Non-uniform roller cone
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsPhilip Trunk, Scott McDonough
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A roller cone may include an innermost region having roller cone cutting elements arranged thereon such that the cutting elements may be closer to a radial axis of a drill bit. A roller cone may include a central region having roller cone cutting elements arranged thereon. The central region of a roller cone may also include multiple zones where the cutting element density within the central region and/or zones may vary between zones and/or regions. The cutting element density may be no less than 75% greater in one zone and/or region than the cutting element density of another zone and/or region.
Claims20
A drill bit comprising:
- a bit body having a rotational axis;
- a first fixed blade fixed relative to the bit body with a first plurality of fixed blade cutting elements affixed to the first fixed blade;
- a second fixed blade fixed relative to the bit body with a second plurality of fixed blade cutting elements affixed to the second fixed blade;
- and
- a roller cone supported by the bit body, the roller cone including:
- an innermost region having roller cone cutting elements arranged thereon, wherein the roller cone cutting elements of the innermost region are closest to the rotational axis,
- an inner first central region having roller cone cutting elements arranged thereon, wherein a first transition from the innermost region to the inner first central region corresponds to a radially innermost fixed cutting element of the first plurality of fixed blade cutting elements, and
- an outer first central region having roller cone cutting elements arranged thereon with a cutting element density no less than 75% greater than a cutting element density of the inner first central region, wherein a second transition from the inner first central region to the outer first central region corresponds to a radially innermost fixed cutting element of the second plurality of fixed blade cutting elements.
A drill bit comprising:
- a bit body having a rotational axis;
- a first fixed blade fixed relative to the bit body with a first plurality of fixed blade cutting elements affixed to the first fixed blade;
- a second fixed blade fixed relative to the bit body with a second plurality of fixed blade cutting elements affixed to the second fixed blade;
- a third fixed blade fixed relative to the bit body with a third plurality of fixed blade cutting elements affixed to the third fixed blade;
- and
- a roller cone supported by the bit body, the roller cone including:
- an innermost region having roller cone cutting elements arranged thereon, wherein the roller cone cutting elements of the innermost region are closest to the rotational axis,
- an inner first central region having roller cone cutting elements arranged thereon, wherein a first transition from the innermost region to the inner first central region corresponds to a radially innermost fixed cutting element of the first plurality of fixed blade cutting elements,
- an outer first central region having roller cone cutting elements arranged thereon, wherein a second transition from the inner first central region to the outer first central region corresponds to a radially innermost fixed cutting element of the second plurality of fixed blade cutting elements, and
- a second central region having roller cone cutting elements arranged thereon, wherein a third transition from the outer first central region to the second central region corresponds to a radially innermost fixed cutting element of the third plurality of fixed blade cutting elements,
- wherein a cutting element density of at least one of the inner first central region, the outer first central region, and the second central region is no less than 75% greater than the cutting element density of another of the inner first central region, the outer first central region, and the second central region.
A drill bit comprising:
- a bit body having a rotational axis;
- a first fixed blade fixed relative to the bit body with a first plurality of fixed blade cutting elements affixed to the first fixed blade;
- a second fixed blade fixed relative to the bit body with a second plurality of fixed blade cutting elements affixed to the second fixed blade;
- and
- a roller cone supported by the bit body, the roller cone including:
- an innermost region having roller cone cutting elements arranged thereon, wherein the roller cone cutting elements of the innermost region are closest to the rotational axis,
- a first central region having roller cone cutting elements arranged thereon, wherein a first transition from the innermost region to the first central region corresponds to a radially innermost fixed cutting element of the first plurality of fixed blade cutting elements,
- a second central region having roller cone cutting elements arranged thereon, wherein a second transition from the first central region to the second central region corresponds to a radially innermost fixed cutting element of the second plurality of fixed blade cutting elements, and
- an outermost region having roller cone cutting elements arranged thereon, wherein the outermost region has a radial length no less than 10% of a radius of the drill bit relative to the rotational axis,
- wherein a cutting element density of the second central region is no less than 75% greater than the cutting element density of the first central region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.