profile.

20. The drill bit of claim 17 wherein the first one of the plurality of blades has a tip profile over the nose portion of the drill bit, wherein the junk slot has a waterway profile over the nose portion of the drill bit, and wherein the guide edge is steeper than the tip profile and the waterway profile.

21. A drill bit comprising:
a bit body, the bit body having a body face;
a plurality of fixed blades extending from the body face, each of the plurality of fixed blades having a leading face, a trailing face, and a shoulder;
a junk slot located in between a leading face of a first one of the plurality of fixed blades and a trailing face of a second one of the plurality of fixed blades; and
a flow guide located in the junk slot,

wherein the flow guide extends axially from a base surface that is located in the junk slot and on the body face, by about half of a height of the first one of the plurality of fixed blades, and up to a guide edge surface that is offset inwardly from the shoulder of the first one of the plurality of fixed blades, and
wher

Assignees

• Nat Oilwell Dht Lp

Inventors

• Moslemi Ali Akbar
• Sue Jiinjen Albert

Classifications

• E21B10/61

  characterised by the nozzle structure · CPC title

• E21B10/602 Primary

  the bit being a rotary drag type bit with blades · CPC title

• E21B10/18 Primary

  characterised by conduits or nozzles for drilling fluids · CPC title

• E21B10/42

  Rotary drag type drill bits with teeth, blades or like cutting elements, e.g. fork-type bits, fish tail bits (characterised by wear resisting parts E21B10/46; by conduits or nozzles for drilling fluid E21B10/60; by detachable or adjustable parts E21B10/62) · CPC title

• E21B2010/607

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic