Fluid pulse drilling tool
AssigneeSJM Designs Pty Ltd.
InventorTrevor David Kettels
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fluid pulse apparatus for down hole drilling having a turbine assembly actuated by a flow of drilling fluid. The apparatus has a narrowed fluid flow section that cooperates with a piston that moves between an open and a fluid flow restricting position. The apparatus has a turbine assembly that rotates in response to a flow of drilling fluid. The turbine apparatus has upper and lower cam surfaces that cooperate with fixed cam followers such that rotation of the turbine assembly and cam action between the cam surfaces and the fixed followers causes the turbine assembly to reciprocate axially. The piston is fixed to either of the upper or the lower cam surfaces such that as the turbine assembly reciprocates axially, the piston moves between the open and the flow restricting positions to create a pulsed fluid flow.
Claims22
A fluid pulse apparatus for down hole drilling, comprising:
- a housing defining a fluid flow passage for a flow of drilling fluid from an upstream end towards a downstream end;
- a turbine assembly within the fluid flow passage, the turbine assembly having an upstream annular cam surface, a downstream annular cam surface and a longitudinal axis extending between the upstream annular cam surface and the downstream annular cam surface;
- at least one turbine member that is operatively connected to the upstream annular cam surface and the downstream annular cam surface and is actuated by the flow of drilling fluid so as to cause rotation of the turbine assembly;
- and
- a piston fixed to the upstream annular cam surface;
- the fluid flow passage having a narrowed fluid flow passage upstream of the turbine assembly such that the piston is receivable within the narrowed fluid flow passage;
- at least one upstream cam follower fixed to the housing for cooperation with the upstream annular cam surface and at least one downstream cam follower fixed to the housing for cooperation with the downstream annular cam surface;
- such that when the turbine assembly is caused to rotate, there is a cam action between the upstream cam follower(s) and the upstream annular cam surface and between the downstream cam follower(s) and the downstream annular cam surface that causes the turbine assembly to reciprocate axially along the longitudinal axis within the fluid flow passage such that the piston moves axially along the longitudinal axis between a flow restricting position within the narrowed fluid flow passage and an open position to effect periodic restriction of the flow of drilling fluid through the fluid flow passage.
A fluid pulse apparatus adapted to be connected to a pipe line, the apparatus comprising:
- a housing defining a fluid flow passage for a flow of fluid from an upstream end towards a downstream end;
- a turbine assembly within the fluid flow passage, the turbine assembly having an upstream annular cam surface, a downstream annular cam surface and a longitudinal axis extending between the upstream annular cam surface and the downstream annular cam surface;
- at least one turbine member that is operatively connected to the upstream annular cam surface and the downstream annular cam surface and that is actuated by a flow of drilling fluid in the fluid flow passage so as to cause rotation of the turbine assembly;
- and
- a piston fixed to the upstream annular cam surface or the downstream annular cam surface;
- the fluid flow passage having a narrowed fluid flow passage section located upstream of the turbine assembly when the piston is fixed to the upstream annular cam surface such that the piston is receivable within the narrowed fluid flow passage, or the narrowed fluid flow passage is located downstream of the turbine assembly when the piston is fixed to the upstream annular cam surface such that the piston is receivable within the narrowed fluid flow passage;
- at least one upstream cam follower fixed to the housing for cooperation with the upstream annular cam surface and at least one downstream cam follower fixed to the housing for cooperation with the downstream annular cam surface;
- such that when the turbine assembly is caused to rotate, there is a cam action between the upstream follower(s) and the upstream annular cam surface and between the downstream cam follower(s) and the downstream annular cam surface that causes the turbine assembly to reciprocate axially along the longitudinal axis within the fluid flow passage such that the piston moves between a flow restricting position within the narrowed fluid flow passage and an open position to effect periodic flow restriction of the flow of fluid through the fluid flow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.