Laser material processing tool
AssigneesGas Technology Institute, Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsLloyd Wilkiel, Neal Gregory Skinner, Timothy Holiman Hunter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for laser drilling including a laser beam emitter disposed within a housing having at least one laser beam outlet and at least one purge fluid outlet. At least one actuated nozzle is disposed within the housing for providing a purge fluid through the purge fluid outlet and having functional control for synchronized programmable activation patterns. Laser beam control is provided for directing a laser beam over a target surface.
Claims27
A laser material processing tool for processing material within a wellbore, the laser material processing tool comprising:
- a laser head assembly comprising a housing having at least one laser energy outlet and a plurality of purge fluid outlets concentrically disposed around said at least one laser energy outlet;
- at least one optical emitter suitable for emitting laser energy disposed within said housing;
- laser energy control means for directing said laser energy over a target surface;
- at least one automated purge fluid emitter adapted to emit a purge fluid through at least one of said plurality of purge fluid outlets;
- and
- synchronization means for synchronizing cyclic sequential emissions of said laser energy and said purge fluid directed at said target surface, said synchronization means comprises activation program for activating purge fluid flow through said purge fluid outlets in a user-defined programmable sequence,
- wherein said sequential emission of laser energy from said at least one optical emitter and emission of purge fluid from said plurality of purge fluid outlets comprises a laser beam is followed by a purge fluid jet which removes material weakened by the laser beam from the target surface to form a hole at the target surface.
An apparatus for subterranean laser drilling comprising:
- a laser beam emitter disposed within a housing having at least one laser beam outlet for emitting laser energy, and at least one purge fluid outlet;
- at least one actuated nozzle disposed within said housing for emitting a purge fluid through said at least one purge fluid outlet and having functional control for synchronized programmable activation patterns;
- and
- laser beam control means for directing a laser beam over a target surface,
- wherein emission of laser energy from said at least one optical emitter and emission of purge fluid from said at least one purge fluid outlet are directed at said target surface and wherein a leading purge fluid jet clears a path for a laser beam and the laser beam is followed by a trailing purge fluid jet which removes material weakened by the laser beam from the target surface.
A laser material processing tool for processing material within a wellbore, the laser material processing tool comprising:
- a laser head assembly comprising a housing having at least one laser energy outlet and at least one purge fluid outlet;
- at least one optical emitter suitable for emitting laser energy disposed within said housing;
- laser energy control means for directing said laser energy over a target surface;
- at least one automated purge fluid emitter adapted to emit a purge fluid through said at least one purge fluid outlet;
- and
- synchronization means for synchronizing cyclic sequential emissions of said laser energy and said purge fluid directed at said target surface,
- wherein said sequential emissions of laser energy from said at least one optical emitter and emission of purge fluid from said at least one purge fluid outlet comprise a leading purge fluid jet to clear a path for a laser beam and the laser beam is followed by a trailing purge fluid jet to remove material weakened by the laser beam from the target surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.