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A device for use with components for a downhole tool--such as a throat, a nozzle, or a diffuser--used for cleaning a wellbore, are disclosed which decreases the erosion of the components. The device may be comprised of a hardened material, such as stack of pure diamond disks brazed to form an insert

A device for use with components for a downhole tool--such as a throat, a nozzle, or a diffuser--used for cleaning a wellbore, are disclosed which decreases the erosion of the components. The device may be comprised of a hardened material, such as stack of pure diamond disks brazed to form an insert for a throat. The device may also be comprised of polycrystalline diamond (PCD) washers stacked together and mechanically secured within the component such as a throat. The device may also be comprised of diamond grown on a mandrel into a trumpet shape, which may then be brazed or epoxied into the component. As each of these materials is harder than materials previously utilized, erosion performance is enhanced. A method of improving erosion performance of components utilized to clean a wellbore is also disclosed.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A throat for a downhole tool, comprising: an entrance section having an opening tapered at a first angle; a barrel section adjacent the entrance section; a diffuser section, adjacent the barrel section, having a taper at a second angle, the entrance section, the barrel sectio

What is claimed is: 1. A throat for a downhole tool, comprising: an entrance section having an opening tapered at a first angle; a barrel section adjacent the entrance section; a diffuser section, adjacent the barrel section, having a taper at a second angle, the entrance section, the barrel section, and the diffuser section having a central opening therethrough; and an insert within the throat having an inner diameter, the insert having a plurality of disks adjacent one another, each disk having an inner diameter defining the insert opening, the plurality of disks made of substantially pure diamond, brazed together to form the insert, the insert made of a hardened material to protect the throat from erosion as a fluid enters the tapered opening of the entrance section, passes through the insert and the barrel section to the diffuser section, and exiting the tapered diffuser section, wherein the insert is within the throat such that a first set of disks are within the barrel section, a second set of disks are within the diffuser section, and a third set of disks are within the entrance section. 2. The throat of claim 1 wherein the second set of disks comprises four disks within the diffuser section having an inner diameter defining a taper along a length of the insert. 3. The throat of claim 2 wherein the taper is about six degrees. 4. The throat of claim 2, wherein an outermost disk of the four disks within the diffuser section has an outer diameter comprising a chamfer. 5. The throat of claim 1 wherein the third set of disks comprise the three disks within the entrance section having an inner diameter defining a taper along a length of the insert. 6. The throat of claim 5 wherein the taper of the three disks within the entrance section is about 30 degrees. 7. A throat for a downhole tool, comprising: an entrance section having an opening tapered at a first angle; a barrel section adjacent the entrance section; a diffuser section, adjacent the barrel section, having a taper at a second angle, the entrance section, the barrel section, and the diffuser section having a central opening therethrough; an insert within the throat having an inner diameter, the insert having a plurality of disks adjacent one another, each disk having an inner diameter defining the insert opening, the insert made of a hardened material to protect the throat from erosion as a fluid enters the tapered opening of the entrance section, passes through the insert and the barrel section to the diffuser section, and exiting the tapered diffuser section; a sleeve; an inner diffuser section adjacent one of the plurality of disks; and means for securing the inner diffuser section and the plurality of disks within the throat. 8. The throat of claim 1 or 7 wherein the first set of disks comprises fifteen disks. 9. A throat for a downhole tool, comprising: an entrance section having an opening tapered at a first angle; a barrel section adjacent the entrance section; a diffuser section, adjacent the barrel section, having a taper at a second angle, the entrance section, the barrel section, and the diffuser section having a central opening therethrough; an insert within the throat having an inner diameter, the insert having a plurality of washers, each having an inner diameter, the insert made of a hardened material to protect the throat from erosion as a fluid enters the tapered opening of the entrance section, passes through the insert and the barrel section to the diffuser section, and exiting the tapered diffuser section; a sleeve; an inner diffuser section adjacent one of the plurality of washers; and means for securing the inner diffuser section and the plurality of washers within the throat. 10. The throat of claim 9 in which the plurality of washers are made of polycrystalline diamond, each directly abutting one another to form the insert. 11. The throat of claim 10 in which at least one of the washers is within the entrance section, wherein the inner diameter of the at least one washer within the entrance section comprises a taper. 12. The throat of claim 11, in which the taper is about 30 degrees along the length of the insert. 13. The throat of claim 12, in which at least one of the plurality of washers is within the diffuser section having a tapered inner diameter forming substantially a six degree angle along a length of the insert. 14. The throat of claim 10 in which the central opening through the throat comprises a polished surface. 15. The throat of claim 1, in which the means for securing comprises a nut on adapted to threadedly engage an outer body of the sleeve. 16. A throat for a downhole tool, comprising: an entrance section having an opening tapered at a first angle; a barrel section adjacent the entrance section; a diffuser section, adjacent the barrel section, having a taper at a second angle, the entrance section, the barrel section, and the diffuser section having a central opening therethrough; an insert within the throat having an inner diameter, the insert comprising an integral trumpet having a flare, the trumpet being comprised of diamond, the insert made of a hardened material to protect the throat from erosion as a fluid enters the tapered opening of the entrance section, passes through the insert and the barrel section to the diffuser section, and exiting the tapered diffuser section; and a braze feed path extending radially outwardly through the throat from the trumpet. 17. The throat of claim 16, wherein the flare of the trumpet is within the entrance section of the throat and the remainder of the trumpet is within the barrel section. 18. The throat of claim 16 wherein the trumpet further comprises a mouth, opposite the flare and within the diffuser section, having an inner diameter greater than a diameter of a barrel section of the trumpet. 19. The throat of claim 16, wherein the trumpet is brazed within the throat. 20. A throat for a downhole tool, comprising: an entrance section having an opening tapered at a first angle; a barrel section adjacent the entrance section; a diffuser section, adjacent the barrel section, having a taper at a second angle, the entrance section, the barrel section, and the diffuser section having a central opening therethrough; an inset within the throat having an inner diameter, the insert comprising an integral trumpet having a flare, the trumpet being comprised of diamond, the insert made of a hardened material to protect the throat from erosion as a fluid enters the tapered opening of the entrance section, passes through the insert and the barrel section to the diffuser section, and exiting the tapered diffuser section, wherein the trumpet is made of diamond grown on a mandrel, the inner diameter being machined to form the trumpet. 21. The throat of claim 8 further comprises a braze feed path extending radially outwardly through the throat from the trumpet. 22. The throat of claim 16 or 20, wherein the trumpet is epoxied within the throat. 23. A downhole tool, comprising: a bottom hole assembly having a central opening therethrough; and an insert having an inner diameter, within the bottom hole assembly, made of a hardened material to protect the bottom hole assembly from erosion as a fluid passes through the central opening and the insert, in which the insert comprises a plurality of disks made of substantially pure diamond, adjacent one another and brazed together to form the insert, each disk having an inner diameter, wherein the insert is within the throat such that a first set of disks are within the barrel section, a second set of disks are within the diffuser section, and a third set of disks are within the entrance section. 24. A downhole tool, comprising: a bottom bole assembly having a central opening therethrough; an insert having an inner diameter, within the bottom hole assembly, made of a hardened material to protect the bottom hole assembly from erosion as a fluid passes through the central opening and the insert, in which the insert further comprises a plurality of washers made of polycrystalline diamond directly abutting one another to form the insert, a sleeve; an inner diffuser section adjacent on of the plurality of washers; and means for securing the inner diffuser section and the plurality of washers within the throat. 25. The downhole tool of claim 23 or 24, in which the bottom hole assembly is selected from the group consisting of a nozzle, a throat, and a diffuser.