Downhole vibration for improved subterranean drilling
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorMinh Dang Nguyen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A downhole oscillation tool and method for axially vibrating a drill bit. In some embodiments, modular actuation assemblies may be provided, which may be readily interchanged between a housing and a shaft to axially vibrate the shaft with respect to the housing. Modular actuation assemblies may be mechanical, hydraulic, electric, or piezoelectric, for example, and may be characterized by differing oscillation frequencies. In some embodiments, a piezo element may be provided between the housing and the shaft.
Claims17
A downhole oscillation tool for axially vibrating a drill bit, comprising:
- a drill bit;
- a drill string for supporting said drill bit in a wellbore;
- a tubular housing coupled in said drill string;
- a shaft partially disposed within said housing and extending beyond a bottom end of said housing, said shaft being rotatively and axially movable with respect to said housing and directly coupled to said drill bit to support said drill bit below said housing, said shaft including a radially extending flange;
- a piezoelectric actuator assembly seated within said housing and operably engaged with a said flange so as to axially displace said shaft in a first direction with respect to said housing;
- and
- a spring disposed within said housing and operably coupled to the flange so as to bias the flange toward said piezoelectric actuator assembly and to axially displace said shaft in a second direction with respect to said housing opposite said first direction.
A method for axially vibrating a downhole drill bit, comprising:
- operatively coupling a piezo element between a housing and first side of a flange extending radially from a shaft;
- operatively coupling a spring to a second side of said flange opposite said first side to bias said flange toward said piezo element;
- connecting said drill bit directly to a distal end of said shaft;
- and
- selectively applying an electric field across said piezo element so as to axially displace said shaft with respect to said housing in opposition to said spring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.