Solid-state damping of mechanical vibration in tool string
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorNeil Alan Ostermann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vibration-damping sub is provided to mitigate shock and other sources of vibration in a tool string. In examples, a tubular damping body is rigidly coupled between a vibration-sensitive tool and a vibration source. The tubular damping body includes a tubular wall defining a plurality of shaped holes configured to dampen the mechanical vibration to below the design threshold for the vibration-sensitive tool. The tubular damping body may also include different portions having different materials and impedances to further disrupt the propagation of mechanical waveforms.
Claims8
A vibration-damping sub, comprising:
- a tubular damping body having a tubing wall defining a longitudinal axis and opposing ends for connecting the tubular damping body within a tool string between a vibration source and a vibration-sensitive tool;
- a plurality of shaped holes arranged along the tubing wall configured to impede propagation of mechanical waves along the tubular damping body, each shaped hole including a first leg defining an angled portion transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tubular damping body for redirecting the mechanical waves and a second leg forming a vertex with the first leg at an acute angle;
- and
- wherein the second leg of each shaped hole is parallel with the longitudinal axis of the tubular damping body.
A tool string, comprising:
- a conveyance configured for lowering into a wellbore;
- a vibration-sensitive tool supported on the conveyance;
- a vibration source coupled to the conveyance capable of generating a mechanical vibration in excess of a design threshold for the vibration-sensitive tool;
- and
- a tubular damping body rigidly coupled between the vibration-sensitive tool and the vibration source, the tubular damping body comprising a tubular wall defining a plurality of shaped holes configured to dampen the mechanical vibration to below the design threshold for the vibration-sensitive tool, wherein each shaped hole comprises a first leg defining an angled portion of the shaped hole and a second leg parallel with a longitudinal axis of the tubular damping body and intersecting the first leg at a vertex at an acute angle between the first leg and the second leg.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.